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One name which still exists in the minds of most of the people in these islands is of ‘Sulaiman Parekh’. Shri Sulaiman Parekh, a Guajarati by origin was born in Rangoon in the early 20’s, he was one of the most powerful people in Andaman Nicobar Islands. He was the first civil person in these islands to win a case against the administration represented by the then chief commissioner Shri Mahabir Singh in the late 60’s.
Shri Sulaiman Parekh started his career working for the R.Akoojee Jadwet & Co., in Rangoon Burma, later he took over the position of the General Manager of M/S Jadwet Trading Company in the year 1958. He was the right hand of Hajee Cassim Jadwet, and equally contributed in the development of Jadwet business in Andaman Nicobar Islands.
He was so powerful that even an airline those days would not take off until he reached the airport; there have been severe incidents where many ships and aircrafts waited till Mr. Parekh had boarded the flight. Shri S.M. Parekh served as the president of Andaman Nicobar Chamber of commerce from 1977 till his death in 1981.
His words were among the strongest words in the business community of these islands and were respectfully accepted in the administration. He passed away in the year 1981 at Port Blair, and was buried at the Phoenix Bay graveyard. On the day of his funeral, the entire city was closed and was attended by a large number of people including government officers and politicians. Even today the elders of these islands remember him as the “King of Port Blair”.
Contributed by Ebrahim Jadwet
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