With reference to the lead article The myth of history (March 27), in January 1983, Sulieman Jetha or Sulieman bhai to his friends, the unsung hero of the Freedom Movement, was in Karachi from London. He was residing with my father at our flat in Falak Numa. Introduced to Fakruddin Millwala, President of Karachi Club, he recognized him as the Sulieman bhai.
In the first week of December 1946, Sulieman bhai, President of the London branch of Muslim League had the distinction of receiving Quaid-e-Azam, Mohammed Ali Jinnah and his entourage at the London airport. Fakhruddin Millwala, threw a tea part at the premises of the Karachi Club in honour of this pioneer of freedom.
In an address to the members, he recalled, Chaudhari Rahmat Ali personally delivered to him and Jinnah, the pamphlet Now or Never at the Waldorf Hotel gathering on the night of Saturday, January 28, 1933, to which he and Jinnah were sent printed invitations by Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan, the third. Aga Khan was the recognized protege of the British. He had paid for the well funded black tie, dinner organized for Muslim delegates to the third Round Table Conference and Muslim luminaries and political heavy weights, like Jinnah and Sulieman bhai residing in London.
“Rahmat Ali received a chilly rebuff. Jinnah told Rahmat Ali Pakstan (as spelt in the pamphlet) was an impossible dream.” To a query posed by Asghar Khandwala to Sulieman bhai, attributing that the name ‘Pakstan’ emitted from Aga Khan, the third and not from Rahmat Ali, Sulieman bhai said this was correct.
In January 1983, Russia was hermetically sealed with the Iron Curtain and the ongoing Afghan War. Sulieman bhai then made the assertion what is known today, Karakal Pakistan in Uzbekistan is the autonomous area where the Ismaili Imams remained in nizari or incognita or mustatir (the hidden) to use the Arabic phrase of Doctor Phillip Hitti, for 550 years from 1256 to 1800. Sulieman bhai stated, misspell in Pakistan for ‘Pakstan’, the name suggested by Sir Sultan for “Now or Never” to Rehmat Ali. Sulieman bhai added he had sat next to Jinnah at the dinner. Jinnah was ill at ease, dismissive of Rahmat Ali, because it was known, that the arrangement at Waldorf Hotel was orchestrated by Aga Khan and Rahmat Ali was only used as a front. Jinnah had been sidelined, dropped by Aga Khan in the third round table conference. Jinnah also nursed a personal grievance against Aga Khan, because at the instance of Sir Dinshaw Petit, Aga Khan had obstructed his marriage to Ruttie Dinshaw Petit in April 1918, an issue which Jinnah thought was personal and Aga Khan had no right to come in his way, though the Founder then subscribed to the Shia Ismaili Jammat of Bombay. My father, Haji bhai Esmail Dossa confirmed this with Sulieman bhai.
Jinnah was my father’s legal advisor in Bombay, in his proprietorship Company H.E. Dossa at Sir Vithaldas Chambers, Bombay.
MOHAMMED AZIZ HAJI DOSSA
Karachi
A shameful practice
With reference to the article A shameful practice (April 3), the writer has called on the authorities to arrest the use of unfair means in the examination. However, I would like to say that it is better to do something concrete by self, rather than raising hue and cry through the newspaper and calling others to tackle the situation. And if her contention is, ‘how can I change the system’, then she should not forget that every ‘I’ completes the society.
ABID ALI DURRANI
Sukkur
(2)
I have only one question to ask here; when will our authorities do something concrete about the issue? When will we be able remove the negative thought in the minds of our students, who often say, “cheating is our right”?
With reference to the lead article The myth of history (March 27), in January 1983, Sulieman Jetha or Sulieman bhai to his friends, the unsung hero of the Freedom Movement, was in Karachi from London. He was residing with my father at our flat in Falak Numa. Introduced to Fakruddin Millwala, President of Karachi Club, he recognized him as the Sulieman bhai.
