Tag Archives: Bangalore Muslims

Date with history: A family’s journey from Medina to Mysore kingdom

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Freedom Fighters (under research project), Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, World Opinion, , , , , , , , ,

KARNATAKA :

Synopsis

When bullock carts were the prime mode of transport, an Arab businessman was pained to see the beasts carry loads up the steep, rough climb.

In the 1930s, when bullock carts were the prime mode of transport, an Arab businessman was pained to see the beasts carry loads up the steep, rough climb from Hebbal Tank. Their hoofs wore thin very soon. So, he levelled the path, spending Rs 10,000 out of his pocket. When this came to the notice of Sir Mirza Ismail, the then diwan of Mysore, he promptly informed Krishnaraja Wadiyar. A private citizen spending for public good, the king thought, reflected badly on his administration. He made good the businessman’s expenses and named the area at the junction of Bellary Road, Jayamahal Road and CV Raman Avenue in his honour. Today , we call it Mekhri Circle.

The selfless businessman was M Enayathulla Mehkri (not ‘Mekhri’ as it is spelt today). The Enayathulla Mehkri Square was inaugurated by Sir John Hope, governor of the Madras Presidency , in April 1935.The space had a lamp post with five lights. A garden around it was maintained by ward officers. Later, in 1965, RM Patil, minister of home and municipal administration, notified it as Enayathulla Mekhri Circle through a notification in the state gazette.

Mehkri’s story , however, goes beyond the one philanthropic initiative he is most known by.

Mehkris were originally based near Medina in Arabia and migrated to India after the Turkish invasion. The family’s legacy dates back to more than 600 years. “While people believe that our name is derived from a place called ‘Mehkr’ in Syria, documents suggest that we were named after Mekhar in Maharashtra,” said Fazal Mehkri, nephew of Enayathulla Mehkri.

In India, the family held key posts under the Mughals and the Mysore maharajas.

Enayathulla Mehkri, born in 1898, went on to become a freedom fighter. At 17, he joined the Indian National Congress.

A contractor by profession, he participated in the freedom struggle, and was jailed for six months at Madras Central Jail along with C Rajagopalachari and EV Ramaswamy Naicker.

Mehkri was the municipal commissioner (between 1947 and 1948) and a councilor of the City Corporation for 16 years before that. He was not only the only member from Karnataka to be on the Advisory Council of the Freedom Fighters Cell of the AICC, he also headed the Karnataka Freedom Fighters’ Association till his death on November 28, 1990.

source: http://www.economictimes.indiatimes.com / The Economic Times / Home> Panache> ET Magazine> Travel> Business News> Magazine / by Divya Shekhar, ET Bureau / April 28th, 2016

Cong MLC candidate declares Rs 1,744 crore assets, becomes Karnataka’s richest politician

Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, , , , , , , , , , ,

KGF / Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

He is the owner of a Rolls Royce worth Rs 2.01 crore and two Fortuners worth Rs 49 lakh each

Cong MLC Bengaluru candidate Yusuf Sharif declares Rs 1,743 crore assets, becomes richest politician of Karnataka. Credit: IANS

Congress’ Legislative Council election candidate Yusuf Sharif has declared assets worth Rs 1,744 crore belonging to him and his family in what is, literally, a rags-to-riches story making him arguably Karnataka’s richest politician.  

A native of Kolar Gold Fields (KGF), Sharif also goes by the monikers Gujri Babu and Scrap Babu as he was earlier into the business of selling scrap, before making a foray into real estate. 

Shariff, 54, a resident of Millers Tank Bund Road, is the Congress’ candidate from the Bengaluru local authorities’ seat in the Legislative Council, for which election is scheduled on December 10. Few in the party knew about his candidature until it was made official. 

According to his election affidavit, Sharif has two wives and five children. They have assets worth Rs 1,744 crore of which Sharif alone owns land currently valued at Rs 1,640 crore, non-agricultural. 

Sharif’s declared assets are worth more than Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar’s (Rs 840 crore in 2018) and BJP MLC MTB Nagaraj’s (Rs 880 crore in 2020). 

Sharif, who has studied up to Class 5, is said to be the owner of Umrah Developers, a realty firm. He also has stakes in five other private real estate companies. 

With 12 bank accounts, Sharif has declared liabilities worth Rs 67 crore. 

According to his own declaration, Sharif was raided by Income Tax authorities and levied on him tax dues worth Rs 13.43 crore. “…I have preferred an appeal before the Commissioner of Income Tax and same is admitted. The hearing of the case is yet to be done,” he stated. 

Also, Sharif has four criminal cases pending against him under various IPC sections. 

He is the owner of a Rolls Royce worth Rs 2.01 crore and two Fortuners worth Rs 49 lakh each.

How did he get so rich? “That’s a question I will answer to the I-T officials if they ask me,” Sharif told DH.  

According to one Congress MLA from Bengaluru, Sharif is not an active party man. “In fact, we were surprised that the party chose him for the Legislative Council election,” the MLA said, adding that Sharif was picked by Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar and senior leader Ramalinga Reddy. 

According to party sources, Sharif had bagged a scrap contract with the Indian Railways when CK Jaffer Sharief was the Railways Minister. 

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> National / by Bharath Joshi, DHNS / Benglauru / November 24th, 2021