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A tehsil or tahsil/tahasil (Punjabi: ਤਹਿਸੀਲ, Urdu: تحصیل‏‎, Hindi: तहसील), also known as taluk (or taluq/taluka) and mandal, is an administrative division of some countries of South Asia.

Generally, a tehsil consists of a city or town that serves as its headquarters, possibly additional towns, and a number of villages. As an entity of local government, it exercises certain fiscal and administrative power over the villages and municipalities within its jurisdiction. It is the ultimate executive agency for land records and related administrative matters. Its chief official is called the tehsildar or less officially the talukdar or taluka muktiarkar.

Variations[link]

Tehsil and taluka and their variants are used as English words without further translation. Since these terms are unfamiliar to English speakers outside of the subcontinent, the word county has sometimes been provided as a gloss, on the basis that a tehsil, like a county, is an administrative unit hierarchically above the local city, town, or village, but subordinate to a larger state or province. However, India and Pakistan have two (or more, at least in parts of India) intermediate levels of hierarchy — the district and the tehsil, both of which are sometimes glossed as county. In neither case is the analogy very precise in specific details.

India[link]

In India the term tehsil is only used in some states. For details see the corresponding article.

Pakistan[link]

In Pakistan, the term tehsil is generally used except in Sindh where the term taluka (Urdu: تعلقه) predominates, e.g., Larkana Taluka.^[1] The tehsil is the second-lowest tier of local government in Pakistan; each tehsil is part of a larger District (zila/zilah (Urdu: ضلع)). Each tehsil is subdivided into a number of union councils.

In the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, tehsil has the same meaning as explained above except in Malakand Division, where a district (zila/Zilah) has two or more subdivisions and a subdivision has two or more tehsils. The subdivisions in Malakand Division are about the same as tehsils in the rest of the country.

See also[link]

• Taluqdar
• Tehsildar
• Village accountant

References[link]

External links[link]

• 2001 maps; provides maps of social, economic and demographic data of India in 2001

This article may contain wording that merely promotes the subject without imparting verifiable information. Please remove or replace such wording, unless you can cite independent sources that support the characterization. (March 2012)

Saeed Khan

Saeed Khan, (Urdu: سعید خان; born July 19, 1966) is a contemporary Urdu poet (also known as 'Saeed'), a Sydney, Australia -based writer and social and environmental advocate.^[1] Saeed's poetry is a combination of classical and modern Urdu ghazal and poems full of romance. Saeed’s idol and the great Urdu Poet Ahmad Faraz praised his poetry by saying 'Saeed's voice is like a fresh breeze for Urdu poetry'.^[2]

Biography[link]

Saeed Khan was born in Khanpur Dam area located in Hazara Pakistan (Hindko: هزاره, Urdu: ہزارہ)) Pakistan on July 19, 1966.^[3]

Khan holds a Masters in Management and an MBA (E-Business Management) from the University of Technology, Sydney and works in IT Management.^[4]

Khan has lived in Sydney for over 20 years. He was a former General Secretary of the Pakistan Association of Australia from 1999–2001 and for many years campaigned for refugee rights and multiculturalism.^[5][6]

Urdu Poetry[link]

Saeed Khan grew up reading and writing Urdu poetry in the North of Pakistan and continued his passion after he moved to Sydney during the late 1980s.

Khan started writing a young Urdu poet in Sydney and developed his poetry through reading and interactions with local and international Urdu poets from India and Pakistan who traveled to Australia for annual recitals.

Among those who have praised Saeed Khan’s poetic works are stalwarts like Ahmad Faraz, Amjad Islam Amjad, Himayat Ali Shaer, and Pirzada Qasim, as well as contemporaries like Farhat Abbas Shah.^[7]

Khan has been involved in promoting and developing Urdu writings in Australia since 1995 and was a founding member of the former Urdu Society of Australia and served as a Vice President from 2003–2008 and played a key role in developing and project managing major international poetry recitals.

Khan is married to the well-known Urdu poetess, Noshi Gilani and they currently reside in Sydney.^[8]

Khan co-founded the Urdu Academy of Australia (Sydney) with famous poetess Noshi Gilani in 2009. The Academy organises monthly sittings in Sydney to promote Urdu Poetry and literature.,,^{[9][10][11][12]}

Books[link]

Saeed Khan is a published poet and has so far authored following 3 collections of Urdu poetry:

1st Book: 2003 “manzar baat karte hain” منظر بات کرتے ہیں Published in Lahore/Sialkot by Bangash Publishers in 2003.

2rd Book: 2007/2011 Hijrat ke parinday ہجرت کے پرندے Published by Mavra Publishers, Lahore.

Khan’s Book “Hijrat Ke Parinday” meaning “Migratory Birds” is effectively a reprint of Saeed’s 2nd book “Aik Muthi Mein Merey Khwab” ایک مٹھی میں مرے خوابthat was first published & launched in lahore by Sham ke Baad Publishers in 2007 .

3rd Book "Sehra Ka Gulab" (Desert Rose) 2012 Khan’s latest poetry (2007–2012) is currently in publishing with Mavra Publishers, Lahore.

Translation of Les Murray’s Poerty

Khan is also credited with introducing and co-translating (with Noshi Gilani) the great Australian poet Les Murray into Urdu language. These works were published in Tasteer Literary magazine in Islamabad in its Decembr 2011 edition.^[13]

Reviews & Comments[link]

The great Urdu Poet Ahmad Faraz praised his poetry by saying 'Saeed's voice is like a fresh breeze for Urdu poetry'.

Renowned Urdu poet and critic Dr Abrar Ahmad reviewed Saeed Khan's 2nd book EIK MUTHI MEIN MEREY KHWAB (A Handful of Dreams) in 2007. According Dr Abara Ahmad:

"The collection is heavily dominated by ghazal -- and unfolds a promise of going ahead with brilliance in this genre ... The strongest point he scores here is his creative ability to utilize words in their proper meaning. His stance is essentially neoclassical ... He seems deeply immersed in the greater ghazal tradition, and understands high class ghazal. All his work is meant to convey some thoughts, ideas and feelings. Subjective issues occupy the main bulk of his content. These include a longing, a sense of loss, an unquenched thirst for love and allied feelings. But he is fully conscious of the objectivity around and far from him".

"At places he offers political comments, at others he turns philosophical. A wave of romanticism runs through as an undercurrent in all his poetry".^[14]

Activism and Advocacy[link]

Khan joined the Australian Greens in 2003 as he was attracted to their environmental, social and human rights policies. Khan left politics in 2008 after one term on Marrickville Council. Some of the highlights included:

Marrickville Council, Sydney
Marrickville Council, Sydney: Elected as a Greens' Councillor from March 2004 – September 2008, chaired a number of Council and Advisory committees. www.marrickville.nsw.gov.au
Candidate for 2007 Australian Federal Election
Australian Greens candidate for the Sydney electorate of Grayndler, succeeded in gaining nearly 20% of the primary vote in Greens 2nd largest electorate in the country.^[15] http://greens.org.au/grayndler
Ethnic Communities' Council of New South Wales (ECC NSW)
Ethnic Communities' Council of New South Wales* (ECC NSW): Elected Deputy Chairman (2007–2009, 2009–2011) and Vice Chairman (2005–2007) of the ECC, the peak representative body of diverse migrant communities of NSW. www.eccnsw.org.au
The Institute for Cultural Diversity (ICD)
Founding Board Member since 2007. Co-founded the ICD, a think-tank to promote a cross-political approach to issues of cultural diversity.^[16]

Across My Bridge The Across My Bridge project concept was conceived of by Saeed Khan during his time at Marrickville Council. Saeed initiated the approach to Beyond Empathy and brokered the relationship with the lead funding body: The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). Across My Bridge (2006–2009) was an innovative and responsive project that was designed to provide young people from the Muslim community with a ‘stepping stone into the mainstream’. One effective way of creating a sense of balance is to provide arts and cultural interventions. Utilising a secular, integrated approach and targeting youth who (as a result of their isolation) do not access existing services, Across My Bridge provided a creative, safe space for these young people from the Muslim community to explore their lives and role in the community.,,^[17][18][19]

Sydney Airport Expansion During his time as a Marrickville Councillor (2004–2008) Khan was one of the main activists campaigning against the federal government unfair laws that protect Sydney Airport from both State and local Planning Controls. In August 2004, Khan revitalized the campaign against the Sydney Airport expansion and was successful in uniting neighbouring councils in a mayoral campaign against the Airport overdevelopment and forcing the State Government to challenge Federal Government planning powers.,^[20][21],^[22][23]

Other achievements
–Founding member of Marrickville Transport Action Group www.marrickvilletag.org
–Media- Opinion Writing: His opinion pieces have been published in Sydney Morning Herald (Australia's largest newspaper), ABC Online, Inner-Western Courier, Indus Age, Online Opinion, as well as international website such as www.Chowk.com <http://www.chowk.com/>

References[link]

External links[link]

• Saeed Khan's Official website
• Saeed's Poetry website
• Saeed's Poetry Videos on YouTube
• Marrickville Council website
• Greens website
• Greens Leader Bob Brown visits Saeed Khan, Greens candidate for Grayndler
• Pakistan Earthquake Appeal Coordination Committee
• [1]

Narendra Modi નરેન્દ્ર મોદી
Chief Minister of Gujarat
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 October 2001
Governor	Dr. Kamla Beniwal
Preceded by	Keshubhai Patel
Constituency	Maninagar
Personal details
Born	(1950-09-17) 17 September 1950 (age 61) Vadnagar, Gujarat, India
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Residence	Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
Alma mater	Gujarat University[1]
Religion	Hinduism
Website	Narendra Modi
As of 9 March, 2009 Source: Government of Gujarat

Narendra Damodardas Modi (Gujarati: નરેન્દ્ર મોદી; born 17 September 1950^[1]) is the current Chief Minister of the Indian state of Gujarat. Born in a middle class family in Vadnagar, he was the third of six children born to Damodardas Mulchand Modi and his wife Heeraben.^[2] He has been a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since childhood also having interest in politics since adolescence. He holds a master's degree in political science. In 1998, he was chosen by L. K. Advani, the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to direct the election campaign in Gujarat as well as Himachal Pradesh.

He became Chief Minister of Gujarat in October 2001, promoted to the office at a time when his predecessor Keshubhai Patel had resigned, following the defeat of BJP in the by-elections. His tenure as chief minister of Gujarat began on 7 October 2001, and he is the longest serving Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat.^[3] In July 2007 he became the longest serving Chief Minister in Gujarat's history when he had been in power for 2063 days continuously.^[4] He was elected again for a third term^[5] on 23 December 2007 in the state elections, which he had cast as a "referendum on his rule".^[6][7]

Personal life[link]

Modi was born in a middle class family in Vadnagar in Mehsana district of what was then Bombay State, India.^[8] During the Indo-Pak war in the mid sixties, even as a young boy, he volunteered to serve the soldiers in transit at railway stations.^[9] As a young man, he joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, a student organisation and was involved in the anti-corruption Nav Nirmāṇ ("Reconstruction") Movement. After working as a full time organiser for the organisation, he was later nominated as its representative in the Bharatiya Janata Party.^[10] As a teenager Modi used to run a tea stall with his brother.^[11] Modi completed his schooling in Vadnagar. He earned a masters degree in political science from Gujarat University.^[12]

Early activism and politics[link]

Modi was a pracharak (campaigner) in the RSS during his university years.^[12][13] He took up the challenging task of energising the party cadres in right earnest. In partnership with Shankersinh Vaghela, Modi set about creating a strong cadre base in Gujarat. In the initial period, Vaghela was seen as a mass leader, while Modi was recognised as a master strategist.

The party started gaining political mileage and formed a coalition government at the centre in April 1990. This partnership fell apart within a few months, but the BJP came to power with a two-thirds majority on its own in Gujarat in 1995. During this period, Modi was entrusted with the responsibility of organising two crucial national events, the Somnath to Ayodhya Rath Yatra (a political rally through India on a converted Toyota van) of L.K. Advani and a similar march from Kanyakumari (the southernmost part of India) to Kashmir in the North. After the exit of Shankarsingh Vaghela from the BJP, Keshubhai Patel was made Chief Minister while Narendra Modi was sent to New Delhi as a General Secretary of the Party.

In 1995, Modi was appointed the National Secretary of the party and given the charge of five major states in India. In 1998, he was promoted as the General Secretary (Organization), a post he held until October 2001. In 2001, Narendra Modi was chosen by the party to be the Chief Minister of Gujarat after the removal of chief minister Keshubhai Patel.

Tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat[link]

Personality[link]

Modi is known for leading a frugal lifestyle. He has a personal staff of just three. He is known to be a workaholic Chief Minister and an introvert.^[14] He ordered the demolition of many Hindu temples that were built without proper government sanction which earned him the ire of VHP^[11] He is a crowd puller as a speaker. Modi has also tried to turn his image from an Hindu Nationalist politician to an image of able administrator. He wears business suits and is improving his command over the English language.^[15]

Awards and recognitions[link]

Modi was awarded Gujarat Ratna by Shri Poona Gujarati Bandhu Samaj at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch on celebration of centenary year.^[16]

Development of Gujarat[link]

As a Chief Minister, Modi started various 'yojanas' or plans. This includes:

• Panchamrut Yojana,^[17][18][19] a five-pronged strategy for an integrated development of the state,
• Sujalam Sufalam, a scheme to create a grid of water resources in Gujarat in an innovative step towards water conservation and its appropriate utilisation.
• Krishi Mahotsav – agricultural research labs for the land
• Chiranjeevi Yojana – To reduce infant mortality rate
• Matru Vandana – Providing preventive and curative services under the Reproductive and Child Health Programme
• Beti Bachao – Campaign against female infanticide to improve sex ratio
• Jyotigram Yojana – Provide electricity to every village
• Karmayogi Abhiyan – To educate and train government employees
• Kanya Kelavani Yojana – To encourage female literacy and education
• Balbhog Yojana – Midday meal scheme for students to encourage school attendance from poor backgrounds.^[20]

Vibrant Gujarat[link]

Vibrant Gujarat is a biennial Global Investors' Summit held by the Government of Gujarat in Gujarat, India. The event is aimed at bringing together business leaders, investors, corporations, thought leaders, policy and opinion makers; the summit is advertised as a platform to understand and explore business opportunities in the State of Gujarat. the event has been held continuously since 2003.

Gujarat earthquake[link]

The biggest challenge which he had to face when he took over as the Chief Minister, was the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the areas affected by the massive Gujarat Earthquake of January 2001.

Gujarat violence[link]

On 27 February 2002, a train was burned by a Muslim mob in the town of Godhra leading to 59 deaths, most of them Hindu pilgrims and activists returning from the holy city of Ayodhya.^[21] Riots broke out in the state after it was suspected to be caused by Muslims, leading to 1180 deaths, many of them Muslims. Modi administration was accused of inaction over the riots and for encouraging them.^[15] As an aftermath of the riots, there were calls for Modi to resign from his position as chief minister of Gujarat. The opposition parties stalled the national parliament over the issue. Even Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP), allies of the BJP, asked for Modi's resignation.^[22][23] Modi submitted his resignation to the Governor and recommended the dissolution of the 10th Gujarat Legislative Assembly.^[24][25] In the following state re-elections the BJP, led by Modi, won 127 seats in the 182-member assembly.

In April 2009, the Supreme Court of India appointed a special team of investigators to look into the role Modi had played in the alleged anti-Muslim conspiracy.^[15] The team was appointed in response to the complaint of zakia Jafri, the widow of ex-Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, who was murdered in the riots.^[26] In December 2010, a Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) in its report to the Supreme Court seeking answers pertaining to the Ehsan Jafri case, submitted that they had found no evidence against Narendra Modi.^[27]

However in February 2011, the Times of India reported that a confidential report from the SIT indicted Modi on several counts of alleged complicity in the Gujarat riots of 2002.^[28] Most other sources have noted that the SIT report does not indict Modi for the riots due to lack of evidence.^[29][30] The Indian Express too said the report did not find any Modi involvement in the violence, though it did accuse him of watering down the seriousness of the situation.^[31] According to the Hindu, the report not only found that Modi tried to water down the seriousness of the situation, but Modi also implicitly justified the killings of Muslims, and failed to condemn the attacks on them.^[32] The Bharatiya Janata Party demanded an investigation into the publication of the report, claiming the leak was politically motivated.^[33]

The apex court refused to pass any order on the case and referred it to the Ahmedabad magistrate for a decision.^[34] In April 2012, a Special Investigation Team found absolved Modi of any involvement in the Gulberg massacre, arguably the worst episode of the riots.^[35]. On 7 May 2012, a Supreme Court-appointed amicus curiae, Raju Ramachandran observed that Modi can be prosecuted under sections 153 A (1) (a) & (b), 153 B (1), 166 and 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code for promoting enmity among different groups during the 2002 Gujarat riots.^[36]. However the amicus report has been criticised by the Special Investigation Team for relying heavily on the testimony of a perjurer^[37].

2007 elections[link]

Modi made a speech at Mangrol in which he justified the alleged fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Sheikh, During the election campaign In response to Sonia Gandhi's speech calling him a "merchant of death",^[38] and referred to Sohrabuddin's killing. For this speech the Election Commission of India, a constitutional body governing election proceedings in India, cautioned Modi as it considered it as indulging in an activity which may aggravate existing differences between different communities.^[39] Modi won the election and continued his post as the Chief Minister Of Gujarat, he won with majority of votes of 122 seats out of 182 total assembly seats.^[40]

Conflicts with Governor Kamla Beniwal[link]

On 25 August 2011 Gujarat Governor Kamla Beniwal appointed Justice R A Mehta to the post of Lokyukta of Gujarat, a critical anti-corruption post that had been lying vacant since 2003. Justice R A Mehta was recommended for the post by the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court in June. Since Governor Beniwal had made this decision without consulting and getting the approval of the chief minister and his council of ministers, the action angered Narendra Modi and his BJP party.^[41]

This marked the beginning of a strained relationship between Modi and the Governor. On 25 September 2011, Narendra Modi accused the Governor of running a parallel government in the state supported by the Congress. He demanded that she be recalled back.^[42] He also later accused her of delaying the progress of bills by not passing them.

The decision of the governor in the appointment of R A Mehta was challenged in the high court by the Modi government. The two member high court bench gave a split verdict on 10 October 2011. Later, a third member upheld the governor's decision in January 2012.^[43]

Foreign visits[link]

As the Chief Minister of the Gujarat State, to attract foreign investment in the state, Narendra Modi has made visits to foreign countries, including China and Singapore.

Narendra Modi made his first China visit in 2007 to invite investors Vibrant Gujarat Global Investor Summit,^[44] and second visit in November 2011. One month after the second visit to China, the Chinese Government released 13 Diamond traders from India jailed by the Shenzhen Customs, which the Chief Minister described as the consequece of his diplomatic efforts and statesmanship.^[45]

In 2005 Narendra Modi was denied of diplomatic visa to the United States, in addition to this visa denial, he was also revoked from his already granted B-1/B-2 visa.^[46]

Sadbhavna Mission[link]

In the late 2011-early 2012 Narandra Modi practised a series of fasts in the name of Sadbhavna Mission. The mission started on 17 September 2011 in Ahmedabad with 3 day fast with a view to strengthen the atmosphere of peace, unity and harmony in the state. He observed total 36 fasts in 26 districts, 8 cities including Ahmedabad.^[47]

Views and opinions[link]

Modi's position on terrorism[link]

On 18 July 2006 Modi delivered a speech criticising Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh "for his reluctance to revive anti-terror legislations" like the Prevention of Terrorism Act. He asked the Centre to empower states to invoke tougher laws in the wake of the blasts in Mumbai.^[48] Quoting Modi:

Narendra Modi has frequently commented that if the BJP came to power at the Centre, they will honour the 2004 Supreme Court judgement to hang Afzal Guru.^[49] Afzal was convicted of terrorism in the 2001 Indian Parliament attack in 2004 by the Supreme Court of India and is in Tihar Jail.^[50]

On account of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, on Thursday 27 November, Narendra Modi held a meeting to discuss waterfront security along the coastline.^[51] The meeting decided to ask the Central government to urgently sanction the following:

• Increase the number of police stations along the coast to 50 (from 10)
• Increase the number of police to 1500 from 250
• 30 modern high-speed surveillance boats.

The 30 coastal boats, under construction at Goa's shipbuilding yard, will have the capacity to run at the speed of 25 nautical miles per hour. These are being manufactured under the Centre's Rs 58-crore grant for coastal security.^[51]

Views on criticism of Modi's governance[link]

In 2003, when Narendra Modi was asked about the conflict of his dreams for Gujarat's future with international criticism of his past activities, Modi said,^[52]

Modi's decision to link Gujarat's violence with the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US drew criticism from some observers, who contrasted it with the then Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani's unpleasant apology for Gujarat in London a year ago.^[52] Modi responded to this criticism by The Guardian,^[52]

See also[link]

• Chief Minister
• Gujarat
• Bhartiya Janata Party

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Narendra Modi

Official

• @narendramodi Official & verified Twitter Account
• Narendra Modi Official website
• Narendra Modi Personal blog

Other

• Profile at BBC News

v t e Current Chief Ministers of Indian states (list)     Andhra Pradesh: Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy Arunachal Pradesh: Nabam Tuki Assam: Tarun Gogoi Bihar: Nitish Kumar Chhattisgarh: Raman Singh Goa: Manohar Parrikar Gujarat: Narendra Modi Haryana: Bhupinder Singh Hooda Himachal Pradesh: Prem Kumar Dhumal Jammu and Kashmir: Omar Abdullah Jharkhand: Arjun Munda Karnataka: D. V. Sadananda Gowda Kerala: Oommen Chandy Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chauhan Maharashtra: Prithviraj Chavan Manipur: Okram Ibobi Singh Meghalaya: Mukul Sangma Mizoram: Pu Lalthanhawla Nagaland: Neiphiu Rio Orissa: Naveen Patnaik Punjab: Parkash Singh Badal Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot Sikkim: Pawan Kumar Chamling Tamil Nadu: Jayalalithaa Tripura: Manik Sarkar Uttar Pradesh: Akhilesh Yadav Uttarakhand: Vijay Bahuguna West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee Delhi: Sheila Dikshit Pondicherry: N. Rangaswamy

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2009)

Sardar Muhammad Aslam Baggra (1910 – unknown) was an Indian field hockey player who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics.

In 1932 he was a member of the Indian field hockey team, which won the gold medal. He played one match as back.

He was born in Lyallpur, India.

External links[link]

• profile

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This biographical article relating to an Indian field hockey figure is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e