Leader, thinker, scholar, social activist and reformer, or cultural revolutionist – these are some of the identities by which Dr Maulana Syed Kalbe Rushaid Rizvi is popularly known. He is widely regarded as one of the wise luminaries of Islam, who has used his learning and experiences to promote messages of communal peace and harmony, unity and brotherhood.
Born in 1976 to Syed Mushtaq Ahmad Rizvi, the eldest son of Syed Abdullah Rizvi of Mauza Madripali of Gopalpur in Bihar’s Siwan District, Dr Maulana Syed Kalbe Rushaid Rizvi started out on his socio-religious-cum cultural renaissance journey at a very young age of six.
As an emerging leader of the youth, he decided very early in life to devote himself to the cause of social reform and change, promoting humanity and liberty with missionary zeal.
Today Dr Rizvi’s focus is on four themes – health, poor house to power house, spiritual awareness, mental health and right to food. For the last two decades, he has spent his time promoting social change through the mediums of health, education and economic equilibrium.
He has played a leading role in facilitating the treatment of tens of thousands of cancer patients.
Dr Rizvi is also associated with the Indian Minority Foundation (IMF), which exemplifies the spirit of "Sanyukt Bharat, Samridh Bharat" (United India, Prosperous India) by creating an enabling environment that puts the issues of the minorities at the heart of public policy, thus furthering equality and equity in society.
The IMF seeks to facilitate and empower minorities through strategic national and global partnerships that bring together expertise and vision to drive change. It has a vision to create a society where minority groups feel a deep sense of belonging and pride in India, and where diversity and inclusion are celebrated as essential components for a strong, patriotic and united nation.
For his services, Dr Rizvi is recipient of many national and international awards, including the Husaini Chandrak Award. Unesco has acknowledged his contributions towards the wellbeing of mankind. The privately-run MIT World Peace University, located in Kothrud, Pune, honoured him with an award during the 3rd and 5th Student Summit.
While addressing students during the third summit, Dr Rizvi exhorted the students and youth of the country to give the best version of India to the world.
He said it is a matter of pride that India was that country which had a population far more than the rest of the world that was ready to sacrifice and die for it.
Dr Rizvi has emerged as a brand ambassador for India in terms of communal integration and harmony. He has always maintained that India needs to espouse the cause of national unity more than religious unity in these challenging and tumultuous times of change.