Gandhi ashram's Muslim head dead; prefers cremation over burial

October 9, 2016

Ahmedabad, Oct 9: "My life is my message", said Mahatma Gandhi. And one of Bapu's original disciples, Abdul Hamid Kureshi, 89 -the chair man of the Sabarmati Ashram - has enclosed a message in his death. Kureshi, who was also an eminent lawyer, chose to be cremated and not buried.gandhi

Kureshi breathed his last at the breakfast table in his residence in Swastik Society, Navrangpura, on Saturday morning. Sabarmati Ashram was the cradle of Bapu's revolutionary ideas to win freedom from the British.

It was a rare sight at the Mukti Dham crematorium in Paldi where Kureshi's illustrious family gathered for his final rites. Senior members of the higher judiciary and distinguished lawyers stood alongside the grieving family . Kureshi was the grandson of Imam Saheb Abdul Kadir Bawazir, a close associate of Bapu in South Africa.Bapu referred to Imam Bawazir as his "sahodar", brother born from the same mother.

"Kureshi saheb wished to be cremated because he did not want to waste land with his burial," said Bharat Naik, the sonin-law of Kureshi's brother, Wahid Kureshi. "In fact, he made me a witness to the decision in the presence of other family members." Over the past four years, Kureshi had been reminding his son, Justice Akil Kureshi, and Naik that they should ensure he is cremated. He asserted that if anyone objected, the person should be told of his last wish.Kureshi was cremated after 7 pm.

Kureshi was born in the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad where Imam Bawazir had settled with Bapu in 1915. Born in 1927, Kureshi grew up on Bapu's lap till Bapu embarked on the Dandi March in 1930. Kureshi was one of the few kids who ate tomato slices from Bapu's lunch. Bapu wrote letters to a young Kureshi, which were later donated to the National Archives of India.

"Kureshi's father, Ghulam Rasool, was part of `Arun Tukdi' that walked ahead of the Dandi March procession," said Sabarmati Ashram director Tridip Suhrud. "The team had to ensure that arrangements for meetings and halts were in place."

After Ghulam Rasool and his wife were arrested during the Dandi March, Abdul Hamid, his brother Wahid, and sister Sultana were brought up for a few years by Anasuya Sarabhai, said the secretary of the ashram, Amrut Modi. "Sarabhai was a Gandhian and pioneer of women's labour movement in India," he said. Rizwan Kadri, an Ahmedabad-based historian, said that in September1942 Kureshi was arrested in Detroj during the Quit India movement.

Kureshi became the chairman of the Sabarmati Ashram trust three years ago. A peace activist at heart, Kureshi worked to build bridges between Hindus and Muslims and penned a book titled " Agnipariksha" after the 1969 communal riots in Gujarat.

Comments

shaji
 - 
Monday, 10 Oct 2016

None can stop if any one wants to follow Sataan and enter Hell. I think this idiot deserves it. He did not agree to waste land but agree to pollute atmosphere thereby creating pollution. I am sure he was a follower of Satan and he will meet his Guru in the Hell.

Onte Moothra, …
 - 
Monday, 10 Oct 2016

Good muslim, doesn't want to meet 72 houris.

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March 7,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 7: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday said that the Upper Krishna Project (UKP) will be completed within the next three years.

Speaking in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said: "After discussing with the officials of the finance department, we have decided to allocate Rs 10,000 crore funds for the third phase of UKP. This project will be completed within a span of three years."

Yediyurappa also said that the government will hold talks for additional funds from the Central government.

The leader of Opposition, Siddaramaiah, interrupted and said that the CM has announced this just to gain the confidence of MLAs from north Karnataka.

"The government could have announced it in the budget itself or else the Chief Minister could have announced it at the time of discussion on the budget. Where are the funds with the government to complete the project? CM has announced this just to gain the confidence of MLAs who hail from north Karnataka," said Siddaramaiah.

Deputy Chief Minister Govinda Karajol while speaking to the media welcomed the Chief Minister's statement and said that the earlier government didn't allocate a single penny in the last seven years he added.

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January 19,2020

Mangaluru, Jan 19: ‘Ride For Rotary’ convoy of motor vehicles was flagged off from Hotel Ocean Pearl Inn at Bejai-Kapikad, Mangaluru on Sunday, 19th January, 2020 at 9.00 a.m. Rotary district governor Joseph Mathew flagged off the event along with Assistant Governors Sumith S. Rao, Geethanand Pai and Ritesh Baliga. The riders headed for Puttur after topping up their fuel tanks at Lady Hill Petrol Pump.

2019-20 Ride For Rotary includes 28 motorbikes and 5 cars. 38 Rotarians from 14 countries are participating, in this, the fourth edition of the event. They will traverse through Madikeri, Mysore, Wayanad, Ooty, Coimbatore, Munnar, Thekkady and Allepey before terminating at Kochi on 29th of January, 2020. The participating nationalities are India, Norway, Sweden, Canada, France, Germany, USA, UK, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Poland and Belgium. They belong to ages 21 to 78, with 78-year old Otto Rieve from Canada being the senior most enthusiast. Swiss national of Indian origin Raj Patholi and Mangalorean Abraham Zacharias are among the riders. 

Mangalore was chosen as the starting point for the convoy route this year which will cover Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. On the eve of the event, the organizers hosted a gala dinner for the riders at Citi Beech, Bolar. The riders were given a glimpse of the traditional dance forms and were treated to some wonderful songs in Tulu and Kannada along with local coastal cuisine.

They were also given a glimpse of the major service projects undertaken in our district by Rotary, such as the Rotary Blood Bank on Wheels, the Physiotherapy Clinic at Wenlock Hospital, the Schools adopted by Rotary and the Ashrams and Villages that are being served by Rotary. The idea behind this is to see that riders carry these memories and think of helping Rotarians in India through their matching contributions for future service projects.

‘Ride For Rotary’

Ride for Rotary is a charity event conceived by Rotary District 3181 which comprises of the revenue districts of Mysore, Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada and Chamarajanagar covering 85 Rotary Clubs in 9 zones. Rotarians from across the world will come together for twelve exhilarating days. They will traverse through the meticulously arranged routes, enjoy the natural beauty of the places and experience the varied cultures and cuisines of the region. Ride for Rotary connects people and places like no other - Rotary Connects the World.

The proceeds from the event go to The Rotary Foundation, a charitable organisation that works tirelessly for the upliftment of the society.

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News Network
July 18,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 18: Vendors in Bengaluru are finding it hard to earn a livelihood as the state government has allowed the sale of products only for a few hours each day. The lockdown imposed by the Karnataka government on July 14 will continue till July 22.

Speaking to ANI, Vanajakshi, a local vendor said, "We took loans from banks and small financiers to run our business. But we are finding it tough to pay back as our livelihoods have been hit."
"Because of the lockdown, no one comes to buy and markets remain vacant. There was a time when the Gandhi Nagar market was filled with customers, but now it looks like a vacant playground," she added.

Mythri, an advocate, said, "Look at the conditions of vendors. It's precarious. They do not have any business at all. Even now they have been allowed to sell products till 12 noon, which is not sufficient. It's time for the government to step in and provide assistance. If the Central government can reduce corporate taxes, why can't it help them? At least it will help them pass off these difficult times. "

"They are earning through daily wages. The government imposed lockdown suddenly. Where will they go? The city market in Bengaluru is famous. At least 8,000 people come from slum areas. People here are poor. The lockdown was done suddenly and led to problems for these people," said Congress MLA Zamil Ahmed Khan.

Referring to a recent meeting with the chief minister BS Yediyurappa, he said, "During the meeting called by the CM, I suggested that food kits must be arranged for vendors. The CM said the government is providing rice and wheat but that's not enough."

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