February 2012.indd - World Memon Organization Pakistan Chapter

IMMORTAL PERSONALITIESated with some of the world renowned institutionsin Europe and America. One of thefeathers in his cap was that he participatedin the last bath given to Quaid-e-Azam’sbody at the Governor’s House.KASSIM HUSSAINDADAMr. Kassim H.K. Dada, the famous son ofthe equally famous father, has a versatilepersonality. His father sent him to Calcuttain 1931 from where he received his educationin English, Gujrati, Urdu, religion,Arabic, and Hindi. As a child, KassimDada learned to play and enjoy the thenpopular games and despite being afflictedwith polio, he played football, hockey andcricket. He was a great fan of the famousMohammadan sporting Club of Calcutta,and recalls with joy some of the performancesof the football team and remembersall the players and their respective positionsthey played on.When Lord Inchcap, who controlledshipping companies in India and the FarEast, visited Calcutta, Kassim was selectedto read the address of welcome at a functionheld in honor of Lord Inchcap. Hisambition was, however, to become a doctoror an engineer but his father decided thathe should become a businessman. At theage of 20, he began working in one of thebranches in Coimbatore in Kerala in SouthIndia.In Bantva, he came in contact withimportant persons like the Quaid-e-Azam,who came to collect funds and many otherswho were house guests of his father. Thedressing, table that the Quaid used is nowone of Kassim’s precious possessions. TheGrand Mufti of Palestine, Mr. Yousuf Haroon,Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed, Haji Sattar Sethand Sir George Campbell were guests inhis house. Begum Sahiba Manavadar State,who was a ruler of the State, used to cometo their house and to seek his father’s adviceon different problems faced by her. Mr.Kassim had personal relationship with Mr.Zahid Hussain, the first Governor of theState Bank of Pakistan and with KhawajaNazimuddin, the Governor-General as wellas prime Minister of Pakistan. He had veryclose family terms with Mohtarma FatimaJinnah and had several opportunities tomeet the Quaid.Under the influence of Mr. IsmailMuhammad, a very unusual person, and afree thinker, who led a very simple life, Mr.Kassim started washing his own clothes,which he has been doing for more thanfifty years now. The last time he went to abarber was about 35 years ago. He cuts hisown hair. He likes cooking his own food.When he was the head of the MuhammadiSteamship Company, he had a smallVolkswagens to set an example for others.While his marriage was an arranged one,he allowed his three children, out of five tomarry non-Memons. His only son, Sikandarhas obtained B.Sc. (Honors) from LondonSchool of Economics and has now moreor less taken over the multifarious businessresponsibilities of Mr. Kassim.Mr. Kassim has also written a bookby the name of A Ranible Through Life.He is also quite good as a shikari and isinterested in pigeon breeding and trainingthem. Photography is another hobby,which included developing and printing.He was a lover of eastern and westernmusic playing various musical instruments.He was a globe trotter and once ortwice a year he will go around the world,mostly to meet his old friends. He paid115 visits to Europe and 42 visits to USAand has been to about hundred countrieswhich include Cuba, South Vietnam,China, USSR, Paraguay, Venezuela, NewZealand, Malta and the Bahamas.Mr. Kassim an active Rotarian, has beenhome guest in many countries with hisRotarian friends and vice versa. His houseopen with warm hospitality to many internationalRotarians.He became associated with a shippingcompany on the advice of the Quaid-e-Azam. He was Chairman and ManagingDirector of Muhammadi Steamship Company;founder President of the PakistanShip Owners Association, Chairman ofPakistan Shipping Lines Limited, Directorof State Bank of Pakistan for 24 years. Hebecame the President of Karachi StockExchange and remained in that positionfor nine years. He has also served asPresident of the Merchants’ Associationfor five years and has served as the VicePresident of the Federation of PakistanMemon Federation. As a Rotarian he haspublished forty articles and has addressedmany meetings and conferences internationallyand was awarded the highestaward of the Rotary International. Hewas also President of the Karachi AeroClub and won an award as its best flyingmember. He was invited to join handswith many foreign companies and servedas Chairman of Johnson and Nicholsonfor some 35 years and Chairman of theoriginal Johnson and Nicholson, whichis now called Berger Paints. He has beenthe chairman of Brooke Bond for 22 yearsand was chosen to take over its management.Mr. Kassim a pioneer in the fieldof Asbestos Cement Sheets industry. Heestablished three plants in Hyderabad,Karachi and Chittagong. This company isnow known as Dadex Eternet Limited.Mr. Bhutto wanted Mr. Kassim to serveas head of a large state corporation, whichwould have resulted in helping his own business,but he refused to accept any position,though earlier he had served on a numberof committees of the federal government.He is one man who has been a nomineeof the federal government for 24 years whenhe was a director of the Central Board ofthe State Bank of Pakistan. He was thefirst Pakistani businessman who pilotedhis own plane and has to his credit 1800hours of flying experience including 1400in command. He has piloted planes all overPakistan and also foreign countries likeSwitzerland, United Kingdom, France andUSA.He was one of the ten invites fromPakistan to the Coronation of the QueenElizabeth and was awarded Coronationmedal. He received Sitara-e-Khidmat fromthe President of Pakistan and Knighthoodfrom the King of Belgium. In 1954 theinternational year Book of Statesmen ‘Whois Who’ his name was included amongst thelist of fewer than half a dozen persons fromPakistan.SULEMAN BHOORAMr. Suleman Ebrahim Bhura commencedhis public life by taking active part in the establishmentof Anjuman-e-Himayar-e-Islamin Bantva in the year 1916. He was electedthe first General Secretary and continued toserve for about 42 years. i.e. till the partitionof the sub-continent. He relentlessly foughtfor the Islamic Laws of heirship in Bantva,which was a remarkable achievement. Healso took a leading part in arranging the sessionsof All India Memon Conferences.After 1940 he joined the politics andworked for Muslim League as well as forthe struggle for Pakistan. After migrating toPakistan, he joined Memon Relief Committeeand established the Memon EducationalBoard in 1949. He became HonorarySecretary and remained on that post till hebreathed his last. In Karachi he establishedthe Bantva Anjuman and was elected itspresident. He served the organization inthat capacity for eight years. He also starteda magazine named “Meezan” which ceasedpublication within a short span of fivemonths. He also rendered valuable servicesfor the Bantva Memon Jamat as wellas Bantva Memon Co-operative HousingSociety.MEMON ALAM FEBRUARY 2012 15