Bilquis Edhi (1947- 2022) – Heaven Couldn’t Wait
By Ras H. Siddiqui
On August 14, 1947, the world witnessed the birth of a new country named Pakistan. And on the very same day, in or around the Princely State of Bantva Manavadar, Kathiawar (tied to then Junagarh State), a girl by the name of Bilquis Bano was born. Little could one have known then that both the country and the girl would one day develop a unique relationship the depth of which is still difficult to fathom.
American Real Estate tycoon Ahmad Adaya and Pakistani business magnate Ahmed Dawood had also originated from the Bantva area. Business is ingrained in the blood of the Gujarati community of the region. But this girl chose a different path. She pursued nursing and ended up marrying Abdul Sattar Edhi in 1965, proceeding to assist him in setting up and launching an empire of a completely different kind, one devoted to helping the poor, disabled and destitute of the region in the shape of the Edhi Foundation.
Bilquis Edhi died on a Ramzan (Ramadan) Friday, April 15, 2022. She now joins her husband who passed away in the year 2016. Our deep condolences to her immediate family and to the entire country which in various ways was also her family. She was everyone’s mother, especially those of the poor and unwanted. And if there is a case to be made for entry into heaven in the afterlife Bilquis Edhi should have little problem qualifying. In her service to humanity, with all that she has done for suffering human beings in this life, we can safely speculate that heaven will not hesitate or wait to admit her!
There are testimonials and reports coming out from children who are now adults whose lives Bilquis Edhi had touched. Rabia Bibi Osman. who is currently a Senior Privacy & Compliance Analyst at Nike is just one amazing story. And let us not forget the lost and disabled Indian girl Geeta who was taken care of by her and returned to her country in 2015. It is no surprise that the Indian Government has taken the time to send official condolences (Prime Minister Narendra Modi included) on Bilquis Edhi’s passing.
Philanthropy is an important element in the lives of Gujarati Memons. It is here that the Edhi’s were possibly able to get a start. But other communities are not foolish. They saw and appreciated genuine work being done to help those in need. The entire society and country noticed the Edhi Foundation and it soon transcended original circles to be supported by everyone. Pakistan provided the need and the Edhi’s delivered the service. All one can say is “Thank God” that they took the initiative. And would Sattar Edhi Sahib have achieved as much as he did without Mrs Bilquis Edhi by his side?
There is just too much that the Edhi’s have done for the struggling millions of the country. Where does one begin and where should one end? From a personal perspective if I had to choose just one service here to highlight, it would the empty Jhoolas (Cradles) left outside Edhi facilities with signs pleading with people not to kill their newborns and to deposit them in these cradles with no questions asked. This particular effort inspired a writer’s imagination and led me to the writing of these few lines below which are dedicated to Bilquis Edhi:
Swinging Cradles
Living, dying, just little brown bodies
Tossed out like burnt or old wasted chapati bread
Leftovers for all kinds of hungry animals including human
Who prey upon the defenseless and the unwanted
Children of a lesser God? Or is it lesser parents?
Of the poorest, the richest and the middle damned
Products of poverty, despair, or of illicit love
But Children none the less, human children
Who out of no fault of their own just happened
To be born, out of wedlock, religion, rage
With little chance in life except to find a cradle behind a wire mesh
A protected sanctuary for the discarded with hopes to live
To fill the happiness gap in lives of deserving childless couples
Who could truly appreciate the value of such a gift and feel
The love of God and his ninety-nine names.
Rest in Peace Bilquis Edhi Sahiba. Our collective respect to you as a nation.
