Cutchi Memon Digest April 2015

steam boat services between Kochi and Alappuzha
extending over to Arattupuzha, Kayamkulam and
Kollam. The first to lead the services was Abdul
Sathar Haji Moosa Sait with the establishment of
“Malabar Navigation Industrials” pooling together
the individual boats and services owned by
himself, Wallibhoy Kaderbhoy & Co and Ahmed
Hasbulla. The Malabar Navigation and Industrials
Ltd. was registered as a company on March 3,
1913 with a capital of Rs. 5 lakh. The boats carried
passengers between Kochi and Kollam, and
between Kochi and Changanasserry, touching all
the human settlements enroute. They also carried
goods and mail on account of the British
Government and the States of Travancore and
Cochin.

He was the largest supplier of rice to Cochin and
Travancore. He was the President of the Indian
Chamber of Commerce during 1917 to 1922. He

50

was also a founder member of the Coronation
Club. He constructed a mosque in Aluva, which
was recently renovated with the assistance from
the Abdul Sathar Haji Moosa Sait Juma Masjid. He
created a trust in the name of Abdul Sathar Haji
Moosa Sait Dharmasthapanam and donated to this
Trust an island of 154.27 acres of coconut garden
known as Sathar Island and also some buidings at
Cochin and Trippunithura, the then capital of
Cochin. 25% of the income arising out of these
properties was earmarked for higher education,
construction and repairs of mosques, for
conducting Madrassas, marriages of poor girls,
medical treatment and other charities. The
remaining income was meant for the welfare of the
members of his family in the then and future
generations.

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Aboobacker Ahmed Patel

Born on 24th May 1926 at Mangalore
as son of Ahmed Patel. He had
education at Mangalore. He was
married to Aysha Bai, daughter of
Abdulla Ommer Sait, Kochi on 1st
October 1950. He had four daughters and two
sons. He entered in business in 1950 and later
established the firm The Kerala Hides and Skins in
Kochi. He donated 3.46 cents of land with a
building in Survey No. 60 of Mattancherry village
to the Cutchi memon Jamath, in memory of his
wife who predeceased him.

Adam Aboobacker Sait
(Shamsu)

Born on 14th November 1941 at Kochi,
son of Aboobacker Sait, grand son of
Shah Bahadur S. Adam Sait of

52

Thiruvananthapuram, former member of the
Legislative Council of Travancore and great
grandson of Abdul Sathar Haji Moosa Sait. He had
been in business as Managing Partner of Real Point
& Trans India and was a social worker. Since
1978 he had been the Managing Trustee of Abdul
Sathar Haji Moosa Sait Trust. He was a member of
the Kerala Waqf Board and of Cutchi Memon
Association Managing Committee; President of
Abdul Sathar Haji Moosa Sait Juma Masjid Trust
Committee, Aluva, State Treasurer of Kerala State
Swathanthra Karshaka Sangham, Sub Editor of
Memon Mirror, Director of Y's Men Club of
Ernakulam, State Vice President, Kerala Wakf
Mutavally Association, Vice President of M.S.S.
Ernakulam District Committee, President of Indian
Union Muslim League Ernakulam Division
Committee, General Secreatry of Ernakulam Town
Muslim Relief Committee, Member of Indian Red
Cross Society, and Member, Memon Assistance

53

Nourishment Services of Cutchi Memon
Association are some of his achievements.

Ahmed Usman Sait

Ahmed Usman Sait was born on
15th November 1928 at Kochi as
son of Haji Usman Mohamed
Hashim Sait and Zulekha Bai. He
had his education at T.D. High
School, Maharajah's College and the
Law College, Ernakulam. He married Kulsum Bai
daughter of Haji Essack Haji Abdul Sathar Sait. He
was blessed with two sons, Riyaz Ahmed Sait and
Asif Ahmed Sait, and a daughter, Firdous Aslam.

He was a very active social enthusiast and edited
the Chitram Cinema magazine during 1949-53.
The magazine which was started by him, however,
had a short life in spite of very good circulation,
due to pressure of his business responsibilities.

54

He joined the Abad Fisheries as Partner in 1951.
He has widely travelled the world for business
purposes. One of his great successes was the
revolutionised adoption of Individual Quick
Freezing system where every individual piece of
prawn, squid etc. was frozen in a specialized cold
blast freezing machine as against the conventional
blast freezing in a cold storage system, for the
first time in the Indian marine products industry.
He could capture the overseas market with IQF
products for their keeping quality and split
thawing besides quality assurance owing to
arrested microbial activity. Added benefits were
highly controlled and cost effective production
system coupled with savings, clean and orderly
storekeeping.

With the expansion of business in Kochi and the
affiliation of various regional business
associations the Indian Chamber of Commerce lost

55

its ab initio character of a Cutchi Memon
institution. After A.R. Abdul Hameed Sait, no
Cutchi Memon could adorn the President's chair
for 22 years from 1951 to 1972, until Ahmed
Usman Sait was elected as its President in 1972.
He was the President of Coronation Club, another
Cutchi Memon dominated prestigious entity, in
1971-79.

He has served in various capacities on the manag-
ement committees and boards of Sea foods
Exporters Association of India, Marine Products
Export Promotion Council, Kerala Small Scale
Industries Association, Cochin College, Kerala
Regional Telecom Advisary Board, Greater Cochin
Development authority. He was the Trustee of
Cochin Orphanage Trust and President of the
Kochi Cutchi Memon Jamath during the 1998-99
Jubilee year.

See also the page THE SAGA OF ABAD
56

Dawood Mohamed Sait

alias Ramju Master

An icon of the Cutchi Memons everywhere! Poverty
amidst prosperity and possessing exemplary
talents. Barring a few blessed men the cross
section of memons bear a hand to mouth
existence, too proud to beg or seek help. Ramju
Master went through life's mill often crushed and
flattened but always wore a smile and charitable
countenanace.

His father Mohamed Haji Dawood Sait was unable
to support his education beyond the Kochi T.D.
High School. Young Dawood joined the Haji Essa
Haji Moosa Memorial High School as a teacher. But
soon resigned on account of a difference of
opinion with the management, though he rejoined
the same school later after the management had
changed. Earnings as a teacher being paltry he
joined the Cochin Commercial Bank on the advise

57

and with the help of Haji Essa Haji Abdul Sathar
Sait who was a director on the Board of the Bank.

As luck would have it, Ramju Master became ill
and had to resign his job with the bank. While
convalescing he sharpened his skills in Urdu
poetry and composed many a parady to Urdu
songs of Shakeel Badayuni that were published in
the Urdu magazine Shama of Delhi.

While at Haji Essa School, he married Ayima Bai,
daughter of Ebrahim Barrister. The marriage ended
up in divorce, without issues. He then married
Amina Bai daughter of Dada Sait. The couple had a
son whom he named Shakeel out of his love and
reverence for Shakeel Badayuni!!

Just then A.R. Abdul Hameed Sait, younger brother
of A.R. Sulaiman Sait of Alappuzha, was appointed
agent for Mohammadi Steamship Company. Ramju

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Master was appointed as Manager at Kochi. But in
about five years' time the company was closed and
Ramju Master once again became jobless. He did
not take up any job thereafter. For a living he
offered tuition at home.

Ramju Master was a good film critic and actor too.
He co-starred Prof. Yusuf Sait's Andher in 1944.
He also acted in the dramas 'Talavidhi Mattan' and
'Dushyanthan' of Cochin Cultural Art Association.
He was a member of the Editorial Board of
Deepthi.

Ramju Master passed away on 27th June 1976.

Esmail Haji Essa Sait

Born in 1902 as the son of Hajee Essa Hajee
Moosa Sait. He was a renowned business man and
philanthropist of Kochi. The long list of his

59

attainments include membership of the Cochin
Legislative Council, Chairmanship of Mattancherry
Municipal Council from 1941 to 1945 and the
honorary position of Bench Magistrate of
Mattancherry. He was the Vice President of the
Indian Chamber of Commerce and of the
Coronation Club, Director of Indo-Mercantile Bank
and of the Government Land Mortgage Bank. He
was also on the Cochin Harbour Advisory Board
and Cochin Staff Selection Board.

The Government of India conferred on him the title
of „Khan Saheb‟ in 1943. He was the recipient of
King George V Silver Jubilee Medal and the King
George VI Coronation Medal. He founded the
Hajee Essa Hajee Moosa Memorial High School
which was inaugurated by the Maharajah
himself. He died at the young age of 47.

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Haji Essa Haji Abdul Sathar Sait
(Kikki Sait)

Born in 1909. He was a business-
man and landlord renowned for his
charity and philanthropy. He was
married to Khadeeja Bai alias
Ayima Bai, daughter of Hajee
Abdul Latheef Haji Essa Sait (Lathu
Selat) and was blessed with a son, Babu Sait and a
daughter Zubaida Bai. He served in various
capacities as follows
 Vice President of Cochin State Muslim League
 Vice President of Municipal Council
 President, Cutchi Memon Association (1956-
57)
 President, Iqbal Library
 President, Cutchi Memon Jamath (1976-78)
 Managing Council Member of All India Cutchi
Memon Federation (1975-81)
 Member, Kerala Waqf Board (1965-75)

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 Treasurer, Kerala Muslim Educational
Association

 Governing body member, SSM Polytechnic
Tirur (Till 1983)

 Managing Committee member, J.D.T. Islam
Orphanage, Calicut; Tirurangadi Orphanage,
Tirurangadi; and Cochin Orphanage,
Ernakulam

 Director, Metal Industries Ltd.; Kerala
Planters Ltd. and Cochin Commercial Bank
Ltd.

 Managing Trustee of Asia Bai Trust, Haji
Abdul Latheef Haji Essa Sait Trust, Khadeeja
Bai Trust and Zanana Madrassa Islamiya Trust

Died on 8th May 1983.

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Adv. Essa Ahmed Sait

Born in 1923. Essa Ahmed Sait was the
first graduate and law degree holder
from Cutchi Memons of Kochi. Part of
his education was in Mohammedan
College, Madras (now Chennai). He
started his legal practice under the leading lawyer
in the Ernakulam Bar, and later Chief Justice of
Kerala, Justice K.T. Koshy. Initially he had good
practice.

From his student days he took serious interest in
social, cultural and political affairs. This badly
affected his practice as a lawyer and because of
financial difficulties he had to struggle hard to
provide for the education of his children. Never
the less, by the grace of Allah they were all
properly educated and well placed in life. For a

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while he also set up practice in Taliparamba under
the instructions of Seethi Sahib.

He was the Secretary of Cutchi Memon Association
and the Iqbal Library for many years. In 1972
when the Cutchi Memon Jamath was re-
established he was unanimously elected its
Secretary and continued in that position until his
death in 1974.

Before independence Essa Ahmed Sait was a
member of the Muslim League Executive
Committee for the Princely States, under the
presidency of Nawab Yarjung Bahadur. He served
as the editor of Cochin Mail, the mouth piece of
Kochi Muslims and as the General Secretary of the
Cochin State Muslim League for several years. As
part of his political activity he had visited all the
villages between Thiruvilwamala and Kumbalam,
along with Muttichoor A.A. Mohammed, in order to

64

organize the Muslims in those places under the
banner of Muslim League. He served later as the
General Secretary of the Travancore-Cochin State
Muslim League, under the leadership of P.K.
Kunju, following the 1950 States Re-organization.
After the formation of Kerala State he served as
President of Kollam Muslim League District
Committee.

Essa Ahmed Sait contested election to the State
Legislative Assembly in 1948, as a Muslim League
candidate and in a subsequent election as an
independent candidate. He lost both the elections.

Haji Joonus Ommer Sait

Popularly known as O. Joonus
Sait, he was born on 20th August
1915 in the family of Kameesa
Sait, the traditional heirs to the

65

gaddi of Sait of Kochi Cutchi Memon Jamath. The
Jamath became defunct in 1932 when he was only
17, while his uncle Hajee Yusuf Hajee Salay
Mohamed Sait was the Sait. He was a founder
member of the Iqbal
Library and Reading Room (1936) and the Cutchi
Memon Association (1948). He was the Chairman
of the ad-hoc Committee for the re-establishment
of the Jamath (1971-72), thereafter accepted the
office of the Treasurer (1972-74). He ran a
footwear store in Mattancherry.

H.E. Abdul Kareem Sait

Born on 12th December 1912 at Alappuzha as son
of Haji Esmail Hasham Sait. He started business at
the age of 20. In 1940 he became the Mutawally of
the Cutchi Memon Noorani Masjid of Alappuzha
which office he held for about twenty years. In
1959 he migrated to Kochi. He was the Vice

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President of Cutchi Memon Association during
1973-76 and its Secretary in 1977-78. He was the
Vice President of Cutchi Memon Jamath during
1976-80. Died on 3rd August 1985. He was
survived by four sons and two daughters.

H.E. Mohamed Babu Sait

Babu Sait was born on 18th April
1950 as the only son of Haji Essa
Haji Abdul Sathar Sait and Khadeeja
Bai. He had a sister, Zubaida Bai,
who was married to Abdul Latheef
Yunus Sait of Thiruvananthapuram. He is a
graduate in commerce. His social and religious
activities included:
- Chairman, Juvenile Welfare Board, Central Zone
- Vice Chairman, Ernakulam Chamber of
Commerce

67

- Senate Member, Cochin University of Science &
Technology
- Chairman, Cochin Orphanage
- Governing Body Member, Seethi Saheb Memorial
Polytechnic (SSMP), Tirur
- State Executive Member, Muslim Educational
Society
- State Executive Member, Kerala State Muslim
Orphanages Coordination Committee
- Member, MES Economic Forum
- Member, Jamiya Nadviyya Trust, Edavanna
- Vice President, Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen
- Chairman, Darul Uloom Arabic College and
Vocational Higher Secondary School
- Treasurer, Kerala Muslim Educational Association
- Manager, Assia Bai English Medium High School
- Managing trustee, Assia Bai Trust, Khadija Bai
Trust, Zanana Madrassa Islamia Trust and
- President, Ernakulam Chamber of Commerce

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J.M. Usman Sait (Key Bappu)

Bappu Sait was born on 20th
December 1934. He was the
Managing Partner of M/s Al Mufta
Agencies, a clearing and forwarding
agency at the Cochin Port. He had
been the Vice President of Cutchi Memon Jamath
since 1982 and Vice President of Cutchi Memon
Trust since 1984. He had also been the Vice
Chairman of Cutchi Memon Hanafi Masjid during
1997-99. He was one of the Trustees of Haji
Usman Allarakhiya & Ayub Hajee Abdul Rahman
Sait Trust and Managing Trustee of Hawa Bai and
Zainab Bai Charitable Trusts. He had three
daughters and four sons.

Mahmood Ebrahim Sait

Born on 10th September 1934. Did his
Intermediate course at St.
Alberts College

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Ernakulam but could not proceed
further as he had to join the family
business of marine products
export. He joined the Indo-Marine
Agencies, which was exporting dried
prawns to Myanmar, in 1956. The firm was later
incorporated as a limited company and started
export of frozen and canned fish products.
Mahmood Ebrahim Sait developed the company as
its Executive Director and bagged the Outstanding
Export Award of the Government of India for the
year 1966-68.

He married in 1954 and has two daughters. His
social activities included :
- President, Lions Club of Cochin 1980-81
- Chairman, Cochin Orphanage Trust, 1975-80
- Chairman , Madrasathul Mujahideen Oriental
High School, 1982-85
- President, Cutchi Memon Association, 1986-87

70

- Muthavally, Masjidul Mujahideen, Kochi, 1982
onwards
- President, Coronation Club, Kochi
- Life-time President, Irshad Muslim Sangham,
Azhikode, Kodungallur since 1998
His sports interests span tennis, billiards and
snooker.

Yousuf Ismail Sait

A businessman and leading exporter of dried
prawns to Myanmar (Burma) Yousuf Sait is
remembered for the Broadway Juma Masjid,
Ernakulam and the Puttirikkad Juma Masjid near
Thoppumpady constructed and waqafed by him.
He was chairman of Mattancherry Municipal
Council in 1940-41. Died on 3rd Novembr 1964.

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M.J. Zakaria

M.J. Zakaria, journalist and trade
union leader, was born as the son of
Mohammed Jaffer Sait and Fathima
Bai at Cochin on 11th April 1941. He
completed his intermediate
education at Mattancherry, even
while involved in students movements.

Zakaria Sait entered Politics through the Muslim
Students Federation. He was the Councillor of the
Cochin Corporation since its formation in 1967
and was the Chairman of the Health Committee. In
1976 he became the Deputy Mayor. He was
elected as a Representative of the civic body to the
Greater Cochin Development Authority. He also
successfully completed the orientation course for
the Councillors conducted by the Osmania
University, Hyderabad.

72

Zakaria Sait had been elected to Kerala Legislative
Assembly (KLA) in 1980, 1987, and in 1992 from
Mattancherry constituency. He held the Office of
the Deputy Speaker in the VIth K.L.A from 21
February 1980 to 01 January 1982. He was also
the Chairman of the Estimates Committee of
Kerala Legislature during 1994-1996.

Zakaria Sait was District Vice-President of Muslim

League and Secretary of the Muslim League

Legislature Party during 1980-82. He was also the

State Secretary and State Vice- President of All

India Muslim League. He later became State

Working President of Indian National League. As

President of several trade unions he had served in

F.C.I Thozhilali Union, Cochin Port Swathanthra

Thozhilali Union, Kerala State Rationshop

Employees Union, KSDP Employees Council, and

K.M.M.L Employees Union.

73

A known journalist, Zakaria Sait has authored
several short stories and was the Editor of
“Aikyam” Weekly.

Hajara Bai is his wife they have three sons and four
daughters. M.J. Zakaria Sait expired on 3 October
1999. KLA paid its homage on 29 December
1999.

Mohamed Usman Haji Hussain Sait

Popularly known as Phoppa, Hajee
Mohamed Usman Hajee Hussain
Sait, was born on 8th August 1904.
He was a businessman with a
difference –devout and pious, with
remarkable characteristics attributable to
Sayyadina Uthman bin Affan (RA) or Emperor
Aurangazeb. He married Ayisha Bai daughter of

74

Mohamed Kassam Sait and after her death Fabia
Bai Mohamed Hashim Sait. He had seven children,
5 sons and 2 daughters, in the order of seniority,
Mariyam Bai (married to Abdul Kader Sait),
Sulaiman Sait, Khadeeja Bai (married to Yacob
Sait), Hussain Sait, Abdul Hameed Sait, Abdul
Azeez Sait, Abdul Shakoor Sait. He started his
business career as a partner of the then leading
textile house Hashim Essa Usman & Co.

His religious life was remarkable. He was well
versed with Qur'an and at it a Hafiz. Invariably, in
all the functions, be it social, political or domestic,
where he was present, he used to recite the
opening qir‟at (prayer). He was a calligraphist and
wrote the entire Qur‟an Sheriff in Indian ink by
hand. The manuscript is well preserved by the
families of his sons Sulaiman Sait (first 15 Juz‟s)
and Hussain Sait (second 15 Juz‟s). Hussain Sait
also had with him manuscript of verses for the

75

daily recitation recommended by ulema. The Sura
Fatiha can be seen in the opening gallery of this
issue of Digest.

His services included, Mutawalli of Masjdul
Mujahideen, President 13th Division Cochin State
Muslim League, Working Committee member of
Muslim Educational Association, Working
Committee member, Mattancherry Fire Station,
President Cutchi Memon Jamath and Committee
member, Cutchi Memon Association. He died on
26th August 1994, just after completing 90 years.

Mohamed Wasim Sait

The first Cutchi Memon to occupy
the coveted chair of a District Judge
in Kerala, Mohamed Wasim Sait was
born on 10th Octobr 1961, to M.O.
Hussain Sait and Haleema Bai of

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Kochi. He had his education at Mattancherry
Gujarathi High School, Sacred Heart College,
Ernakulam and Government Law Collge,
Ernakulam. In 1989 he was selected as Second
Class Magistrate through High Court of Kerala
Magistrates' Examination. Presetly he is a District
Judge in Kerala.

Osman Ahmed Sait

A founder member of the Cutchi
Memon Association, Osman Ahmed
Sait was a businessman with a
social inclination. He was the Vice
President of CMA in 1957-59. He
was a member of the Majlis-e-
Ittihad-e-Tarakky (See article).

He was among those imprisoned for picketing the
Trust offices.

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He served the Cutchi Memon Jamath as Joint
Secretary during 1972-73 on the re-establishment
of the Jamath. He became the Vice President in
1980 and died in harness on 22nd October 1981.

Haji Salay Mohamed Ebrahim Sait

Born on 17th January 1932. Started
business in 1956 and established
the famous Indo-Marine Agencies,
Kochi, one of the pione-ers in sea-
food export.and winner of
Government of India Award for Best Export
Performance in 1966-67. He contested as an
independent candidate and won a seat in the
Rajyasabha in 1964 and continued as Parliament
Member for the full term ending in 1970. At the
age of 32, he was the youngest Rajyasabha
member at that time. He was elected President of

78

the Sea Food Exporters' Association of India twice.
He had been the Vice Chairman of O/E/N India
Ltd. from its incorporation until his death. He was
a member of the Cochin University of Science and
Technology (CUSAT) Syndicate. He also served as
the President of Kerala Muslim Educational
Association and Kerala State Nadvathul
Mujahideen, Irshadul Muslimeen High School,
Kodungalloor and M.M. Oriental High School. His
contribution to the Cutchi Memon Community and
the Muslims at large included Cutchi Memon Shadi
Mahal, Kappalandimukku
M.M. Oriental High School, Panayappalli; KMEA
Hostel, Pulleppady, Ernakulam, and the Masjidul
Mujahideen Kappalandimukku, to name a few.

He passed away at the not too old an age of 66 on
January 1, 1998, corresponding to the 2nd day of
Holy Ramadhan, 1418.

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Adam Ayub Sait

Adam Ayub is a well-known cine
artiste having multi-dimensional
talents with more than 30 years‟
standing, in his field. Born on March
8, 1952 at Kochi, as son of Ayub
Adam Sait, Adam Ayub Sait, popularly known as
Adam Ayub, had his secondary school education at
SRV High School, Ernakulam (1963-66), He
graduated in Applied History from Maharajah's
College, Ernakulam in 1972 and joined the Madras
Film Institute, Chennai.

Ever since he passed out from the Film Institute in
1975, he had been working in the film industry as
Associate director and in very few films as actor.
When Doordarshan was first established in Kerala,
he switched over to Television in 1985.

80

He is a good writer. He does several jobs in the
media. He writes articles in English and Malayalam,
and teaches cinema and television subjects like
script writing, direction, television production etc.
at various Media Institutes. He is also an actor and
screenplay writer. He directs documentaries,
serials and spots. He translates Films and serials
from different languages into Malayalam, and vice
versa. From April 2011 to September 2014 he was
associated with the Media One TV, Kozhikode as
its Creative Head (Fiction) with responsibilities for
creating concepts for fiction programmes,
preparing programme design and budget,
assigning and supervising production from
scripting to screening. From September 2014 to
January 2015 he was the Chief Executive Officer at
Guru TV and Trivandrum Media School.

He says he is not a psychologist, but according to
him, teaching is a psychological process ,

81

particularly acting, screenplay writing and
direction, where you have no prescribed textbooks
to follow. It is a sort of a psychological treatment,
teaching the art and craft of film making. Now he
is back to his life time cine field.

Nasser Latif

Nasser Latif is another
prominent artist contributed
by Kochi Memons. Son of
Abdul Latif Yunus Sait of
Thirvananthapuram he was
an early migrant to Kochi. His mother Zubeida Bai
daughter of Haji Essa Abdul Sathar Sait, aka Kikki
Sait, moved to Kochi, in consequence of her
husband‟s second marriage, together with her only
son Nasser. Since then he was under the care of
his grand father Kikki Sait and uncle Babu Sait.
As an actor he has done various roles in Movies
and Serials including the latest role in the movie

82

Ayalum Nanum directed by Lal Jos and Ladies and
Gentleman produced by Siddique. His hit movies
included „Cheruppu-kuthi‟ (The Cobbler),
Krishnammavande Kaineettam and Japadakshina,
three award winning telefilms of 2008. His
different roles were broadcast by Youtube
in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzjaxhcg
HRg & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LlIkSt
ZVAQ

He is also renowned as director, producer and
financier in the cine field. Latest Movies done are
Vaarayo Vennilave (Tamil), Bicycle Thief
(Malayalam). He has been a well sought after
model for commercial ads, having done close to a
hundred ads in different languages; some of the
latest ads include Big Bazaar, Manna Health Drink,
Petrotech, JRG Plantation, Geeripai Jewellery etc.
His business achievements include:

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 Jungle Book Day Care and Play School, the best
and the biggest in South India

 River green Television and Fim Studio Floor, a
complete studio for indoor shooting

 Dwell In Home Stay

MAJLIS-E-ITHEHAD-E-TARAKEY

The Society for Development, the forerunner of the
Cutchi Memon Association was organized at a time
when the economic condition of ordinary Cutchi

84

Memon in Kochi was deplorable. Marhoom Essa
Ahmed Sait who was a member of the Society as a
young man, gave a vivid picture of the
environment which led to the formation of the
Majlis and some of its early activities and the
torture suffered in the course, presumably in an
article in the Memon Mirror, which was reproduced
in full in the CMJ-CMA Jubilee Souvenir (1998-99).
The present article relies on his article for details.

It was around the 1930s. The social and financial
state of the common Memon was very backward.
Wealth was concentrated in a few hands. The
waqfs and other endowments made by the
Memons of earlier generations was held and
enjoyed by the trustees. What, as a general
observation, was distributed as charity was limited
to a monthly pension of a paltry sum of two or
three rupees and a quarter bag of rice costing a
rupee and a quarter. The pension, in fact, made

85

the recipients lazier and uninterested in working.
Terms of the Trusts were being flouted by most of
the trustees for the simple reason that the
beneficiaries had no chance of knowing about the
existence of any trust or their entitlements. They
neither had the access or interest to know anyth-
ing. Trustees were obliged by law to obtain
annually approval of their accounts from the local
court. They used to fake the accounts to match the
dictates of the trust deeds and get them approved
under affidavit as there was no one capable or
interested in challenging the accounts.

There was no interest in education among the
ordinary Memons. A few of them who had petty
jobs under the rich traders, Cutchi or Halai
Memons, though under paid, were content with an
elementary knowledge of Gujarati as needed to
carry out their small jobs. The benefits of English
education was never thought of. The entire

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community considered educating girls a sheer
waste and boys generally dropped off after the 8th
or 9th grade. In those days, according to Essa
Ahmed Sait, the only person who could go upto
the Maharaja‟s College in Ernakulam was Abdul
Sathar Esmail Sait and the single soul who could
read and understand English was A.R. Sulaiman
Sait.

Social discrimination was rampant. The distance
between the rich and the poor was long. Rich and
poor alike would not give their daughters to
poorer men. This invariably led to the men seeking
marriage from among the non-cutchi Muslims.
Simultaneously, however, polygamous rich men
would have their second and subsequent wives
from outside the community as there was
reluctance to give a daughter as a second wife or
to a widower of advanced age. The result was a
fast developing sect of Second Grade Memons,

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children of non-Cutchi Memon women-the Bessar.
Children of a Bessar were invariably Bessar, as the
purity of blood was alre-ady lost a generation
ago. Yet, the number being smaller, they were
being discriminated against by the majority by
boycotting their marriage and other functions and
refusing other social intercourse.

The resultant scenario was awkwardly distressful
and compelled a few free-thinkers in the
community to contemplate in terms of a social
emancipation progrmme, as a result of which an
organization under the style “ Majlis-e-Ithehad-e-
Tarakkey was formed fructifying the efforts of
A.R. Sulaiman Sait, Abdulla Umar Sait, Usman
Mohamed Hashim Sait, Yousuf Esmail Sait, Abdul
Rahman Mohamed Elyas Sait, Haji Ahmed Haji
Abdul Sathar Sait, Esmail Abdul Rahim Sait and
others. The Majlis aimed at finding solutions to
the discriminat-ory behaviour, mismanagement of

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waqfs and other trusts and encouraging education
among both boys and girls. One of the steps taken
by some of the waqafs and trusts, in consequence
of the Majlis‟s activities, was to democratise their
working by coopting family members, other than
the managing trustee, and other reputed members
of the community as co-trustees or advisers.

A volunteer corp comprised of young men was
organ-ised by the Majlis with Abdulla Omar Sait as
captain. The volunteers‟ uniform included a green
sash worn across the body over the right shoulder.
The so called “green platoon” used to assemble at
the Majlis office every morning and before Magrib
prayer. They formed a procession from the office
to the mosque, moving through the streets with
Takbeer and singing beautiful songs urging
people to cooperate in the development
programme of the Majlis. Abdul Hamid Zakaria
Sait and Ismail Noor Mohamed Sait led the chorus.

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The volunte-ers provided immense help in
marriages, funerals and other social and
religious functions.

The Majlis decided to form a general or common
management committee for all the trusts in Kochi
in order to create a supervisory mechanism.
Though with initial reluctance most of the trusts
complied wth the decision of the Majlis. Still there
remained a few who did not want to be
disciplined. Essa Ahmed Sait described in
meticulous detail the confrontation with one such
dissident which led to the imprisonment of 27
Majlis volunteers in one night.

The confrontation started with Ommar Haji Ayyub
Sait refusing to comply with the decision of the
Majlis. The volunteers made pamphlets in Urdu
against Ommar Haji Ayyub Sait and cyclostyled
copies were circulated widely. Ommar Haji Ayyub

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Sait responded by printing and circulating

pamphlets in Malayalam against the Majlis and its

members. The Majlis was supported and

encouraged by Hazrat Abdullah al Yamani who

wrote the songs and drafted the pamphlets.

Abdulla Omar Sait spoke in Cutchi with great force

and firmness. As Ommar Haji Ayyub Sait continued

to be adament, it was decided to picket and hold a

Satyagraha at Ommar Haji Ayyub Sait‟s business

premises. Incidentally, it was one of the earliest

manifestations of Satyagraha as a coerc-ing tool

outside the political movement in India and it is

worth recalling that the very idea of Satyagraha

was in its infancy and Kochi Memons were able to

comprehend and experience its power, a decade

and a half before even the British could realise

it. The decision to picket was not acceptable to

A.R. Sulaiman Sait and he resig-ned as President

of the Majlis. Abdul Rahman Mohamed Elyas Sait

was elected President in his stead.

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The volunteers divided themselves into batches
and one after another entered the business place
of Ommar Haji Ayyub Sait, under the leadership of
Abdulla Omar Sait and Ayyub Zakaria Sait,
shouting slogans and creating disturbance to his
business.

Abdulla Omar Sait‟s fiery speeches emboldened
the volunteers on one hand and inflamed the
anger of their opponent,on the other. On account
of the disturbance to business, he obtained a
court order restraining the President, Secretary,
Cashier and the members of the Managing
Committee of the Majlis from entering the
premises. Immediately on receipt of the court
order the Majlis Committee met and resolved to
break the order following the model demonstrated
by Gandhiji through non-cooperation movement,
then in action in the rest of India.

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Rajab 27 of that year (1931?) was destined to
become a red letter day in the history of Kochi
Memons. Ommar Haji Ayyub Sait connived with the
police and managed to get a platoon of policemen
inside his business premises without the
knowledge of anybody outside. The volunteers, as
usual, under the leadership of Abdulla Omar Sait,
arrived at the target business place. A number of
community members had arrived that day to
attend the marriage of Essa Ahmed Sait
Kolkatawala of Alappuzha with Jacob Mohamed
Sait‟s sister. A large crowd of these guests and
others was formed at the gate, anxious to hear
Abdulla Omar Sait, and to witness the picketing.
However there was no intention to enter premises
that evening because of the marriage which was to
take place in the night , as was the practice in
those days. All on a sudden and without any
provocation the police team appeared and asked
Abdulla Omar Sait to leave without creating traffic

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block.This being refused by him there occurred
some push and pull between the volunteers and
the police. Many volunteers were injured in the
incident. Abdulla Omar Sait and 10 volunteers
were arrested and taken to the Mattancherry Police
station. Follow-ing this a group of ten volunteers
under Ayyub Zakaria Sait entered the premises
shouting Takbeers. Within fifteen minutes they
were also arrested and removed to the station. The
greatest surprise came when Haji Essa Haji Abdul
Sathar Sait alias Kikki Sait, son of one of the
richest Cutchi Memons in Kochi, who later beca-
me managing trustee of a number large waqfs
joined force with four volunteers shouting slogans
and takbeer. His entry associating himself with the
demand for the public superintendence of
charitable trusts was a terrible shock to Ommar
Haji Ayyub Sait. Kikki Sait and the team were
arrested and locked up, making the count 27.

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The incident sparked widespread hatred among
the people of Kochi and guests from Alappuzha
towards Ommar Haji Ayyub Sait, that as a Cutchi
Memon he should cause the arrest and
imprisonment of 27 Cutchi Memon youth on the
holy eve of Rajab 27. An interesting follow up of
the incident was that Jacob Mohamed Sait sent
Biriyani for all the 27 volunteers from the bride‟s
house and the Inspector arranged to get them
mats and pillows from their homes! In the morning
it was unanimously decided to o on hunger strike,
again a new exercise for Cochinites. The Inspector
tried to force them eat breakfast. But in
vain. Around 11 am, Abdul Latheef Essa Sait aka
Lathu Selat, came to the station and tried to take
the volunteers out on bail. Abdulla Omar Sait and
the volunteers refused to go on bail until Ommar
Haji Ayyub Sait agreed to the Majlis‟s demands.
This not happening, Lathu Selat and Esmail Sait
made a pledge to make Ommar Haji Ayyub Sait

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accept the demands, the volunteers consented to
go on bail. Coming out with takbeers they
marched to Kikki Sait‟s house. After visiting his
ailing brother Eshaq Sait, they joined in the
breakfast arranged for them by Haji Ahmed Sait.
Thereafter they went to see Usman Mohamed
Hasham Sait in Joothan Parambu. After getting his
advices and blessings they marched to the Majlis
office where they took a group photo.

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Inspite of the efforts put in by Lathu Selat and
Esmail Sait the compromise could not be reached
as Ommar Haji Ayyub Sait was inflexible. The case
was committed to the court and went on dragging
for about ten months. In the meanwhile, following
the marriage of Jamath President Abdul Rahman
Sait which culminated in a serious Sudh Memon –
Bessar controversy the comm-unity was sharply
split with orthodox and the rich on one side and
the progressive and poor on the other. This
dampened the enthusiasm of many volunteers.
Eventually the Majlis became dysfunctional
alongside the cessation of working of the Jamath
(1932) Even Ommar Haji Ayyub Sait was frustrated
because of the prolongation as he was losing
health and business. Somehow with the
intervention of the Dewan of Cochin or the
Commissioner of Police the suit was withdrawn.

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Essa Ahmed Sait has gathered the names of 26
participants in the picketing, the twentyseventh
person remains anonymous. The following is the
list collected by him.

Abdulla Ommar Sait
Haji Essa Haji Abdul SatharSait (Kikki Sait)
Ayoob Adam Sait
Ayoob Zackeria Sait
Essa Ahmed Sait
Abdul Rahman Abdul Latheef Sait
Mohamed Elyas Haroon Sait
Abdul Sathar Haroon Sait
Abdul Hamid Zackeria Sait
Hussain Ommar Sait
H.S.M. Zackeria Sait (Ramju Sait)
Esmail Abdul Latheef Sait
Abdul Sathar Hassan Sait
Moosa Esmail Sait
Joonus Ommar Sait (Chengali)

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Mohamed Ommar Sait (Chengali)
Ommar Adam Sait
Mohamed Jaffar Ebrahim Sait
Moosa Haji Sait (Makki Sait)
Ebrahim Kassam Sait
Mohamed Hussain Sait Kolkatawala
Missing in print:

Haroon Sait (Singeri)
Ali Joonus Sait
Osman Ahmed Sait
Abdul Sathar Haroon Sait (Sithari)

List of Volunteers in the group photo at the
beginning of the article:

Standing 1st row:
Abdul Sathar Hassan Sait
Abdul Rahman Haji Joonus Sait
Moosa Mohamed Sait
Ismail Noor Mohamed Sait

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