Bashiruddin Babu Khan, former Minister as well as well-known minority activist, philanthropist, politician, educationist and businessman passed away, after a prolonged illness at his residence at 11 a.m. on 15 September. He was 72.
Mr. Babukhan was elected to the Assembly from Bodhan constituency in Nizamabad district twice, in 1985 and 1994, and he was Cabinet Minister for two terms. He held portfolios of Higher Education, Heavy Industries, Tourism and Minorities Welfare in the Cabinets of N.T. Rama Rao and N. Chandrababu Naidu during 1989, and 1994-1998. He tendered his resignation as Minister when Telugu Desam Party extended its support to the BJP Government at the Centre in 1998. His resignation from his ministership at a time when hardly any Muslim minister cares for the cause of the community was greatly acclaimed among the Muslim circles as well as the peace- and justice-loving people.
Mr. Bashiruddin Babukhan’s father, Mr. Khan Bahadur Abdul Karim Babukhan, had constructed and donated the present Congress headquarters of A.P., “Gandhi Bhavan”, to the Congress Party, some 50 years ago.
Bashiruddin Babukhan was also president of the Bashir & Sarwar Babukhan Trust (earlier, the Khan Bahadur Babukhan Foundation) and several other Social, Educational and Charitable Organisations. His contributions to the cause of minorities’ rights have been widely recognised both nationally and internationally. His services for the community are unforgettable. On 2 February 2008, Bashiruddin Babukhan, in a statement, criticised BJP president Rajnath Singh’s diatribe of ‘minority appeasement’ and justified the allocation of funds separately for the welfare of minorities.
His sad demise is widely considered a major loss to the community.
His funeral prayer was offered at Royal Mosque, Bagh-e-Aam, Nampally, after the Asar prayer. And he was laid down to rest at Graveyard Road No. 12, near Elbit Hospital, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. A large number of Muslims from different walks of life participated in the funeral prayer and the burial.
He is survived by his widow, son (Salman Babukhan) and two daughters.