RIFAH DK Chapter hosts event to promote ethical entrepreneurship, community collaboration
Mangalore, June 19: The D.K. Chapter of Rifah Chamber of Commerce and Industry organised a special event titled ‘Business Insights – An Evening with Business Expertise’ on Thursday, June 19 at Royal Plaza Suits, Attavar, Mangalore. The gathering, held at 7 PM, brought together entrepreneurs, business owners, and aspiring professionals from across the region to reflect on business values, halal livelihood, and the power of community collaboration.
The Guest of Honour, Syed Mumtaz Mansoori, President of Rifah Karnataka and CEO of Rug-Rel Components & Systems Pvt. Ltd., addressed the audience with an insightful and thought-provoking speech. Rather than limiting the event to routine business discussions, Mansoori emphasised the importance of building a future together, especially within the Muslim business community.
Mansoori began his address by categorising people into three types:
Those driven by vision,
Those driven by competition, and
Those driven by laziness.
He stressed that each type has a role to play in society, and understanding this helps in identifying one’s own purpose and responsibility.
He clarified that the objective of the gathering was not merely networking or commercial gain.
“This is about creating awareness and educating people on earning a halal livelihood — something that is obligatory for every Muslim,” he said. He reminded the gathering that business, when done with honesty and intention, becomes a form of worship and service to society.
Deen vs Dunya: Breaking Mental Chains
Drawing reference from B.F. Skinner’s superstitious pigeon theory, Mansoori drew a parallel between how pigeons were conditioned with meaningless responses and how Muslims today are being misled by external influences.
He explained this with three "buttons":
We were made to believe that Dunya (worldly life) is superior to Deen (faith),
We were culturally corrupted with obscenity and shamelessness (behayaai and besharmi), which he said were borrowed from European trends, and we were systematically disconnected from business and trade, leading us to falsely believe that a life without entrepreneurship is better.
“These are psychological shackles that must be broken,” he urged.
Speaking about Rifah itself, Mansoori said, “At Rifah Chamber of Commerce, our leadership brings together a diverse group of professionals and changemakers driven by purpose and passion. From experienced business leaders to social impact strategists, each member helps shape our vision and extend our work across various sectors and regions.”
One of the highlights of Rifah’s mission, he said, is creating platforms where businessmen of all scales interact and learn from each other.
“We have members whose turnovers exceed ₹5000 crore annually. At the same time, we also have business owners who haven’t touched ₹1 crore in lifetime revenue. Yet, we bring them together to exchange experiences and grow collectively,” he said.
Mansoori encouraged attendees to invest in small businesses, citing examples of Sindhi and Marwadi communities.
“Despite having small population numbers, they dominate India’s business landscape today. This is the result of focused investment and community support,” he pointed out.
He called for the need to collaborate with equal business players, and also identify, respect and learn from bigger players in the market.
“Big businessmen in our community must mentor and supervise small businesses. They must involve and guide them,” he added.
Mansoori also informed that Rifah Chamber has designed dedicated programmes for various categories including: Startups, Women entrepreneurs, International marketing and more, aiming to uplift and empower entrepreneurs at all levels.
The event also saw insightful inputs from industry professionals including Iqbal from Semonx Solution, Sharafuddin, A Mahmood, and Ishaque Puttur, who addressed the gathering and shared their perspectives with the audience. Umar Farooq Puthige, President of DK District unit of Rifah, was present during the event. The event was compered by Asif Iqbal, Director of Gold Souk, Mangalore.
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Mamata demands PM's apology over 'Bankim da' remark in Lok Sabha
Cooch Behar (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he has insulted novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay by calling him "Bankim da".
Addressing a rally in Cooch Behar district, Banerjee said the PM was not even born when the country achieved Independence and yet chose to address one of Bengal's greatest cultural icons casually.
"You did not even show him the minimum respect he deserves. You should apologise for this, to the nation," she said.
The flashpoint was PM's reference to the author during a discussion in Lok Sabha on Monday to commemorate 150 years of the national song, Vande Mataram, written by Chattopadhyay.
TMC MP Saugata Roy objected to the use of the suffix 'da' and urged the PM to say 'Bankim babu' instead.
Modi immediately accepted the sentiment, saying, "I will say Bankim 'babu'. Thank you, I respect your sentiments," and asked in a lighter vein whether he could still address Roy as 'dada'.
Targeting the BJP, Banerjee claimed that it will destroy Bengal's culture, language and heritage if it comes to power in the state.
She also claimed that the assembly elections in the state will be declared soon after publication of the final electoral rolls following the SIR exercise, so that no one can challenge it in court.
