Tag Archives: Moosa Raza – I.A.S

Ex bureaucrat Moosa Raza passes away at 87: A Journey of dedication, integrity, and public service

Chennai, TAMIL NADU:

Moosa Raza

Ex bureaucrat Moosa Raza has passed away in Chennai on Thursday. He was 87. He is survived by his son and two daughters.

Moosa Raza’s life is a testament to dedication, integrity, and a deep-rooted commitment to public service. Born on 27th February 1937 in Minambur, a small village in Tamil Nadu, India, Moosa Raza’s journey from humble beginnings to becoming a respected bureaucrat and prolific writer is marked by his unwavering principles and tireless efforts to make a positive impact on society.

Education played a pivotal role in shaping Moosa Raza’s worldview. He displayed exceptional academic prowess from a young age, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in English Language and Literature from Madras Presidency College, now Presidency College, Chennai. His academic achievements were exceptional, winning seven college medals across various disciplines. This included a First Class First in his degree, a testament to his dedication and intellectual acumen.

In 1958, Moosa Raza embarked on a dual path of academia and civil service. He was appointed as an Assistant Professor of English at Presidency College, his alma mater, while also preparing for the prestigious Indian Administrative Service (IAS) examinations. His commitment to both teaching and public service underscored his multifaceted talents and passion for contributing to society.

In 1960, Moosa Raza’s dedication paid off as he was selected for the Indian Administrative Service for Gujarat in his first attempt. This marked the beginning of a distinguished career that spanned over three decades and left an indelible mark on India’s administrative landscape.

Throughout his career, Moosa Raza held several key positions that showcased his leadership abilities and commitment to public welfare. He served as Collector and District Magistrate in various districts of Gujarat, managing critical responsibilities such as flood relief operations and drought management with unparalleled dedication and effectiveness. His tenure as Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Gujarat and later as Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir demonstrated his administrative acumen in handling complex governance challenges.

Moosa Raza’s contributions extended beyond government service. He played pivotal roles in prestigious industrial and commercial enterprises, including chairing the National Textiles Corporation and Gujarat State Fertilizers Company Ltd. His strategic leadership helped turn around struggling enterprises, saving thousands of jobs and contributing to Gujarat’s industrial growth.

In recognition of his exemplary service and contributions to society, Moosa Raza was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2010, one of India’s highest civilian honors. This prestigious accolade is a testament to his lasting impact and dedication to public welfare.

Apart from his illustrious bureaucratic career, Moosa Raza is also a celebrated author. His book “Of Nawabs and Nightingales” offers a glimpse into his early experiences in the Indian Administrative Service, showcasing his keen observations and insights into governance and society. He has also authored books on spirituality and personal reflections, such as “In Search of Oneness” and “Khwab-e-Natamaam” (Incomplete Dreams), showcasing his diverse literary interests and philosophical depth.

Moosa Raza’s contributions go beyond professional achievements. He has been actively involved in educational initiatives, serving as the chairman of the South Indian Educational Trust (S.I.E.T.) and supporting initiatives for women’s education, dyslexic children, and communal harmony.

In his personal life, Moosa Raza is a devoted husband and father, exemplifying the values of family and community that underpin his life’s work.

Moosa Raza’s journey from a small village in Tamil Nadu to a revered bureaucrat, accomplished author, and dedicated advocate for societal progress embodies the essence of service, leadership, and intellectual pursuit. His life and legacy continue to inspire generations, reminding us of the transformative power of individuals committed to making a positive difference in the world.

source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim> Obituary / by Muslim Mirror / May 08th, 2024

From the memoir: A retired IAS officer’s first-hand account of handling the dire 1972 Gujarat famine

TAMIL NADU / INDIA :

Moosa Raza.

Even though there were pockets of tribal-populated areas in Bulsar district, such as Dharampur and Bansda, the district was, by and large, known to be fertile and well served by the monsoon. The southern part of the district contained large tracts of grasslands, mostly owned by the Desais and Parsis. Most of the districts of peninsular Saurashtra, however, had no irrigation facilities. This was before the Narmada Canal took the river water there and solved the problem of both irrigation and drinking, with the rare exception of Junagadh.

I had served in one of the most arid regions of Saurashtra, Surendranagar – rich in history and political leaders and poor in soil fertility and irrigation facilities. Saurashtra was also poorly fed by the monsoons, and since no perennial rivers pass through the region, no large reservoirs, too, could be built to retain substantial quantities of water.

The year 1972 proved a very difficult year for both Saurashtra and North Gujarat. That year the assessment revealed that almost 12,000 out of the 18,000 villages of Gujarat had a harvest of less than 25 per cent. The government, therefore, declared famine conditions in those 12,000 villages, that is two-thirds of the state, and applied the Bombay Famine Relief Code to provide regulated relief.

Since the state faced a major calamity with two-thirds of its population of humans and cattle facing the threat of death by hunger and thirst, the Cabinet met almost every day since the moment the assessment figures came to be known. They had known what had happened in the tragic historical famines in Bengal, Kashmir and Madras, where thousands had perished – parents sold their children, sons abandoned their parents and there were rumours of cannibalism in some pockets. A major famine in Gujarat was quite a scary prospect for the government.

One fine morning, in September of 1972, I was basking in the cool breeze of the sea blowing from the Indian Ocean in the west. After a great deal of persuasion and bribery, my daughter, Gazala, who was all of four years, had agreed to go to school. Then the telephone rang. It was KN Zutshi, the revenue secretary, on the line.

“There was a Cabinet meeting this morning to review the scarcity situation. It was decided to post you as director of famine relief to take charge of the relief operations. You better pack up and move over to Gandhinagar. The chief minister wants you here yesterday. You have 48 hours to reach here. Handover charge to your resident deputy collector,” he ordered me.

Though I had been in Bulsar for more than three years, the normal tenure of a collector, still the sudden transfer came as a surprise. Bulsar was such a pleasant district to govern – open-minded and reasonable people, able and committed staff, and a flourishing club that I had established. When I announced my transfer to my officers as soon as I reached the collectorate, there was all-round consternation. By noon, the whole district had come to know of the transfer. As I was having lunch in my chamber, the peon announced that a delegation of MLAs from the district wanted to meet me.

“Sir, there are so many development works going on. All surplus land has not yet been taken over from the Desais. You cannot leave the task half-completed. You should not move,” they said.

“I have completed my tenure here. If the government wants me at Gandhinagar, I have to move,” I said. Left to myself, I would have liked to serve another four or five years in Bulsar. I learnt later that all the MLAs of the district, including those from the opposition, had driven to Surat. They had persuaded Zinabhai Darji, the president of the state Congress, to accompany them to Gandhinagar to persuade the CM, Ghanshyambhai Oza, to cancel the transfer. One of the MLAs later told me that the CM had asked them only one question.

“Is Mr Moosa Raza unhappy with this transfer? Does he want to stay back in Bulsar?”

“No, sir, but we want him there in the interest of the district.”

“Don’t you think that the larger interest of the state should override the interests of a single district?” the CM had asked reasonably.

They had no answer. The next day, after handing over charge to the resident deputy collector (RDC), I drove down to Gandhinagar to call on the CM. I had known him during my tenure in Surendranagar, his hometown. Having been a member of the Parliament for two terms, Mr Oza was a suave and polished politician, exuding politeness and bonhomie at every movement. He received me graciously, and as I was taking my seat, he pointed to a large pile of telegrams on his table.

“Do you know what they are?” he asked me with a smile. “No, sir,” I replied truthfully.

“Over 500 telegrams from Bulsar district requesting me to cancel your transfer.”

“I had nothing to do with them, sir,” I said. But I would have been less than human not to feel pleased at this show of appreciation from the people I had served.

“But I had to disappoint your fans in Bulsar. The state is facing a severe challenge, and your work in Surendranagar, Surat, Bulsar, and Dangs has convinced the Cabinet that you are the best officer to shoulder the task.”

“We have done a preliminary survey and made an initial assessment of the various requirements. A budget of Rs 120 crore has been sanctioned. Your mandate is to ensure that not a single human life is lost for want of food and water, all cattle are provided fodder, and all villages supplied with water. The Land Revenue Code mandates that the able-bodied villagers are not given doles. That encourages a dependent mindset. You have to organise relief works through which all those who can work are provided employment. The wages should be paid every week. The revenue department will brief you on the organisational arrangements. So, get cracking.”

The next port of call was Mr Zutshi, the revenue secretary. Mr Zutshi, as his name indicated, hailed from a family of Kashmiri Pandits. An old-style civilian, with impeccable credentials, he believed in management by the book. He would not deviate an iota from the rules, and everything had to be put down in black and white before he would commit himself to a course of action. Though he used the telephone as a necessary evil, he would not trust any conversation carried out on that unreliable machine.

One had to go over to his room to discuss even petty issues.

“Bhai, Deolekar has prepared an organisational chart for you. We think you will need around ninety staff to manage this huge operation. I think you should speak with him, and he will help you to get the necessary staff in place. We will ask the various departments to depute the needed staff. The PWD will provide the furniture and other necessary equipment,” he said.

The PWD would naturally dispose of its rejected furniture – broken, roughly repaired and not required by others. Also, the staff would be from those divisions where they had proved their dispensability. I would, therefore, start with a severe handicap, which would never be overcome during my entire tenure as a director of famine relief. Nor would I be able to successfully meet the challenge of the worst famine Gujarat had seen in its decades-old history with rejected equipment and discarded staff.

Excerpted with permission from Of Giants and Windmills, Moosa Raza, Niyogi Books.

source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> Book Excerpt / by Moosa Rooza / December 05th, 2022

Quaide Milleth Award For Probity to Hamid Ansari and Aruna Roy

Kolkata, WEST BENGAL :

Quaide Milleth Award For Probity In Political/Public Life (2018) to Hamid Ansari and Aruna Roy

Chennai:

The Quaide Milleth Educational and social Trust instituted the Quaide Milleth Award for probity in Political\Public Life in the year 2015, to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Trust. This award shall be presented every year to people with exemplary track record and commitment to India’s Constitutional, Democratic, Values, Secularism, Pluralism, inclusive and service for marginalized people.

HamidAnsariMPOs03mar2018

Furtherance of the Honour taking place every year, with which this year the jury endeavoured and found the people who are thriving to serve for the Nation and being the part to make democracy strong.

Under the auspices of Alhaj. M.G. Dawood MiaKhan Sahib, The General Secretary and Correspondent of the Quaide Milleth Educational and Social Trust has bestowed  “The Quaide Milleth Award for Probity in Political/Public Life”  for this year to His Excellency Honourable Dr. Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Former Vice President of India and Smt. Aruna Roy, Social Activist & Founder of Mazdoor Kisan Shakthi Sangathan.

The Award Presentation Ceremony held at Quaide Milleth College, began with the Qiraath (Citation of Quran Verses) followed by salutation to Tamil Thai Vazhthu.

Dr. A. Rafi, Principal of the College, welcomed the gathering for the Award Ceremony. He shared the brief history of the college with the milestones it has reached by highlighting the facts that the college has achieved 89% of placement last year and heir  the NAAC certification recently. Then he marked the achievements of the dignitaries and their exertion rendered for the society.

Then, Padma Bushan Janab. Moosa Raza, I.A.S (Retd.), Former Secretary to Government of India and Chairman S.I.E.T., was called upon to preside over the Award Ceremony. In his presidential address he mentioned the Awardees as the “Children of India” who are awarded by The Quaide Milleth Educational and Social Trust.  He also added by stating that Hamid Ansari is a very humane who respect people and excellent in performing his duties. He (Hamid Ansari) has done a commendable job when he was an Indian ambassador for Saudi Arabia by bringing investments from these countries. And he added that  “The whole world will listen to him when he is silent”. Moosa Raza also brought Aruna Roy’s contribution to a broad day light. She has championed “The Right to Information Act” and “The Right to Education”

The above two recipients of the prestigious award were felicitated by Shri.Gopalakrishna Gandhi, Former Governor of West Bengal, Dr. Mufti Khazi Salhudeen Mohammed Ayub, President of QUEST, Rev. Bishop Dr. Devesagayam, Church of South India (Rtd) and T.K. Rangarajan, Rajya Sabha Member.

  • Shri.Gopalakrishna Gandhi ironically commented that at the present scenario people with Probity and Honesty are to be searched.
  • Dr. Mufti Khazi Salhudeen Mohammed Ayub went to the root of this award giving, which has been derived from the altruistic life and ideals of Quaide Milleth Sahib.
  • Rev. Bishop Dr. Devesagayam has applauded the idealism of the recipients and requested the future generation to imbibe the same.
  • T.K. Rangarajan, appreciated the leadership qualities of both the awardees.

The felicitation was followed by the citation of the award by Alhaj. M.G. Dawood MiaKhan Sahib. He emulated the values of Quaide Milleth for constituting this unique award. He reminded and compared the fact that as a politician Quaide Milleth abided the Law, respected the Constitution of the country and at the same time he remained uncompromising on his values and Policies.  But today’s politics has become the place for corruption. He added the Quaide Milleth Award is not just to Honour but also to introduce the great minds to the society and to recognise their admirable contribution to the Nation.   He also brought in the history of Quaide Milleth that he was the Leader of Masses due which he was elected as Member of Loksabha for 3 consecutive period without going to the constituency.  He requested Mohammed Hamid Ansari to resume his work as the Nation requires his service. He called Aruna Roy as “Women of Intolerant” because she is intolerant towards the fascism, against the one who oppresses and discriminates the downtrodden.

A minute of silence was observed to honour the demise of The Senior Journalist Gniani and National Herald Editor and Chief Mr. Neelabh Mishra.

Smt. Aruna Roy, proclaimed her gratitude for receiving the award in the name of Quaide Milleth – Member of Constitution to promote Secularism. She expressed that Quaide Milleth was her Ideal who taught her the Constitution. She questioned the Powers that “Why are you afraid of pluralism?” and she emphasised one Nation, one thinking, one Ideology concept is not possible in a secular country like India. She felt and interrogated that “What happened to the Nation”, nowadays people with Ideas of difference are assassinated like Bansare, Dhabolkar, kalpurki, Gouri lingesh who are the activists and journalists. She criticised the fact that 73% of India’s wealth is with just 1% of people. She explained to the crowd that “Information is power”. When the Information is open to public it will construct good governance. Today there are 60 lakh beneficiaries of RTI, she believed that it will increase the accountability of every person who is in power. She encouraged the voices against the corruption and inequality through non-violence. She concluded that “QUAIDE MILLETH AWARD 2018 FOR PROBITY IN POLITICAL\PUBLIC LIFE, is really to recognise the real Indian to speak the truth to Power”.

Dr. Mohammed Hamid Ansari expressed his humility through his discomfort rather in receiving the award than giving it. He said that “In spite of differences of manner, food and faith we are equal as citizens of India”. He cited the article “51A the Fundamental of Duties” and articulated that it was created by executive judicial body to delineate everyone’s duty. He emphasised that “The common man has given the responsibility to the politicians to make Laws, discuss public difficulties and execute accountability”. He urged to the Judiciaries to discharge their duties quickly and fearlessly. He insisted that “Our duty is to ensure that the institution created by constitution should be safe guarded and protect public property”.  He completed his speech with his humble words that “I did not do any unusual and I was taught to follow the rules”.

The 4th annals of  QUAIDE MILLETH AWARD Ceremony confined with the Vote of Thanks delivered by Janab. M.H.B. Thajudheen, EC Member, QUEST.  (Press release)

source: http://www.milligazette.com / The Milli Gazette / Home> Online News> National / March 02nd, 2018