G. M. Banatwala

Gulam Mohammed Mahmood Banathwala
Born	(1933-08-15)15 August 1933 Mumbai, India
Died	Mumbai Central, India
Occupation	Politician

Gulam Mohammed Mahmood Banathwala (15 August 1933 – 25 June 2008) was the spokesman and the voice of Indian Muslims in Indian Parliament.

Family

His family, the Memon Family, was emigrated from Kutch of Gujarat to Mumbai of Maharashtra. He was born on 15 August 1933. His wife was Ayesha, who died in 1998. They had no children.

Profession and Politics

He was a college lecturer early in his life. Then he gave up his profession and came to politics and became an active politician. He was elected to Lok Sabha seven times from the Ponnani constituency of Kerala. He made the record of more time elected Member of Parliament, from Kerala same as Mr. Ibrahim Sulaiman Sait. He entered politics with his great speech both in Urdu and English. He was known as an Educationist. In 1960, he became the General Secretary of Muslim League of Mumbai. In 1962, he was a candidate to the Legislative Assembly from the Umarkhadi Constituency of Maharashtra, but he was defeated just for 400 votes. But in 1967, he won from the same constituency and became the first member of Muslim League in the Maharashtra Assembly. In 1972, he repeated his victory to the Legislative Assembly.

In the same period, he was a corporation Councillor in Mumbai Corporation. In 1977, 1980, 1984, 1989, 1996, 1998 and 1999 he was elected from the Ponnani Constituency of Kerala. In 1986, he brought a private bill and which made an Act of the Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Divorce Act, by the Rajiv Gandhi Government. Later, he became the State President of Muslim League of Maharashtra.

In 1973, he became the General Secretary of Indian Union Muslim League together with C.H. Mohammed Koya. Banathwala became the President of Indian Union Muslim League in 1993.

Banathwala was a member of the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawara, Cutchi Meman Jama'ath,Cutchi Memon students Circle Muslim Personal Law Board, Aligarh Muslim University Court, etc.

Positions held

• 1967-77 Member, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
• 1977 Elected to 6th Lok Sabha
• 1980 Re-elected to 7th Lok Sabha (2nd term)
• 1984 Re-elected to 8th Lok Sabha (3rd term)
• 1989 Re-elected to 9th Lok Sabha (4th term)
• 1993 onwards President, Indian Union Muslim League
• 1996 Re-elected to 11th Lok Sabha (5th term)
• 1996 onwards Leader, Muslim League Kerala State Committee Parliamentary Party, Lok Sabha
• 1996-97 Member, Committee on Estimates

Member, Committee on Transport and Tourism Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Home Affairs

• 1998 Re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha (6th term)
• 1998-99 Member, Committee on Estimates

Member, Committee on Transport and Tourism Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Home Affairs

• 1999 Re-elected to 13th Lok Sabha (7th term)

Leader, Muslim League Kerala State Committee, Lok Sabha

• 1999-2000 Member, Committee on Transport and Tourism
• 2000 onwards Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Home Affairs

Books published

• Religion and Politics in India,
• Muslim League,
• Azadi Ke Baad (in Urdu) and he contributed numerous articles in various journals both in English and Urdu

Death

G.M. Banathwala died on 25 June 2008, aged 74.