M. Muhammad Ismail Explained

M. Muhammad Ismail Rowther Sahib (5 June 1896—5 April 1972) was an Indian politician and social worker from southern Indian state Tamil Nadu. he was a founder of the Indian Union Muslim League party after the partition of British India.[1] He was popularly known in Tamil Nadu and Kerala as the "Quaid-e-Millat" ("the Leader of the Nation").[2] Ismail was a member of Madras Legislative Assembly and Leader of the Opposition (1946—52). He was also a member (1948—50) of the Constituent Assembly, the drafting body of the constitution of India. He was also a member of Rajya Sabha (1952—58) and Lok Sabha (3rd, 1962—67, 4th, 1967—70 and 5th, 1971—72).

M. Muhammad Ismail Rowther
Birth Date:5 June 1896
Birth Place:Tirunelveli, Madras Presidency, British India
Death Place:Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
Office:Member of the Madras State Legislative Assembly
Term Start:1946
Term End:1952
Office2:Member of the Indian Constituent Assembly
Term Start2:1948
Term End2:1952
Office3:Member of the Rajya Sabha
Term Start3:1952
Term End3:1958
Office4:Member of the Lok Sabha
Term Start4:1962
Term End4:1972
Constituency4:Manjeri
Party:
Children:Jamal Miakhan (son)
Relations:K.T.M. Ahmed Ibrahim Sahib (brother)
Honorific Prefix:Quaid-e-Millat
Spouse:Jamal Hameeda Bi

Early life and career

M. Muhammad Ismail Rowther was born in Pettai, Tirunelveli, in what is now the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, on 5 June 1896 to Maulavi K. T. Miakhan Rowther in a Tirunelveli Rowther family. He was educated at C. M. S. College and Hindu College at Tirunelveli and later at St. Joseph's College, Trichinopoly and Christian College, Madras.[3]

Ismail started the 'Young Muslim Society' in his home town Tirunelveli Pettai in 1909 (as a 13-year-old).[4] He was also instrumental in establishing Majlis ul-Ulama ('the Council of Islamic Scholars') in 1918. He went into business in the 1920s and became a leader of Madras leather industry and eventually of Madras commerce.

Ismail married Jamal Hameeda Biwi in November 1923. Ismail's brother, K. T. M. Ahmed Ibrahim, was also a principal leader of the All-India Muslim League in Madras Presidency. Ismail served as Vice President, Muslim Educational Association of Southern India and Anjuman Himayat-e-Islam. He was also a founding member of the Tamil Valarchi Kazhagam, Madras.

Political career

With the All-India Muslim League

Success in Madras commerce led Ismail into Indian politics. Along with K. M. Seethi Saheb, B. Pocker and K. Uppi Saheb, he was one of the principal leaders of All-India Muslim League in Madras Presidency from the mid-1930s.[5]

In 1945, he became the President of the Madras Presidency unit of the All-India Muslim League. In the elections to the Madras legislature, the League won all but ten of the reserved seats in 1936 and all in 1946. The League emerged as the second largest party in the Assembly after the 1946 elections and Ismail served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly during 1946–52.[6] [7] [8]

With the Indian Union Muslim League

When British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan, the All-India Muslim League was virtually disbanded (December, 1947). Ismail, the then President of the Madras Muslim League, was chosen as the Convener of the Indian segment of the League. The Indian members of the League formed the Indian Union Muslim League at Madras (first council in March, 1948 and constitution passed in September, 1951). Ismail was chosen as the first President of Indian Union Muslim League.

After partition of India, Muslims were still well represented in the Constituent Assembly, the drafting body of the constitution of India (almost all of these lawmakers had been elected on League tickets). Only those from Madras Presidency formally adhered to the League. Ismail was elected from the Madras Legislative Assembly to the Constituent Assembly in 1948. When the report of the Advisory Committee on Minorities was debated (1949), Ismail moved a motion for the retention of reserved seats for Muslims and a separate communal electorate. The Assembly summarily rejected this motion. Ismail Sahib wanted Tamil to be the Official Language of India.[9]

Attempts for an alliance

In the 1950s, Ismail started negotiating with the stubborn High Command in New Delhi (through the Madras leadership) for an electoral alliance with the Congress. Some informal or local alliances with the Madras Congress were realized. The party thereupon suffered a rout in the 1957 General Elections and witnessed a major split in 1961 (instigated by Mohammed Raza Khan, M. S. A. Majeed and K. T. Sheriff). League in due course allied with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Swatantra Party.

In 1952, Ismail was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Madras with support of the independent candidates endorsed by the League.

As a Member of Parliament from Kerala

When the state of Kerala was formed by the States Reorganisation Act in 1956, Ismail his constituency to northern Kerala. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Manjeri Parliamentary Constituency three times – in 1962 (Third Lok Sabha), 1967 (Fourth Lok Sabha) and 1971 (Fifth Lok Sabha) as an Indian Union Muslim League candidate.

During the 1962 India-China War, Ismail famously offered to send his son Mian Khan to join the Indian Army to fight against China.[10]

General Elections!General Election!Constituency !Winner!Party!Runner up!Margin
1962 (Third)M. Muhammad Ismail Muhammed Kunju (CPI)4,328
1967 (Fourth) M. Muhammad Ismail A. N. Beevi (Congress)107,494
1971 (Fifth)M. Muhammad Ismail S. P. Mumammed Ali (Ind.)119,837

Business career

Ismail went into business in the 1920s and was involved in various commerce committees. He was a noted businessman of the Madras Presidency involved in leather and meat industry.[11]

The boards and committees he was a member of include:

Legacy

M. Muhammad Ismail died in 1972 (after a prolonged illness).[12] Indian National Congress politician M. Bhaktavatsalam, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, paying his tribute, described Ismail as a "a model for all Opposition leaders".

Notes and References

  1. Wright . Theodore P. . 1966 . The Muslim League in South India since Independence . The American Political Science Review . 60 . 3 . 582–583 . 10.2307/1952972. 1952972 . 143572105 .
  2. Wright . Theodore P. . 1966 . The Muslim League in South India since Independence . The American Political Science Review . 60 . 3 . 597 . 10.2307/1952972. 1952972 . 143572105 .
  3. Web site: M. Muhammad Ismail (Fifth Lok Sabha Members. Profile) . Lok Sabha . Government of India.
  4. News: Muthiah . S. . 2017-05-01 . Who was Quaid-e-Millat? . The Hindu . 2020-10-13 . 0971-751X.
  5. Wright . Theodore P. . 1966 . The Muslim League in South India since Independence . American Political Science Review . 60 . 3 . 579–599 . 10.2307/1952972 . 1952972. 143572105 .
  6. Book: Ralhan, Om Prakash. Encyclopaedia Of Political Parties. Anmol Publications. 1998. 978-81-7488-865-5. 33-50. 13.
  7. Book: Dash, Shreeram Chandra. The Constitution of India: A Comparative Study. Chaitanya Publishing House. 1968. 532.
  8. Book: Sundararajan. March to Freedom in Madras Presidency, 1916–1947. Lalitha Publications. 1989. Madras. 623–636.
  9. Web site: 2021-06-05 . சிறப்பு கட்டுரை: காயிதே மில்லத் தமிழரா? . 2022-11-08 . News18 Tamil . ta.
  10. News: Nair . Preetha . 19 April 2019 . A Coloured Scheme Of Things . Outlook Magazine .
  11. Web site: Bhattacharjee . Rupanwita . 2018-09-29 . Muhammad Ismail, Indian Muslim League Pioneer who Wanted Hindustani as Official Language . The Print .
  12. Book: Lok Sabha Debates. Lok Sabha Secretariat. 1972. 274.
  13. Web site: University of Madras: Aided Colleges . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20060221030604/http://www.unom.ac.in/aided.html . 21 February 2006 . University of Madras.
  14. Web site: Panneerselvan. A. S.. 16 June 1997. Name Of The Game. Outlook Magazine.
  15. Web site: DISCUSSION. Parliament of India.