Mamdani Health And Education Trust
OUR STORY
Restoring Dignity, Nurturing Lives: Last Rites, Free Food, Education.
OUR BACKGROUND IN BRIEF
Mamdani Health and Education Trust, registered on 30 November 2010 with the number E-27450/Mumbai, was established by Mr. Ismail Hasham Mamdani, a compassionate businessman dedicated to aiding the underprivileged, particularly children, by addressing their educational and healthcare needs in modest ways. The trust originated from Mr. Mamdani’s vision to assist those who struggled to meet basic necessities like food, clothing, and shelter. Instilling his values in his children, Mr. Mamdani emphasized the importance of perpetuating his legacy of altruism. Following his passing in 2018, his sons, Iqbal and Ilyas, undertook the responsibility of managing the trust. The brothers initiated their efforts by aiding underprivileged students in securing school, college, or professional course admissions. Additionally, they extended support to the ill and provided counselling and guidance to women pursuing vocational skills.
However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges, especially for the underprivileged and marginalized segments of society. Daily life became exceptionally difficult, with individuals from impoverished backgrounds struggling to secure even the most basic necessities, such as food and medicines. Recognizing the pressing need for a reassessment of the trust’s activities, Mr. Iqbal Mamdani took action at the pandemic’s outset. The situation escalated with an order from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) mandating the cremation of all bodies, driven by concerns about the highly contagious nature of COVID-19 and its potential to spread rapidly through corpses. Controversy arose when a Muslim taxi driver succumbed to COVID-19, compelling the cremation of his body due to the denial of burial permission at the Malwani cemetery in Malad (West). Initially resistant, the family eventually acquiesced, leading to the cremation of the body.
The cremation sparked outrage within the Muslim community, leading to questioning and pressure on Muslim leaders both inside and outside the government. Consequently, the administration rescinded the cremation order. Another pressing issue arose regarding the transportation of bodies for burial from various hospitals during the pandemic. In response, Iqbal Mamdani, along with advocate Irfan Shaikh, Saleem Parekh, Sohail Shaikh, collaborated on a solution.
During this time, officials from Raza Academy, authorized to receive and bury bodies, reached out to us. We volunteered to assist in the proper disposal of bodies. It came to our knowledge that Raza Academy had partnered with Bada Qabarastan, ensuring a smooth process in finding burial grounds for Muslim bodies, eliminating potential difficulties.
Realizing that private ambulances were unavailable due to COVID-19 fears, Mr. Mamdani faced prolonged waiting times for burials, as government hospitals had limited ambulances. In April 2020, he took the initiative to acquire an ambulance, reaching out to friends like Iqbal Vohra, Salim Patel, Feroz Patel, and Parwez Lakdawala, who owned abandoned ambulances. These vehicles were towed from different locations to South Mumbai and repaired.
Additional support came from Bailul Qureshi (Bakar Qureshi Jamat, Bandra), Huzefa Patel, Farhan Khan, Imtiyaz Ahmed Khan (Millat Nagar Federation), Narayan Dalvi (Worli), and Netra Surap (Garima Foundation, Worli), who contributed well-maintained ambulances.
Four months later, Mr. Mamdani uncovered a scheme involving Raza Academy and Bada Qabarastan exploiting state funds for each burial. Confronting these entities, Mr. Mamdani decided to operate independently. Initially lacking official permission, the trust’s involvement in body disposal for almost six months garnered recognition from government hospital and police officials, leading to acceptance without further scrutiny.
In May 2020, while waiting at Cooper Hospital, Mr. Iqbal Mamdani noticed several unclaimed bodies in the mortuary. Questioning officials, he discovered that no one was stepping forward to claim Hindu bodies. When asked if he would perform the last rites for a Hindu body, Mr. Iqbal agreed on the condition that it wouldn’t lead to a Hindu-Muslim conflict, emphasizing the trust’s commitment to inclusivity. Assured by doctors, Mr. Iqbal began overseeing the last rites of unclaimed Hindu bodies.
In December 2020, Mr. Mamdani sought official permission from Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Vishwas Nangre Patil under Mamdani Health and Education Trust. Post investigation, Mr. Patil granted permission in May 2021, followed by approval from the Government Railway Police (GRP) on January 25, 2022, to cremate or bury unclaimed bodies.
Under the trust’s guidance, over the past three-and-a-half years, around 5000 bodies have been cremated or buried, reflecting the impactful humanitarian efforts of Mamdani Health and Education Trust.
OUR IMMEDIATE GOAL
In Thane and Navi Mumbai's embrace, we extend a caring grace, Performing last rites for unclaimed souls, a sacred space we embrace. With empathy as our guide, we stand by the departed's side, Honoring lives forgotten, in dignity and respect, we abide. Expanding our mission, love's flame in every farewell strid
OUR VISION
Our vision is engulfed in our motto of “Restoring Dignity, Nurturing Lives: Last Rites, Free Food, Education”. And to live up to our motto we are at a planning stage where we would want to cater free food, twice a day, to at least 200 people to begin with. While we do provide free counselling services for underprivileged children and women, we want to consolidate our counselling services to free education for underprivileged children.