By Abdul Rahman M. Baig
Jeddah – Khak E Taiba Trust (KTT) is a 28 years old non-profit community service organization. Its motto is ‘service to Mankind is service to God”. KTT has improved from strength to strength in the past 28 years. From the beginning of an Ambulance service for the needy in 1991 – today it has progressed into a well-organized and dedicated community service organization with consistent performance and progress.
It has organized a felicitation program in honour of Janab Ghulam Yazdani Sahab senior Advocate Hyderabad High Court and the Managing Trustee of KTT since its inception. He has been the friend, philosopher and guide of KTT over the past 28 years. He has been given with the life achievement award recently in a local restaurant.
Speaking at the occasion, Mohammed Shameem Kauser, Trustee and Chief Patron, KTT Jeddah welcomed the chief guest and urged the audience to be part of this ever progressing organization.
Trustee Ahmed Abdul Hakeem appealed the community to work towards self-development. He also informed the audience that more than 25000 people have benefited from the KTT computer center in Jamjoom building Jeddah.
Syed Khaja Viqaruddin, Trustee gave his input of the development of KTT. He then gave a brief review of the activities of KTT Jeddah Chapter. He said that KTT has been doing Ramadan and Hajj Seminar on a yearly basis.
Dr. Mohammed Haseebullah, senior trustee also spoke on the occasion. He gave an inspirational message to the members and audience present in the event. He said we are all living in a “make believe world”. We feel we are fine and there is total stability and contentment in our lives and the world around us. However, he said the world is like an “hour glass” – apparently the sand in the upper cone of the hour glass appears organized and stable but what cannot be perceived is the internal dynamics of the sand pile. It is uncertain and unpredictable, every grain of sand appears connected and yet each of them has to pass through the narrow passage to land into the lower cone.
We may think we are independent but in actual fact we are interdependent. As per 2018 evaluation there were 4 billion people on line (70% of the world population) sending and receiving around 200 billion emails / Facebook post/ twitter every day, there are around 6.5 billion cell phone subscribers worldwide. We have created connectivity far beyond the imagination of this universe – there is information overload. And yet this “connected’ world is in “chaos” – its unstable.
Things change, change beyond our control – we are the pile in the upper cone of an “hour Glass”. This is the world of VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous). I am not propagating doomsday philosophy, I am not advocating cynicism or pessimism – I am talking about pragmatism.
“Change” has always been the essence of life – adaption to change is the need of the hour. Time to introspect, time to evaluate as to where we stand and what role is demanded from us in the present scenario – irrespective of your nationality, caste, creed or religion. As Muslims this responsibility to introspect and adapt to change is all the more important, “God has never changed the destiny of nations, who do not take the initiative to change themselves”.
Yes the need is to introspect; mere spectator has no relevance in today’s world. We need to become “relevant” ourselves. If we want to achieve something worthwhile of ourselves and our community then take action, be proactive. Being a mere “well-wisher” is not enough. Let us focus on what is important and avoid frivolous escapes.
Shifting his focus on India, Dr. Haseebullah said that the Muslim community is at the bottom of most socio-economic and literacy indices. Despite the “projected” economic growth of the country, Muslims form the largest community living in BPL (below the poverty line) families. There is a high level of destitution and disparity. As yet we are “well-wishers’ of the community and community service organizations. The time has come for a paradigm shift – we need to become a “participant” a “stake holder” in the upliftment and emancipation of the community. From mere financial contribution to be part of actionable plans and ideas – to lead from the front. Let us SCHEDULE our priorities, don’t prioritize your schedule.
It’s time to reflect and strive to become relevant. It’s time to be proactive and be part of the community betterment. It is not for others but it is a positive step towards our own self development. Dr. Haseebullah then gave a gist of the activities of Khak E Taiba Trust India.
He then gave a brief review of the activities of KTT Hyderabad. Speaking at the occasasion he said, in Mohidas E Deccan High School around 800 plus students are being provided free education in the school. This includes books, uniforms and lunch. Majority of the students hail from below the poverty line (BPL) families. The school has also started extra classes from high school from 5 pm to 10 pm which includes dinner and recreation time. The SSC result for the past 3 years has been 100%. It has also started Rozgaar centres (employment center). KTT is running three Rozgaar centres in Karimnagar and one in Misrigunj Hyderabad. Uneducated, unskilled and unemployed girls and women are provided a skill set on automated sewing machines and then put on production units. Each underprivileged girl/woman earns around eight to ten thousand rupees a month in a highly organized and excellent work place. Real women empowerment is the objective of this project. He further said, KTT is also running Golconda Welfare center where the regular tailoring, beautician and computer literacy courses for the underprivileged boys, girls and women are being provided. The most important project at this center is the board of intermediate education (BIE), a government accredited program in Primary Teachers Training and several IT related courses. Girls and women who discontinued education after intermediate get trained in PTT courses and get employment in schools with good salary. This centre also runs occasional vocational training for nurses and other trades in coordination with corporates as their corporate social responsibility. Another center is Hassan Nagar Welfare centre which is considered to be probably the largest “Muslim” slum area of Asia. Tailoring & Embroidery courses, Quran Fahmi, spoken English and computers are taught at this center. In Sangareddy Welfare center, the Tailoring, Mehendi Designing and computer training is been given to around 250 students (boys and girls) from the underprivileged in the community irrespective of cast and creed. Another center is Watepally Welfare center, where it provides vocational skill training and recently a small Rozgaar center with 12 machines has been started and will be developed into a full fledge production unit as a source of earning for the underprivileged families in the area. This center is mostly run by Mohammed Arshad, a member of KTT. Lastly he said that KTT Hyderabad also has a youth wing which was conceptualized to train and prepare future community service leadership. This wing carries out health camps, organizes a blanket drive during winter. They also help out old age homes and a flag ship project of providing around 400 packs of essential food items during the month of Ramadan.
Later Aijaz Ahmed Khan, Trustee, spoke about the journey of Ghulam Yazdani. A video presentation was also showcased on the life of Ghulam Yazdani prepared by Imran Kausar. He also announced that Munawwar Khan, a senior member of KTT has been promoted as the trustee of KTT in return to his tremendous and outstanding support to KTT for the last 10 years.
The life achievement memento was presented to Ghulam Yazdani Sahab, senior Advocate Hyderabad High Court and the Managing Trustee of KTT by the trustee of KTT Jeddah Shameem Kausar, Aijaz Ahmed Khan, Ahmed Abdul Hakeem and Syed Khaja Viqaruddin. The advisors of KTT including Dr. Ashraf Maniyar, Eng. Mohammed Sayeeduddin, Hassan Bayazeed, and Abdul Haq Hashmi presented a gift to the Managing Trustee of KTT and chief guest of the evening.
Speaking at the occasion, Ghulam Yazdani recalled all the memories since the inception of KTT. He said that it was after the 400 years celebration of the formation of Hyderabad city in Jeddah, several NRI’s approached Abid Ali Khan, Founder and Ex-editor in chief of the Siasat daily who was one of the guest from Hyderabad to Jeddah for the celebration. After reaching Hyderabad, he approached Ghulam Yazdani to form an organisation and write a trust deed and it was I who prepared all the legal documents and till now I am the managing trustee. He further said 28 years passed ever since KTT has formed and I did not even dreamed that this organisation will grow to this extend. It’s impossible for me to describe my 28 years journey with KTT.
The master of ceremony was Mr. Imran Kausar. Earlier the program began with the recitation of the holy Quran followed by Naat by Mohammed Mazharuddin Salman Jibran. A flower bouquet was presented to Ghulam Yazdani by Muzaffar and Salman, followed by a flower bouquet was presented to Dr. Haseebullah, visiting Trustee by Mohammed Sayeeduddin and Abdul Razzak. A shawl was presented to Dr. Haseebullah by Salman and Abdul Razzak, followed by another shawl was presented to the chief guest Ghulam Yazdani by Siadat Ali Khan and Munawwar Khan. KTT Advisor Abdul Razzak proposed the vote of thanks.
Ghulam Yazdani Sahab, Managing Trustee of KTT presented his book “Hyderabad, Down the memory lane” to L. Ram Narayan Iyer, executive editor of Saudi Gazette.
The program concluded with the prayers by Syed Khaleelullah Basheer Owais for the martyrs who were killed during the terrorist attack in the mosque last week in New Zealand.