VirgilioBrereton at 20:48, 21 November 2025

2025-11-21T20:48:46Z

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{{short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Gulam Mehmood Banatwalla
| image = G. M. Banatwala (Indian politician).jpg
| caption = G. M. Banatwalla
| birth_date = {{birth date|1933|8|15|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Bombay]] ([[British India]])
| death_date = {{death date and age|2008|6|25|1933|8|15|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Mumbai]]
| occupation = * Social worker
* Politician

| term_start1 = 1972
| term_end1 = 1977
| constituency1 = [[Umarkhadi Assembly constituency|Umarkhadi]], [[Maharashtra]]
| predecessor1 = Established
| successor1 = Abdulkadar Ibrahim Chorwadwala
| office1 = [[Maharashtra Legislative Assembly | Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly]]
| office2 = [[Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha]]
| constituency2 = [[Ponnani Lok Sabha constituency|Ponnani]], [[Kerala]]
| term_start2 = 1977
| term_end2 = 1989
| predecessor2 = M. K. Krishnan
| successor2 = [[Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait]]
| constituency3 = [[Ponnani Lok Sabha constituency|Ponnani]], [[Kerala]]
| term_start3 = 1996
| term_end3 = 1999
| predecessor3 = [[Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait]]
| successor3 = [[E. Ahamed]]

| party = [[Indian Union Muslim League]]
| mother = Ayesha
| father = Haji Noor Mohamed
| spouse = Ayesha Banatwalla
| alma_mater = * [[Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics]], [[Bombay]]
* S. T. College, Bombay
| education = [[Master of Commerce|MCom]]
}}

'''Gulam Mehmood Banatwalla''' (15 August 1933 – 25 June 2008), also spelled as '''Banatwala''', was an Indian politician and social worker from [[Mumbai]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Banatwalla, Gulam Mehmood (Member BioProfile)|url=http://164.100.47.194/loksabha/Members/memberbioprofile.aspx?mpsno=37&lastls=13|website=LokSabha (Official Website)}}</ref><ref name="G. M. Banatwala">{{cite news|date=22 July 2008|title=G. M. Banatwala: Indian Muslim Leader|work=[[The Times]]|location=London|url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/asia-travel/india/g-m-banatwala-indian-muslim-leader-2s8h8gk6ssn}}</ref> Banatwalla, a "firebrand orator" and intellectual, was regarded as the pan-India face of the Indian Muslim community.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=Press Trust of India|date=26 Jun 2008|title=Muslim League Chief Banatwala Dies|work=The Times of India|location=Mumbai|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Muslim-League-chief-Banatwala-dies/articleshow/3165906.cms}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=26 June 2008|title=IUML Leader Banatwala Dead|url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/313239|website=Arab News|location=Mumbai}}</ref>

Banatwalla was born in [[Bombay]], in then-[[British India]], to Haji Noor Mohamed and Ayesha in a Cutchi Memon family.<ref name=":0" /> He studied at [[Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics]] and S.T. College, Bombay.<ref name=":0" /> He married Ayesha in February 1960.<ref name=":0" />

He was elected to the [[Maharashtra Legislative Assembly]] in 1967 ([[Umarkhadi Assembly constituency|Umarkhadi]], [[Bombay]]).<ref name=":0" /> He later served seven terms in the [[Loksabha]], from [[Ponnani]] in [[Kerala]], between 1977 – 1989 and 1996 – 2004.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Kurudath|first=Anil|date=1 April 2019|title=A Glimmer of Hope for LDF to Breach IUML Fort Ponnani|url=https://www.onmanorama.com/in-depth/lok-sabha-elections-2019/2019/03/31/ldf-looks-to-break-iuml-fort-ponnani-kerala-elections.html|website=Malayala Manorama (English)}}</ref> He also served as the national president of [[Indian Union Muslim League]] from 1993 to 2008.<ref name=":0" /> He was a member of the [[All India Muslim Personal Law Board]].<ref name=":0" />

Banatwalla never spoke [[Malayalam]] and addressed the people of Kerala in English.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Kutty|first=K. Govindan|date=23 Feb 1998|title=G. M. Banatwala|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/nation/story/19980223-there-is-a-threat-to-secularism.-it-is-our-duty-to-foil-it-g.m.-banatwala-825749-1998-02-23|website=India Today}}</ref> Banatwalla, aged 74, died on 25 June 2008. He had no children.<ref name="G. M. Banatwala" /><ref name=":1" />

== Books by G. M. Banatwala ==

* ''Religion and Politics in India''

* ''Muslim League''

* ''Azadi Ke Bad'' (in Urdu)

Banatwala also contributed numerous articles in various journals both in English and Urdu.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Members : Lok Sabha|url=http://164.100.47.194/loksabha/Members/memberbioprofile.aspx?mpsno=37&lastls=13|access-date=2021-04-10|website=164.100.47.194}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Banatwala, G. M.}}
{{13th LS members from Kerala}}
{{12th LS members from Kerala}}
{{11th LS members from Kerala}}
{{10th LS members from Kerala}}

[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:Politicians from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Maharashtra MLAs 1967–1972]]
[[Category:People from Kutch district]]
[[Category:India MPs 1977–1979]]
[[Category:India MPs 1980–1984]]
[[Category:India MPs 1984–1989]]
[[Category:India MPs 1989–1991]]
[[Category:India MPs 1996–1997]]
[[Category:India MPs 1998–1999]]
[[Category:India MPs 1999–2004]]
[[Category:Indian Union Muslim League politicians]]
[[Category:Lok Sabha members from Kerala]]

G. M. Banatwala - Revision history

VirgilioBrereton at 20:48, 21 November 2025