Rahimtoolas come from renowned and distinguished Ismaili family. Three individuals from this family have been mayors of the city of Bombay. Ibrahim Rahimtoola – Mayor of Bombay in 1899-1900. His brother Jaffer was a Mayor of Bombay in 1909-10. Jaffer’s son Hoosenaly was a Mayor of Bombay in 1934-35. Hoosenaly’s son Shahbudin is a world renowned cardiac electrophysiologist, a Distinguished Professor at USC, who has received numerous international awards, including the AHA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.
Former Mayor of Bombay, Sir Ibrahim Rahimtoola’s portrait was unveiled in Indian Parliament
Sir Ibrahim Rahimtoola’s portrait was unveiled in the Lok Sabha Chamber of the Indian federal Legislature as part of the renovation works carried out in the parliament complex at Delhi.
President Pranab Mukherjee whilst addressing Parliament and briefing on the renovated areas mentioned the unveiling of portraits of other former Presidents of the Central Legislative Assembly as well. Sir Ibrahim Rahimtoola was President of Central Assembly from 1931-33.
Sir Ibrahim was a well known politician and reformer of the British Era hailing from Bombay. He remained Mayor of Bombay, Chairman Fiscal Commission, President of the Legislative Council and Minister for Education to name a few posts.
In 1959 the Bombay Municipality names the road between J.J.Hospital and Bhindi Bazaar as ‘Sir Ibrahim Rahimtoola Road’.
In the book ‘Aga Khan and his Ancestors’ Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah [Aga Khan III] referred to Sir Rahimtoola as ‘the most distinguished member our community has produced in Western India’.
Excerpt:
–Speech by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee on the unveiling of the photographs of the Presidents of the Central Legislative Assembly and the portraits of the former Speakers of the Lok Sabha
As already mentioned, a portrait of Shri Vithalbhai Patel is fixed on the woodwork opposite to the Speaker’s Chair in the Lok Sabha Chamber. The Inner Lobby of the Lok Sabha Chamber has portraits of the following former Presidents of the Central Legislative Assembly: Sir Frederick Whyte, Shri Vithalbhai Patel, Sir Muhammad Yakub, Sir Ibrahim Rahimtoola, Shri R.K. Shanmukham Chetty, Sir Abdur Rahim and Shri G.V. Mavalankar. Besides, portraits of several other prominent leaders adorn the Parliament House Committee rooms and the Parliamentary Museum and Archives.
PORTRAIT OF SIR IBRAHIM RAHIMTOOLA (1862-1942) IN LOK SABHA CHAMBER AND INNER LOBBY
A committed reformer and eminent writer, Ibrahim Rahimtoola was an ardent champion of the Indianisation of various services. He held very progressive views in matters of social reform and strongly advocated female education and abolition of the pardah system. He was a member of the Bombay Legislative Council (1899-1912) and later its President (1923-26). He was a member of the Executive Council, Bombay (1918-23) and Leader of the Bombay Legislative Council (1921-23). He was also a member of the Imperial Legislative Council (1913-18). He was the President of the Central Legislative Assembly during 1931-33. A firm believer in self-government, he advocated constitutional means for gaining India’s Independence.
February 2014
Sources:
- http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/jpi/September2000/CHAP-4.htm
- http://www.pibmumbai.gov.in/scripts/detail.asp?releaseId=E2014PR393
- http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=103283
- http://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/picture_gallery/rahimtoola_5.asp
- http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/our%20parliament/List%20of%20Statues%20and%20Portraits.htm
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibrahim_Rahimtoola
- http://www.ismaili.net/Source/mumtaz/Heroes1/hero047.html
Ismailimail 