Ishaq Jamkhanawala

Dr. Ishaq Jamkhanawala
Personal details
Born Belgaum, Karnataka, India
Nationality Indian
Spouse(s) Latifa Jamkhanawala
Children Shoaib Jamkhanawala, Nakhat Mulla, Farhat Sayed
Profession Doctor, Politician, Educationist
Religion Islam

Doctor Ishaq Jamkhanawala (born January 4, 1930) was an educationist, social worker and politician based in Mumbai. A former MLA (Nagpada:1977),[1] MLC and a two times cabinet minister (1978, 1988) from Maharashtra he made significant contributions for social upliftment of the masses in Maharashtra. He is noted for playing a major role in expanding the Mumbai-based educational institution Anjuman-I-Islam during his tenure as its President from 1983-2006. He was among the few promoters for women's education among the orthodox sections of the Muslim community.[2][3][4]

Early life and dedication to education

Born on January 4, 1930 into a middle-class family of traders in Belgaum, Karnataka, Dr. Jamkhanawala was the 3rd son among 5 sons and 3 daughters. Traders, in those days, did not believe in acquiring higher education and would force their children to join the family business as early as possible.In his family, Dr. Jamkhanawala was the first person to complete secondary education and also among the first few Muslim students to pass that examination.He was also the first person in the entire district to acquire the degree of MBBS exhibiting his passion for seeking higher education in spite of hailing from an orthodox background.He was still in his high school when his father Zainul Abedeen expired which affected the financial situation of his family. He pursued higher education by seeking and attaining scholarships so that his educational expenses would not become a burden for his family.

Doctorhood and social work

He moved to Mumbai in the early 1950s in pursuit of higher education at Grant Medical College,Mumbai. In 1958, he opened his own dispensary in the Chowki Mohalla area of Mumbai. The dispensary was located in a quarter of Nagpada, Mumbai that was populated by mostly poor and working-class people. In spite of being financially unstable himself, he would treat them for free.[3]

He used to take a keen interest in the problems and grievances of his community even as a school student. There was an orphanage within the precincts of the Jama masjid of Belgaum of which his father, Zainul Abedeen was the guardian patron. After the death of his father, he looked after the orphans himself.

Politics

As a student, he was elected secretary of the literary association and cultural society of Grant Medical College in the 1950s. He was also elected general secretary of the Muslim students union of Mumbai during the same period.

As a youth, he had the opportunity to meet personalities such as Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Bhulabhai Desai, Kodandera Madappa Cariappa, C. Rajagopalachari and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. It was his meeting with Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar (arranged by his father-in-law, former Congress corporator - Khatal Moosa Phaniband) and the consequent study of his work for the social upliftment of Dalits that inspired him to pursue politics.

He contested and won his first election for the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in Nagpada in 1977 representing the erstwhile Janata Party[5] which was majorly campaigned for by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Morarji Desai among others. He was soon inducted into the cabinet as a minister of state for housing, finance, Waqf, labour and protocol by the then chief minister of state Sharad Pawar and it was under him that he learnt the intricacies of politics. He was the first minister in the history of Maharashtra to take the oath of office as a minister in Urdu and in the name of Allah. During his tenure as minister, he was credited with streamlining the functioning of Waqf which involved dissolving the Marathwada Waqf Board and filing cases of mismanagement and misappropriation of income against the trustees of the board.[3][6]

The coalition government of the Janata party could not prove to be stable in Maharashtra. Thus, Dr. Jamkhanawala switched to the Congress(I) party along with Sharad Pawar, Shivraj Patil and Sushil Kumar Shinde under the guidance of Sharad Pawar. During this period, he worked on several matters with then Prime minister Rajiv Gandhi concerning the growth of Anjuman-I-Islam, whose president he had just been appointed as. In 1988, he was again inducted into the cabinet as a minister of state for Urban development and Waqf and a member of the Central Working committee and Central drafting committee by Rajiv Gandhi[6] despite him neither being a member of the Legislative Assembly nor the Legislative Council of the state.[7] As a minister, he was known for his disciplined style of regular attendance at his office and enforcing an open door policy by granting all visitors easy access at Mumbai's Mantralaya.[8]

Anjuman-I-Islam

Dr. Jamkhanawala assumed the office of presidency of Anjuman-I-Islam in 1983.

He introduced a sweep of reforms in the running of the institution including introduction of job oriented courses which helped in employment in vocational, medical and engineering spheres.[9] He built and renovated several buildings under his leadership including orphanages and widow homes.[6] He also used his Ministry to grant permissions and allot extra F.S.I for the construction of several of the institutions buildings and campuses.

He defiantly led the cause for promotion of women's education in spite of facing opposition.[10] He openly gave expression to his thought that because of the spread of girls education countless families have become broad-minded, socially aware and practical. In 1998, a landmark in the history of Anjuman was set when a home science college for girls was inaugurated in Versova, Mumbai to be affiliated to SNDT university.[3][11][12] He also worked tirelessly in garnering support for this cause from the White House.[13] and donations from several industrialists, businessmen and governments from the Gulf, the U.K. and parts of Africa.

Gandhian philosophy

Dr. Jamkhanawala was a staunch follower of Mahatma Gandhi and his principles. He presided the Hindustani Prachar Sabha founded by Mahatma Gandhi and was a member of the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi.

He did not believe in categorizing people on the basis of faith,caste or race and believed in equal rights for all.[14][15] Being an excellent Marathi orator himself, he established the Marathi Wangmaye Mandal within the framework of Anjuman-I-Islam to promote Marathi language and literature.He urged the need to learn Marathi by all migrants who come and settle in various parts of Maharashtra.[16] He was associated with the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan[17] as well as a member of court of the Aligarh Muslim University[18]

He promoted education as the way to socio-economic upliftment in society [14][15][19][11][20]

Personal life

Dr. Jamkhanawala was an avid reader and loved poetry.[21] A deeply pious person and family man, he died on August 31, 2008, at his Mumbai based residence.[8]

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20150215081438/http://indianmuslimcouncil.info/2008sep02/dr_ishaq_jamkhanawala_buried_mumbai.html. Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2016. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. 1 2 3 4 http://www.milligazette.com/Archives/2004/16-31Jan04-Print-Edition/1631200403.htm
  4. ↑ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Anjuman-I-Islam-should-get-deemed-university-status/articleshow/29325915.cms
  5. ↑ http://www.indiavotes.com/ac/details/30/2697/18
  6. 1 2 3 https://web.archive.org/web/20150215081438/http://indianmuslimcouncil.info/2008sep02/dr_ishaq_jamkhanawala_buried_mumbai.html. Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2016. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ↑ http://www.elections.in/maharashtra/assembly-constituencies/1985-election-results.html
  8. 1 2 https://web.archive.org/web/20150215081438/http://indianmuslimcouncil.info/2008sep02/dr_ishaq_jamkhanawala_buried_mumbai.html. Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2015. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ↑ http://www.milligazette.com/Archives/01082002/01082002081.htm
  10. ↑ http://www.hvk.org/1999/0199/0011.html
  11. 1 2 http://islam4u.montadamoslim.com/t1760-the-new-age-freedom-fighters
  12. ↑ http://islamicvoice.com/OCTOBER2008/People/
  13. ↑ http://specials.rediff.com/news/2004/feb/11sld01.htm
  14. 1 2 http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/shiv-sena-moots-uniform-civil-code-in-maharashtra/1/289016.html
  15. 1 2 http://ignca.nic.in/cd_09030.htm
  16. ↑ http://www.sabrang.com/cc/comold/nov97/mukadam.htm
  17. ↑ http://bvbthrissur.com/news-events
  18. ↑ http://www.amu.ac.in/pdf/nov-dec2008ug.pdf
  19. ↑ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Muslim-moderates-hardliners-clash-at-symposium/articleshow/5809992.cms
  20. ↑ http://archive.mid-day.com/news/2005/jul/113581.htm
  21. ↑ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Mumbai-lights/articleshow/3483696.cms

Sources

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