Abdul Habeeb Yusuf Marfani

ABDUL HABEEB YUSUF MARFANI

            Abdul Habeeb Yusuf Marfani, who gave away everything of his to Indian National Army, was hailed from Dhorji of Sourashtra region in Gujarat state.  He migrated to Rangoon the capital of Burma and became one of the rich business magnates of Rangoon.  In 1943 Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose reached Rangoon from Germany and took over the reins of Indian National Army.  Then he formed Azad Hind Government and Azad Hind Bank.  Later on in a huge meeting Netaji made an appeal to the public for ‘total mobilisation’.  Abdul Habeeb responded to the call of Netaji in a full measure by sacrificing all that he had and made thus acquiring for himself a prominent place in the chapter of ‘total mobilisation’ in the history of Indian National Army.  In one programme organised by Bose in Rangoon on 9^th July, 1944, Abdul Habeed magnanimously handed over a plateful of gold jewellery and cash along with a bundle of title deeds of his total property, all about the worth one crore and 3 lakh rupees to Netaji.  Then Habeeb Marfani requested Netaji to provide him with two pairs of Indian National Army uniform and allow him to serve as full-time volunteer in Indian National Army.  Thus Habeeb created new history as the first person to provide financial support to Azad Hind Government, Indian National Army and Azad Hind Bank which had started its banking activities.  Delighted and moulded with the ‘total sacrifice’ of Abdul Habeeb, Netaji said, ‘Brother, I am very happy today that people have stated realising their duties,… people are ready to sacrifice everything.  What Habeeb Seth has done is commendable, and those emulate him to serve the motherland are praise worthy’.  And even Netaji asked to take the ‘Drink of Habeeb’, so that everyone comes to sacrifice his might for the sake of Motherland.  So saying he exhorted the countrymen too follows the example of Habeeb in serving the motherland.  Shubas Chandra Bose announced ‘Sevak-e-Hind’ award for his ‘total mobilisation’ to Abdul Habeeb Yusuf Marfani.  He became the first person to receive such a award from Subhash Chandra Bose.  In a function organised on the occasion of centenary celebrations of Netaji’s birth in New Delhi in 2013, Abdul Habeeb’s grandson Abdul Habeeb Yakoob was felicitated in recognition of the unparalleled sacrifice of Abdul Habeed Yusuf Marfani.