Renaming Bristol Street as Sir Razik Fareed Mawatha:
Sir Razik Fareed common man's leader - Omar Kamil
Colombo Municipal Council Special Commissioner Omar Kamil speaking at
a ceremony to rename Bristol Street as Sir Razik Fareed Mawatha, said
Sir Razik Fareed worked for over five decades for the uplift of the
community.
Sir Razik Fareed was instrumental in inaugurating the Moor's Islamic
Cultural Home in 1944, Kamil said.
"Sir Razik was born in 1893 and was educated at Royal College.
"He was involved in import business for a short period and entered
politics through the Colombo Municipal Council in 1930 and was actively
involved in politics for around 50 years being a Senator,
parliamentarian, Deputy Speaker and minister and ended his public life
as a diplomat serving as Sri Lanka's High Commissioner in Pakistan,"
Kamil said.
"Sir Razik Fareed was the leader of common man. He could foresee many
things and today we realize what he foresaw before the independence of
our Motherland is made true.
He had donated many of his and Lady Fareed's lands for the benefit of
others which included the land where Muslim Ladies College is and the
Lady Fareed Home for Elders is located in Makola," Kamil said.
"The Moors' Islamic Cultural Home was inaugurated in 1944 and Sir
Razik Fareed was the founder President of this institution and remained
as the President until his demise in 1984.
He was instrumental in obtaining this land from the State in 1961 and
put up this magnificent building where we are commemorating our great
leader," he said.
"This event is one of the momentous occasion for all of us at the
MICH. The whole Muslim community sincerely appreciate the gesture of the
Government led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in renaming this important
road which houses the MICH Headquarters," Kamil said. |