Cutchi Memon Digest
Kerala
ﮐﮁﻲ ﻤﻴﻤﻦ ﮢ ﺍﯿﺠﺴﭧ - ﮐﻴﺮﻻ
Kochi Memons and Kerala Culture Scenario
Having left Cutch due to famine and drought of 1806, many Cutchi Memons settled down in various parts of the country. They were soon acknowledged as an accomplished business community. It was also recogn-ized that they were simultaneously concerned about the societies which hosted them and prompted them under-take philantropic and community service activities. Memons settled in Kochi were no exception to this. Their contribution to the culture and social fabric of Kerala has been commendable.
The earliest cultural interaction had been on family level. Some of the forefathers married from the local Muslim communities as they did not consider it fair or Islamic to discriminate between different sections of Muslims, although they refrained from giving their girls in marriage to local men, possibly fearing peer reaction. As time passed, more intermarriages took place thus accelerating local assimilation, still partial though. This, was augmented by the greater access to educational facilities thereby opening up larger avenues of local culture, art and literature. In addition to direct contribu-tion made by individuals many artists and sports perso-ns were patronised by Cutchi Memons of Kochi. Cutchi Memons' participation in the formation of Coronation Club in 1911 and the construction of a Billiard Room by Ebrahim Mohamed Hasham Sait are part of history.
N.K.A. Latheef, a renowned artist and close associate of the Cutchi Memon Community in Kochi relates the story of many artists who were patronised by Cutchi Memons. Here are a few of his illustrations:
Gul Mohammed who was gifted with a melodious voice was the Khateeb of the Cutchi Memon Hanafi Masjid in Mattancherry. Support provided by the Cutchi Memons enabled him grow into a great musician; a number of his Mappilappattu renderings were among the early gramo-phone recordings. His Gramophone Drama, Abida Vijayam, recorded by His Masters Voice was an all time hit. His fame is attributed to the ardent Cutchi Memon support, financial as well as moral.
On the eve of Late Mohamed Hussain Abdul Sathar Sait's marriage Professor Yusuf Sait organized a Qawali competition with himself leading one team and Gulmoh-amed the other. A great maestro Yusuf Sait staged a play, "Andher", in Urdu as a fund raising event for the Iqbal Library and Reading Room. It was written and directed by him. The music was also composed and directed by him. Majority of the cast were Cutchi Memons, notable names being A.S.A. Jani Sait, A.M. Ismail Sait, Ismail Sait Kolkatawala, Artist Bachu Sait, M. Hussain Sait, Moosa Jaffer Sait, Davood Mohamed Sait, Advocate Essa Ahmed Sait, and Paramount Talkies Manager Sathar Sait. The play was a tremendous success in that an amount of Rs. 7,095 was raised as net proceeds, a substantial sum for the pre-independ-ence days!. On popular demand the play was staged again. Two notable plays staged subsequently were "Sait Saheb" and "Mythri" with majority of cast being Cutchi Memons.
The Cochin Cultural and Arts Association was establis-hed by the end of 1948. Though not a Cutchi Memon organization Cutchi Memons were active participants in the many stage plays and other cultural prorammes staged by the Association, notably artists like M. O. Hussain Sait, A.M. Ismail Sait, Davood Mohamed Sait alias Ramjoo Sait.
The "New Star Music Club" started by Yusuf Sait with his brother Joonis Sait alias Kikku Sait, yet another stalwart musician, was the breeding ground for many artists in and around Kochi. Yusuf Sait is also recognized as the one who was instrumental in creating an interest in Hindustani Music among the people of Kerala. Kikku Sait was an accomplished Sitarist who was on the music teams of Viswanathan and Rama-muurthy. A.S.A. Jani Sait was an actor and playwrit. He starrred as Juliet in the Shakesperian drama Romeo and Juliet.
Cutchi Memons have made valuable contributions to the cinema field as actors, producers and exhibitors. Patel Talkies at Thoppumpadi junction built by Ebrahim Patel was the paradise for Hindi film goers of yesteryears. Ebrahim Mohamed Hasham Sait's Star Talkies in Matta-ncherry, A.R. Abdulla Sait and Brothers' Sui Theatre, and Essa Ismail Sait's Kavitha Theatre still linger as nostalgic memories in the minds of Cochinites.
H. H. Ebrahim Sait and Y.M. Elyas Sait pioneered Cutchi Memons' entry into the cinema production field. Their first production, Doctor, in Malayalam was a black and white picture, made under the banner Kalalaya, earned a Certificate of Merit from the President of India. Babu Sait's Thankakkudam was the next in the series of well received Malayalam films, distributed by Kalalaya. Then came Zubaida scripted by M. Hussain Sait which again was a total success. Babu Sait's Kanmani films was the first to make a colour film in Malayam, Chemmeen. This film won the President's Gold Medal and many other awards. It was Chemmeen that earned a place for Malayalam films among the International film classics. Kanamani films' later productions included the high box office hits like Ezhu Rathrikal and Asthi. Kalalaya Films' other films were Balyakala Sakhi, Vilakkappetta Bandhangal, Manass and Jalakanyaka.
E.A. Shukoor Sait was one of the early actors in various cinmas. Besides Doctor, Zubaida and Balyakala Sakhi, all in Malayalam, he also starred in Guru Dutt's Mem Saheb". Among the current film directors' names Adam Ayub's stands out with high eminence. Son of Advocate Ayyub Adam Sait, Adam started his career with drama and entered into cinema field in a big way. He continues to be one of the much sought after actor-director in the Malayalam Tele movies and Serials. Later entries as actor and financier included Nassar Abdul Latheef Sait, grand-son of Haji Essa Haji Abdul Sathar Sait.
Cutchi Memons of Kochi also had reputed film journ-alists among them. Ahmed Osman Sait, M. Hussain Sait, H.E. Abdul Azeez Sait, H.E. Abdul Razaak Sait, Abdulla Haji Ahmed Sait, Abdul Rahman Haji Ahmed Sait, P.S. Bava and Joseph joined together to esta-blish "All Cochin Picture Goers Association" and started the film magazine "Chitram". Ahmed Osman Sait and after him Y.M. Elyas Sait were the Editors, while Hussain Sait served as Joint Editor.
Dr. A.M. Ismail Sait, Editor of the culture magazine "Kala" was a prolific writer. His two books "Ende Suhrith" (My Friend) and "Aarude Kuttam" (Whose Fault) were brain teasers for their time. Kala had Essa Ahmed Sait and Abdul Latheef Jan Mohamed Sait as its Patrons while Vidwan .C. Kurup and Vidw-an N.V. Achari adorned its managing council. "Janas-abdam" (People's Voice) edited and published by Dr. A.M. Ismail Sait dealt with social issues. M.E. Hasham Sait's "Chandra Prabha" (Moon Light), A.A. Latheef Sait's "Sarani" (the Rivulet) and M.J. Zakaria Sait's "Aikyam" (Unity) are among the secular magazines of great popularity.
Journals of particular relevance to Cutchi Memons' issues and culture included Memon Digest (1969 )(Editor: Essa Ahmed Sait), Memon Mirror (1974) (Managing Editor Iqbal Essa Sait and Editor : M.O. Hussain Sait) Memon Times (Editor: Iqbal Zakaria Sait) and Crescent Times started by Sulaiman Khalid, Riyaz Ahmed and friends.
Simultaneously with secular publications Cutchi Memons made notable contributions towards religious literature. Muslims of Kerala gratefully remember the financial support provided by Haji Salay Mohamed Ebrahim Sait for the publication of "Al Manar" the organ of Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen (KNM). He also supported the publication of a few volumes of Tafseer ul Qur'an (Annotation of Quraan) by Mohamed Ammani Moulavi. Haji Ahmed Osman Sait was the Chairman of the Mujahideen Publications established under the Kochi branch of K.N.M. Their publication Atthowheed commanded good readers-hip. Other important personalities connected with the KNM are H.E. Mohamed Babu Sait and H.E. Moham-ed Taher Sait. Cutchi Memons had been active members of the Majlise Itthihad e Tarakki (Associat-ion for Devlopment).
A notable contribution of Cutchi Memons in the Libra-ry movement is the establishment of Iqbal Library and Reading Room in Mattancherry.
Mosques, burial grounds, schools and Madrassas constructed by Cutchi Memons and the Waqfs established by them are so numrous that they form subject of separate articles in this Digest.