Kind-Hearted Owner Mohammed Barimar Waives Rent for 21 Shops & 12 Homes being His Tenants
Kind-Hearted Owner Mohammed Hassan Barimar Waives Rent for 21 Shops & 12 Homes being His Tenants, who are in financial crisis during Covid-19 lockdown.
Mangaluru: This lockdown period is a tough time for everyone. We have heard stories, after the virus outbreak, landlords in several states threw out their tenants who were doctors and nurses and doing their duties in hospitals during the crisis. Many other owners have evicted shop owners or tenants from homes, who were finding hard to pay the rent. Those who are living on rent have small scale businesses or are employees in small companies which may or may not pay salary this month, for them their situation could be the worst, and is such time, one kind-hearted man, being a Good Samaritan has come to the rescue of owners of 21 shops and 12 houses, who he has rented out, and has helped them during this pandemic time, by waiving off their rent, which is nearly Rs 1.5 lakh a month.
While many others are doing their bit to help people facing difficulties during this time of Covid-19 pandemic, by providing ration kits or food during afternoon or night, but this Bantwal man has turned as an inspiration to many after he has waived off rent, in order to help his tenants who are in financial crisis. Meet Mohammed Hassan Barimar, who owns a small business in Riyadh-Saudi Arabia, hailing from Bantwal taluq, but unfortunately has got stuck here due to lockdown, when he had come on vacation a couple of months ago.
Mohammed, who ekes out his livelihood in the oil-rich country, Saudi Arabia owns a commercial complex – BH Complex, situated in Panemangaluru Bypass Road and has become the talk of the town after he generously waived off the rent for the month of April, for 21 shop owners and 12 tenants of the houses he owns. From the shops in the complex and the rented houses, Mohammed fetches an income of around Rs 1.5 lakhs a month- and now he has waived the rents of the shops and houses for the month of April, and he is yet to decide whether he will waive the same for the month of May, depending on the circumstances.
When asked over the phone, was it an easy decision for him to waive the rent, Mohammed said, “See, I too belong to a middle-class family and understand how it has shattered lives of people who have no earning due to the lockdown. Due to the lockdown, my tenants (both shops and home) have no business and jobs. It is difficult for them to pay the rent in time of crisis. So I decided not to take any rent from shops and homes in April. This month (May), I am planning on not to take payment from rented homes. It is my small charity towards the underprivileged “.
The 21 shops at the complex are into various business and belonging to people from the majority and minority communities. The tenants mostly are in daily wage labour, husbands working abroad and other blue-collar jobs. It is learnt that the complex has medical, grocery shops, beauty parlour, hotel, travel agency, salon and a Christian prayer room. Mohammed further said that several shops are open only till noon, due to the lockdown relaxation hours, and “therefore, I am not taking rent from them as their business is not sufficient to pay the monthly rental,” he added.
Speaking to Team Mangalorean, P Mohan Shenoy, who runs a grocery shop at the BH Complex expressed happiness and added that the gesture of Mohammed Hassan is praiseworthy. “He is indeed a kind-hearted owner, and I am very much grateful to him. May God bless him for his kindness and may he have prosperity in his business in the months and years to come,” added Shenoy. Another tenant, whose husband works abroad mentioned that he is not paid salary due to the lockdown and rent waiver is a relief to the family.
In conclusion, the joy of being able to help someone in the time of need and distress, and to make them smile, is priceless. The satisfaction that comes from making a difference in the lives of others cannot be overstated. Knowing that you have helped make someone else’s life a little brighter and better is a special feeling and one that will last with you for a long time. And in our world of plenty, we can spread a smile of joy. “We are the world. We are the children. We are the ones who make a brighter day. We’re all part of God’s great big family. And the truth is that love is all we need. So let’s start giving, for it’s true, we’ll make a better day. Just you and me.” – These thought-provoking lyrics by the late pop-star Michael Jackson from the song “We Are the World” are quite befitting here. Yes, we all can do it if we make up our mind. Share part of your wealth with those who have nothing during this pandemic- and you’ll bed blessed abundantly.
