YAM to each n everyone,
I m a regular visitor of ISMAILI.NET but today for the 1st time I become an official member of this gr8 domain just to share some facts about "INDIA MULAQUAT".
I am a Volunteer from Secunderabad JK; Last night there was an official Volunteer's meet of all Hyderabad JK's at Hyderabad with council & in that Our National President was also present.
There are some facts & moments which (*) The President shared with all the Volunteers & some other facts which (#) I personally came across with:
* First of all as the new national council appointed in Dec' 05, they found that it is almost 14 long years has passed when IMAM met with His India jamat & now jamat from all over India are eagerly waiting for their IMAM.
* When the official visit of IMAM is getting finalized for Ground Breaking Ceremony of Aga Khan Academy at Hyderabad, National Council made a request for graciously giving few hours for India Jamat.
* As Imam was coming for an "Official Visit" & not especially for "Padhramani", it was His Karam Nawazish & great mercy that in the month of August, Mawla accept the request for a "MULAQUAT" with India Jamat from His busy schedule during His "Official Visit".
* Finally after 14 years, Mawla agreed for this Mulaquat but at one sitting & at only one place i.e. "HYDERABAD".
* Now there was mammoth task in front of the Council, what they have to do was never ever done in the History of Ismaili Jamat of India. They have to found a place which is safe, secure, and convenient & should be so large that it can accommodate more than one lakh of jamat of India.
* Finally they got the land which is our proposed new Garden Society at Kompally (NH 7, Nagpur Highway).
* There were innumerable task which we have to achieve whether it was related to Transport, Utara (Accommodation), Food, Health, Safety & Security or else.
* For achieving this tasks different kind of man powers were there with having different capabilities.
Think when you had been given a single task to achieve at a single time.
Think when you had been given 2 tasks to achieve at a single time.
Think when you had been given 5 tasks to achieve at a single time.
And think what will happen when you had been given 500 tasks to achieve at a single time, its not easy.
# According to Railway officials this was happened for the 1st time in their knowledge that 23 (Twenty Three) SPECIAL TRAINS were been received for any private function in Indian Railway History. Most of the trains came from various parts of Gujarat & Mumbai. A special Cell (Control Room) was build at RAIL NILAYAM (South Central Railway), where one of our Member is allowed to be seated there in the control room & keep watch on the positions of different trains. This was done because most of the arrangements were done at SECUNDERABAD RAILWAY STATION at back side on BHOIGUDA Gate i.e. Platform No.10 and we were trying to get all the Spl trains at this station, so that Jamat can easily reach to their Utaras, Hotels or Relative's Places with the conveyance of Buses, Taxis or Autos.
As I was giving service at Secunderabad Rly Stn, I want to share an incident which happened in front of me. It was 21-09-06 eve, we were expecting a Spl Train from Gujarat in next 10 mins, suddenly we got a call from our control room that a Spl Train arrived at NAMPALLY (Hyderabad Rly Stn) & we are expecting hundreds of people in them. 1st we thought that the train which we r expecting might have gone to Hyd Rly Stn, but when we enquired it was an another train. Even after taking so much precautions some how it went to HYD instead of SEC'BAD and then we came to know that only few volunteers & buses are there at HYD and here another Spl Train is coming in next few mins...
"Just think what you will do at this stage if you have been an Incharge?"
If you are a Local Hyderabadi you better know that in a working eve how much difficult it is to travel from Sec'bad to Hyd & with a big vehicle like bus. So just think over it...
Meanwhile some more facts...
* For Jamati Accommodations (UTARA), there were near about 58 Gardens/ Function Halls/ Shaadi Khane were booked in 4 different areas namely; Mahedipatnam, Champapet, Hi-Tec & Bowenpally. Well Equipped with Food, Sanitary, Security, Health Services, and Info & Travel Desk.
# This Utaras has already few Permanent Sanitary, but looking to the convenience of hundreds of people some extra Temporary (Kutchha) Toilets & Bathrooms were made in almost all of the Gardens.
* In all this Utaras near about 45,000 people were accommodated.
# Transportation: Hundreds of buses where arranged from all the Utaras, JK's & almost all parts of the Twin City to Kompally (Pendol). Which were started early in the morning till midnight for going back, in this regular highway traffic was either diverted or stopped for hours for both the time.
* Pendol: It was the BIGGEST CLOSED HALL ever made in INDIAN HISTORY for any private function & in a short span of time, which can accommodate more than one lakh people in it.
* Mulaquat: It was the LARGEST ISMAILI JAMAT ever gathered for Deedar in Recent ISMAILI HISTORY of World. More than One Lakh people gathered at a time & at a single place.
* Walking Time: Mawlana Hazar Imam when entered in Pendol 1st He walked for 25 Mins to the stage & while leaving He walked for 18 Mins till exit, i.e. Mawlana Hazar Imam total 43 Mins walked to reach to each n every murid.
* Walking Distance: During this time IMAM walked almost 1.2 kilometers.
(# Just think how much time & how many kilometers you walked for this event?)
* Total Time Spent: Mawlana Hazar Imam spend almost 1Hr 20mins with Jamat during this Mulaquat.
* When it was asked to Eitmadis & Alijahans how they felt about this DEEDAR, they said it was one of the BEST DEEDAR of our life, in recent times we hardly see Imam spend this much time with HIS Jamat & it seems that Imam was very very HAPPY during this Mulaquat.
* In a room while leaving, National Council presented a Gift (a handle of sword or sword or else, Sorry I m not sure) of 18th Century from London Museum (Which they directly send it to Aiglemont from London). They gave a picture of that which symbolically represent that gift.
* Then Leaders gifted "NAZRANA" to Imam, Imam said, 'My India Jamat is very Generous.' As it was the BIGGEST NAZRANA ever given to Imam.
* Before leaving the Pendol Imam showed His immense & deepest Happiness with this MULAQUAT to all the leaders. Imam said, 'I'm feeling a PROUD FATHER who had seen all His children.'
* A day before Mulaquat even at Raj Bhavan (State Governor's House), Imam wrote in Guestbook that, 'It is the most Memorable Visit to India'
* As a fact we know that there were so many short comings, lacking, mistakes was there during this Mulaquat & also as a protocol, at airport when all the leaders where present, our National President apologies for all the mistakes, lacking & short comings & asked to forgive us, then Imam said, 'I couldn’t see any.'
* Finally MHI overlooked all our mistakes like a Spiritual Father, but we know that while leaving the hall Jamat faced so many problems, especially Physically Challenged & Senior Citizens. People walked so much to reach the buses or to find their cars.
* But our President said that Inshallah in Golden Jubilee when our jamat in Tajikistan will have Deedar, they will come from mountains & valleys, as there is no airport, no railway & no roads are made for vehicles & for that they have to do their journey by walking. It will take min 7DAYS to 15 DAYS to reach to the Deedar place. And due to the lack of infrastructure there will be no accommodation (Utara) or food will be given, only fire will be provided to cook their own food. So our President assured to Tajik Council President that we will send our VOLUNTEERS to serve the Tajik Jamat.
* Finally President told us to be prepare for the coming 'GOLDEN JUBILEE' & to learn from all the short falls & mistakes done this time, so that we can serve more efficiently & effectively to the Imamat ... Aameen.
# I feel that whatever problems Jamat faced while leaving it was up to some extend due to Jamat itself, as many of them where not listening to instructions that plz don’t get up, wait till u have been told to go, even after announcing that there is a traffic jam so plz don’t go. But jamat were ignoring this and continuously moving out & due this children's are getting separate in this huge crowd. And that’s why so many children were found missing. In fact there was found child were more then missing, which we gathered at stage & even after so much time no body came to pick them.
# The other problem occurred due to damage, occupied & shortage of wheel chairs. Senior Citizens had faced the most difficult time after the event. This happened due to lack of volunteers also, it is fact that volunteers who were at pendol duty, so many of them where working day & night continuously till last moment at different areas. I heard some of them had not slept for 4/ 3/ 2 nights & some of them took only an hour to stretch their legs in car or on bench or elsewhere, & almost all the volunteers didn’t slept previous night, I literally saw many of them where so tired & feeling drowsy that they were unable to work after the Mulaquat.
# But still few where there who even worked in those circumstances in which generally they don’t. So many Volunteers where there who worked till last moment. We found so many Senior Citizens waiting for their kids or relatives at pendol, gates & even at highway road. Few of them had already lost their memory, they don’t know from where they came & where to go.
# Traffic was so jam till midnight that it took hours for jamat to get into the vehicles. And during this I saw which rarely we couldn’t see, ALL the Police & Traffic personnel where so much co-operating & helping that they even providing their own vehicles for various spots, even my family came half the way in their car, & all this by their own willingness & without any request. As night goes darker only few volunteers & in charges where there but still all the Police officials where doing their job whole heartedly.
# Finally at around 2:30 am we again checked the whole area & gathered all the senior citizen & send them to their utara / places & to all missing one to a garden/ utara & HYD JK. And at around 3:00 am we came back at home.
# We know many of Jamat shouted & scolded us for the inconvenience, even few had placed their problems here also in this forum, but I just want to share one thing that if u read this whole article carefully, u will definitely find some messages from it. Take it at individual level try to find out what Imam want to convey indirectly through this whole event & learn from it. And remember that, 'NO BODY IS PERFECT & YOU CAN'T EXPECT IT FROM OTHERS'. It was the first time ever happened in the INDIAN HISTORY so no practical experience was there but still Our Leadership tried very hard, worked day & night for this HISTORICAL EVENT. And from all this short falls & mistakes Inshallah we all will learn the lessons & try to serve the IMAMAT with best of our ability & potentials... Aameen.
# But instead of short span of time, bad weather, unfavorable conditions & so many hurdles, a HISTORY was created on 23rd Sep 2006 at Hyderabad and Inshallah it will be written by Golden Letters in our "ISMAILI ITIHAAS..."