Abdul Samad Lodhia - The Community Man

Abdul SAMAD LODHIA is a Memon Personality . He lives in Austin, Texas State of

United State Of America 🇺🇸 .

He is an entrepreneur, social Worker, community man and philanthropist. His businesses are in Austin and Hyderabad, India, and he is s

supported by his family members.

He is the head of the LODHIA family . Basically he belongs to Hyderabad, India.

He is the son of Late Abubaker Haji Ahmed LODHIA. He was former Magistrate from Gajarat State of India. Late Abubaker Lodhia has obtained his Law degree from Bombay Law college in 1946.

PROFILE:

WORLD MEMON ORGANISATION (WMO) :

Life Member

Member: Board of Directors,

Member Sub Committee: Media & Publicity Since 2018

WORLD MEMON DAY COUNCIL (WMDC):

Ambassador : Austin , Texas, To bring awareness and Celebrate ‘WORLD MEMONDAY’ since 2018.

PAST PRESIDENT:

Memon Association of Greater Austin (MAGA) from 2014 to 2018

PAST SECRETARY:

TWIN CITIES SALT ASSOCIATION : 1992 to 2000:

PAST EXE. COMMITTEE.

ANDHRA PRADESH STATE SALT ASSOCIATION: 1998 to 2000.

MEMBER YOUTH MEMON JAMAT :

HYderabad Halai Memon Jamat HHMJ Hyderabad, youth committee 1996 year

ORGANISING SECRETARY:

Halai Memon (Hyd) Welfare society, Hyderabad, 1998 through 2001

Member Students Youth Committee : Agitation for formation of Telengana State from erstwhile Andhra Pradesh State in 1968

-EARLY ACTIVITIES AND EDUCATIONAL QUALI FICATIONS :

Samad Lodhia actively participated during his school days, in ‘SEPERATE TELENGANA MOVEMENT’ agitation during Dr.M Chennareddy’ the then Chief Minister of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh State for demand to separate Telangana from AP. In 1968. After long struggle of 46 years, TELENGANA State was formed on 2nd June 2014.

During the agitation for separate state the schools and colleges were closed for almost one year. At that time, he was sent to Bangalore to Pursue further studies where he passed his Bachelor of Science, B.Sc., from Bangalore University in 1974.

BUSINESS ACTIVITIES:

After the completion of Bachelor’s Degree in Science and few years of training in Business, he moved to Hyderabad and joined his family business and was successful in doing the business

IMMIGRATION TO USA:

He got a chance to move to Austin in the State of Texas, USA in April 2002 where he made Austin as his hometown. He with his family members has settled down in Austin since then.

He started his business in 2001 and successfully carrying on the business activities with his sons.

COMMUNITY SERVICES IN USA:

As new to the country and environment and new to people he developed rapport with memon community in Austin. As time passed, he got familiarity by the service he was providing to the community. He was made the President of Memon Association of Greater Austin (MAGA) in 2014 , after remaining the as the member of MAGA and doing active work. He took the Association to the new heights after becoming the President of GAMA. In 2018 he voluntarily gave up the president’s post, after successfully completing four years as President of MAGA paving the way for others enabling them to serve the community and thus not sticking to the same post.

AMBASSADOR - WORLD MEMON DAY COUNCIL (WMDC)

Mr. Iqbal Memon Officer, chairman, WMDC was kind enough to offer him to be AMBASSADOR of WMDC to organize , celebrate and bring awareness of ‘ MEMON DAY ‘on 14 April each year.

Mr.SAMAD LODHIA accepted the offer and since then he is carrying on the post of Ambassador .

WORLD MEMON ORGANISATION (WMO):

He was approached by WMO functioneris and was appointed as RMC (Regional Managing Committee) in 2018.

He was elected during the elections in the following year’s elections and was appointed as Secretary General of WMO N America Chapter. He was also elected as member, Board of Director (BOD), and Member Publicity Department.

He resigned as Secretary General post because of overload of work but continued on other posts.

Positions Held:

MEMBER OF HHMJ

While in Hyderabad, few years after coming from Bangalore, he actively participated in memon community social activities. He was the youth committee member of Hyderabad Halai Memon Jamat.

During which time Hyderabad Halai Memon Jamat hosted two days ‘All India Memon Jamat convention ‘in Hyderabad. Janab Ebrahim Seth Superiwala was the president.

Since it was a two-day convention all Jamaat’s officials coming from different parts of country were to be accommodated in different hotels of the city. As a youth committee member, he was given the task to receive incoming guests at Railway station and send them to their allotted hotels. He enjoyed the task and performed very efficiently.

ORGANISING SECRETARY HALAI MEMON (HYD) WELFARE SOCIETY:

The main aim of the above Society was to construct 21 apartments for deserving needy Memons in Hyderabad city. There were no memon colony during that time and this was the first memon colony propped to be constructed. Samad Lodhia was made Organizing Secretary in 1998 to overlook and organize the activities of the Society. It was challenging task and until the time he left abroad nine apartments were completed and it was great to work with committee members.

INDUSTRY AND SALT ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES IN HYDERABAD:

As a salt manufacturer he was the Secretary of ‘Twin Cities Salt Association’ from 1993 to 2001 and held the post for 8 years. Every two years he was elected as Association Secretary unopposed due to his explicit

CHALLENGING TASK TO OPPOSE CENTRAL GOVERNMENTS ORDINENCE:

The Government of India wanted to make edible salt into an iodized salt and wanted to implement the law. Industries were not ready to go for iodization program. Despite repeated representations the government did not yield to postpone the implementation of Iodization law.

Samad Lodhia went to High Court on behalf of the Association representing big and small salt farmers and industries. He successfully argued the case and ultimately stay was granted. Indian central Government had to yield to the High Court order and more time was given.

This resulted Salt industries all over AP and India getting relief for few more years.

He considers this as a great achievement challenging central governments ordinance in High court, as service to the salt community.

NATIONAL SEMINAR ON GANDHI JAYANTI

During iodized Salt protest, he was responsible along with a Social activist Dr. P V Bhaskar Rao by organizing a nationwide seminar namely COMMEN SALT -OUR BIRTHRIGHT, coinciding with Gandhiji birthday on 2nd October 1998 in Hyderabad.

A host of prominent Social activists spoke on the occasion. This program had a great impact on salt iodization protest movement as Gandhiji also had undertaken ‘DANDI SALT SATYAGRAH’ during Independence struggle.

SALT MANUFACTURERS AND MARKETEERS ASSOCIATION, ANDHRA PRADESH

Samad Lodhia was elected as the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Member of the state salt Association erstwhile AP state in 1998 to 2000.

He is of the firm opinion that memon community members shall strive and work hard to try to excel in all fields as far as possible. he is of the firm belief that a success in life can be achieved by hard work, sincerity, self-confidence, giving charity, telling truth, respecting elderly. He also says present day youth and women are few and rarely seen in community service which is not a good sign for the Memon community.

KYC (Know Your Community), is a series of stories on various Memon Individuals & Organizations established in India & abroad highlighting their contributions for welfare & upliftment of society & Memon community across the Globe.