‘Hameed Dalwai had clarity, rational approach’

For a person like me, who’ve had no formal education, the world around me was my school (binbhintichi shala). While exposing myself to variety of experiences during my struggle with ektarfa talaq (one-sided divorce), a friend, philosopher and guide had a deep influence on me. That person is late Hameed Dalwai (above), and it was because of him that I learnt a lot in binbhintichi shala.

I met Dalwai in 1966 after his three lectures on Islam organised by Yuvak Kranti Dal or Yukrand. I then got an opportunity to meet him at the veteran socialist Bhai Vaidya’s residence where we discussed the issue of talaq. A series of meetings with like-minded people followed and we finally founded Muslim Satyshodhak Mandal (MSM) in 1970. The name was suggested by social activist Baba Adhav.

In my fight against one-sided talaq, I was searching for someone who will support me, and I got that someone in the form of Dalwai. I have not seen any other guru than Dalwai with such great clarity and rational approach respecting human values at the same time. He also had a thorough knowledge of international politics.

Dalwai used to take me to many stalwarts like Sripad Kelkar, Indutai Kelkar, great Prabhakar Padhye and others, and it was this exposure which widened my knowledge horizon. Also, after MSM was founded, I met Babumiya Bandwale, a true Gandhian who had come all the way from Shrigonda in Ahmednagar district. Bandwale later went on to become MSM’s state president.

There were others too along the way of my life who taught me important lessons.

Apart from inculcating discipline in me, my mother always used to tell me told me two things: never steal and never lie.

I was born and brought up in Hyderabad in a low-income family of eight members with my father Sayyed Gaus being the sole breadwinner. We shifted to Pune when I was four years old and poor financial conditions forced me to study only till standard IV at Moledina Urdu Classes, a school in Khadki. I could not appear for my Std V final examination as I was unable to pay Rs5 as school fee.

But there also I learnt some vital lessons from our headmaster Ibrahim Janab Punavi (Punekar). He always told me to come 10 minutes before the school started and leave 10 minutes after the all the periods were over. It had such great impact on me that even today I reach 10 minutes prior to any appointment.

When I left the school, I started working at Bharat Pencil factory on Bombay-Pune Road at the age of thirteen where I met Tatyasaheb Marathe. He too taught me a number of things.

People have known me for my 42-year-old fight against one-sided divorce. I took up the issue when my younger sister was divorced by her husband. This was a one-sided affair eventually shaking my thought process and I left no stone unturned to get justice for her. There were times when radical forces used to organise meetings to eliminate me, but now those same people contact me when their sisters or daughters are given talaq.

I learnt how to convey my thoughts after we started MSM as I had Dalwai, Bhai Vaidya, Baba Adhav and others to guide me. Time has changed but I did not allow the agenda of

Muslim Satyshodhak Mandal to fade away even after Dalwai’s death. For this undying spirit, I will always be indebted to him.

Sayyedbhai is the founder of Muslim Satyshodhak Mandal, a body fighting againt one-sided divorce