(LETTER) Sir: Qaid-e-Azam Mr. Jinnah addressing the Muslim Chamber of Commerce in Bombay, has done a service when he drew the attention of Muslim businessmen to the backward position of the Muslims in the field of business. He has referred to certain salient facts as to how the Muslims stand as compared with other progressive communities in the country in the competitive world of today. Huge post-war business schemes are being formed … and floatation of new companies is taking place. Every community with business intelligence is throbbing with a new spirit of enterprise and is preparing to meeting the growing requirements.

In the light of this changing time-spirit, one would like to ask what are the Muslims going to do? Won’t they have their share in the new scheme of things to come? Let them also bestir themselves.... Muslim history is replete with their past commercial glory and Muslims the world over are not without a commercial bent. What we regret is paucity of educated and trained business experts in the community. Old-fashioned ways of doing business will not see us [go] far… We need more men with technical qualifications…

Yours etc.,

Habib Bhai K. Laljee

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2019