ASHRAFF A SAMAD
CCOLOMBO – Naleem Hajiar was one of the noble personalities who worked for the national interest of Sri Lanka. Born in 4th April 1933, to
Muhammad Ismail and Sharifa Umma of China Fort, Beruwala, NaleemHajiar was raised in a very poor family background, due
to which he was only able to continue his schooling up to the fifth grade, and was forced to
seek employment thereafter at a very early age. Thus, NaleemHajiar lived as an epitome of humility and common
good will. On 26 th September 2005, at the age of 72, NaleemHajiar, the noble man who worked hard for the betterment of the
nation by generously contributing out of the wealth he had earned, bid a lasting farewell to this worldly life. There is no doubt
that this noble personality is the best role model for the good citizens of our nation. The nation and
the community are proud to have been blessed with such an exemplary benefactor
Naleem Hajiar, who grew up amidst various hardships and economic onstraints, began to engage from his young age in the trade
of gemstones, the main industry of the people of Beruwala. Through his tireless work and perseverance, he became well versed
and proficient in the gem trade. NaleemHajiar married Rafeeka from China Fort, Beruwala, and became
the father of four boys and a girl.
Contribution to the Gem Industry
Naleem Hajiar prospered in the gem trade to the extent that he was considered as one of the world & #39;s most famous gem
merchants. He developed the gem trade to a great extent and made significant contributions to the domestic and foreign gem
trade. His fame in the gem industry culminated in him being known worldwide as the Gem King.
It is noteworthy that NaleemHajiar maintained a strong relationship with parties of all religious and ethnic backgrounds involved
in the gem trade in Sri Lanka at that time, by asserting high trade values such as trust, honesty and integrity in the gem industry
that transcends the boundaries of race, region and country. He created a beautiful culture, wherein any of the most precious
gemstones ever found in Sri Lanka would be first brought and shown to NaleemHajiar before it was sold. Similarly, gem
merchants from countries such as the United States, Britain, France, Germany, and Japan used to
come to him to buy the most precious gemstones. Thus, on his own he established the gem trade between Sri Lanka and
European countries and made his unique contribution to the nation. By engaging in such trade activities, he not only
contributed to theinternational trade of Sri Lanka but also made significant contributions to
the foreign exchange earnings of the country.Beginning his gem business journey in the 1950s, he gained long-term
experience, maturity and in-depth knowledge of the most intricateaspects of gemstones, such as identifying and valuing them. He not only
maintained the national and international relations which were built upon
the gem trade, but also made use of them for the development of the
trade in Sri Lanka. He provided the Government with the necessary
advice and plans to transform the trade into a lucrative sector bringing
increased revenue to the nation.
In 1970, the Sri Lankan government planned to set up the State Gem
Corporation to regulate gem exports. It is noteworthy that Dr. N.M.
Perera, the then finance minister, had two rounds of discussions with
Naleem Hajiar and received valuable guidance and advice from him. In
recognition of his contribution towards establishing the State Gem
Corporation the Government of Sri Lanka invited NaleemHajiar as a
special guest at the official opening ceremony of the State Gem
Corporation on 11 th July 1972.
The fact that Naleem Hajiar himself provided the first gemstone in the
history of Sri Lanka to be exported through the newly established State
Gem Corporation, bears ample testimony to his interest in the growth of
the Sri Lankan gem industry.
He had the opportunity to build strong relationships between gem
merchants, provide them with useful advice, and share experiences and
insight into the gem trade at state universities. It is to be recalled that he
was the chief guest at a special session on the field of gemstones
organized by the University of Moratuwa where he shared his valuable
advice and ideas on how to develop the gem industry in Sri Lanka.
During the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Sri Lanka in 1981, the then
President J.R. Jayawardena was accompanied by NaleemHajiar and
other leading Sri Lankan jewelers who met the Queen at the Galle Face
Hotel in Colombo. On that occasion President J.R. Jayawardena
presented to the Queen the 'Sri Lankan Blue Sapphire', a precious
gemstone, that was gifted to the government by prominent gem
merchants such as NaleemHajiar, Nimal Pathirana and J.Guruge. The
event is an example of Naleem Hajiar's emergence as an indispensable
figure in the national mainstream of Sri Lanka.
A humble gift to the nation
Naleem Hajiar and life time achievements are a unique historical testimony
to the fact that he spent his hard-earned wealth for the benefit of the
nation. His cooperation with the Sri Lankan government in the face of the
massive foreign exchange crisis faced by the country in the 1970s is the
best evidence of his strong commitment to the nation's interests.
In 1974, when Sri Lanka faced a very serious foreign exchange crisis,
Naleem Hajiar donated his foreign exchange worth around fifteen hundred
thousand rupees to the government to overcome the economic crisis in
Sri Lanka. He handed over his contribution to the then Prime Minister
Sirimavo Bandaranaike at the Prime Minister's official residence as his
‘humble gift' to the country's recovery program. For the first time in the
history of Sri Lanka, the gifting of foreign exchange by an ordinary citizen
to the government has been recorded as an event of historical
significance.
Contribution to Educational Development
NaleemHajiar has made significant contributions to the development of
education. In order to improve the standard of school education he
contributed towards the development of public schools by spending large
sums of money on providing infrastructure facilities to schools in
Kalutara and other districts. He created a generation of intellectuals with
special expertise and established the higher education institute of
Jamiah Naleemiah campus with the aim of contributing to the progress of the
country. The institute was inaugurated on 9 th August 1973 by the then
Minister of Education, Dr. Badiudin Mahmud.
For the past five decades, the Jamiah Naleemiah higher education
institute, based on the principles of Islamic studies and national higher
education policies, has been making a unique contribution to nation
building by producing well qualified graduates, intellectuals, government
officials and civil servants. Many academicians and dignitaries in the
country have praised the institute’s educational achievements.
In 1984 Prof. D.E. Hettiarachchi praised the work of the institute by
saying & quot I am much impressed by the work being done in this institute. By
establishing it, NaleemHajiar has done a great service for the country
and in particular for Islamic education & quot;. Dr. Nissanka Wijeyeratne, the
former Minister of Education of Sri Lanka, visited Jamaiah Naleemiya in
1978 and said, & quot; The excellent learning facilities and curriculum available
at the institute have elevated it to the level of a higher education
institution. I am very impressed by this academy.& quot;
Former Minister of Higher Education and Highways of Sri Lanka
Lakshman Kiriella recalled NaleemHajiar &# 39;s contribution during the 10th
Convocation of JamiahNaleemiah, saying, " The work done by
Naleem Hajiar in creating the JamiahNaleemiaheducation institute should
be engraved in the books of history in golden letters.& quot;
The Educational Renaissance Movement was started in 1981 by
Naleem Hajiar with the aim of promoting education and higher education
in general, and Muslim higher education in particular. With the
corporation of great community leaders of that time, such as Sir
RazikFareed, Badiudin Mahmud, M.H. Mohamed and A.C.S. Hameed,
the Educational Renaissance Movement was officially launched on
14 th January 1981, and was able to produce graduates and scholars of
various disciplines throughout the island. The
Educational Renaissance Movement has made significant contributions to
the advancement of higher education in the country by facilitating
student education through qualified and experienced teachers of high
educational standards, thereby helping to increase university admissions
and also by awarding scholarships to students facing economic
hardships and those who are unable to obtain university admission and
pursue their higher studies.
NaleemHajiar founded the Iqra Technical Institute with the aim of
creating citizens who will excel in the field of technology and contribute
to national development. The technical college was established in
Beruwala as a milestone in the educational activities of the Renaissance
Movement. The institute was inaugurated on 18 th April 1992 by the then
President of the country Ranasinghe Premadasa.
Thus, the scope of public works done by NaleemHajiar for his country is
Quite vast. As a result, many honorary awards and titles were sought for
him at the national level. By nature, he did not seek fame and honor, and
politely avoided them. When former President J.R. Jayawardene
decided to appoint NaleemHajiar as one of the members of the 'Greater
Colombo Economic Commission' as a gesture of goodwill towards him,
he politely declined, saying that he could not possibly accept it.
NaleemHajiar also politely declined when former President Ranasinghe
Premadasa expressed his desire to honour him with the highest award on the National Heroes Day.
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