M. Muhammad Ismail

M. Muhammad Ismail (Tamil: முஹம்மது இஸ்மாயில்; 5 June 1896—5 April 1972) was an Indian politician and social worker from Tirunelveli, southern Tamil Nadu. He served as the first President of Indian Union Muslim League after the partition of British India (1947).[1][2] He was popularly known in Tamil Nadu and Kerala as the "Quaid-e-Millat" ("the Leader of the Nation").[2]

For the Pakistani cricketer, see Mohammad Ismail (cricketer).
M. Muhammad Ismail Rowther
M. Muhammad Ismail sahib on a 1996 postage stamp of India
Member of the Madras State Legislative Assembly
In office
1946–1952
Member of the Indian Constituent Assembly
In office
1948–1952
Member of the Rajya Sabha
In office
1952–1958
Member of the Lok Sabha
In office
1962–1972
ConstituencyManjeri
Personal details
Born(1896-06-05)5 June 1896
Tirunelveli, Madras Presidency
Died5 April 1972(1972-04-05) (aged 75)
Madras
Political party
Spouse(s)Jamal Hameeda Bi
ChildrenJamal Miakhan (son)

Ismail was a member of Madras Legislative Assembly and Leader of the Opposition (1946—52).[1] He was also a member (1948—50) of the Constituent Assembly (1946), the drafting body of the constitution of India. He was also a member of Rajya Sabha (1952—58) from Madras and Lok Sabha (3rd, 1962—67, 4th, 1967—70 and 5th, 1971—72).[1]

Life and career

M. Muhammad Ismail 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.[1] He was educated at C. M. S. College and M. D. T. Hindu College at Tirunelveli and later at St. Joseph's College, Trichinopoly and Christian College, Madras.[1]

Ismail started the 'Young Muslim Society' in his home town Tirunelveli Petai in 1909 (as a 13-year-old).[1][2] He was also instrumental in establishing 'Majlis-ul-Ulama' ('the Council of Islamic Scholars') in 1918.[1] He went into business in the 1920s and became a leader of leather and meat industry and eventually of Madras commerce.[2]

Ismail married Jamal Hameeda Bi in November 1923.[1] Ismail's brother, K. T. M. Ahmed Ibrahim, was also a principal leader of the All-India Muslim League in Madras Presidency.[3]

Political career

With the All-India Muslim League

Success in Madras commerce led Ismail into Indian politics.[2] 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.[3]

In 1945, he became the President of the Madras Presidency unit of the All-India Muslim League.[1][4] In the elections to the Madras legislature, the League won all but ten of the reserved seats in 1936 and all in 1946.[3] 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.[1][5][6][7]

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).[3] Ismail, the then President of the Madras Muslim League, was chosen as the Convener of the Indian segment of the League.[3] 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).[3] Ismail was elected as the first President of Indian Union Muslim League.[1]

After partition, Muslims lawmakers 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 Indian Union Muslim League after August, 1947.[3]

Ismail was elected from the Madras Legislative Assembly to the Constituent Assembly in 1948.[1][5][6][7] When the report of the Advisory Committee on Minorities was debated (1949), League President Ismail moved a motion for the retention of reserved seats for Muslims and a separate communal electorate. The Assembly summarily rejected this motion.[3]

Ismail also wanted wanted both Tamil and Hindustani among the Official Languages of India.[4]

In Parliament

In the 1950s, Ismail started negotiating with the stubborn Congress High Command (through the Madras Congress leadership) for the coveted Congress recognition. Some informal alliances were made with the Madras Congress. However, talks with K. Kamaraj Nadar broke down before the 1957 General Elections and the League suffered a debacle in Tamil Nadu. The party witnessed as a split in October, 1961. League now allied with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.[3]

In 1952, Ismail was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Madras and remained a member till 1958.[2] He was the first Member of Parliament (M.P) to request that part of his emolument as an M.P., be retained for National Defence Fund.[8] While in Rajya Sabha he supported the retaining of Shari'ah Law for Indian Muslims.[1]

When the state of Kerala was formed by the States Reorganisation Act in 1956, Ismail shifted to Kerala politics. 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.[1]

General Elections
General Election Constituency Winner Runner up Margin
1962 (Third) Manjeri M. MUHAMMAD ISMAIL SAHIB (the League) MUHAMMAD KUNJU (CPI) 4,328
1967 (Fourth) Manjeri M. MUHAMMAD ISMAIL SAHIB (the League) A. N. BEEVI (INC) 107,494
1971 (Fifth) Manjeri M. MUHAMMAD ISMAIL SAHIB (the League) S. P. MUHAMMED ALI (IND) 119,837

Business career

Ismail went into business in the 1920s and was involved in various commerce committees throughout his political career.[1][2] He was a noted businessman of the Madras Presidency involved in leather and meat industry.[4]

The boards and committees he was a member of include:

  • Madras Port Trust Board, Board of Industries (Madras), Madras Provincial Marketing Board, Madras Excise Licensing Board, and South India Railway Advisory Committee.[1]
  • Industrial Planning Committee (Government of Madras), South India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (once Vice-President of the Chamber), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and Court of Aligarh Muslim University.[1]
  • Indian Council of Agricultural Research (Hides and Skins), Hides Cess Enquiry Committee, Mica Enquiry Committee, Chairman (Leather and Leather Goods Committee, Government of Madras), Honorary Secretary and Vice-President (Southern India Skin and Hide Merchants Association, Madras) and, President (Madras State Mutton Dealers Chamber).[1]

Legacy

M. Muhammad Ismail died in 1972 (after a prolonged illness).[9] He was popularly known in Tamil Nadu and Kerala as the "Quaid-e-Millat" ("the Leader of the Nation"). [2] 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".[2]

  • The Tamil Nadu Government renamed Nagapattinam district as "Nagai Quaid-e-Millat" District in his honour (however, it reverted to its old name in 1997, when all names of persons were dropped from the names of districts and transport corporations).[10][11]
  • In 2003, the Tamil Nadu Government constructed a memorial hall for M. Muhammad Ismail.
  • A number of colleges in Tamil Nadu including the Quaid-e-Millat Government College for Women,[2] Chennai and Quaid-e-Millat College, Medavakkam, Chennai have been named after M. Muhammad Ismail.[12]

References
  1. "M. Muhammad Ismail (Fifth Lok Sabha Members. Profile)". Lok Sabha.
  2. Muthiah, S. (1 May 2017). "Who was Quaid-E-Millat?". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  3. Wright, Theodore P. (1966). "The Muslim League in South India since Independence". American Political Science Review. 60 (3): 579–599. doi:10.2307/1952972. ISSN 0003-0554. JSTOR 1952972.
  4. Bhattacharjee, Rupanwita (29 September 2018). "Muhammad Ismail, Indian Muslim League Pioneer who Wanted Hindustani as Official Language". The Print.
  5. Ralhan, Om Prakash (1998). Encyclopaedia Of Political Parties. 33–50. Anmol Publications. p. 13. ISBN 978-81-7488-865-5.
  6. Dash, Shreeram Chandra (1968). The Constitution of India: A Comparative Study. Chaitanya Publishing House. p. 532.
  7. Sundararajan, Saroja (1989). March to Freedom in Madras Presidency, 1916–1947. Madras: Lalitha Publications. pp. 623–636.
  8. "Quaid-e-Milleth Trust". Quaid-e-Milleth Trust.
  9. Lok Sabha Debates. Lok Sabha Secretariat. 1972. p. 274.
  10. Panneerselvan, A. S. (16 June 1997). "Name Of The Game". Outlook Magazine.
  11. "DISCUSSION". Parliament of India.
  12. "University of Madras: Aided Colleges". University of Madras. Archived from the original on 21 February 2006.

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