Bizman gives away entire showroom stock to poor
MEERUT : A graduate from Jamia Millia University, Delhi, Intezar Ali had all the comforts of life. However, the misery that this Kairana town resident witnessed during the two months of lockdown changed his view of life.
An owner of showrooms of readymade garments, shoes and a small business of real estate, he decided to serve the needy people with heart and soul and took a decision that was both remarkable as it was awe-inspiring.
Two days ahead of Eid, he declared that he would distribute his whole stock of readymade garments, shoes and slippers, worth Rs 30 lakh, among the poor and needy. He hoped to put smiles on gloomy faces of the poor ahead of Eid.
Appreciating his gesture, Shamli district magistrate Jasjeet Kaur visited his showroom in Kairana town on Friday and helped him distribute branded ladies suits, pants, T-shirts, lowers, shoes and slippers to poor and needy people who lined up before the showroom.
“I went there to support his gesture, especially at a time when people really need it,” Kaur said.
With shops closed and people running out of money, Ali’s gesture brought happiness in their life ahead of the festival.
Ali continued distribution of clothes and shoes on the second consecutive day on Saturday. He said, “A stock of approximately Rs 30 lakh was distributed in two days,” and added “I would have distributed stock of 100 such showrooms, if Allah had bestowed those showrooms to me”.
He recalled that it was a bright morning last month on which he stood outside his showroom along with his 11-year-old son Zaid and watched migrant labourers from Haryana pass by. A group of frail labourers approached him and requested food. They were hungry and thirsty. He asked his son to bring some packets of biscuits he had bought for his family. Meanwhile, more labourers and their
A stock of approximately Rs 30 lakh was distributed in two days. I would have distributed stock of 100 such showrooms, if Allah had bestowed those showrooms to me INTEZAR ALI , Businessman
children also arrived and he gave all the biscuits to them.
But this incident was the turning point for him and since then he formed a team of friends and relatives and created a WhatsApp group. They prepared a list of over 5,000 needy and poor persons and made it a point to include families from the middle class. “They are also sufferers but don’t want to expose themselves for fear of losing face in society,” said Ali, elaborating that many of them were taking ration from shops on credit, unable to pay their loan instalments and the school fees of their children. He claimed to be supporting many of them with cash and rations.
A farmer of more than 100 beegha landholding, Intezar said that during this period, he saw misery and plight of people which he had never known. “Many families were on the brink of starvation as they had no job, no money and were running out of food,” he said and claimed of supporting many
such families by providing them ration without discrimination. “For me, it was service to humanity”, he said and called upon people to help these poor and needy persons.
He also thanked his mother, Raheesa Begum and late father Mohd Iliyaas, who taught him to serve people since his childhood. He returned from Delhi after the death of his father in 2001 and established his business, besides farming.
He also expressed gratitude towards Kairana circle officer Pradeep Kumar and other officials, including the DM, for supporting him in serving people.
Jamia Millia University’s former vice chancellor Najeeb Jung, who is also former Lt governor of Delhi, appreciated Intezar’s gesture and said: “Such people deserve all the credit in these difficult times.”