Aga Khan was visionary, voice of peace and compassion: Amin Patel

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Mumbai, Feb 5 (PTI) The Aga Khan, leader of Shia Ismaili Muslims, was an extraordinary visionary, a voice of peace, compassion and faith in the modern world, Congress leader Amin Patel said on Wednesday.

“His global humanitarian works have provided the world with examples of sustainable, long-term change,” said Patel, MLA from Mumbadevi constituency in south Mumbai.

“He founded the Aga Khan Development Network, which has worked on several projects in India to improve the quality of lives for individuals in urban as well as rural communities, irrespective of their religious affiliations or origins,” Patel said.

As the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, his guidance has led the Ismaili community to live through the lens of ethics and faith and become contributing citizens, the Congress leader said.

The Aga Khan was also the driving force behind the Prince Aly Khan Hospital in Mumbai. The hospital was established in 1945 and has since built a reputation for quality care. Its strengths include cardiac surgery, surgical oncology and bone marrow transplant.

The Aga Khan, who became the spiritual leader of the world's millions of Ismaili Muslims at age 20 as a Harvard undergraduate and poured a material empire built on billions of dollars in tithes into building homes, hospitals and schools in developing countries, died in Portugal at 88.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, while paying tributes to the Aga Khan, recalled meeting him in Mumbai in 2018.

During a visit to India in 2018 as a part of the diamond jubilee celebration since he took over as the spiritual leader of Shia Ismaili Muslim community, the Aga Khan came to Mumbai and met then Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and CM Fadnavis on March 1 and discussed issues like education, healthcare and poverty alleviation.

In 2015, then President Pranab Mukherjee had presented the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award in India, to the Aga Khan at a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. PTI VT