By TCN News,
New Delhi: To condole the death of the Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, Fakhruddin Tahir Khorakiwala, Delhi based NGO Yuva Koshish organized a meeting here on Tuesday where people offered him rich tributes for his works in educational and social field. Calling him a symbol of communal harmony and brotherhood, the participants termed his demise as a big loss for the country.
“His works for the peace and communal harmony during 1992-93 communal riots in Mumbai following demolition of Babri Masjid can never be forgotten. Similarly, as chancellor of Jamia he did remarkable works” said Sayed Ali Akhtar, President of Yova Koshish, while speaking at the meeting.
Fakhruddin T. Khorakiwala
In her speech, Dr. Zakia Akhtar, general Secretary of Koshish, said that the efforts Khorakiwala to maintain the communal harmony were unparallel specially constitution of mohalla committees comprising of people of different faiths during 1992-93 Mumbai riots.”
When Mumbai was burning in communal riots post Babri demolition, he took several initiatives to turn the situation to normality including constitution of ‘Mohalla Committees’ involving people from different communities to resolve their problems before they became unmanageable. At the same time he organized the longest human chain of 100 kms with over 150,000 Mumbaikars to spread the message of secularism and counter communal violence.
Fakhruddin T. Khorakiwala died on July 5, 2011 after a brief illness in Mumbai. He took his last breath at the age of 93 and is survived by his son Habil.
Born in a Dawoodi Bohra family in 1918 in Ahmedabad, brought up in Palanpur he migrated to Mumbai at the age of 6. He did his lawyer’s degree from the prestigious Government Law College and also took part in Gandhiji’s Quit India Movement in 1942.
He was serving as chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia University, Delhi since 2002. He was a successful businessman who founded the Akbarally’s chain of department stores in Mumbai.