In a rare gesture, Hindu, Muslim couples undergo kidney swap transplant

Agencies
May 29, 2019

Bihar, May 29: For two years, Abdul Aziz, a 53-year-old carpenter from Kashmir, had been on dialysis and was looking for a kidney donor till he found a match hundreds of miles away in Bihar -- a Hindu couple who agreed for a 'swap transplant'.

The families of Manjula Devi (42), a housewife from Patna in Bihar, and Aziz from Kashmir's Baramulla district were looking for suitable donors since their spouses' kidneys were a poor mismatch for each other.

The families crossed paths within three months after they got themselves registered on a mobile app 'iKidney', developed by Priyadarshi Ranjan who is a doctor.

After conducting all the requisite tests and examination, experts opined that the kidney of donor Kumar (46) – husband of Devi – was a good match for Aziz.

Kumar, who retired from the Indian Air Force as a technician, currently works in a bank in Patna.

Similarly, the kidney of donor Shazia (50) -- wife of Aziz -- was found to be a good match for Devi. Both the families agreed to undergo surgeries for a paired kidney exchange.

The families applied for no objection certificate from state authorities.

Later, the kidney swap was successfully performed between the couples from Kashmir and Bihar at Fortis hospital at Mohali, Ranjan said here Wednesday.

The surgery was conducted by a team of doctors led by Rajan, who is a consultant, Urology, Andrology and Transplant Surgery at the hospital.

"It gives me immense satisfaction that the swap kidney transplant was a success. Both the families are extremely happy and the patients are recovering well to the post-surgery treatment," Ranjan told reporters here in the presence of both the couples, one being a Muslim and the other one a Hindu.

A kidney exchange, also known as "kidney swap" occurs when a living kidney donor is incompatible with the recipient, and hence exchanges kidneys with another donor-recipient pair. Such transplantation enables two incompatible recipients to receive healthy, more compatible kidneys from each other.

Devi, who received Shazia's kidney, said, "I feel lucky that we got in touch with Shazia's family. I have been doing fine after the surgery was performed." On receiving a kidney from a Muslim woman, who is also a housewife, Devi, replied, "It gives me a great source of strength that humanity is the greatest religion."

Aziz, who received Kumar's kidney, said, "We know that helping a human in times of need is the greatest deed for anyone. For any human to help any other fellow human in need is the greatest deed and that is what all religions teach us."

Comments

Abdulla
 - 
Thursday, 30 May 2019

Well done brothers and sister.  May God bless you will happy life.  However, some hate mongers may not like this.  In logon ka dil hamesha kaala hota hai aur ye insaniyat ke dushman hote hain.  Logon ke beech nafrat faila kar apni roti seekhna hi in insaan numa iblees ka kaam hota hai.  Laanat ho aise gaddaron par. 

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Air India Express has announced that it will resume direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat from March 2026, restoring an important international air link for passengers from the coastal region.

Airport authorities said the service will operate twice a week—on Sundays and Tuesdays—from March 1. The initial flights are scheduled on March 3, 8 and 10, followed by March 15 and 17, with the same operating pattern to continue thereafter. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 25 minutes.

The Mangaluru–Muscat route was earlier operated under the 2025 summer schedule, with services beginning on July 14. At that time, Air India Express had operated four flights a week before suspending the service.

Officials said the summer schedule will come into effect from March 29, after which changes in flight timings and departure schedules from Mangaluru are expected. Passengers have been advised to check the latest schedules while planning their travel.

The resumption of direct flights to Muscat is expected to significantly benefit expatriates, business travellers and others, further strengthening Mangaluru’s air connectivity with the Gulf region.

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News Network
December 20,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 20: The Mangaluru City Police have issued a detailed traffic advisory ahead of the inaugural ceremony of Karavali Utsava, which will be held at the Karavali Utsava Ground on Saturday.

The festival will be inaugurated at 6:00 pm by Dakshina Kannada District Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao. Cultural and public programmes will be held at the venue every evening and will continue until January 2.

According to City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy, parking of vehicles is strictly prohibited on both sides of the road from Lalbagh to Karavali Utsava Ground. Visitors are requested to park their vehicles only at designated parking areas.

To help the public, traffic signboards and parking guidance flex boards have been installed along the routes leading to the venue. The police have urged commuters and visitors to follow these instructions to ensure smooth traffic movement.

Designated Parking Locations

•    Urwa Market Ground – Cars
•    Gandhinagar Government School (near Press Club) – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Ladyhill Church parking area – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Canara School Ground, Mannagudda – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Thimmappa Hotel premises – Two-wheelers and cars
•    Scout and Guide Bhavana premises (behind Karavali Utsava Grounds) – Two-wheelers
•    Urwa Market Road – Two-wheelers
•    Hat Hill Road – Two-wheelers

The police have appealed to the public to cooperate by following traffic rules and parking guidelines to avoid inconvenience during the festival.

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News Network
December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

•    Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

•    STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

•    Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

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