Mysore/Mysuru: Prof. B. Sheik Ali (98), former Vice-Chancellor of Goa and Mangalore Universities, passed away at a private hospital in city this morning following brief illness.
A resident of 3rd Cross, 7th Main in Saraswathipuram, he had also served as the Secretary of Muslim Hostel. He is survived by one son, one daughter and a host of relatives and friends.
His body will be taken to Muslim Hostel in Saraswathipuram for Deedar.
Namaz-e-Janaza after Magrib Salath at Muslim Hostel Mosque inside the complex at 6.30 pm followed by burial at Main Khabrasthan, behind Mysore Jail near Tipu Circle.
Condoled: MLA Tanveer Sait, all Milli Brothers, Central Muslim Association of Karnataka, All India Milli Council Managing Committee, Tahafuz-e-khabrasthan, Mysuru, have condoled th Professor’s death.
Condoling Prof. Sheik Ali’s passing away, the Founder-Editor of Star of Mysore and Mysuru Mithra K.B. Ganapathy said that Prof. Sheik Ali was a scholar par-excellence, prolific writer and known for his oratory. A distinguished scholar who has written more than fifty books, his latest book was a translation into english of the book ‘Apostle of Mercy’ by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad published in 2022.
I had good rapport with him as a journalist when he was a Professor in Manasagangothri. A very gentle, humble man for his scholarship, soft-spoken with a gentle smile always.
While presenting me a copy of the translated book ‘Apostle of Mercy’ he had written a note that indeed made me fulfilled as a journalist. This was what he wrote: “With best wishes to esteemed KBG, passionate lover of books, whose Evening Daily stands for the highest values, setting an example to the whole community what media ought to be.”
It was dated 11.5.2022. Now sadly he is not with us. I know a vacuum is created in the academic world and in the area of community service in his passing away. May God give his dear and near ones strength to bear this loss. May his soul rest in peace.
Prof. B. Sheik Ali was a well-known authority on Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. His work on aspects of their reigns began in 1949 in Aligarh when he was encouraged to take up research on the theme by Mohammed Habib, a well-known historian of medieval India at that time. He followed up his Ph.D from Aligarh with a second Ph.D from the University of London in 1960.
Fluent in English, Kannada, Persian and Urdu and with a working knowledge of French, this Mysuru-based historian had published more than 30 books on various aspects of the history of Karnataka and India. He was the President of the 47th Session of the Indian History Congress in 1986 and also established the Karnataka History Conference. His academic career saw him take up administrative duties and he served as the Vice-Chancellor of the Universities of Mangalore and Goa. This nonagenarian and indefatigable scholar had also worked on translating Maulana Abul Kalam Azad’s works.
He was President of Mountain View Chain of Institutions in Chikmagalur, which run Nursery to Degree level classes for 2,500 children with facilities of hostel both for boys and girls.
As the President of Muslim Education Society in Mysuru, he established a dozen Nursery and Primary Schools which have now been upgraded to First Grade College level.
As President of Central Muslim Welfare Council, Mysuru, he instituted Micro-Finance Credit Scheme benefiting hundreds of poor Muslim women and their families, together with coaching classes both for High School and PUC classes.
He also served as Editor-in-Chief of Premier Urdu Newspaper ‘Daily SALAR’ and ‘Weekly SALAR’.
He was all praise for the Muslim thugs Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan.
Whenever he was asked to give a lecture, he chose to praise the above 2 Muslim thugs as if they were benevolent rulers.
It was not difficult to write a PhD based on the above villains and praise them as virtual saints. The British Library, the School mof oriental and Africal studies in the University of London and the Victoria and Albert Museum which hosts the Tipu Sultan’s mechanical tiger-it looks a crude and ugly toy. Massive e material to write for 4 PhDs, on the above 2 villains!!
An unknown reader talking about a luminous scholar can not be taken seriously., The two valiant Kings to whom the then rulers had bequeathed their Kingdom due to its weaker economic conditions not that itit waswas ussurped. Hyder Ali had great economic acumen and military skills which the Wadeyars were aware of. Whereas Tippu was a valiant king who fought several battles to drive the British out, that was finally accomplished by our latest freedom fighters to finish the task gloriously. Likes of this reader can’t be expected to know all this due their utter ignorance on history.