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About 60 years ago, Moosakutty, who was working in the Madras Board of Revenue, died following a surgery at the Government General Hospital. This shocked his friends into thinking of forming an organisation of Muslims, helpless in an alien city. The first drive of Moosakutty's friends, led by P Hameed Koya, was, however, towards setting up a library and reading room to perpetuate the name of the departed soul. Later, they decided to form an outfit which would look after the library and reading room. They formed the Kerala Muslim Samajam on February 28, 1945, under the leadership of T P Kuttiyammu, Said Abu Koya Thangal, P M Abu Rahman and P Hameed Koya. After a year, the name of the samjam was turned into Malabar Muslim Association (MMA), as most of the members were from Malabar and Malabar was a part of the erstwhile Madras Presidency. The original aims of the samajam were: taking care of 'mauath' (performing the last rites and burying the dead bodies, including the unclaimed ones from jails and hospitals), helping sick Muslims from Kerala who come here for treatment, helping the unemployed find job and aiding students. The MMA still carries out the original aims irrespective of its enviable growth and diversification of interests.
Muslims from all over Kerala, who were doing business or working in Chennai, became MMA's members. The present general secretary of the association, T C Ali, says about 70 per cent of the Malayalee Muslims in Chennai are its members. The MMA started the Muslim Association Hostel in 1947 for students and low-income people. The hostel accommodated/accommodates all people irrespective of religious, regional, linguistic or caste concerns. At first, the hostel and the association office were in rented buildings. In the early 1960s, the MMA bought a building in Kennet Lane at Egmore and the hostel and office were shifted to it. There is a Juma Masjid in the building where about 2,000 persons can perform 'namas'. The MMA has six branches: Pudupet, Washermenpet, Choolaipattalam, George Town, Alandur and Villivakkam. There are madrasas in all the branches, and hostels in the Pudupet and George Town branches. Alandur branch has a state government-recognised English medium school. The association has an Islam study centre and a medical relief centre. The MMA provides interest-less loans too. The MMA became famous among the Muslims of south India due to its free Haj service. It played a major role in introducing Haj flights from Chennai (between 1987-99). Till then, Mumbai handled Haj service. In the early '70s, when Malayalees were attacked on the basis of the 'sons of the soil' theory, the MMA played an active role in making them feel secure. The steps the MMA took during the difficult times got wide appreciation. It took initiative in organising the Kerala Welfare Association, which later became the Federation of the Madras Kerala Association. In its name and aim, the MMA appears to be a pure religious body. But to me, who trod on Kennet Lane twice a day for six months a year ago, the MMA office, its name board and the Malabarised Malayalam that surround the area, were more regional than religious.
Salil Jose Readers' response/inputs can be e-mailed to salil@chennaionline.com.
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One man's death gave birth to an idea that has grown and developed into a massive
organisation.
