How I Became a Captive of My Own Deceitful Kin

TRANSCEND MEMBERS, 18 May 2026

Moin Qazi - TRANSCEND Media Service

“In keeping silent about evil, in burying it so deep within us that no sign of it appears on the surface, we are implanting it, and it will rise a thousandfold in the future. When we neither punish nor reproach evildoers, we are not simply protecting their trivial old age, we are thereby ripping the foundations of justice from beneath new generations.”
― Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 

“Good and evil cannot be equal. Repel evil with what is better, and your enemy will become as close as an old and valued friend.”
– Quran 41:34

Moral Standing, Purpose, and Locus of Duty

No wound cuts as deeply as betrayal from within one’s own circle. It does not merely injure; it destabilises the very architecture of trust. Neither the philosophies of the West nor the spiritual remedies of the East fully heal such a breach, because the damage is not physical but moral. It alters memory, corrodes faith in human bonds, and leaves behind the haunting realisation that closeness itself may conceal danger.

Truth must rest on moral duty, continuity of evidence, and rational inference. Wealth is not the issue; what is at stake is the dignity and moral inheritance of my parents—Nayyar Mamu and Nana Abba—whose lives were defined by restraint, humility, and principled conduct. They neither sought influence nor exploited those who possessed it. Their strength lay precisely in their refusal to engage in coercion, manipulation, or intimidation. The material assets they ultimately received were not the result of ambition but of providence, and tragically, this inheritance has now become the object of distorted devotion and avarice masquerading as duty.

My own actions over decades—including legal risk, financial exposure, and prolonged administrative burden—were undertaken not for gain, but out of fidelity to them and to the ethical order they represented. That loyalty became the fulcrum of a coercive design. Those who sought to control me understood that my deepest commitment was to my parents’ honour; therefore, they targeted them, knowing that pressure upon them would become pressure upon me. In that strategy lies the clearest proof of moral collapse: the exploitation of filial devotion as an instrument of coercion.

Human beings may differ only by degree, from the most fallen to the most exalted, yet betrayal reveals how swiftly dignity can descend into debasement. What has been wounded is not merely an individual but a lineage of trust, memory, and honour. The defence of that legacy is therefore not about property, but about preserving the moral truth that certain inheritances cannot be measured in wealth alone.

Exploitation of Vulnerability and Abuse of Trust

The phrase “Et tu, Brute?” endures because it captures one of humanity’s oldest wounds: betrayal, and the episode of political murder has become a lasting emblem of intimate treachery—the blade of an enemy may wound the body. Still, the hand of a trusted companion fractures the moral world itself. So too in the story of Joseph, betrayed not by strangers but by brothers, cast into the well by those expected to guard him. In both, betrayal emerges from proximity: kinship and loyalty become instruments of harm. Ides of March and Joseph’s exile illuminate the same enduring truth—that trust is most fragile where affection is presumed. Treachery within family or friendship wounds more than the present; it unsettles memory itself, turning love into doubt and belonging into vigilance.

For over fifty years, I have lived with Bipolar disorder, a clinically recognised condition that can impair judgment, emotional regulation, and cognitive resilience, especially under prolonged stress. My medical vulnerability was fully known to the legal heirs of the estate of Kazi Syed Karimuddin. Yet despite holding a mere 3% beneficial interest in the estate, I was allegedly burdened with nearly all the financial and administrative responsibility for pursuing the property matter, including substantial stamp duty liabilities and related expenses. This was not merely disproportionate; it was profoundly exploitative.

My emotional attachment to Kazi Syed Karimuddin’s memory was deliberately invoked to secure my involvement. Having authored his researched biography, I was repeatedly reminded that his property had been wrongfully appropriated and that recovering it was our moral duty. I agreed only on the understanding that the effort would be collective and principled. Once proceedings commenced, however, the other heirs withdrew, leaving me isolated to carry the burden alone. It became clear that what had been presented as a shared moral obligation was, in fact, a carefully orchestrated design serving private interests.

The integrity of any consent obtained under such circumstances is deeply questionable. Where a person’s known mental condition affects judgment and stress tolerance, the law demands heightened fairness. Consent procured through emotional pressure, false inducement, misrepresentation, or undue influence is not free consent. The alleged imposition of 100% liability upon a 3% beneficiary—while fully aware of his psychiatric condition—raises serious issues under principles of equity, capacity, and procedural fairness. False religious appeals and manipulative invocations of duty only aggravated this exploitation, transforming a property dispute into a morally corrosive betrayal.

What remains most painful is that the betrayal came not from strangers but from within the family. The conduct displayed grave insensitivity toward a vulnerable person and inflicted lasting emotional harm. It amounted not simply to an inheritance dispute, but to a deliberate emotional assault on someone whose medical condition required protection, not pressure.

The Clinching Emails: A Record Of Communication And Disability-Aware Context

I had clearly informed my uncle of the seriousness of my health condition. Yasmin can confirm that I was undergoing lithium carbonate treatment and insulin therapy for advanced stages of bipolar disorder and diabetes. Despite being fully aware of this, he chose to invoke God in his response, applying emotional and moral pressure while offering assurances that he would protect me from stress—something he repeatedly claimed was his highest priority.

A review of the email exchange (as preserved in my records) is set out below.

Email Record 1

From: Moin Qazi moinqazi123@gmail.com
Sent: Sunday, August 18, 2019, 3:58 PM
To: Anjum

Uncle. I agree with you, but I am on heavy drugs and have only partially recovered. It is a hard task, and I don’t have the mental courage to proceed further on my own. I want to be very clear on this point. I wrapped up my NITI Aayog assignment last month because it was very difficult to cope with the stress. I went for my teaching assignment at Tata but sought leave from my Bhubaneswar assignment. The Yavatmal matter has become so complicated that many people need to be roped in. The house must also be defended when the purchasers seek possession. It involves a continuous stay there. I hope you understand the seriousness of the crisis in Yavatmal. I would like you to talk with Arif and others.

Email Record 2

From: Anjum Qazi anjumtqazi@hotmail.com
Sent: Sunday, August 18, 2019, 3:47 PM
To: me

Moin Qazi, I understand what you have said. Allah has given you shifa Allahumma Barik. The last thing I intend is to cause you any stress. May Allah bless you for what you have done and for what you are doing for me.

From Uncle

A peek into this email offers a glimpse into the dynamics that shaped his conduct. I did feel he was a compulsive liar, but later I found him to be a master deceiver and a spiritual charlatan.

Legacy Betrayed: The Internal Erosion of a Constitutional Heritage

The property originally belonged to Kazi Syed Karimuddin, former member of the Constituent Assembly of India, later of the Rajya Sabha, and among the foremost criminal lawyers of Central India. His contribution forms part of India’s constitutional heritage. Many of the fundamental rights citizens enjoy today were shaped by leaders of his generation. His legacy, therefore, extends beyond family inheritance; it belongs to the nation’s public memory.

It is a matter of deep regret that descendants of such a figure appear to have drifted so far from the standards of integrity, public duty, and moral restraint he embodied. When his ethical influence over his heirs diminished, and commercial motives took root, the dispute assumed a disturbing character: a contest cloaked in moral language but driven by private gain. What should have become a memorial to honour his life instead became an occasion for fragmentation, opportunism, and erosion of his name.

The most troubling aspect is that the threat to his legacy emerged from within his own descendants. Instead of preserving his inheritance with dignity, some have subjected it to conduct that diminishes both the estate and the historical memory attached to it. The involvement of opportunistic self-styled spiritual intermediaries—invoking faith while concealing self-interest—deepened the damage. Such conduct does not remain private; it reinforces damaging public stereotypes and risks feeding broader prejudice against Islam itself. The ordinary law-abiding citizen ultimately bears the burden of such recklessness.

History survives not only in archives but in conduct. A legacy is preserved by the ethics of those entrusted with it. I had believed that recovering the property would enable the creation of a fitting memorial to honour Kazi Syed Karimuddin’s contributions. That hope now stands shattered. I request that all relevant documents, communications, and transactions be subjected to judicial scrutiny and that the Secretariat of Parliament be informed so that the matter is properly recorded. Transparency is indispensable when a constitutional legacy is at stake.

I have suffered severe emotional distress, compounded by the misuse of trust, family bonds, and moral symbolism. Yet this ordeal has also clarified a harder truth: human trust is fragile, and when distributed among those governed by self-interest, betrayal is never far away. My greatest mistake lay in dividing trust between the Divine and fallible human beings. That lesson has been costly.

Keeping all facts in perspective, I now consider the matter concluded from my end. I place it before the competent authorities and await the impartial administration of justice. Those responsible should be held accountable in a manner that restores legal balance, affirms dignity, and protects the moral legacy they were duty-bound to preserve.

The Burden of Trust

My share in the property was nominal—approximately 3%—while the remaining 97% was held by the other legal heirs. Despite this, I was induced to sign documents under the clear impression that they related only to a power of attorney arrangement. I was not informed that the documents were being used to institute a criminal proceeding in my individual capacity as a shareholder, thereby placing the legal burden, exposure, and procedural consequences upon me while substantially insulating the principal stakeholders from direct risk.

This distinction is fundamental. Ownership share and legal exposure are not identical. By making a minor stakeholder the complainant of record, while the principal beneficiaries remained in the background, the practical consequences of litigation were shifted onto the weakest and least informed participant.

The matter becomes graver because this occurred within a relationship of close family trust, where disclosure ought to have been complete. I relied upon those representations in good faith and signed without being made aware of the actual contents, implications, or legal consequences of the filing. I came to know of the true nature of the proceedings only much later.

I have long lived with Bipolar disorder, including recurring periods of impaired judgment and cognitive instability. This was known within the family. Any use of that vulnerability, whether by omission, concealment, or strategic reliance on trust, raises serious legal and ethical questions regarding informed consent, undue influence, and the fairness of the transaction.

The issue is not confined to my share of the percentage. It concerns whether a nominal heir was knowingly used as a procedural front to absorb litigation risks, reputational exposure, and legal consequences, while the major stakeholders benefited from the arrangement, including avoidance of direct scrutiny and possible fiscal liabilities.

I am therefore requesting a complete clarification of how and why proceedings were instituted in my name, what exact documents were signed, who drafted and instructed them, and who ultimately benefited from the legal strategy adopted. This is necessary so that the factual and legal positions may be fully understood without ambiguity.

The Mask and the Wound of my uncle

In an act of shameless deceit and cold-blooded cruelty, my uncle wounded me emotionally in ways that have left scars that may never heal. Among all the people encountered in life, he remains one of the most notorious embodiments of hypocrisy—wearing the innocent face of an angel, yet beneath that surface lies the foul odour of deception and moral decay. Such conduct from individuals who claim established Islamic credentials has inflicted immense damage on the spirit of the Qur’an. Have strayed to take me into the pre-jahiya age udder hi leadership all the eventten legal heir pnced on me showing no mercy for my fragile health. Some of them kept hassling and stabbing me repeatedly. Even my sisters showed shameful opportunism. Their concern was the wealth of their grandfather and not the health and well-being of their own brother /The gravest threat to Muslims is often not external adversaries, but those within—elite Muslims who exploit religious legitimacy while undermining the very moral foundations of Islam.

These human serpents repeatedly raise their heads, determined to weaken Islamic society and strip it of its moral strength. This is a litmus test for faith: vigilance is required against such insidious acts, while seeking strength from the Almighty. These challenges are not new to Islam; history shows they have been confronted and repelled before. What is needed now is to rebuild moral order from its very foundations.

He may have deceived many, but my family knows well the extent of the injury he has caused over the years. Despite repeated appeals for compassion during moments of deep distress, his conscience remained unmoved, and he persisted in falsehood. He presents loyalty to all, but like a chameleon, changes colours to suit his advantage. This hardened duplicity has the power to sow disorder within families and communities alike. Islam was among the first faiths to challenge entrenched injustice and human exploitation; yet the threat resurfaces whenever individuals seek to resurrect old tyrannies under new masks. It is still a mystery that he has the temerity to commit such dastardly acts against a person of eminent profession and social standing, with a well-established contribution to the nation’s development, as if this foreign nationality gives him precedence over patriotic Indians. The Wound Inflicted by Betrayal

What makes certain wounds unbearable is not their visibility but their source. The deepest scars are often inflicted not by declared enemies, but by those who stand within the circle of trust. My uncle’s cruelty and betrayal belong to that painful category. His actions were not impulsive lapses but deliberate acts that cut through the very bonds of kinship, leaving injuries that no passage of time has healed.

In an act of calculated deceit and cold-blooded cruelty, my uncle wounded me emotionally on countless occasions, leaving scars that remain unhealed. He is among the most deceptive individuals I have encountered in my life. He carries the outward appearance of innocence—an almost angelic demeanour that conceals a far darker nature. Yet beneath that carefully cultivated exterior lies moral decay that reveals itself when his actions are closely examined.

His betrayal was not confined to personal injury alone. It spread its shadow over my family, causing suffering far beyond the private pain he inflicted on me. He acted with complete disregard for the moral obligations that bind families together, violating trust in ways that were both humiliating and destructive. At times, he treated those around him as if they were his personal retainers, commanding and controlling with the entitlement of a feudal lord, while expecting unquestioned obedience.

It is through the conduct of such individuals that a noble and compassionate faith like Islam suffers immense damage. The greatest threats to a community are not always external adversaries; often, they are those who claim moral authority while quietly undermining the sacred principles of the Quran. When individuals who possess religious standing abuse that position for domination, exploitation, or manipulation, they strike at the very ethical core of the faith they claim to defend.

Such people are like serpents that raise their hoods at moments of weakness, determined to poison the social fabric from within. Their danger lies not only in their actions but in the trust they misuse. Islam has endured such internal challenges before, and history shows that they have been resisted. The present moment is another such test—a call to vigilance against those who weaponise religion, family, and authority for selfish ends.

My uncle’s betrayal stands as a personal wound, but it is also a warning. When cruelty enters through the door of kinship, it can devastate both individual lives and collective values. Such acts must be recognised for what they are—not mere family disputes, but assaults on dignity, justice, and the very moral foundations that hold society together.

Power of Attorney, Abandonment, and Selective Engagement

Few wounds cut as deeply as betrayal within the family. Unlike ordinary conflict, it fractures not only relationships but also the underlying moral architecture of trust, belonging, and emotional security. When those expected to provide refuge instead become sources of harm through cruelty or deception, the impact extends beyond emotion into a deeper destabilisation of one’s sense of reality.

Such betrayal leaves a lasting psychological imprint. It erodes confidence, generates persistent anxiety, and replaces earlier feelings of safety with quiet despair. What is lost is not only affection, but the implicit covenant of care that gives kinship its meaning. In its absence, grief becomes disorienting—one begins to mourn not only what was, but what should have been.

These experiences do not remain confined to the present. They reshape memory itself, altering how past relationships are understood and how trust is perceived. What once appeared stable may later appear constructed or conditional, fundamentally changing one’s interpretation of lived experience.

It is further alleged that false inducements and emotionally manipulative appeals, including inappropriate references to faith, were used to influence decisions. In this context, clarification is sought from the concerned Kazi Khandan group regarding the identities and legal statuses of all involved parties, as well as the legal authority under which these actions were undertaken.

The property in question is stated to originate from the estate of the late Kazi Syed Karimuddin, whose legacy was marked by legal distinction and public service. It is therefore deeply concerning that subsequent conduct attributed to his legal heirs appears, prima facie, to diverge from the ethical standards of integrity, probity, and responsibility associated with his name.

The situation, as described, raises broader concerns about the erosion of moral stewardship over an inherited legacy and the substitution of ethical obligation for commercial interest. Such a shift reflects a deeper institutional and familial malaise, in which the original spirit of public-spirited inheritance is perceived as weakening.

Finally, it is submitted that the transactions and related actions may involve violations of applicable law, including provisions of the Indian Stamp Act, as well as broader principles governing valid consent, fairness, and procedural due process. Appropriate legal examination of the matter is therefore warranted.

I was appointed Power of Attorney for all legal heirs in relation to the Yavatmal house property of Late Kazi Syed Karimuddin, a prominent criminal lawyer from Yavatmal who subsequently became a Member of the Constituent Assembly and later a Member of the Rajya Sabha, solely to pursue recovery proceedings after the property had been fraudulently alienated through tampering with official land records. I neither sought nor accepted this role for personal gain; I undertook it purely as a matter of duty and conscience. Tariq Qazi had a claim to a highly disproportionate share of Kazi Syed Karimuddin’s inheritance.

Throughout the proceedings, I functioned as the sole complainant and front-facing litigant, notwithstanding the existence of multiple legal heirs with a majority interest in the inheritance. This arrangement was not a matter of choice but of compulsion, arising from the collective reluctance of other beneficiaries to expose themselves to legal scrutiny, personal risk, or procedural accountability.

By proceeding as a single complainant rather than through multiple parallel or joint filings, I significantly reduced stamp duty liabilities, court fees, and associated procedural costs, resulting in substantial financial savings for the estate and, by extension, for all beneficiaries. These savings accrued entirely to the benefit of the legal heirs, while the corresponding legal exposure, administrative burden, and psychological strain were borne exclusively by me.

Despite this demonstrable financial prudence and assumption of disproportionate risk in the collective interest, my role was neither acknowledged nor supported. Instead, I was left isolated, scapegoated, and pressured, even as others continued to enjoy the material benefits arising from proceedings conducted solely in my name.

Throughout the prolonged, technically complex litigation, I received no meaningful assistance—legal, logistical, or moral—from any legal heir, despite repeated requests. I bore the entire burden alone, including correspondence with authorities, procedural compliance, legal exposure, travel, documentation, and sustained engagement with hostile bureaucratic systems.

During this period, I was repeatedly scapegoated for lapses attributable to others and drawn into unrelated family disputes, aggravating psychological stress and destabilising an already fragile mental equilibrium. This abandonment was not accidental; it was strategic. Others insulated themselves from risk while permitting me to remain fully exposed.

To defray litigation expenses, I agreed with a real estate developer who had signed a formal agreement under which he would fund the litigation in exchange for eleven flats in a proposed Nagpur building. At the time, the project was only at the foundation stage and attracted little interest from the legal heirs. However, once construction advanced and the flats’ material value became undeniable, the same heirs abruptly re-engaged—not out of responsibility or concern for justice, but driven by proprietary interest—and attempted to draw me back into decision-making despite the clear toll on my mental health.

Conduct of Legal Heirs and Unlawful Assertion of Authority

. It is material to note that Mr Tariq Qazi is the son-in-law of the late Mr Haroon Solkar, a prominent Mumbai criminal lawyer who was allegedly implicated in a major fraud relating to Waqf property at Malabar Hills, Mumbai, on which the Antilia building of Mr Mukesh Ambani now stands.

My only surviving uncle acted as a principal force in a course of conduct marked by manipulation, coercion, and a disregard for foreseeable psychological consequences. He asserted a claim to an exceptionally large share—60%—of the total inheritance in the Yavatmal property, relying on a disputed and doubtful will. Regrettably, his contribution to the already painful process of coordination among the legal heirs, as well as to the demanding task of recovering the ancestral property from fraudulent actors, was negligible, if not counterproductive. Instead of offering support or constructive engagement, his conduct proved discouraging and demoralising. His overall approach was deeply disappointing, marked by an authoritarian posture that further compounded the distress experienced by others involved.

These legal heirs, apprehensive of physical harm and potential legal consequences, adopted a consciously risk-averse strategy and acted in concert to project me as the sole front-facing litigant, while themselves remaining in the background. This arrangement exposed me to disproportionate legal, financial, and psychological risk, while insulating the principal beneficiaries from accountability.

A matter of grave constitutional and public concern arises from the fact that certain legal heirs of Late Kazi Syed Karimuddin are not Indian citizens, yet have arrogated to themselves the authority of the law of this country. Through sustained coercion, psychological pressure, and unlawful conduct, they have persecuted and tormented patriotic and law-abiding Indian citizens—individuals who have contributed meaningfully and demonstrably to the nation’s development through documented work in public service, intellectual labour, and nation-building.

Such conduct transcends private dispute. It raises serious questions of constitutional propriety, national interest, and the safety, dignity, and fundamental rights of Indian citizens. Their actions reveal ulterior, malevolent motives and pose a tangible threat to personal liberty, mental health, and constitutional guarantees.

In furtherance of this coercive design, certain grandchildren and legal heirs of Late Kazi Syed Karimuddin acted as co-conspirators with Tariq Qazi, the sole surviving son of Kazi Syed Karimuddin, engaging in deception and false assurances calculated to seduce and manipulate me. This conduct exposed me to grave legal, financial, and psychological risks at a time when I was a minor stakeholder in the inheritance and uniquely vulnerable.

The inconsistency between the legal heirs’ assurances and their actual conduct reflects a profound absence of reciprocity, responsibility, and moral sensitivity. This conduct subjected me to severe emotional and psychological strain. It demonstrated a marked disregard for the dignity and memory of my late mother, to whom explicit assurances of loyalty and support had been given during her lifetime. In view of these contradictions, I can no longer repose trust in their assurances or representations.

Inducement, Privilege, and the Architecture of Complicity

The coercive environment was sustained not only through pressure but through selective inducement and reward.

My sister, long held in deep esteem, intervened at this juncture. My relationship with her had been shaped by habitual deference; obedience had, over time, become almost instinctive. Refusal did not present itself as a practical option but as a moral rupture. Yet within me, something resisted. On the very day of travel, that resistance crystallised into a clear inner warning. My instincts urged restraint, and those close to me counselled reconsideration. However, the countervailing pressure intensified—urgent, absolute, and unyielding—conveying unmistakably that compliance was not optional.

That clarity did not endure. My nephew, Sameer Siddiqui — whose credentials I had helped advance — was made contingent upon my continued involvement. What had been an institutional decision was thus recast as a personal obligation. Consent was no longer sufficient; compliance was expected. The situation soon moved beyond the professional sphere into the more complex terrain of familial influence, where expectations are seldom articulated plainly but are felt with greater force.

My ephew served as a facilitator within this ecosystem of influence. He was placed into my personal and professional life at the instance of his uncle, with narrowly self-serving objectives. She connived in his role and activities, which materially contributed to my personal and professional ruin.

The provision of plush accommodation in Churchgate to Yasmin Iqbal’s brother-in-law was not a private courtesy but a material benefit extended within a protected inner circle, at a time when coercive pressure was being exerted upon me under the guise of moral duty and legacy protection. This occurred while I was compelled to reside in distant suburban Mumbai and commute daily in overcrowded local trains.

This asymmetry mirrors precisely the Waqf fraud logic: benefits flow inward and upward; burdens are externalised downward.

 My learning

My prolonged ordeal with Tariq Qazi and his co-conspirators has left indelible lessons about human behaviour, power, and moral resilience:

1. Integrity Attracts exploitation – I learned that adherence to principle and refusal to participate in manipulation can make one a target for coercion. My parents’ ethical conduct and my own fidelity to them were systematically exploited by those driven by self-interest.
2. Vulnerability Can Be Weaponised – My mental health, financial position, and relative isolation were deliberately leveraged to extract compliance, demonstrating how those with influence can abuse structural and personal vulnerabilities.
3. Trust Requires Vigilance – The inconsistency between assurances and the conduct of legal heirs highlighted that trust must be grounded not merely in words but in demonstrated responsibility. Blind reliance can expose you to severe emotional, legal, and financial risks.
4. Asymmetry of Risk and Benefit – I bore the burdens of litigation, legal exposure, and administrative effort while others insulated themselves, gaining material advantage without accountability. This underscored the importance of careful negotiation, documented agreements, and personal oversight.
5. Moral Resilience Is Paramount – Despite sustained coercion, humiliation, and manipulation, maintaining conscience-driven restraint and principled action preserved the dignity of my family and the legacy of my parents. Enduring hardship with patience and ethical clarity proved essential to resisting exploitation.
6. Systemic Patterns Mirror Personal Ones – The methods of intimidation and selective reward used by Mr Tariq Qazi and associates mirrored larger institutional practices, such as the Waqf fraud at Malabar Hills. Recognising these patterns underscored the need for vigilance, documentation, and legal literacy to confront both private and public coercion.

In sum, my experience has taught me that ethical steadfastness, informed caution, and moral courage are not only protective but essential for defending oneself and vulnerable beneficiaries from exploitation. Though harrowing, the ordeal strengthened my commitment to justice, conscience, and the principles my parents lived by.

Nelson Mandela observed, “When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.” His insight underscores the moral reality of those systematically oppressed or stripped of agency: when lawful avenues for justice and dignity are blocked, resistance—even if deemed unlawful—can be an ethical imperative. The label of “outlaw” often reflects systemic injustice, not personal failing.

As Iqbal eloquently captured:

Alfāz-o-ma’ānī meñ tafāvut nahīñ lekin
Mullā kī azān aur mujāhid kī azān aur
Parvāz hai donoñ kī isī ek fazā meñ
Kargas kā jahāñ aur hai, shāhīn kā jahāñ aur

(There is no difference in words or meaning, yet.
The call of the mullah and the call of the mujahid are different.
Though both soar in the same sky,
The vulture has its world, the eagle has another.)

This timeless observation captures the eternal divide: the noble ascent of purpose versus the scavenger’s descent into opportunism. It is a reflection on how intention shapes outcome, and how identical circumstances may produce radically divergent paths depending on character, vision, and courage.

Iqbal reemphasises

tu shāhīn hai parwāz hai kām terā

tere sāmne asamā̃ aur bhī hain

isī roz-o-shab mẽ ulajh kar na reh jā

ki tere zamān-o-makā̃ aur bhī hain

Gaye din kī tanhā thā maĩ anjuman mẽ

(You are a falcon; your task is to soar,

Before you lie vast skies yet unexplored.

Do not be ensnared in the routine of day and night,

For there are lands and spaces beyond your time and place.)

Philosophers, sages, and poets have long recognised this moral divide. Muhammad Iqbal captured it through the enduring image of the eagle and the vulture: one rises through vision, courage, and self-mastery; the other feeds on decay, fear, and moral collapse. The sky is shared, but the destinies are not. Humanity’s task is to nurture the eagle—through reflection, education, and ethical action—so that society ascends toward clarity rather than sinks into corruption.

This struggle unfolds not only in history but in everyday life: within families torn by betrayal, communities confronting injustice, and institutions corroded by opportunism. Each moment presents a choice. The eagle embodies discipline, foresight, and principled conduct; the vulture thrives where integrity weakens, and indifference prevails. The conflict is therefore not abstract but intimate—it is the daily contest between conscience and expedience.

The legacy of Kazi Syed Karimuddin offers a living example of the eagle’s path: integrity anchored in public duty, moral courage, and service beyond self. To honour such a legacy is to resist decay within one’s own sphere. The question before every generation is whether it will preserve what ennobles it, or barter it for immediate gain.

The choice remains singular and unavoidable: to feed scavengers or nurture soarers; to drift with decay or rise with integrity. The realm of eagles and vultures is the realm of conscience, action, and consequence. The sky belongs not to those who circle over ruin, but to those who dare to ascend.

____________________________________________

Moin Qazi, PhD Economics, PhD English, is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace Development Environment and a member of NITI Aayog’s National Committee on Financial Literacy and Inclusion for Women. He is the author of the bestselling book, Village Diary of a Heretic Banker. He has worked in the development finance sector for almost four decades in India and can be reached at moinqazi123@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 18 May 2026.

Anticopyright: Editorials and articles originated on TMS may be freely reprinted, disseminated, translated and used as background material, provided an acknowledgement and link to the source, TMS: How I Became a Captive of My Own Deceitful Kin, is included. Thank you.

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