Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Legacy of Kerala Muslim Welfare Association, Delhi started on 15th April 1988




It was on a Friday evening at 4.30 PM on 15th April 1988 when the Kerala Muslim Welfare Association, Delhi was established in its first meeting held in Lodhi Gardens, New Delhi.  A group of five people (KV Hamza, K Mohammed Kunhi, PNP Haris, KMA Rahiman and Ismail Melady) conceptualized the idea and worked out the strategy to form an association of the non-resident Keralite Muslims living in the Capital City of Delhi with the absolute objectives of just know each other, extending the care and support in personal and public life of the members, reaching out to the needy in case of diseases, accidents, supporting the downtrodden sections of the society etc. 


The first person waiting for us in Lodhi Gardens for the meeting was Mr. M. Nazarudheen of CPWD who heard about this endeavour and was more than punctual in those days when own vehicle like even a two wheeler was a luxury and the rapid transport system like metro rail was not heard of.  An irony was that the Mr. KMA Rahiman was the person who decided the venue for the first meeting, but unfortunately went round and round in the lengths and breadths of Lodhi Garden and failed to locate the group gathering and thereby missing the meeting. 


Some of the names of the 26 participants including the five original conceptualizers were: KV Hamza, K Mohammed Kunhi, PNP Haris, KMA Rahiman and Ismail Melady, Dr. Bahavudheen, Ex Principal of then REC, Calicut, Abu Bakar, Research Officer M/o Commerce, O. Mohammed, Executive Engineer of then DESU, M. Nazarudheen of CPWD, KP Mahmood, Dy. Dir. DGFT, PC Hamza the Publisher, Abdul Jabbar, the ex Airforce, etc., as I am unable to remember the names of all of them after long 26 years.  Those were the days when, forget about mobile phones, even landlines telephones at homes were also the prized possessions of the high or mighty only.  So communication was through the now forgotten poor postal service only, else calling the office number of members from public booths by inserting coins.  I still can vividly remember the days accompanying Mr. AVM Kutty to the public telephone kept in the External Affairs Hostel carrying coins in hand or making telephone calls from the Kashmeri Store, the provisional store at Gole Market to invite members for programs of the Association.  Computers were seen either in NIC centres or in computer education institutions only.  It used to be a real effort to make letters with the kind help of old and noisy Remington typewriters followed by electronic typewriters after few years that too mostly in the offices of higher officers in the ministries/departments only. 


Mr. PC Hamza wrote the minutes of the first meeting of the Association and an ad-hoc committee comprising President, Vice President, General Secretary, Joint Secretary, Treasurer and 6 Executive Members were unanimously elected to functionalize the organization.  Subsequent meetings, further developments and progress of the Association have gone through various committed and abled hands like, AVM Kutty, KM Jamaludheen, AR Kutty, KM Hamza, Shaikh Moideen, PP Abdul Rahiman, Dr. MM Kunju, MK Abdul Nazer, N Abdul Khader, Abdul Khalik PP, Abdul Salam, Shaikh Mehboob, Aboobacker Kunju, AM Basheer, AT Sainudin, as the stalwarts.  The current main office bearers of the Association are KK Basheer, Mansoor Kattanam & Anas as President, Secretary and Treasurer respectively with the active support of others and Executive Members. 


The organization started in the small gathering in Lodhi Gardens 26 years has now grown leaps and bounds and reached with its own foot strongly in the culturally fertile ground of this historical Delhi and acquiring 400 Sq. meter plot of land and constructing a 3 storeyed structure to be used as the Association’s office and Kerala Islamic Centre after completion of the work. 


Looking back to more than a quarter of the century, this organization still remains the common platform for not only Keralite Muslims, but also for the entire Keralites to look forward for shade under its leaves.  The ardent community and fellow feelings of great leaders like Late Janab Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait, Late Janab GM Banatwala, Late Janab PM Sayeed, Mr. E Ahamed, Mr. T.K.A. Nair, Mr. C.K. Menon, Mr. ET Mohammed Basheer, Mr. Yusuffali MA etc., have benefitted the organization in its growth and remaining as a non-partisan entity for the welfare and advancement of the downtrodden sections of the society. 
 
So we, the members of Kerala Muslim Welfare Association would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to one and all who stood with us, walked with us, led us to the path of progress in this cosmopolitan and capital city of Delhi.  We expect the cooperation and togetherness from all of you always so that the Kerala Muslim Welfare Association can proudly stand as an icon of communal harmony and National Integration.