Malbari Hotel----An Old Man' Day Dreams, "Dada Bhai and his friends get a gift from the Forth Floor"

We four old men were sitting at the malbari hotel as usual and passing the time talking.There was no particular topic but Siddique master had read news paper that day,which has a especial Issue on pollution.So he began to talking about pollution.He asked me "Dada what is this pollution the paper was full of?"

I said "Master you are right the papers ARE full of rubbish."

Gaffar kapadia laughed and said," Dada he is serious , tell him about water pollution air pollution noise pollution etc."So I started...when you get water with impurities you have water pollution when you are deafened with noises you are experiencing noise pollution etc.

Siddque said in a shout like voice," that he was free from water pollution!"
"How come?" Surprised I asked.

He said that there was no water in his taps so he was free from water pollution and as he lived on the fifth floor ,noise pollution does not get that high.I told him that he was lucky that he was saved from pollution.Right then a plastic bag full of garbage from above landed right on the table in front of us and a cockroach came out of the garbage bag and disappeared under the table.We all stared up.

Malbari was confused but he used abusive language regarding his building friends and said that he will surely teach them a lesson once he catches them.

Yakoob Kiria in the style of Dr Watson of Sherlock Holmes said,"elementary my friends,you can see some garbage still hanging from the fourth floor terrace railing so the bag came from the fourth floor that is sure;and the lady who did this is a brave lady because she handled a live cockroach!!"






We had no topic to chat so God sent to us a topic right on our table said Siddique Master.

Now you people understand what pollution is,commented Ghaffar smiling.

"Can you tell why people throw garbage right out of their terraces and window" asked malbari half in anger and half in distress.

I said that they have no option our buildings don't have garbage chutes or garbage collection systems so how can people dispose their garbage.Malbari said you have seen the problems so please tell what to do.I said we should approach forth floor people and make them understand the problem of malbari.

A boy living in the building passed by us and I called him near and told him to go to the forth floor and call any man down to us.

After a few minutes a young man came to us in very angry mood and asked what was the matter.He boasted that he will get the hotel closed as it was disturbing his family's privacy

We all four offered him a chair and asked him to sit, seeing four old man talking to him he was cool down some what.

We told him that malbari was a very gentle person and he was trying to earn some honest living to disturb him was not fair.The young man seemed to understand but he asked the obvious question what to do with the garbage.Every household had this problem.

Some one in defence area came up with the idea of puting cage like containers fixed outside the banglows to put garbage, latter to be collected by the sanitary workers.But these containers were lifted by the thieves and the scheme is not working properly now.Designers of buildings should decide these matters before the building is built.The young man from the forth floor seemed helpless and asked what can be done.Now it was the turn of malbari he directly said that they should hire a garbage collector or a sweeper to take care of this problem.

The young man agreed but said that it would breach the privacy of his family as an outsider would come to his home to collect the garbage.The malbari took this opportunity to settle the score and said that when the lady throws garbage over the clients of his hotel she is not clad in hijab or burqa.

I trying to cool the tempers asked what can we do to settle the matter malbari was enboldned by our support said,"you hire a sweeper to take away your garbage."He called a young man sitting nearby and told us that this is Krishan,he is a sweeper and he cleans the street for the local government.He is ready to work for the building.I asked him what are his charge.

He told us that if he gets work of all residents(60 homes) and sweeping and scrubbing the whole building he would charge 6000 the malbari was furious and told that he is running a hotel does not earn that much.

The man from forth floor said that he is ready to pay 50 rupees only for garbage collection and now his home was the only one making this offer what others pay is non of his business.

Malbari got on his feet and told Krishan that it was final for fifty rupees and he was to start work form next morning now Krishan said okay but he insisited that the family will have to put garbage bag or can outside and he will not knock on the door and asked the young man to try to convince other residents to avail of his services.

Thus this small problem was solved.

Legends-Seth Ahmad Dawood

Seth Ahmad Dawood was one of the top businessmen and industrialists of Pakistan. He had played such an important role as a Memon that his services can not be excluded from Memon history.

He was the Pakistani Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Dawood Group, the CEO of Dawood Cotton Mills Ltd, the CEO of the Central InsuranceCompany, and the owner of Dawood Hercules Chemicals Limited. He was one of the wealthiest people in Pakistan, and is considered to have been a great philanthropist and  respected entrepreneur .

Born in 1905, he used to work like an active young man, attending his office from 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m regularly untill the last few years of his age when he had felt ill . He was the founder of Dawood Foundation through which he had established Dawood Engineering College in Karachi. In the early days some of the subjects taught in this College were not being taught in any other university/college anywhere in Pakistan. Even after nationalisation of this College he provides casual financial aid to the institution. The Foundation runs schools and other charitable institutions.

He and his son Hussain are founder trustees of Al-Shifa Eye Hospital to which his Foundation has contributed more than Rs. 15 million. He is the main founder of United Memon Jamaat and had always been keen to bring all the Memons on one platform. Unfortunately, during , the Bhutto regime, he was kept under house arrest for several months for just being an outspoken industrialist. He left Pakistan for a couple of years during which period he did exploratory work in USA in the field of oil exploration. He is a very daring industrialist with a foresight. In East Pakistan, due to labour unrest nobody was prepared to buy the PIDC Project Karnaphuli Paper and Chemical Mill, but Ahmed Dawood dared and continued to run it profitably till the emergence of Bangladesh. His main mission that every able bodied man in Pakistan should be provided with a bicycle to make him mobile has not yet been fulfiled.

The Dawood family started from humble origins when Ahmed Dawood began trading in pre-partition India and was eventually joined by his brothers.Just before Independence, Mr Ahmad Dawood had established a trading house dealing in commodities, textiles, jute and yarn, with branches in manycities and towns in pre-partition India. With Adamjees and Valikas, Dawoods played thepioneering role in late forties and early fifties to create a business culture in what wasthen West Pakistan .At partition the family opted to move to Pakistan, where the new nation created ample openings and opportunities for business and industry.It is said that he was commanded by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah to migrate to Pakistan and set up an industry.

The family  made the transition from business to industry, first establishing Dawood Cotton Mills Limited in 1952. The industry expanded rapidly.

With the realisation that the only way to maintain continuous growth and enhance reputation was to expand internationally, the first international office was established in Manchester, England, operating under the title 'Dawood (England) Limited'. Simultaneously, senior members of the family, in a bid to ensure that the education of all successive generations be given the utmost importance, sent their children to England to pursue their studies.

As such, nearly the entire second generation has graduated with university degrees from England, from where they proceeded to the United States to study business at graduate level. The family can boast of having graduates of the best universities like Oxford, Manchester, London School of Economics, Strathclyde, McGill, University of Western Ontario, Harvard, Northwestern and Columbia. The family has more MBA:s than any other family in Pakistan. The Dawoods decided to expand further. In 1959. the family purchased Burewala Textile Mills, a cotton textile mill with its own ginning factory, and in 1969 established Dilon, which manufactured nylon and synthetic yam. Their last textile venture was Lawrencepur Woollen Mills.

The strategy of diversification was marked by the setting up of Dawood Hercules Chemicals (Urea fertiliser), followed by Transpak (baby food, toothpaste, toothbrushes and other consumer goods), Dawood Yamaha (Motorcycles), Dawlance (refrigerators and microwaves), Descon Engineering (construction), and Meiji Biscuits.

A move into the financial sector was the next step. It was put into effect with the establishment of Central Insurance Company (in-house insurance), BRR Capital Modaraba (leasing under the Islamic mode of financing), BRR Second Modaraba (working capital finance), and Equity International Modarba (venture capital funding as a joint venture with IFC and Robert Flemings). [All three Modarabas have since been merged into one, namely BRR International Modarabal. Other concerns include Orient Insurance Company, and the latest, Dawood Leasing Company Limited, a joint venture among the four brothers and other renowned financial institutions of Pakistan. Prior to the establishment of Bangladesh, the Dawood family also owned and managed Karnaphuli Paper Mills Limited and Karnaphuli Rayon and Chemicals Limited, which utilized bamboo as raw material for all their products. Karnaphuli Jute Mills Ltd was established in East Pakistan.

With the nationalisation fervour in the early seventies when Mr. Zutfiqar Ali Bhutto took over the reins of Pakistan, Dawood Petroleum Limited and Central Life were taken over by the State.

Finally, when this industrial empire was divided among the brothers, Seth Ahmad Dawood, Mr. Suleman Dawood, Mr. Siddiq Dawood and late Mr. Ali Mohammad Dawood, the industrial ventures, mentioned earlier, were amicably distributed and are being owned and managed by each one of the brothers or descendants.

 Dawoods played a leading role in the public welfare. Dawood Foundation was set up in1961 with a capital of Rs25 million. Dawood Engineering College was set up in sixtieswhich was later nationalized. It is still a leading institution of technical education. Mr Dawood Ahmad passed away on January 2, 2002 at the age of 97.

Beacon of Light-Dr Muhammad Umer Chapra

Dr M.Umer Chapra a Renowned economist and author of many books was born in a Memon Family on  1st February 1933. He is one of the scholars who has got his higher education on a scholarship of All Pakistan Memon Educational and Welfare Society.


He was a brilliant student and always topped the list of successful candidates. He acquired merit scholarship from Karachi University in 1956 and received M. Corn. degree. Thereafter, he proceeded to USA for his Ph.D. He was admitted to the University of Minnesota where he was awarded Cowls fellowship. In 1957, he was appointed teaching assistant in the same University and after receiving Ph.D., he was appointed Assistant Professor in Wisconsin University. Coming back to Pakistan, he joined the Institute of Development of Economics as Sr. Economist and subsequently became Assistant Editor of Pakistan Development Review. He worked with the Central Institute of Islamic Research as Associate Professor and later as faculty member of Wisconsin University and Kuwait University.


In the year 1962 he got married to Khairunnisa Jamal Mundia, a highly educated lady. She obtained diploma course in Public Health from Beirut and joined Karachi Child Health Centre. She was one of the first Memon lady speakers who delivered speeches in USA and Saudi Arabia.They have four children namely Maryam, Anas, Sumayyah and Ayman

Dr. M. Umer Chapra is currently serving as Research Advisor at the Islamic Research & Training Institute (IRTI) of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB). Before joining IRTI in 1999, he worked as Senior Economic Advisor at the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) from where he retired after a long service of 35 years.

Dr. Chapra also taught in the United States at the Universities of Wisconsin and Kentucky and worked in Pakistan at the Institute of Development Economics and the Islamic Research Institute. He has made seminal contributions to Islamic Economics and Finance over more than three decades.He has authored 16 books and monographs and more than 100 papers and book reviews. Some of his books, monographs and papers have been translated into a number of languages, including Arabic, Bangla, French, Indonesian, Japanese, Malay, Persian, Polish, Spanish, Turkish and Urdu.

 Consequently, he has received a number of awards, including the Islamic Development Bank Award for Islamic Economics, and the King Faisal International Award for Islamic Studies, both in 1989.

In Fifty-two years of his professional life,he served 2 years in Pakistan, 6 years in the U.S.A. and 44 years in Saudi Arabia.He has worked in Institutes like University of Minnesota,University of Wisconsin, Platteville,Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Karachi ,the Central Institute of Islamic Research, Karachi,University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky.Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency,  Islamic Research and Training Institute of the Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah .

His most outstanding contributions have been the four books indicated below;

1. Towards a Just Monetary System (1985)

2. Islam and the Economic Challenge (1992)

3. The Future of Economics: An Islamic Perspective (2000)

4. Muslim Civilization: The Causes of Decline and the Need for Reform (2008).

Awards Received

a) Received gold medal from the University of Sind for standing first in the High School Examination in 1950 among 25,000 students.

b) Awarded a gold medal from the Memon Educational and Welfare Society for being one of the five most outstanding scholars of the Society.

c) Received an award for being recognized as one of the ten most outstanding students of the Government College of Commerce and Economics, Karachi, at the 40th anniversary of the College in February 1986.

d) Received the Islamic Development Bank award in 1989 in recognition of his contribution to Islamic Economics.

e) Received the King Faisal International Award in 1989 in recognition of his contribution to Islamic studies. 

f) Received a gold medal in 1995 from the Institute of Overseas Pakistanis for his meritorious services to Islam and Islamic Economics.

g) Shield from the Islamic Council of North America (ICNA) at its 2009 Annual Convention in Hartford, CA for his "commitment and profound contributions to Islamic economics and finance"

History of Morbi and Tankara

It is said that once in Morbi, there were rivers of Milk and Ghee-a phrase used to show that Morbi was very prosperous .Morbi is sometimes also reffed as Paris of India. Morbi  had been among the Strongest states of India once. Morbi had been ruled by many rulers. From Mughals to Rajputs and  to Britishers and From Qutb-ud-din Aybak to Lakhdhirji Thakor.
At the time of Partition of subcontinent Morbi became part of now India.


Memon in Morbi and Tankara were businessman and they were involved the trade and production of cotton as the soil of Morbi had been very fertile and fruitful for cotton traders.At the time of partition many of the memon families decided to move to the newly born State.Yet many families did not find it suitable to leave their old settlement and stayed at Morbi and Tankara.


Morbi also called Morvi is a small town of Gujarat State. This beautiful city is located on the Bank Of Machchhu.It is  67 Kms away from the Rajkot and 245 Kms away from the Ahmedabad. Morbi was founded in the year of 1698. Morbi was the Capital of Rajput Jadeja‘s State. Morbi is famous for it’s Architecture and Building. The plan of this beautiful city reflects the Love of it’s former Ruler for Discipline, Thinking and Architecture. 

Mani Mandir Morbi

Morbi is vastly spread & covers over 12.5 million (125 lakh) hectors of area. Machchu is main river of Morbi.The water requirement are completed by the Machchu-2 dam constucted over Machchu river near Jodhpar village.

The splendid planning and infrastructure of this town owes itself to Sir Waghji, who ruled the town between 1879 and 1948. He was responsible for establishing a good road network, railway network and even two small ports Navlakhi and Vavania. The railway station itself is a work of art with its famous combination of Indian and European architectural elements.

The town of Morvi is known for its exports in cotton and grain. It has also seen industrial growth in clock manufacturing and exports of ceramics and roofing tiles.

Nagar Darwaza now called Nehru Darwaza

It has two lovely bridges on the River Machchhu. It has beautiful sculptures at the two ends and the other is a hanging bridge.The Mani Mandir of Morbi is an excellent example of Art. The Darwaza or Gates and the market of Green Bazar tell us about the commercial activities of the city. The main industry here is of making wall clocks . It is like a cottage industry in this city; every home produces them. The other is of pottery. The famous Parshuram Potteries produce a large variety of china crockery. A number of factories are also producing ceramic tiles of high quality.

Morbi suffered from a great flood in 1979,and once again a few years back it was hit by a massive earthquake but within a short time after both the disasters the city got its act together.

Tankara is situated 27 Km south of Morvi,It was a small village.It is most famous in the history as teh birth Place of Swami Dayananda Saraswati- A hindu Saint who was very much against Islam and Buddhism.

Images From Morbi and Tankara

 Morbi-Hazrat.

Entrance to the Molai Raj Dargaah Complex

The famous Mani Temple at Willingdon Secretariat in Morbi

Willingdon Secretariat in Morbi

Old and New Bridge in Morbi

The Willingdon Secretariat opened by His Excellency The Rt Hon'ble The Earl of Willingdon PC, GMSI, GCMG, GMIE, GBE, Viceroy & Governor General of India on 13th January 1936 at Morbi.

The Willingdon Secretariat

Lord-Reay-Statue

Hanging Bridge (Jholta Bridge)

View From the Hanging Bridge

Morbi Castle

Morbi Castle

Morbi Dargah

Morbi Dargah

View From The Hanging Bridge(Jholta Pull)

Hanging Bridge

A three coach train runs between Morbi and Tankara

Morbi Castle

Courtesy For Images Qamaal Mustafa Sikander

Memon Rhymes-Lab Te Ache ti dua

બચે જી દુઆ

               

                       લબ તે અચે તી દુઆ બની ને તમનના મીઝી

ઝીંદગી શમા જી સુરત થીએ ખુદાયા મીઝી.....

દુર દુનીયા મે મીઝે દમ સે અંધારો થી વીને..

બધાઈ ઠેકાણે મીઝી ચમક સે ઉજાલો થી વીને..

થીએ મીઝે દમ સે ઈંજ મીઝે વતન જી ઝીનત.......

જીં ફુલ સે થીએ તી ચમન જી ઝીનત.............

ઝીંદગી મીઝી થીએ પરવાને જી સુરત યારબ..

ઈલમ જી શમા સે મીકે હોઈ મોહબત યારબ..

મીઝો કમ, ગરીબેં જી હીમાયત કરનું..............

દરદમંદો ને ઝઇફોં સે મોહબત કરનું..............

મીઝા અલલહા બુરાઇ સે બચાઇજ મીકે..........

નેક જો રાહ હોઇ હુન રાહ તે હલાઇજ મીકે......

કવી. અલલામા ડો. મોહમદ ઈકબાલ

તરજુમો. મોહમદ ઈકબાલ એહમદ ખાનાણી, 

હૈદ્રાબાદ સીંધ પાકીસતાન

Dhoraji by Abdur Razzaq Thaplawala

Dhoraji

 BY: ABDUR RAZZAQ THAPLAWALA

 Rajkot & Junagadh road showing Gondal & Jetpur mile stone

Before reaching Dhoraji, we went through Upleta by pass. We started for Rajkot at 2;30 P.M through Sardargadh. We reached Sardargadh at 3:00 P.M. and proceeded towards Dhoraji. Dhoraji is a sprawling city. We went to see the Mazaar of Peer Sailani and the Mosque near it.. In Dhoraji, we went to Dhoraji branch of Memon cooperative Bank Limited and met its Manger Mr. Aqeel R. Patel. He said that the bank had deposits of Rs. 10 crore on 31^st March, 2004. The total loans amounted to Rs. 3 crore at the year ended on 31^st March, 2004 and bank made profit of Rs. 25 lacs during that year. Mr. Imran A. Furniturewala is Chairman AND Mr. A. Majid Patka is the Vice Chairman of the Bank. The Bank has 70 branches all over Gujrat and in Mumbai. The Bank was established by Late Janab Al-Haaj Zakaria Aghari.

   

 Entrance to Dhoraji

After Dhoraji, we proceeded towards Rajkot. We reached Rajkot in evening time on 23^rd March, 2005. I had a booking to leave Rajkot by evening flight next day on 24^th March, 2005. Since I was very much tired and nothing to do at Rajkot, I decided to go to Mumbai next morning. I went to Airport and changed my flight to morning flight. From Airport, we proceeded to Imperial Hotel where a delegation of World Memon Organization had arrived on that very day. The delegation was ready to proceed to a dinner function of Saurastra Memon Jamat. My name was included in the delegation but I apologized to the President of World Memon Organization Haji A. Razzak Yaqoob Gandhi and Dr. Nasir Y. Fulara that being tired I will not be able to attend the Dinner and accompany them to UPLETA next morning.  At the Rajkot function, the Sourastra Memon Jamat had reserved a trophy and shawl for me but as I could not attend their function they sent the trophy to my hotel in Mumbai. I will always cherish this beautiful trophy reminding me of visit to my birth place. I stayed in hotel Royal Inn near Rajkot Airport and proceeded to Mumbai by Jet Airways Flight No. 9W-3410 on the morning of 24^th March, 2005. At Mumbai I stayed at Hotel Suba Palace where all senior members from Karachi were staying. It was at a walking distance from Taj Hotel where all the functions of WMO where being held.

Masjid of Hazrat Khwaja Mohkmuddin Sailani Dhoraji
(Also called Khuwaja Mehkum-ud-Din Serani Masjid)

Zakaria Aghadi community hall Dhoraji

 Masjid-e-Sailani Dhoraji.

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Guessing Game-Kida se Kida( From where to Where 1)

 Gaphar Bha Ne Sehnaaj Bai Poteji joni si grey fx me kiti wini riya een.neeche ji tasweeron diso ne andazo lagayo k ou kida se kida wini sakanta.

Gaphar Bha(Ghaffar Bhai) and Sehnaaj Bai(Shehnaaz Bai) are going out in their old Grey FX.Guess from where to where they are going?