Bhojani
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The Bhojani are a mainly muslim clan, living in South Asia and predominantly in Pakistan.
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[edit] Hamid Ali Bhojani
Among the Khojas of Shia Isna Asheri sect, Bhojanis belong to Chamardi village in the Dist. of Bhavnagar of Indian state of Gujrat. Many of the clan migrated to Pakistan in 1947 and settled in Karachi. Late Noor Mohamed Bhojani and Late Ramzan Ali Bhojani were among them. An illustrious son named Hamid Ali Bhojani gained immense fame and respect among the community and social circle for his sincere and dedicated services for the cause of the Khoja community and interfaith harmony. He was born in Bombay on September 12, 1945. He grew up in the vicinity of Kharader inhabited by the migrants from India which included Memons and followers of Aga Khan. He was educated at Pakistan National Schools and went to Government College of Commerce and Economics for graduation. Later he did his Masters in Economics from Karachi University. He worked with M/s Hyder Bhimji and Company,State Bank of Pakistan, Pakistan International Airlines and Syrian Arab Airlines till he established his own travel agency. He was also elected as the Chairman of the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan. Socio welfare services were his inclination. He assumed the presidency of Mehfil-e-Jafri Kharader and was instrumental in reconstruction of the Mehfil in 1991.He also prompted the construction of Anjumane Khuddamul Qoran and Baghe Zehra in Kharadar and Zainab Punjwani Memorial Hospital in Soldier Bazar. In 1988, he was elected as the President of the Khoja (Pirhai) Shia Isna Asheri Jamaat Karachi (establish way back in 1892 by the native Sindhi Khojas) and caused a reawakening in the community by mobilizing the masses and presenting a strategic plan to make the community vibrant. He focused on the education of the community particularly for feminine gender, all at an affordable cost. Immediately after taking charge, he started working on developing systems and procedure. Information technology was introduced to document the accounts, census was conducted and computerized membership cards were issued. Old Matrimonial and Burial records were also computerized. Budgeting was introduced and a community organ by the name Jamaat News was published. Al Mustafa Clinic,the Jamaat office and Fatimiyah school at Kharader were renovated. He was the first president of the jamaat to attend the tri-annual conference of the World Federation of Khoja Shia Isna Asheri Muslim Communities in London in 1988 and took the initiative for the membership of the Federation. It was in 1989, that he moved to realize his dream which he had presented in his election manifesto. He took pains to purchase a plot of 800 sq. yds. for establishing a Fatimiyah girls school in Soldier Bazar at prime location on Britto road. During the centenary celebrations of Jamaat in 1992, he managed to convince the donors for one more school on a plot of 2000 sq. yds.just across the street which was completed in 1996. Simultaneously he received donation of one plot of 875 sq.yds. along with a commitment to absorb the construction cost for a community center just behind the Fatimiyah school (1994). Realizing that Hussaini Bagh graveyard I and II were being exhausted, he managed to acquire a two-acre plot for graveyard at Mach Goth on Hub river road. Right from the day he assumed presidency of the Khoja Jamaat, Hamid Ali Bhojani persistently insisted upon setting Fatimiyah Hospital. The dream has come true in 2006. He also invested in a plot at Dolly Khata and a large tract of land of 36 acres on Super Highway. Both have been disposed and handsome capital gains have been realised. In 1994 he prompted the idea of housing schemes and floated the Al Mustafa Apartment in PECHS and 80x three bed room Fatimiyah Apartments in Soldier Bazar. Computer classes, Employment exchange, Youth forum, Sport, Women wing, Literary sessions, expansion in transport fleet, improvement of service and relocating Jamaat office in Kharader were initiated by him. He was very fortunate to have gained the confidence of the cross section of the community whereby the difference between haves and haves not was substantially reduced and a harmonious culture of fraternity prevails till day. The philanthropists of the community came out with generous donations and the commoners overwhelmingly volunteered to help. Various donations schemes were initiated which received tremendous response thus providing impetus to announce various projects one after the other and also consolidating financial position of the Jamaat. It was the acumen and the prowess of Hamid Bhojani that led him in commanding position and his election as president for the second term in 1991 and unopposed election in 1994. Till date his sincerity, dedication, long working hours at Jamaat office, sublime attitude and capabilities are remembered and cherished by all. After losing Shaukat Ali Bhojani, an engineer by profession, in the sectarian violence in Karachi(1994), Bhojanis also lost another of its remarkable sons Hamid Ali Bhojani who was mercilessly murdered along with thirteen Isna Asheris in the early morning of 24th Ramazan 1415 A.H corresponding to 25th February 1995 at Masjid/Mehfil Murtaza in PECHS block 111 Karachi by 13 militants of Sipahe Sahaba who were later arrested. Ten were acquitted due to negligence in presenting the case by the prosecution and were given benefit of doubt. Three have been awarded capital punishment and have appealed in the Supereme Court.
[edit] Dost Mohammed Bhojani
With the assassination of Hamid Ali Bhojani, the Khoja community went into deep shock and faced difficulty in maintaining tranquility. Mr. Dost Mohammed Bhojani who was a distant cousin of Hamid Bhojani and a senior community volunteer having served the Khoja Jamaat as General Secretary for long time was elected as President for the remaining term. He promised to move in the direction of his predecessor and vowed to complete all projects that Shaheed Hamid Bhojani had projected. He was reelected in 1997,2000 and 2003 and despite his failing health he is poised to serve the community. During his tenor, three plots of various sizes have been purchased to establish Fatimiyah Girls college (2003) expand the Fatimiyah Hospital (2006) and construct an Early Childhood School. Acknowledging the dedicated services of Mr. Dost Mohammed Bhojani, two prominent philanthropists of the community have donated two bungalows of 1400 sq yds (approx), which have been renovated for establishing Fatimiyah Boys and Fatimiyah Girls College with a provision to go for Degree classes. Fatimiyah Centre of Computer Sciences and Fatimiyah Language Learning Centre have been established with the efforts of the Education Board. Millions of rupees have been collected in the Khoja Jamaat Foundation Fund initiated by Mr. Dost Mohammed Bhojani whereby putting the finances of the Jamaat on sound footings. Mr. Dost Mohammed Bhojani has served the Jamaat with tremendous dedication and hard work. Lately he is not keeping well.Mr. Dost Mohammed Bhojani retired from active service of the Khoja Jamaat due to his ill health on 25th December 2006 after a new body was elected for the term 2006-9.
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[edit] Altaf Hussain Bhojani
Altaf Hussain Bhojani, younger brother of Shaheed Hamid Ali Bhojani was overwhelmingly elected as Joint Secretary of the Khoja Jamaat in 1997. He was also nominated as Secretary Education Board. Later he co-opted as General Secretary for a short period as well. In the elections of the Jamat held on 17th. December 2006 for the term 2006-o9, he was overwhelmingly elected as the Hon. Secretary. He polled 1809 votes out of 2460 votes cast. He is held in high esteem for his socio religious work. Source: Jamaat News March 1995 published by Khoja (Pirhai)Shia Isna Asheri Jamaat Karachi. He was also forced by Majority of the Jamat members to resign against his efforts to mischeiviously change the rules of Jamaat in favour of some vested interest persons.
