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 a Kyrgyzstan nationality, conferred by former President Kurmanbek Saliyevich Bakiyev, whom he had met in his late-20s while working in Iran.
Mr Kurmanbek was then a governor who was preparing to contest presidential elections. After he won the election, he appointed young Rafik as his chief adviser — a milestone in his career.
Mr Mohammed, who heads Gammon Middle East in Saudi Arabia, used to be an adviser to the Kyrgyzstan 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 the Gulf. “We are happy by his elevation to the prestigious post,,” Ms Rukhiya told this newspaper. Mr Mohammed, who has an Iranian wife, had a humble background. His father was a fisherman who struggled to make two ends meet.
Mr Mohammed’s neighbour and a 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. He will help anyone in time of need.”
Sources said he keeps cordial relations with major political leaders of Kerala.
