Nurturing ML Sultan overseas family ties
RED tape strangled the 126th anniversary celebrations the of the arrival of philanthropist, ML Sultan in Durban, planned to bring together family members from the UK, Australia, South Africa and India for the first time.
Officials in India blundered the visa application and left family members wanting to make the trip bitterly disappointed.
Fourth generation family member Dr Iqbal Sultan said that it would have been a dream come true if blood relatives from the hometown of the family patriarch had been able to attend the celebrations.
“Months of meticulous planning went to making sure that everyone would be present at this gathering, which we saw to be historic.
“We have members of the second and third generation of the family whom we did not know and this was going to be the first time that members of ML Sultan’s family would set foot in Durban in 126 years,” said Dr Sultan.
Fifth generation Rashad Sultan said that the family went ahead with the celebrations and used the internet, videotapes and photographs to introduce their loved ones from India.
“However, we are going to still make plans to ensure that we will have a gathering with all of us some time in the future,” said Rashad.
His cousin, Zahira Mahomed (also fifth generation), said that like everyone else, she looked forward to meeting the “India connection”.
“From what we have heard, they are wonderful, humble people. The most senior person there is close to 90. Here in South Africa, Osman Amod, who is ML Sultan’s youngest son-in-law, is 96 years old, and Saleemah Sultan, who married ML Sultan’s second eldest son, Abdul Razack, is 86. They too need to get together,” she said.
Dr Abdul Hameed Sultan said that there must not be a separation like this again.
“We lost touch for two generations. Not again. I hope that many other families will take heed and establish contact with their respective families in India.
“This is our lives and we have to know where we came from, we would then have a better idea where we are going in the future.
“Now that we have found our missing link, we can move forward and consolidate our parallel family generations in Kerala,” said Dr Sultan.