By Irfan Mohammed
Jeddah: Long-time former resident of Jeddah, Syed Jamalullah Quadri, died on Monday in Hyderabad. He was ailing for some time now and his health was deteriorated and was rushed to a leading hospital in Hyderabad a week ago, where he succumbed.
Jamal Quadri, as known to the community, who is closely involved in various Hyderabadi social activities in the port city of Jeddah for nearly five decades. He was forefront in promoting Urdu language and patronizing to sweet language among the younger generation that is studied in other language.
Known as Qusro among his friends, he was accessible to most of the Hyderabadis, finally, he had moved his accommodation from Jamia to Aziziah facilitate easy access to the community.
Tributes poured in from Hyderabad community leaders, with many hailing his social work. A group of prominent Hyderabadis set to conduct a meeting on Thursday to pay tributes to late community leader.
Jamal Quadri was instrumental in initiating commemoration of Moulana Abulkalam birth anniversary as National Education Day in Jeddah and honour Urdu teachers.
As young enthusiast he was visiting Hyderabad Rubat at Makkah in 1976s to serve the pilgrims and shared several yesteryears incidents with this correspondent.
Late K. Yerram Naidu, senior parliamentarian who emerged as one of key player in national politics during Atal Behari Vajpayee tenure, was in Jeddah in 2001 as delegate of special emissary of Indian Prime Minister to meet top leadership. When this correspondent introduced to Jamal Quadri to Yerram Naidu in a hotel in Jeddah, Naidu had then said that he was one of such rare noble Hyderabadi to meet in his long political career.
Khalid Hussain Madani, one of the Hyderabadi community activists, said that Hyderabadi Muslim community of Jeddah city has a lost visionary personality. Madani described him a true Urdu lover who firmly believed in the principles and basic ideology of secularism and played vital role in community affairs and Urdu language cause.
Several Hyderabadi community members sharing the demise news in social media.