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Rabb, Syed Abdur (1903-1969) a pioneer Muslim
NGO leader, social reformer and journalist. Born in the village of Gerda,
Faridpur district, Syed Abdur Rabb committed himself to social development,
Muslim regeneration and Hindu-Muslim harmony from his very early life.
In the 1930s and early forties of the 20th century, Rabb was noted for
his nationwide social work organisation called Khadem-ul-Ensan Samiti
(Organisation for Serving the Humanity) and two of its organs- Muazzin
and Servant of Humanity.
The Khadem-ul-Ensan Samiti established by Syed Abdur Rabb in
Faridpur town in 1928 may well be compared to current social service
and social development oriented non-government
organisations. Muhammad Yusuf Ali, a local zamindar,
was made its president. But as secretary of the Samiti, Rabb was
the real spirit and actor of the organisation. According to its
constitution, the objectives of the Khadem-ul-Ensan Samiti included
promotion of social service, spread of education, establishment
of good social relations, removal of social and religious superstitions,
and strengthening Hindu-Muslim harmony.
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Syed Abdur Rabb |
The branches of the samiti were established in several
Bengal districts. For better co-ordination and contact, the office of
the Samiti was shifted to Kolkata in 1932 and it was then renamed as Central
Khadem-ul Ensan Samiti.
To create public opinion in favour of the ideology and
activities of the Central Khadem-ul-Ensan Samiti, Abdur Rabb first established
a Bangla quarterly called Muazzin (1335 BS) and an English quarterly
called Servant of Humanity (1935). In recognition of Syed Abdur
Rabb's contributions to social work, the Government of Bengal awarded
him His Majesty the King-Emperor Medal to be worn in commemoration of
their Majesties' Coronation (dated 12 May 1937). Abdur Rabb used to visit
all the centres that were established in different districts of Bengal
under the banner of his Khadem-ul-Ensan Samiti and organised the local
people for realising the objectives of the Samiti. Rabb's mission for
establishing Hindu-Muslim harmony and for strengthening social cohesion
based on humanity and truth collapsed when the terrible Calcutta communal
carnage erupted from 16 August 1946. He was physically injured, his office
at College street burnt down. Being deprived of all properties and being
utterly disappointed by the communal stands of all major political parties,
Syed Abdur Rabb retired from active life and came back to his village
home after the partition of 1947. To his ideological miseries were added
financial distresses when he lost almost all of his landed property which
got submerged through river bank erosions in 1954. He died on 21 December
1969. [Shahinul Kabir]
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