Udupi: The Sahebaan Community Forum (SCF) of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts came together on Sunday to celebrate Eid Milan at Premier Greens in Padubidri. The event turned out to be a day of togetherness, celebration and strong messages about unity, leadership, and helping each other grow as a community.
The programme began at 8 am with fun games and quiz competitions that kept the participants engaged. Soon after, the formal inauguration was held with the presence of key guests and respected members of the community.
The event began on a spiritual note with Qirath recited by Inaya Ayesha Mubeen. This was followed by the welcome address by Afroz Assadi, who thanked everyone for turning up in large numbers and said that the forum was created to bring people together and to remind everyone that community progress depends on participation and shared efforts.
Iqbal Manna, Secretary of SCF, gave a brief introduction about the forum. He said that the forum was not formed just to host events, but to build a strong platform that connects families, supports students, encourages youth, and gives people a space where they can come together to talk, share, and grow. “We want this forum to be a place where every Sahebaan feels seen, heard and supported,” he said.
The chief guest, Siraj Ahmed, Chairman and Managing Director of In-Land Builders, praised the efforts of the organisers and especially appreciated the leadership of Afroz Assadi. “Our community has always had talent and potential, but we have lacked strong leadership. Afroz has shown what it means to take responsibility and lead from the front. If more people take that step, our community will be in a much better place,” he said. He also stressed that personal opinions should not come in the way of unity. “It’s time we leave behind small differences and think about the bigger picture. Only when we are united, we can move forward,” he added. He assured his full support for future activities of the forum.
Nasir Syed, Founder and CMD of Creative House Scaffolding, Dubai, expressed happiness over the growth of the community. “It feels good to see so many people come forward. We have people in different professions and different walks of life. If we all join hands, I’m sure our community will continue to grow. We must also make sure more families and individuals from both Dakshina Kannada and Udupi take part in these gatherings,” he said.
Matheen Ahmed Chilmi, MD of Petrosolutions FZE, Sharjah, focused on the importance of supporting those who are struggling. “A community is only strong when even its weakest members feel supported. We should not treat this forum just as a place to celebrate. It should also be a place where people can share their problems, get guidance, and find support. Let us be there for each other in both good and bad times,” he said. He also assured his complete support to the forum and encouraged others to come forward in whatever way they can.
The event was conducted by Aliya Khan and Riffath Gurkar, who served as the comperes for the day. Several students were also recognized and honored for their academic performances during the last academic year.
Following the inauguration, the rest of the day was filled with games and entertainment programmes for both children and adults. The activities were set to continue till 4:30 pm.
The Management Committee of Sahebaan Community Forum was introduced during the today's Eid Milan function.
President : Afroze Assadi
Vice President : Juned
Secretary : M. Iqbal Manna
Treasurer : Rafiq Assadi
Committee members :-
Dr. Ruksar Anjum
Dr. Firdos, Principal
Ashfaq Ahmed, C. A
Kabir Ali, Architect
Mohammed Ifthikar Adil, Coffee Estate




.




3





























Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bengaluru: Karnataka Rajya Muslim Sanghatanegala Okkoota spokesperson Suhail Ahmed Maroor on Saturday said the organisers had successfully overcome what he described as significant resistance to the ‘Karnataka Muslim Convention’, despite a misinformation campaign in the last 24 hours claiming that the event had been cancelled.
Speaking at the convention organised by the Karnataka Rajya Muslim Sanghatanegala Okkoota at Town Hall in Bengaluru, Maroor began his introductory remarks by reading out the Preamble to the Constitution.
He said the federation had spent the past eight months consulting members of the Muslim community and gathering opinions, with the objective of working for the community’s interests and safeguarding its constitutional rights.
Maroor said the Muslim community has the capacity to gather lakhs of people for religious programmes, but when an attempt was made to mobilise even 1,000 people for a convention focused on political, educational and social issues, questions were raised about who was backing the event, who had funded it, and whether it was for or against any particular political party.
He said the organisers faced considerable pressure, resistance and challenges, and added that many others might have cancelled the programme under such circumstances.
“We are fighting for our rights. We are living in a time when our identity is under threat,” he said.
Referring to the hijab issue, Maroor said the federation had been demanding for the past three years that the government withdraw the order banning hijab. He noted that within three hours of the federation holding a press conference to announce the convention, the government withdrew the order.
He welcomed the government’s decision and expressed gratitude on behalf of the federation.
Maroor said the convention should not be viewed with suspicion simply because the Muslim community had chosen to organise a gathering to discuss its political, educational and social concerns.
He clarified that the programme was not intended as an event against the Congress party or the government, but was aimed at examining what promises the Congress had made to the Muslim community during elections, which of those promises had been fulfilled and which remained pending.
He said the report prepared by the federation analyses both the assurances made by the Congress government and the gaps in implementation.
Maroor added that, for the first time, workers who contribute significantly to the country’s economy were collectively seeking accountability for how their taxes and labour were being recognised.
“This is not being done on behalf of any individual or political party. We are undertaking a small effort on behalf of the community,” he said.
He said that after the convention, the organisers would make efforts to submit the report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, state ministers, the Congress high command and Rahul Gandhi.
Haris Siddiqui of the Karnataka Rajya Muslim Sanghatanegala Okkoota delivered the welcome address.
