سابق گورنر میر اکبر علی خاں
اتر پردیش اور اڑیسہ کے سابق گورنر میر اکبر علی خاں کی وفات ملک و ملت کا اہم حادثہ ہے، وہ تحریک خلافت اور آزادی کی جدوجہد میں شریک رہے، اسی زمانے سے مولانا سید سلیمان ندوی سے ان کے تعلقات تھے، وہ علامہ شبلیؒ اور سید صاحبؒ کے قدرداں اور دارالمصنفین سے بڑا اخلاص رکھتے تھے، جب اتر پردیش کے گورنر ہوئے تو اسے میزبانی کا شرف بھی بخشا اور ایک بڑی رقم مرحمت کی جس سے ایک بڑا ہال تعمیر ہوا، مرحوم ہماری پرانی تہذیب و شرافت کا نمونہ اور سچے مسلمان تھے، صوم و صلوٰۃ کے پابند تھے، دارالمصنفین میں ان کی تشریف آوری جمعہ کے دن ہوئی تھی، یہیں کی مسجد میں جمعہ کی نماز ادا کی، جب وہ اڑیسہ کے گورنر تھے تو اس زمانے میں ایک دفعہ میں کلکتہ گیا، گورنر ہاؤس میں عصرانہ تھا، جس میں وہ بھی شریک تھے، میں ملا تو بڑی شفقت و محبت سے پیش آئے اور دارالمصنفین کا ذکر خیر فرماتے رہے، اﷲ تعالیٰ انہیں جنت الفردوس نصیب کرے اور پسماندگان کو صبر جمیل عطا کرے، آمین۔ (ضیاء الدین اصلاحی،جولائی ۱۹۹۴ء)
Taking an ‘analogical’ approach to the issue, this study reads the saga of Atiya Fyzee’s relationship with Shibli Nomani and Allama Iqbal as a plausible allegory of the transforming cultural relationship of the Muslims of the subcontinent with English (in what this term comes to mean as a language, as a discipline of studies, and as a synecdoche of Western culture). The history of this cultural interaction since the British colonization I have divided into three broad phases: the initial, the middle, and the present. The initial phase I earlier dealt with by exploiting Sheikh Muhammad Ikram’s analogy, later employed by Nasir Abbas Nayyar, that Shibli’s attitude towards English was the same as his attitude towards his step-mother at home. English, in other words, was a stepmother for Shibli, and for the generations represented through his figure in this early phase of cultural interaction of the Muslims of the subcontinent with the language. The present paper focuses on how one can analogically read in the personal histories of the representative figures of this culture the stories of how in the subcontinent the larger cultural reception of English gradually changed from being treated as a ‘step-mother’(and hence forging with her a relationship of cultural exchange) to being treated as a ‘social butterfly’ or a ‘social sweetheart’, as a symbol of liberal humanist high culture, and how such terms of cultural engagement with English were unacceptable to both Shibli and Iqbal. The paper closes on how even this image of English as high culture gradually dissolved with the cultural disintegration wrought by an ever-increasing and relentless consumerist culture in the postcolonial times.
Studies on boron (B) nutrition and microbial allelopathy for improving the productivity and grain biofortification of bread wheat were conducted in Allelopathy laboratory, glasshouse and Agronomic Research Area, Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. In the lab and glasshouse studies, rates and sources of B for seed priming and coating were optimized using two wheat cvs. Faisalabad-2008 and Lasani-2008. In all four methods of B application, application of B improved yield as well as grain B concentration. Application of B as seed priming, coating, soil and foliar application at 0.01 M B solution (as borax), 0.25 g B (as borax) kg-1 seed, 1.0 kg B ha-1 and 0.01 M B solution, respectively were the best among the tested treatments. In experiment I, conducted under field conditions, wheat genotypes were characterized for B biofortification potential. Experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design in factorial arrangement during 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. Boron was soil applied at 1.0 kg B ha-1. Wheat genotypes Chenab-2000, Uqaab-2000, Pasban-90 and MH-97 had more grain B contents than rest of the genotypes during both years. In experiment II, conducted under field as well as glasshouse conditions, application of B and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) were investigated for potential effect on wheat producticity and enhancement in grain B concentration. Experimental treatments comprised of pre-otimized level of B from each application methods as well as application of PGPR i.e. (1) hydropriming (control), (2) seed priming with 0.01 M B solution, (3) seed coating with 0.25 g B kg-1 seed, (4) soil application with 1.00 kg B ha-1, (5) foliar application with 0.01 M B solution, (6) seed priming with 0.01 M B solution + Bacillus, (7) seed coating with 0.25 g B kg-1 seed + Bacillus, (8) soil application with 1.00 kg B ha-1 + Bacillus, and (9) foliar application with 0.01 M B solution + Bacillus. Seed priming with B reduced time to 50% emergence and mean emergence time. Crop growth rate, leaf growth rate, plant height, tillers per plant, leaf chlorophyll contents and plant water relation were also improved by the application of B. However, there was no effect of application of PGPR on these parameters. Nonetheless, application of PGPR also triggered the release of organic acid from plant roots of both cultivars, which improved the soil nutrient contents (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and B). While application of B and PGPR enhanced the yield and related traits of wheat cultivars. However, maximum yield was recorded with the application of B and PGPR as seed coating. Grain B concentration was also enhanced by PGPR while maximum grain B concentration was recorded in seed priming. Application of B and PGPR as seed coating was the most economical and cost-effective option as indicated by more cost to benefit ratio and marginal rate of return. In conclusion, although application of B improved the wheat performance whereas application of PGPR further improved to the beneficial affects of B nutrition. However, seed coating with combination of B and PGPR was the best treatment option, hence seeds of wheat may be coated with B and PGPR to improve the performance, yield, grain biofortification and net economic returns of wheat.