18-year-old Hindu girl teaches Quran to Muslim kids in temple premises

[email protected] (Anuja Jaiswal | Times of India)
September 6, 2016

Agra, Sep 6: In the communally restive western UP, an open-air classroom held every evening in a temple premises in Agra's Sanjay Nagar colony offers hope and also a rare insight into the state's composite culture. Here, 18-year-old Pooja Kushwaha, who is herself a normal class XII student by the day, turns into teacher at dusk giving away lessons to 35 Muslim kids in the area lessons in Quran.

hindu gal
With her impeccable accent tiding over difficult Arabic phonology involving a variety of syllables and emphatic consonants, the young girl looks every inch of the teacher the parents of these kids always wanted. Reshma Begum, mother of 5-year-old Alisha, one of Pooja's students, said, "It is a marvel to see her achieve this rare distinction at so young age. I am very pleased to have her as my kid's teacher. Her religion is the last thing on my mind or any other parents' that I know."

So, how did she learn Arabic? "Many years ago, there was another woman of mixed faith in our locality. Born to a Muslim father and Hindu mother, Sangeeta Begum used to hold Quran classes for the kids. I got interested in the holy book and started attending her classes. I made steady progress and was ahead of all others in her class soon," Pooja said.

Due to some personal problem, Sangeeta Begum had to discontinue her classes and she requested Pooja to keep alive this legacy.

"She taught me an important tenant of Islam, that there is no point in gaining knowledge if you don't share it," the 18-year-old says with maturity that belies her age.

She does it all for free. "Most of the kids are from poor families. They do not have money to offer and I do not want it either," she says. As the number of kids in her classes grew, her house became too small to accommodate all the kids. Elders in the locality readily offered her premises of a temple for her classes.

Pooja's elder sister Nandini, who is a graduate, also imparts local kids lessons in Hindi and Bhagwat Gita. "These children are from underprivileged backgrounds and giving education to them is a great work. I am proud of my daughters," their mother Rani Kushwaha says.

And how does the general Muslim population in the area see her efforts?

One of the city's most prominent Muslim leaders, 70-year-old Haji Jamiluddin Qureshi, who chairs many social forums and has a school of his own, says, "It's heartening to know that such rare examples of communal harmony exist in our city. A teacher is a teacher and her religion doesn't matter as long as she knows the holy scripture well. Moreover, Islam doesn't object to anybody learning Arabic or reading Quran."

Comments

Rikaz
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Sep 2016

Yogesh, Islam means peace, peace amongst entire human kind....not just for Muslims.....don't worry kafir does not mean anything but non believer of Islam...that is...of course you are a non believer...

SHAAN
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Sep 2016

Dear YOGESH...

KAFIR means non believer, it is not a bad word.

ISLAM says there is no God but ALLAH
Muhammad pbuh is the last messenger of God
QURAN explains what THE CREATOR wants his CREATION to do...
QURAN is unchanged since its revelation
ALLAH invites his creation to challenge what it says...
Now
YOU need to do YOUR job of finding what QURAN says.
IF QURAN says dont drink Alcohol than find out if it is Good for YOU or not ..
QURAN says PORK is haram , Check scientifically and research Y QURAN prohibits it.. It is harmful to human body and creates many diseases...
Dont just sit at home and follow cheddi instruction.. Cheddis are dumping YOU far from GOD and also asking you to reject NA TASYA PRATImA ASTI... (There is no image of God).

Think and use your intellect which God has given you... If you are honest and Truth in searching for God... God will Guide you

Ahmed..K
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Sep 2016

Yogesh,

Muhammad pbuh is not God ... (He is a messenger and We Muslims dont worship Muhammad pbuh but We follow him the way he showed us)

ALLAH is the only one God who is worthy of Worship...
Do you think Stones can help U .. U guys are deceived for long time that u can worship thru Stones... A blatant LIE from the powers of those who Control people like U.
Stones can neither help U nor harm U...
Y can't U PONDER on what QURAN says... Just read once by yourself and try to REFLECT on what it says on GODs that is man made.

If U R really intelligent then U will know that Stones cannot do anything.. Just believing is not intelligent...
Even animals know who is God. They never worship Idols... Sometimes the Dogs make urine in them...
Think and PONDER, dont waste time by arguing. If someone is inviting YOU to look into QURAN that's cos of the TRUTH.

Althaf
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Sep 2016

#10 Yogesh, Mangalore
Dear Yogesh
There should be a strong reason behind one who convert his faith to islam. After studying quraan people will come to know that islam is the real religion and Allah is only true god. My request to you is have guts and read quraan. May Allah open your heart & Eyes.
Also Allah is only the god and Muhammed Is the prophet of Allah.

FAIR FAIR FAIR
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Sep 2016

People from all religions should have access to read the holy scripts with translation from all religions.
Leave them alone,
If you want just preach them your true teaching and ideology.
But never entice or force them for conversion.

This way the brotherhood can remain intact.
The society will hot have haterdness.

NIHAL
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Sep 2016

First of all I like to appreciate Pooja for restoring humanity and knowing different faith.
Mr. Yogesh I did not understand your theory of forced conversation, most of guys like you accuse Christian and Muslims for conversation. lets keep your theory and think there are 1000 of Christian education, healthcare institutions still why the population is below 3% in India secondly Muslim kings has ruled India for a such a long time still they are 13 to 14% why.
The word kafir is Arabic which means (non believers) and Quran tells killing a innocent is killing a humanity.. then where did that come from. I believe ALLAH as God and Mohammed as prophet.
I believe in my religion and I am not worried about conversion but that doesn't mean that I should not study other faiths. I learn bible and Quran I visit churches and mosques.
just come out of the cage and have some life bro...see the world through open eyes...don't keep hatred on anyone...

SK
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Sep 2016

What an achievement ..... Masha Allah ....

NOOR
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Sep 2016

Quran is not just to read...

Anyone who reads QURAN should reflect on what it says... The real miracle comes when we REFLECT and PONDER on it...
TRY IT.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Mangaluru: Chaos erupted at Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) after IndiGo flight 6E 5150, bound for Mumbai, was repeatedly delayed and ultimately cancelled, leaving around 100 passengers stranded overnight. The incident highlights the ongoing country-wide operational disruptions affecting the airline, largely due to the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms for crew.

The flight was initially scheduled for 9:25 PM on Tuesday but was first postponed to 11:40 PM, then midnight, before being cancelled around 3:00 AM. Passengers expressed frustration over last-minute communication and the lack of clarity, with elderly and ailing travellers particularly affected. “Though the airline arranged food, there was no proper communication, leaving us confused,” said one family member.

An IndiGo executive at MIA cited the FDTL rules, designed to prevent pilot fatigue by limiting crew working hours, as the cause of the cancellation. While alternative arrangements, including hotel stays, were offered, about 100 passengers chose to remain at the airport, creating tension. A replacement flight was arranged but also faced delays due to the same constraints, finally departing for Mumbai around 1:45 PM on Wednesday. Passengers either flew, requested refunds, or postponed their travel.

The Mangaluru delay is part of a broader crisis for IndiGo. The airline has been forced to make “calibrated schedule adjustments”—a euphemism for widespread cancellations and delays—after stricter FDTL norms came into effect on November 1.

While an IndiGo spokesperson acknowledged unavoidable flight disruptions due to technology issues, operational requirements, and the updated crew rostering rules, the DGCA has intervened, summoning senior airline officials to explain the chaos and outline corrective measures.

The ripple effect has been felt across the country, with major hubs like Bengaluru and Mumbai reporting numerous cancellations. The Mangaluru incident underscores the systemic operational strain currently confronting India’s largest carrier, leaving passengers nationwide grappling with uncertainty and delays.

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News Network
December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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