Wali Rahmani

Wali Rahmani (born 1998) is an Indian lawyer and social entrepreneur renowned for founding Umeed Academy, a residential school dedicated to educating orphaned, impoverished, and underprivileged children, with a focus on breaking cycles of poverty through quality instruction and holistic development.^[1][2] Born in Kolkata to a family that rose from modest origins—his father initially worked as a rickshaw driver before establishing a business—Rahmani pursued education at St. James School, Genesis Global School in Noida for higher secondary studies, and later obtained a law degree from Jamia Hamdard University.^[1] Motivated by observations of widespread deprivation and influences from educators involved in orphanage and schooling initiatives, he launched Umeed Academy on April 1, 2018, beginning with three orphaned children in a rented 1,200-square-foot apartment.^[1][2] Under Rahmani's leadership, the academy has expanded significantly, now serving over 300 children—many of whom lack parents or live in extreme poverty—who affectionately call him "Abbaji" (father), with the institution functioning as an extended family emphasizing moral values, empathy, innovation, and faith-based learning.^[1][2] He spearheaded a crowdfunding campaign that raised ₹6 crore in just six days via social media to acquire and develop a two-acre campus in the 24 Parganas district, targeting a total of ₹10 crore from widespread small donations, amid a waiting list exceeding 1,500 applicants.^[1] This effort underscores his commitment to sustainable empowerment over temporary aid, as reflected in his advocacy for teaching self-reliance to foster lifelong independence.^[1][2]

Early Life and Education

Family Background and Upbringing

Wali Rahmani was born in 1998 in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, into a Muslim family.^[1] His father, Shafiuddin Rahmani, hailed from a small village in Bihar and migrated to Kolkata in 1980 in pursuit of employment, beginning his career as a rickshaw driver before eventually establishing a business through persistent effort.^[1] This migration reflected the economic challenges faced by many rural families in Bihar during that era, contributing to a household of modest socioeconomic standing in an urban setting marked by visible inequality.^[1] Details on specific family traditions or direct involvement in organized social or religious activities remain limited in available accounts, with Rahmani himself emphasizing his father's trajectory from manual labor to entrepreneurship as emblematic of self-reliance amid hardship.^[1]

Academic Pursuits and Legal Training

Rahmani enrolled in the five-year integrated law program at Jamia Hamdard University in Delhi shortly after completing his intermediate education.^[3] The program, which emphasizes legal studies alongside foundational disciplines, equipped him with comprehensive training in jurisprudence, constitutional law, and related fields offered by the institution's Hamdard Institute of Legal Studies and Research.^[1] During his student years at Jamia Hamdard, Rahmani maintained active involvement in political activism, having initiated his engagement in public discourse as early as April 2017 while balancing coursework.^[4] This period honed his skills in analysis and argumentation, aligning with the rigorous demands of legal education, though specific university-level extracurriculars such as debates are not prominently documented beyond his broader pre-graduation public speaking pursuits.^[1] He successfully completed the degree in July 2023, marking the culmination of his formal academic training in law.^[1] This qualification provided a structured intellectual framework that informed his subsequent entry into public life, distinct from practical application in legal practice.^[3]

Professional and Public Career

Legal Practice and Advocacy

Rahmani obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree from Jamia Hamdard University in July 2023.^[1] Following graduation, he has described himself as a human rights lawyer and trained mediator, focusing on legal support for vulnerable groups through non-governmental organizations.^[5][6] His advocacy efforts include collaboration with international NGOs, such as associations linked to the late Pakistani human rights advocate Asma Jehangir's firm, to address community legal issues.^[5] Reports indicate involvement in raising legal awareness and providing assistance to Indian workers encountering challenges abroad, though specific case outcomes remain undocumented in public records.^[7] Prior to full qualification, Rahmani initiated a criminal complaint in Bihar courts against Md. Shabbir and others in July 2017 under GR Police Case No. 1652440/2017, reflecting early engagement with formal legal processes, albeit in a personal capacity.^[8] As a nascent practitioner, his work emphasizes mediation and rights-based interventions over extensive courtroom litigation, aligning with broader activist pursuits.^[6]

Emergence as Influencer and Motivational Speaker

Rahmani first emerged as a public speaker at the age of 17, around 2015, drawing attention through speeches delivered in Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, and English that emphasized personal development and community responsibility.^[1] His early oratory focused on inspiring youth to prioritize self-improvement over dependency, as seen in a 2018 address urging young audiences to contribute actively to society rather than seeking validation from it.^[9] This phase marked a shift from formal legal training to informal advocacy, positioning him as a voice for motivational guidance outside professional courtroom settings. By the mid-2010s, Rahmani's presence expanded into digital platforms, where he cultivated a following through content promoting Indian unity and individual empowerment. His YouTube channel, launched to motivate Indians toward collective harmony, amassed 798,000 subscribers by 2025, featuring videos of speeches on themes like societal self-sufficiency and youth leadership.^[10] On Instagram, he grew to 535,000 followers, sharing reels and posts on personal resilience and communal upliftment, distinct from later entrepreneurial ventures.^[11] Similarly, his X (formerly Twitter) account reached 72,000 followers with threads and clips reinforcing messages of proactive community involvement, while Facebook drew 1.4 million followers via live sessions and motivational workshops.^[12][13] Key early videos, such as a 2018 Bhatkal speech hailed as inspirational for its call to action among youth, exemplified his style of blending rhetorical appeals with practical advice on overcoming inertia.^[14] These efforts, predating his school initiatives, established Rahmani as an influencer by fostering direct engagement with audiences seeking non-political inspiration for self-reliance, often through unscripted talks that critiqued passive societal roles.^[15] His content consistently avoided partisan rhetoric, instead highlighting universal themes of unity and personal agency to build a broad appeal among Indian viewers.^[10]

Social Entrepreneurship Initiatives

Rahmani's social entrepreneurship emphasizes structured, duty-driven interventions to address empirical community needs, such as poverty and lack of access to basic services, rather than transient charitable acts motivated by personal guilt. He advocates for service as a societal obligation, where initiatives aim to create sustainable upliftment by equipping individuals with skills to escape dependency cycles, drawing from observations of local inequalities encountered in his youth.^[16][17] Prior to larger-scale projects, Rahmani undertook grassroots efforts in West Bengal, including the distribution of clothing and blankets to impoverished residents and the organization of health camps in underserved areas near Kolkata. These activities focused on immediate, tangible aid without reliance on public promotion, reflecting a philosophy prioritizing direct impact over visibility.^[13] His model incorporates innovative crowdfunding via social media, achieving rapid mobilization of resources—for instance, amassing Rs 6 crore within six days in September 2023 through transparent appeals targeting donors for infrastructure supporting vulnerable populations. This method underscores an activist-business hybrid, where personal influence funds verifiable projects based on assessed needs, fostering accountability and scalability in social ventures.^[18]

Key Initiatives: Umeed Global School

Founding and Vision

Umeed Global School originated as Umeed Home on April 1, 2018, when Wali Rahmani, then 18 years old and freshly out of high school, initiated the project by taking in three orphaned boys in a rented 1200-square-foot apartment in West Bengal, India.^[19] Motivated by his firsthand encounters with widespread poverty and educational inequalities affecting underprivileged communities, particularly in rural and Muslim-majority areas, Rahmani sought to address the systemic barriers preventing children from accessing quality schooling.^[19] This modest beginning marked the inception of his commitment to providing transformative education to underserved youth, starting small before evolving into a structured academy.^[20] The core vision of Umeed Global School centers on disrupting intergenerational poverty by offering inclusive, high-caliber education to impoverished children from Muslim and other backgrounds, modeled as a "school of rich for poor" through a donation-funded framework that replicates elite educational standards without fees for students.^[18][20] Rahmani's rationale emphasized empowering at least ten such children to emerge as ethical leaders equipped with critical thinking, innovation, and social responsibility, fostering their potential to contribute to society and break cycles of deprivation rooted in limited opportunities.^[19] This mission, grounded in personal sacrifice and faith-driven service, prioritizes holistic development over mere academics, aiming to instill values of empathy and leadership to uplift communities.^[20]

Operations and Achievements

Umeed Global School functions as a primary institution providing education from kindergarten to Class 7, targeting children from disadvantaged backgrounds such as orphans and destitute families.^[19] It employs a structured daily schedule encompassing 12 hours of academic instruction and extracurricular activities designed for underprivileged students.^[21] Student enrollment has demonstrated steady growth reflective of operational expansion: commencing with three orphan boys on April 1, 2018, the program increased to 10–20 boys by the end of 2018, reached 60 students (30 boys and 30 girls) by the end of 2019, and exceeded 400 pupils by September 2024.^[19] Key operational achievements include the construction of a dedicated 2-acre campus in Bhojerhat, South 24 Parganas, completed in 365 days from June 2023 to September 2024 after transitioning from initial rented apartments of 1,200 square feet to larger 6,000-square-foot premises.^[19] This infrastructure development supported the school's rebranding to Umeed Global School and accommodated the rising student body.^[19] Crowdfunding initiatives have underpinned these advancements, with ₹6 crore secured within six days of public appeals, contributing to a total of ₹10 crore from over 500,000 donors by September 2023.^[21][19] These funds facilitated not only facility upgrades but also sustained operations without reliance on government subsidies, enabling focus on core educational delivery.^[21]

Funding and Expansion Efforts

Umeed Global School primarily relies on public donations and crowdfunding campaigns for its financial sustainability, eschewing government grants or corporate sponsorships in favor of grassroots appeals. In September 2023, founder Wali Rahmani launched a crowdfunding drive via social media to fund construction of a permanent school building on a 2-acre plot acquired in 2022, raising Rs 5.5 crore within five days through contributions primarily from individual donors, many responding to his YouTube video appeals targeting modest-income Muslim communities across India.^[22][19] This rapid influx, equivalent to approximately $660,000 at contemporaneous exchange rates, enabled initial foundation work and structural development, demonstrating the school's dependence on viral online mobilization rather than traditional funding streams.^[18] The fundraising success is causally linked to Rahmani's personal influence as a social media influencer with millions of followers, whose emotive narratives framing the project as a collective duty amplified donor participation beyond what institutional channels might achieve. Subsequent campaigns built on this momentum, culminating in a total of Rs 10 crore raised by mid-2024 to complete the facility and support relocation to a larger campus in Bhojerhat, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, thereby expanding physical infrastructure to accommodate increased enrollment.^[3][23] Expansion strategies emphasize digital outreach for scalability, including repeated online donation drives and appeals for recurring contributions to address ongoing operational costs, though sustainability remains challenged by the episodic nature of such funding without diversified revenue models like endowments. Efforts to broaden reach include leveraging Rahmani's platform for international visibility, though documented partnerships remain limited to domestic networks, with growth metrics tied directly to campaign virality rather than formal global alliances.^[24][25]

Political Views and Engagement

Stances on Muslim Community and Religious Issues

Rahmani advocates for self-reliance within the Muslim community, particularly in education and welfare, viewing community service as a religious and social duty rather than mere charity. He promotes initiatives like convent-style schooling for underprivileged Muslim children to foster leadership and economic independence, arguing that dependency on state mechanisms perpetuates cycles of underachievement.^[26][16] This stance critiques narratives of inherent victimhood, urging Muslims to prioritize internal reforms in education and skill-building over external blame, as evidenced by his emphasis on ethical leadership and value-based training in community institutions.^[27] On religious leadership, Rahmani stresses communal responsibilities rooted in Islamic principles, positioning leaders as guides for social and legal adherence rather than passive recipients of aid. He has highlighted the duty of Muslims to maintain autonomy in personal laws and endowments, warning against external impositions that could erode religious practices.^[28][29] Through organizations like the Rahmani Mission, he champions inclusion via self-sustained efforts, debunking reliance on government welfare as normalized but counterproductive to Islamic imperatives of self-sufficiency and mutual aid.^[30] Regarding the Waqf (Amendment) Act of 2025, Rahmani led mass protests, including a June 2025 rally at Patna's Gandhi Maidan attended by over 1 million people, framing the legislation as an existential threat to waqf properties dedicated to community welfare, education, and mosques.^[31] He submitted a memorandum to the Joint Parliamentary Committee in January 2025 opposing the bill, contending it enables government takeover of "Allah's land" and disrupts a historical system funding poor Muslims' needs without state dependency.^[32][33] Empirically, supporters of the amendment cite chronic mismanagement and encroachments on waqf lands—estimated at millions of acres yielding low revenue despite vast holdings—as justification for reforms like digitization and non-Muslim inclusion on boards to enhance transparency and productivity.^[34] Rahmani counters that such changes undermine community control, prioritizing preservation of waqf's role in intra-Muslim self-reliance over administrative tweaks, though data on waqf boards' inefficiencies, such as underutilized assets generating only modest annual income, underscores tensions between autonomy and efficacy.^[35][36]

Positions on National Politics and Policies

Wali Rahmani has frequently criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government's use of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), arguing it enables the wrongful targeting of Muslims on unsubstantiated terrorism charges. In a March 2021 social media post, he highlighted the case of 122 Muslim activists charged under UAPA in the 2001 Surat SIMI convention, who received a clean chit from a Surat court after 20 years, attributing the delay to prosecutorial overreach rather than evidence-based enforcement.^[37] Similarly, Rahmani pointed to Maulana Kalimuddin Mujahiri from Jharkhand, arrested in 2020 and accused of Al-Qaeda links without concrete proof, as emblematic of arbitrary detentions that erode due process for minorities.^[12] These critiques frame UAPA as a tool for political suppression, though independent analyses, such as those from security experts, note its role in countering verified terror threats, suggesting Rahmani's emphasis prioritizes individual exonerations over aggregate threat data.^[38] Rahmani advocates for consolidated opposition fronts to challenge BJP dominance in national and state elections, viewing fragmented votes as enabling perceived authoritarian tactics. In a 2019 video address ahead of Delhi polls, he urged opposition parties to unify anti-BJP votes, arguing that division allows the ruling coalition to exploit electoral coercion, as allegedly seen in Bihar's assembly contests where alliances like RJD-LJP faced seat-sharing disputes amid minority outreach efforts.^[39] He echoed this in 2021 by helping launch the United Secular Front in West Bengal, a coalition of Dalit, Adivasi, and minority groups aimed at countering BJP's "hate politics," which he claims tarnishes India's global image.^[40][41] Such positions align with opposition narratives on electoral fairness, but empirical election data from Bihar 2020 shows BJP's alliances securing victories through broad coalitions, not solely coercion.^[42] On policies impacting minorities, Rahmani opposes measures like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and Waqf Amendment Bill, decrying them as discriminatory assaults on secularism and Muslim heritage. He labeled CAA-NRC in 2021 as "communal business" violating constitutional pluralism, urging Supreme Court challenges.^[43] In June 2025, at a Gandhi Maidan rally, he condemned Waqf amendments as stripping minority worship sites, framing them as existential threats rather than administrative reforms.^[35] Rahmani also critiqued Uniform Civil Code (UCC) pushes, warning in broader discourse that forced implementation ignores minority self-determination, though he has not publicly endorsed counters to historical appeasement politics, instead emphasizing empirical discrimination as the root of Muslim backwardness under BJP-JDU governance in Bihar since 2011.^[44][45] His stance reflects a causal view prioritizing policy intent over outcomes like increased minority scholarships under the same regimes, with sources like his social media indicating a bias toward opposition-aligned interpretations over neutral data on welfare delivery.^[16]

Advocacy for Social Unity and Farmer Rights

Rahmani has promoted social unity in India by transcending religious boundaries through motivational speeches and online content. In a January 2020 address focused on Hindu-Muslim unity, viewed over 1.5 million times, he stressed shared cultural heritage and mutual respect as foundations for national cohesion, urging communities to prioritize collective progress over division.^[46] Earlier, in a July 2018 speech, he critiqued the term "tolerance" as inadequate, advocating instead for genuine acceptance rooted in India's historical secular traditions, such as interfaith collaborations in pre-colonial eras.^[47] These efforts, channeled via his YouTube platform explicitly aimed at motivating Indians to unite, emphasize grassroots dialogue to counter narratives of inherent communal conflict.^[10] His advocacy extended to bridging divides amid unity versus separatism debates by framing social solidarity as a practical imperative against fragmentation. Rahmani has argued that forces promoting division—whether ideological or political—undermine collective resilience, positioning humanity's shared interests as superior to sectarian isolation.^[48] In a January 2025 statement, he described unity as "a force that binds us all together," linking it to collaborative events that include diverse participants to foster interpersonal bonds beyond identity lines.^[49] On farmer rights, Rahmani endorsed the 2020-2021 protests against the Indian government's agricultural reforms, which sought to liberalize markets but raised concerns over corporate influence and loss of state procurement guarantees. On November 28, 2020, via Twitter, he declared "#IStandWithFarmers" while noting the government's retention of Minimum Support Price mechanisms alongside provisions for external sales, interpreting these as failing to address protesters' demands for legal protections against market volatility.^[50] His social media campaigns mobilized support by sharing evidence of protest scale, such as farmers breaching barricades in Uttar Pradesh on January 24, 2021, and critiquing empirical lapses like restricted access to essentials during blockades, which exacerbated rural hardships. In a January 27, 2021 post, he highlighted overlooked footage of disciplined farmer actions during Delhi tractor rallies, countering portrayals of violence and calling for policy reevaluation based on sustained mobilization involving over 250 million farmers.^[51] These action-oriented posts aimed at amplifying voices through viral dissemination, distinct from institutional lobbying by encouraging public solidarity across castes and regions.^[52]

Controversies and Criticisms

Allegations on Umeed Global School Operations

In late 2024, unverified claims circulated on social media alleging that Umeed Global School required Rs 50,000 (half a lakh) as mandatory admission fees, purportedly contradicting its donation-based model for free education.^[5][53] These assertions, often amplified in online comments questioning the school's accessibility for middle-income families, lacked supporting documentation from affected parties or regulatory bodies.^[54] On December 14, 2024, founder Wali Rahmani convened a press conference to address the accusations, labeling them as deliberate propaganda aimed at undermining the institution's mission.^[55] He detailed the operational model, stating that 75% of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds receive fully sponsored, fee-free education through voluntary donations, while the remaining 25% contribute nominal amounts scaled to their financial capacity—typically far below Rs 50,000—to ensure sustainability without government funding.^[56] Rahmani invited public scrutiny, asserting that admissions follow a transparent lottery system for free seats and that no coercive fees are imposed, with all records available for verification.^[55] The school's official fee policy corroborates this hybrid approach, emphasizing donations as the primary revenue source to maintain zero-tuition for the majority, thereby enhancing accessibility for underserved children in Bihar.^[57] No formal complaints or investigations by educational authorities, such as the Bihar state education department, were reported as of December 2024, suggesting the allegations did not escalate to regulatory action.^[55] Critics of the model have highlighted potential transparency gaps in differentiating fee-payers from beneficiaries, which could foster perceptions of favoritism or inconsistent application, though Rahmani countered that detailed financial audits and donor reports mitigate such risks.^[54] This structure's accessibility benefits—enabling enrollment for thousands from low-income Muslim and rural communities—are offset by operational challenges in documenting variable contributions, prompting calls for enhanced public disclosure to rebuild trust amid unsubstantiated claims.^[57][55]

Debates Over Political Bias and Influence

Critics have accused Wali Rahmani of exhibiting anti-BJP bias in his political commentary, arguing that his analyses disproportionately target the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while overlooking shortcomings in opposition parties. Online discussions, such as those on Quora, highlight perceptions that Rahmani's content lacks balanced scrutiny, portraying him as selectively critical of BJP policies on issues like minority rights and governance, without equivalent examination of alternatives.^{[58] [59]} For instance, his 2019 YouTube video titled "How to Defeat BJP in 2019" explicitly strategizes opposition tactics, which detractors interpret as partisan advocacy rather than neutral analysis.^[60] Rahmani and his supporters counter these claims by framing his critiques as principled accountability rather than ideological opposition, emphasizing criticism of government actions irrespective of party affiliation. In a 2019 interview, Rahmani stated that his and similar creators' work is "not anti-BJP" but focused on challenging power, vowing to apply the same standards if opposition parties govern.^[61] Defenders portray his commentary as a corrective to mainstream media narratives that, in their view, underreport communal tensions under BJP rule, positioning Rahmani as a voice for empirical observation of minority disenfranchisement.^[58] Rahmani's influence in shaping Muslim political discourse is evident through his substantial social media footprint, with over 1.4 million Facebook followers and hundreds of thousands on Instagram and YouTube, where he disseminates views on national policies and community unity.^{[13] [11]} This reach amplifies his calls for Muslim consolidation against perceived BJP-driven marginalization, as seen in speeches envisioning community resilience amid policies like the Citizenship Amendment Act.^[16] However, analysts note that such targeted engagement risks fostering echo chambers, where audiences primarily exposed to confirmatory content on platforms reinforce partisan interpretations of events, limiting cross-ideological dialogue.^[62]

Reception and Impact

Public Perception and Achievements

Wali Rahmani is widely regarded as a prominent young figure in India's Muslim community, earning inclusion in lists of influential Indian Muslims for 2024 due to his entrepreneurial initiatives in education and social advocacy.^[16] His public profile is bolstered by a substantial social media following exceeding one million across platforms, where he engages audiences on themes of youth empowerment and community development.^[16] Key achievements center on expanding access to quality education for underprivileged children through Umeed Global School, a residential facility he founded to serve orphans and destitute youth with curricula modeled on elite institutions.^[3] Rahmani spearheaded a crowdfunding drive that amassed Rs 10 crore for the school's construction, including Rs 7 crore raised in just seven days in September 2023, enabling the rapid establishment of infrastructure to support hundreds of students.^[16][23] This effort has directly aided over 300 children, providing them with comprehensive schooling, nutrition, and skill-building programs aimed at breaking cycles of poverty.^[1] Rahmani's work has fostered broader societal impacts by inspiring young individuals to pursue self-reliance and leadership, as evidenced by his role as a motivational speaker who emphasizes education as a tool for personal and communal advancement.^[23] These outcomes reflect verifiable progress in educational outreach, with the school's model demonstrating scalable interventions for marginalized groups.^[3]

Critiques from Opposing Perspectives

Skeptics, particularly from right-leaning and conservative viewpoints, have questioned the sustainability of Rahmani's donation-dependent educational initiatives, arguing that models like Umeed Global School, which provide free access to 75% of students via crowdfunding while charging up to ₹1.5 lakh annually for the rest, risk financial instability and exclude middle-income families reliant on consistent revenue streams rather than sporadic donations.^[54] This structure, critics contend, perpetuates short-term aid without robust mechanisms for economic self-reliance, as evidenced by rapid fundraising successes like ₹6 crore raised in six days in September 2023, which may not scale amid donor fatigue or regulatory scrutiny.^[18] Opposing analyses highlight perceived selective activism in Rahmani's public engagements, accusing him of emphasizing external political threats to Muslims—such as opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act, which he deemed discriminatory—while under-engaging with intra-community challenges like support for divisive preachers or unaddressed extremism.^[63] Online commentators from skeptical perspectives note his limited direct critiques of figures like Zakir Naik or Asaduddin Owaisi, despite broader condemnations of terrorism, such as his April 2025 statement denouncing the Pehalgam attack as contrary to Islamic principles, suggesting a focus on narrative-building over comprehensive reform.^[58][64] Claims of political opportunism surface in critiques portraying Rahmani's minority advocacy and social media influence—amassing over 500,000 Instagram followers—as strategically aligned with opposition to ruling party policies, potentially to amplify personal branding rather than foster cross-community unity, especially given instances of backlash like the 2020 trolling over his Bengaluru violence commentary that led to a temporary social media hiatus.^[65][11] Such views posit that this approach risks entrenching dependency on grievance politics, diverting from causal factors like educational deficits within Muslim communities that his efforts nominally target but may not causally resolve without broader accountability.