Kerala-born entrepreneur Shaikh Mohammed is Kyrgyz major general

Kozhikode: Kerala-born entrepreneur Shaikh Rafik Mohammed, 42, has been appointed Major General of Kyrgyzstan, in a first for an Indian in the Central Asian country.  

Mr Mohammed assumed the prestigious post in the presence of defence minister Ali Mirza at an official ceremony held in Kyrgyzstan. He holds Kyrgyzstan nationality, conferred by former President Kurmanbek Saliyevich Bakiyev, whom he had met in his late-20s while working in Iran.

Mr Mohammed, who heads Gammon Middle East in Saudi Arabia, used to be an adviser to Kyrgistan President and the latest appointment is in recognition of his contributions to the country, sources in Dubai said.

Rafik, known as Rafi here is the son of Late Abdul Hameed and Fathima of Eravannur, 12 km from Kozhikode. He had studied up to Class VII at local AMPL School, Eravannur. According to his sister Rukhiya K.M, Rafik left for Mumbai at the age of 20 and then to Gulf. “We are all elated by his elevation to the prestitgious post. He called us on Saturday and we spoke a lot. Mr Mohammed’s last visit to Kozhikode was in 2007,” Ms Rukhiya told this newspaper. Mr Mohammed, who has an Iranian wife, has made it big from a humble background. His father was a fisherman and struggled to make two ends meet.

Mr Mohammed’s neighbour and distant relative, Mr Azis Master U.P., says he maintains a warm relation with his birthplace. “It was Rafik who gave '25 lakh for the construction of a madrasa recently. Similarly he will reach out to anyone in time of need,” Mr Azis master said.

Sources said that Mr Mohammad keeps cordial relations with major political leaders of Kerala. He holds Kyrgyzstan nationality conferred by its former President Kurmanbek Saliyevich Bakiyev whom he casually met in his 20s while working in Iran. Later, he became the adviser to Mr Bakiyev.

Dubai reports said Mr Mohammed, after selling the successful project to the Iranian government, went to Kyrgyzstan and presented a similar project to Mr Kurmanbek, then a governor who was preparing to contest presidential elections.

After Kurmanbek won the election, he appointed young Rafik as his chief adviser - a milestone in his career.

He developed wide network of friends in the Central Asian country, which has witnessed a rapid flow of foreign investment and reversal of socialist mode of development to a capitalist mode of production, reports said.