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 15,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 15: The civic body in Bengaluru has said that gathering at marriage functions should not exceed 100 people in order to curb the spread of coronavirus.

A circular issued by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) dated March 15 said, "All marriage functions pre booked in marriage halls, hotels, Party places, etc. prior to the issue of circular dated March 13, shall be allowed to be conducted subject to the condition that the gathering in the function not exceeding 100 persons."

"The above relaxation is an exception in consideration of the difficulties in rescheduling and cancelling the Marriage event immediately," the circular said.

It said, "The Owners/Management of such locations where Marriages are to be solemnized due to pre booking shall maintain high standards of sanitation and hygiene by periodically cleaning by 10 per cent Sodium Hydrochlorite Solution or any other effective disinfectant the surfaces, floors and exposed areas likely to be touched by the attendants."

"Any person attending the function having any such symptoms like Cough, Cold, and Fever etc. shall be requested for immediately leaving the Programmes," it said.

The civic body further said in the circular, "No fresh bookings of any place for Marriage programme are permitted till further orders. Any bookings on future dates by any organizer, event manager, owner of such property or any other person will be at his own risk and action will be taken against the property or any other person for any kind of bookings before an Order allowing such bookings is issued by a Competent Authority."

"The restrictions imposed are in the absolute interest of Public Health for preventing the Community Spread and outbreak of the disease at mass scale. All other restrictions imposed by order dated March 13 shall stand the same," the Circular added.

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News Network
January 10,2020

Davanagere, Jan 9: Residents of SVR colony of Channagiri Taluq here on Thursday built a temple in the memory of a male monkey, who died here 'unexpectedly'.

A group of monkeys entered the SVR colony around three months back. The monkeys have never disturbed anybody in the area and they used to play with children living in the colony.

Locals said that the monkeys are very obedient to them.

Unfortunately, one of the monkeys died suddenly on Wednesday, causing distress among people who were very fond of him.

Showing their love for the deceased monkey, locals performed his final rite according to Hindu tradition.

Later, the residents approached the president of the village Panchayat to allot funds to build a temple in the monkey's memory.

The construction of the temple has already begun in the area at the same place where the monkey's funeral was conducted.

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News Network
February 9,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 9: Senior JD(S) leader and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda has called upon all the regional parties and secular parties to join hands with the Congress and work in tandem to take on the BJP.

Noting that mere speeches would not help, he said the regional and secular parties should enhance their strength politically in the country.

"We all need to join together with Congress and work in tandem with the available strength only then will we be able to stop them (the BJP)," the JD(S) supremo said at a public meeting organised by the party in Hassan district on Saturday.

Gowda cautioned the regional and secular parties against sitting idle watching the developments in the country.

"If the small and regional parties do not exercise the powers given by Dr B R Ambedkar to the country, they (BJP) are going to the extent of finishing them up," he said. Interestingly, the JD(S) patriarch, had in the run-up to the December bypolls to Karnataka assembly said he would not align with the Congress and dubbed it as "not trustworthy."

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