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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News Network
June 16,2020

Kalaburagi, Jun 16: Stones were pelted by villagers at an ambulance and a vehicle of health department at Tanda village here, which was fetching 15 people who had tested positive for COVID-19 to a hospital for treatment.

"A medical team along with some police personnel had gone to the Tanda village to bring 15 people who had tested positive for COVID-19 to a hospital for treatment on Monday," Lada Martin Marbaniang, Superintendent of Police (SP) Kalaburagi said.

"The medical team had an argument with villagers, which turned violent and those people started pelting stones at the ambulance and a vehicle of the health department," the SP said.

"On getting information, we rushed more security forces to the village. I visited the spot and spoke to a few leaders. Subsequently, we were able to convince them and all of them were brought to the hospital. A case has been registered against violent offenders," he added.

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News Network
January 15,2020

Mangaluru, Jan 15: A 28-year-old man, who is a first-year MBBS dropout, was arrested by the police after he posed as a doctor and treated patients at a private hospital at Derlakatte on the outskirts of the city.

The arrested has been identified as Mohammed Habib Hussain, a native of Shivamogga, who was residing in Attavar, Mangaluru. He had discontinued studies after the first year due to personal reasons.

The incident took place on Sunday night  at Yenepoya Medical College, Derlakatte. Dr Sampathila Padmanabha, medical superintendent, Yenepoya Medical College, said the accused had come to the medical college at midnight on December 29.

After speaking to the security guard at the hospital entrance, he introduced himself as an assistant to the consulting urologist, and wanted to visit patients at the private ward situated at floor number 7.

After entering, he called the duty nurse to get case sheets. Later, he examined two women patients in the presence of the duty nurse, and also wrote a prescription on the patient case sheet. He also yelled at a nurse, saying that she isn’t doing her duty properly, and left the place.

However, the nurse who grew suspicious, informed the management, after the accused had left the place. The management, who crosschecked about the accused, found out that he is not a doctor, and that he is also not associated with the hospital.

The management sent an advisory to all employees to produce their identity cards, whenever they enter any wards, especially at night, and also to keep an eye on anyone suspicious. The same message was passed on to other hospitals in the vicinity.

The accused again showed up at the hospital on Sunday night. As security guards were told about strangers visiting the hospital in the guise of doctors, he was allowed to enter the hospital premises, so that he can be apprehended. He later went to the reception counter and queried about the consultant urologist. When he noticed that the staff had an idea about what was happening, he tried to flee from the spot. He was later caught by a security guard, and the police were informed. He was arrested by Ullal police station personnel.

Dr Padmanabha added that he used to roam around with his friend in a car. He was also involved in a similar incident at a private hospital in Kankanady, and the same has been informed to the police. He visited hospitals in a car, which has been seized by police.

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April 15,2020

Mumbai, Apr 15: A 35-year-old man, who worked as a priest in suburban Kandivali, allegedly committed suicide on Tuesday afternoon, hours after learning that lockdown to contain coronavirus has been extended.

The deceased was identified as Krishna Pujari, native of Udupi in Karnataka, who was attached to Durga Mata temple in Iraniwadi area of Sanjay Nagar.

Pujari, who lived with three other priests, was waiting for the lockdown to end as he wanted to go back to his hometown, a police official said.

When he learnt that the lockdown has been extended till May 3, he was terribly depressed and allegedly hanged himself in kitchen, the official added.

No suicide note has been found, he said.

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