MERRY MEADOWS - Chapter 14 - Memons on the FrontFoot

One lives and learns on a daily basis, and the learning so obtained makes for a rollercoaster ride with the good news elevating the spirits and imbuing hope and positivity, and the bad news always taken with a pinch of salt, with the search for the silver lining dominating mental proceedings. On this particular day the Memons occupied center stage. 

They’re a people blessed with razor sharp business acumen and have constituted the backbone of Karachi’s trade, commerce and industry both as merchants, professionals and entrepreneurs.

The Memon Professional Forum (MPF) was holding its annual conference on entrepreneurship, and the TCS sister concern Octara was charged with putting together and managing the day-long event, and my event report was part of the package. I love such event reporting. It entails spending the day in the cool climes of five star comforts, listening to subject specialists raise the curtain on new and exciting developments in their fields.

The rich food for thought is interspersed with plentiful food for the pallet every couple of hours, with the morning high tea and the evening high tea sandwiching a sumptuous lunch. One can put on serious weight attending such functions, and while the increment in mental weight is definitely welcome, it’s the bulging midriff that becomes cause for concern.  

The Karachi Marriott Hotel’s Crystal Ballroom was chock-a-bloc with business tycoons and assorted professionals, for the MPF was formed to foster networking amongst Memons who are members of various disciplines such as doctors, engineers, architects, accountants, lawyers, MBAs, tax practitioners and any other recognized professional body.

But, as Arif Habib mentioned, every Memon’s not so secret desire is to become an entrepreneur and set up shop for himself. The TCS chairman Khalid Awan delivered the keynote address. But Khalid Awan is not a Memon. He is, however, a leading representative of the services sector that generates the lion’s share of Pakistan’s GDP. He is also without any doubt a leading example of Pakistani entrepreneurship. His presence at the conference was both a tribute to what he has accomplished, as well as testimony to the expanding horizons of the Memon community that has a long tradition of entrepreneurship across the globe.

Memon History – Resilience & ‘Pukhta Yaqeen’ amidst Risk-taking  

In my research of the Memon phenomenon I found an interesting account of Memon history put up on the Internet by the Chicago Memon Association. “The origin of the Memons as a community dates back to a period in history listed as 824 AH. The Arabs ruled Sindh for almost 300 years and in that time the brotherhood, culture, morality and spiritualism of Islam produced a profound effect on the people of the region. It came as no surprise when 700 families of the Lohana community, settled in Thatta, accepted Islam at the hands of Pir Yusuffuddin Saheb (May the mercy of Allah be upon him) and followed the Hanafi path.

Pir Yusuffuddin Saheb was a high order saint, coming from the sainthood dynasty of the world renowned Hazrat Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani of Baghdad (May the mercy of Allah be upon him). It was after a revelation descended on him at the holy tomb of Sayed Abdul Razzak Tajudin Saheb (May the mercy of Allah be upon him) that Pir Yusuffuddin came to Sindh to preach Islam.

It is said that it was Pir Yusuffuddin who, impressed by the strength and character as well as the determination, courage and dedication of the new adherents to Islam, called them Momins and appointed Adam (Sunderji) as their leader and guide.

Pir Saheb then gave Adam a set of clothes comprising of a long shirt, trouser, a waistcoat, a jacket and a turban, which clearly identified the new leader and his flock. In so doing Pir Saheb introduced the dress form that was to become a tradition for centuries.

Pir Yusuffuddin's address to Adam and his flock, as recorded for posterity, provided a framework for success:
"Dear Brethrens, from today onwards you are Muslims, you have one Allah, one Prophet, one Holy Book (Qur'an) and you are all brothers. Believe in Allah; follow His Path and act according to the orders given in the Qur'an. You will be honored in religion as well as in the world and you and your off springs will prosper for a long time".

Perseverance through Adversity

When the people of Sindh saw the spread of Islam, they severed all their social, economic and religious ties with the new adherents of Islam. The new wave of opposition led Adam and his people to Pir Saheb for his wise counsel and guidance saying; "As we have accepted Islam, our people are displeased with us. They have broken all social contacts and have ceased all transactions with a view to make us revert to our old faith. What shall we do now? We are prepared to follow your advice."

Pir Saheb replied:
"I advise you to migrate from here so that you can easily perform your duties to Islam after reaching another place. Our Great Prophet (May the blessings and mercy of Allah be upon him) once before advised Muslims to migrate during the early years of Islam. You, too, should now, likewise, go to another place."

It is natural to ask why the Muslims were compelled to migrate from Sindh when the Islamic Government of Kabul ruled the region. History and research would indicate that while it is correct to say that Sindh was ruled by the Government of Kabul, Islamic conquerors were never wholly involved in the spread of religion and, during their rule, there was freedom of religion. The work of promoting Islam was left to the preachers and saints like Pir Yusuffuddin. During this period the Province of Sindh and in particular the city of Thatta had several saints and men of religion.

Outward Bound

When Pir Saheb ordered Adam and his people to migrate, between a 100 and 150 families of Momins (Memons) left the city of Thatta to settle on the banks of a nearby river, the Varaya.

However, peace was never fully realized by the Memon community in spite of having left their homes in their original settlements in Sindh. Between 859 AH and 866 AH, when Jam Sanjar ruled Sindh, chaos and disorder followed a weak government in control. In the border areas between Southern Sindh and Gujarat, the powerful Baloochis spread havoc by raiding and looting caravans plying trade.

As a result, movement between Sindh and Gujarat was halted and the Memons, who were mainly in business, found life intolerable and were forced to migrate again, this time from Varaya. With their livelihood threatened and uncertainty about the future, the Memons split up and small groups ventured out in different directions - an event in history that subsequently divided one big Memon community into different factions.

One group, under the leadership of Ladha, migrated to the State of Halar in Kathiawar and became known as the Halari Memons. Another group proceeded towards Karachi, a port of Sindh, and they became known as Sindhi Memons. A third group, made up of fifty young men, proceeded towards Punjab and settled in Lahore.

The Cutchi Memons, on the other hand, migrated to Bhuj, the Capital of Cutch. They originally settled there under the leadership of Kaneya Seth, the son of Markun Seth who assumed the Islamic name of Rukunuddin. Markun Seth was the son of Adam Seth, the first leader of the Memon Community appointed by Pir Yusuffuddin. When the Memons migrated in different directions from Varaya, those left behind followed Kaneya Seth to Cutch.

The migration and movement of the Memons from their original home in Nagar Thatta in Sindh caused stress and severe hardship, forcing families to fight starvation and, for most, it was a virtual hand-to-mouth survival.

Throughout these trying times they were steadfast in their faith and pursued the principles of Islam with a great sense of devotion and dedication. The great bond that was established in such circumstances united families and made sharing a priority of the time.

These simple people, who put their trust and faith in Allah and never once wavered throughout the long, arduous struggle to survive, were handsomely rewarded. Allah eventually took mercy and showered them with His generosity and an abundance of fortune.

The silver lining shines forth

For the believers in the power of Allah, the true testing time had come and gone and, after 400 years of wandering and search for a true permanent home, the Memons had finally set roots. Their arrival in different parts of India heralded a new beginning, a life of plenty and an abundance of fortunes as the business acumen of these Islamic migrants set the stage for continuing success and prosperity.

Memons played a prominent role in the Indian Freedom struggle against British rule and occupation both physically and financially. 

By the close of the 19th Century when the struggle assumed noteworthy proportions, a number of Memons courted imprisonment and wealthy members of the community made large-scale donations. Such notables were the Late Umer Sobani and Sir Adam gee Hajee Dawood who spontaneously associated themselves and their families with Mrs. Annie Besant's Home Rule League that spearheaded the freedom struggle. They joined the movement from its inception and gave liberally towards its expenses.

Testing times once more

During the War years the Memons amassed considerable wealth and this was invested in a systematic importation of valuable goods, shares in new industries and landed property. Financial disasters, however, overtook the Memons as well as other major investors after the War had ended. Prices dropped dramatically and traders suffered heavy losses. 

There was a chain reaction of new industries in India which prospered on account of the shortages and high prices of foreign goods during the war years. These were forced to shut down. Industrial shares, which dropped dramatically, found no takers and, added to this, the price of landed properties fell to add to the woes of the business sector.

This was the age of depression and the collapse of the Indian commercial empire sent shock waves through the nation as bankruptcy became the order of the day. However, most Memons in order to maintain credit in the commercial sector, struggled along to meet their commitments and liabilities by resorting to extreme measures. These measures included the sale of all their properties and other assets as well as the traditional gold and precious ornaments of their womenfolk.

One result of this action to overcome the financial depression of the time was the continuance of the Memon tradition in commerce. While others panicked and opted out the Memons, in spite of the heavy losses sustained, endured the depressive years and continued to trade.

But the chance to recoup and regain their prestige was however blunted by yet another disaster with the post-war fall in the exchange value of the rupee. On account of this the Indian merchant had to pay twice the original amount for imported goods. As the Memons were heavily involved in the importation of goods, they suffered heavy losses.

Trade, commerce and sacrifice

Just as it seemed the commercial sector of India was set to recover, other losses seemed inevitable on account of the momentum gained by the combined efforts of the Khilafat Movement, the non-cooperation Movement of India, and the Swadeshi Movement.

With the launch of the powerful Swadeshi Movement, there was a nation-wide spontaneity for the boycott of British manufactured goods. Within a short time British goods, valued at millions of crores of rupees, piled up in warehouses. Nobody volunteered to buy when the goods were offered for sale well below cost and eventually, following pressure by the Indian boycotters, it all went up in smoke.

The Memons represented a substantial group involved in the importation of British manufactured goods, but needed little encouragement to associate themselves with the founders of the Swadeshi Movement.

The many factors that contributed to the financially depressive years drove many Memons in another direction in search of financial rewards. This time they invested heavily in landed properties which offered low returns but seemed more secure.

Contributing to society worldwide

As in earlier times, confronted as they were with numerous difficulties, the Memon spirit of adventure never ceased. The political upheavals, the changing social patterns, the call of the professions and occupations, all combined to encourage Memon movement and settlement throughout India and the rest of the world. Wherever they went and settled, the Memons left lasting impressions with their mosques, welfare and educational institutions, hospitals and musafarkhanas that emerged through Jamats (community based organizations) that were constituted everywhere.

The Memon Community is basically a peace loving business community. Memons are by nature generous, kind-hearted and charitable people. Not only do they support their less fortunate jamati and community members by monthly maintenance allowances, scholarships and other necessities, but also help humanity at large by establishing hospitals, maternity homes, orphanages, schools, colleges, industrial homes and other humanitarian activities, whose benefits are traditionally open for all persons without distinction of caste, color or creed. All large nationwide funds start with the donations of Memons and generally they are among the topmost donors.

Whenever the Memons have settled they first built a mosque and madrassa and, if in considerable numbers, also established a Jamat. Many mosques built by Memons have become outstanding architectural landmarks of their particular cities. Such mosques include Zakaria Masjid of Calcutta, Minara Masjid of Bombay, New Memon Masjid of Karachi and Bitul Muqarram Masjid of Dacca. Memons have also built large mosques in the countries spread from Japan to South Africa. The Jama Masjid of Durban built by the Memons, is the largest mosque in the Southern Hemisphere.

Karachi Memons shake-a-leg

The Memon Professional Forum (MPF) came into existence in January 1985 in Karachi, and has evolved into a prestigious body belonging to the Memon Community comprising 964 professionals at last count. These range from senior professionals occupying eminent positions in their respective fields in Pakistan and overseas to young professionals who are in the early stages of their carrier.

MPF envisions a Forum of Memon Professionals from different disciplines for promoting professional entrepreneurship, leadership, self-development, networking, and knowledge dissemination for its members, all the while promoting higher professional education and mentoring for new entry level young achievers, and facilitating the Community in its search for sustainable development.

Given where the Memons are coming from, the forefathers of the present generations would whole-heartedly approve and take pride in the direction that the Memon Community has taken. Always a close knit clan, with the MPF the closing of ranks has been taken to new levels in keeping with the times and the needs of the day.

Serious Effort, this MPF

The Forum is run by a large and very vibrant managing committee that, over the years, has challenged its members to broaden their mental horizons and engaged them in a diverse feast for thought and action. Between 2011 and 2015 the Memon Community has been treated to a vast and varied platter, of which the Entrepreneurship 2015 Conference was the latest. To give an idea of the MPF’s field of interest a listing of events is given that the MPF managing committee has hosted – BEAUTY & FITNESS THROUGH YOGA By Yogi Wajahat, organized by the Ladies Wing (23/5/2015); DYING CAPITALISM & the emergence of a new economic system by Syed Ghulam Qadir (09-05-2015); FLORAL ART SHOW by Mrs. Sabra Tufail (25-04-2015); SEMINAR ON RENT LAW & SUCCESSION LAW by Mr. Muhammad Saleem Mangrio (11-04-2015); SEMINAR ON BE STRESSLESS by Mr. Umair Jaliawala (27-03-2015); AN EVENING WITH MRS. ZUBAIDA TARIQ (ZUBAIDA AAPA) (14-3-2015); EXPLORING ENTREPRENEURSHIP WITHIN seminar by Rafiq Rangoonwala (27-2-2015); DARS O MEHFIL-E-NAAT by Ladies Wing(3-1-2015); Seminar on REBUILD YOUR LIFE through communication, motivation and leadership (22-1-2014);  

SHARIAH COMPLIANT INVESTMENT by Al Ameen Islamic Financial Services 14-11-2014); MPF DELEGATION’S MEETING WITH MR MAMNOON HUSSAIN PRESIDENT OF PAKISTAN at State Guest House (22-7-2014); CARDIAC HEALTH AWARENESS (19-6—2014); KIDS MINI GALA (4-1-2014); RECOGNITION & NETWORKING LUNCH (15-12-2013); LIFE – LETS MAKE IT WORTH REMEMBERING 29-11-2013); (8-11-2013); 29TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) (29-9-2013); SEMINAR ON STATUS OF WOMEN IN ISLAM on (6-7-2013); CAREER GUIDANCE & COUNSELLING AWARENESS (29-6-2013); UTILIZING STRESS AS A PRODUCTIVITY TOOL (13-6-2013); CAREER GUIDANCE & COUNSELLING AWARENESS Program (25-5-2013); SWOT ANALYSIS (7-4-2013); CAREER GUIDANCE & COUNSELLING (20-3-2013); BREAST CANCER AWARENESS (23-2-2013);

ACE YOUR GAME (23-2-2013); IKEBANA DEMONSTATIVE SESSION (26-1-2013); SEMINAR ON DIABETES (30-12-2012); MAKEOVER SERVICES SEMINAR (21-12-2012); NETWORKING LUNCH 2012 (2-12-2012); ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONFERENCE 2012 (21-11-2012); ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) (16-9-20120; EXTRA ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING (EOGM) (2-9-2012); BUSINESS DECISION THROUGH FINANCIAL STATEMENT (27-4-2012); OBESITY IKM Seminar Hall, Usman Memorial Hospital (25-3-2012); ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONFERENCE 2011 Karachi Marriott Hotel (22-11-2011); MARKETING AND BRANDING SUMMIT, Karachi Marriott Hotel (28-5-2011).

Strategic Advisory Board

A very interesting and fantastic feature of the MPF is its permanent Strategic Advisory Board (SAB) that ensures that the MPF gets the benefit of the combined experiences of its former Presidents as well as other eminent professionals of the Community. This is in stark contrast with how the rest of the country functions where, once out of office, the individual is put out to pasture and denied any say in the affairs of state that he or she until recently helped shape. This is a direct consequence of low trust cultures where hidden agendas and vested interests aimed at personal enrichment dominate the discourse, as opposed to general interest and the greater good being the primary and only focus. Well done MPF!   

SAB came into existence after a thought provoking session on the 22^nd of November, in the year 2000 when Abdul Qadir Memon was the president. In order to discharge its advisory responsibilities SAB keeps under review the long term planning of MPF, its current strategic plan, bye-laws and financial plans, proposing amendments where necessary.

SAB gives special attention to medium and long-term plans, while the elected Committee goes about executing in the present. The SAB meets every alternate month, sometimes more frequently, to review MPF’s performance.

The SAB is headed by M.Younus Bandukda (Chairman), and comprises Abdul Aziz Tayabani (President MPF), Khalid Latif (Honorary Secretary General MPF), Prof. Dr. Iqbal Ahmed Memon, Prof. Dr. Abdul Ghaffar Billoo, Abdul Wahid Tejani, Muhammad Ashraf Bawany, Engr. M.Saleem Rangoonwala, Muhammad Zubair, Engr. Muhammad Siddiq Essa, Muhammad Hanif Jakhura, Engr. Pervez Abu Baker, Asif Ismail Mangroria, M. Haroon Qassim, M. Rafiq Rangoonwala, Mahmood Parekh, and Farida Abdul Ghaffar.