Muslim League strongman, former minister Cherkalam Abdullah passes away

coastaldigest.com web desk
July 27, 2018

Kasaragod, Jul 27: Veteran leader of Indian Union Muslim League, former minister and four-time MLA of Manjeshwaram constituency in Kasaragod, Cherkalam Abdullah, is no more. He was 76.

He was suffering from old-age related ailments and was admitted in Kasturba Medical College in Mangaluru for the past two weeks. He was brought home in Cherkala late Thursday night.

The end came today at 8.20am in his house surrounded by his family and close friends, said IUML district general secretary A Abdu Rahman. 

Abdullah, who was said to be the final word in the party in Kasargod district, is credited with building the IUML in Kasargod district, and was always part of the core team of the party for the past 50 years. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly from Manjeshwaram in 1987, and went on to represent the border constituency for the next 19 years.

Chief minister AK Antony made him the minister for local self-government in 2001. The successful poverty alleviation and women empowerment mission Kudumbashree was launched when he was at the helm of the department. He is also credited with introducing performance auditing for officials of local bodies.

Abdullah, known to people as Cherakalam, his hometown, was born to Barikad Muhammed Haji and Asyamma on September 15, 1942, at Cherkalam. He took to politics during his student days, and grew in the party from the bottom rung.

"He used to go around in jeep announcing party functions through the microphone, and has served at all levels of the party, building it brick by brick to bringing it to the level where it is now," said MLA N A Nellikkunnu. He was a natural leader and his word was the final in the district, he said.

During the time he was at the helm of his party in Kasargod, the IUML pipped its partner Congress to become the largest party in the district. Of the 38 gram panchayats, the IUML controls 13 and the Congress just five now. There was a time when the Congress was controlling 18 panchayats.

Cherkalam was the first member of the Kasargod district council. He was the joint secretary of the IUML in the undivided Kannur district from 1972 to 1984. In 1984, when Kasargod district was formed, he was made the district general secretary of the party. In 2002, he was made the party's district president and went on to hold the post till this year. He recused himself because of health reasons, but the state leadership made him the party's state treasurer in February. He also served as the state president of Swatantra Thozhilali Union, the trade union of the IUML.

At the time of his death, he was the chairman of UDF, Kasargod District Liaison Committee. He is survived by wife Ayesha Cherkalam (former president of Cherkala gram panchayat), two daughters, Mehrunisa and Mumtas Sameera (district panchayat member), and two sons C T Muhammed Nasar (Salala), and C A Ahmed Kabeer (former district general secretary of MSF)."His death leaves a vacuum that would be hard to fill," said Nellikkunnu.

Comments

Farooq
 - 
Friday, 27 Jul 2018

Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. Karnataka lacks such a strong man for Muslims

Ibrahim
 - 
Friday, 27 Jul 2018

Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un

Rameez
 - 
Friday, 27 Jul 2018

Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
July 8,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 8: 15 police personnel from Bangalore's Whitefield division tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.

Out of these, 12 are from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) police station, sources said.

A total of 27 police staff of the Whitefield division have tested positive so far and five have been discharged. The HAL police station closed on June 27 after one police staff tested COVID positive. All personnel of the police station were tested in the following days and 12 tests returned positive.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
June 1,2020

Palakkad, Jun 1: An 11-month-old boy, whose parents are placed under COVID-19 quarantine, drowned in a bucket of water in Chalissery at Palakkad district.

The toddler Muhammed Nisan was the son of Muhammad Sadiq. The parents of the child are under home quarantine after Sadiq's brother, who is living in the same home was tested positive of COVID-19.

The child was found dead in a bucket of water kept in the bathroom on Saturday around 10 pm.

Chalissery police said that ''further actions will be taken only after the test result comes out. We have filed an unnatural death case on this.''

Since the family has been quarantined, the body of the baby has been shifted to the Thrissur Medical College for COVID-19 testing.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
coastaldigest.com news network
May 4,2020

Mangaluru, May 4: No major crowds were seen in the coastal city of Mangaluru today except in front of the liquor shops after the district administration relaxed the lockdown norms for 12 hours a day (between 7am and 7pm).

There was no mad rush of vehicles either on city roads when the relaxed lockdown began. There were fewer people to buy essentials in front of grocery and vegetable shops as they had time till late evening.

There was no let down in the number of police pickets as well as curbs on vehicular movement across the city either. 

The government has allowed sale of liquor in CL2 (standalone wine shops) and CL 11 (MSIL outlets) to mop up revenues when Lockdown-3 commenced from Monday. Compared the other parts of Karnataka, the size of queues in front of liquor shops in Mangaluru were smaller. 

Like other parts of the country, the lockdown was imposed in the coastal district on March 24 to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Prior to that, a curfew was imposed in the district from March 22 midnight. The lockdown did not apply to essential services such as sale of food, groceries, milk, vegetables, fruits, and meat and fish. Gradually the district administration had to intensify the lockdown and allow those shops to remain open only between 7 a.m. and 12 noon. 

With the lockdown relaxation extending till 7 p.m., Mangaluru today witnessed people and private vehicles moving freely in the afternoon for the first time in more than a month. However, only those who had to go for work and do other essential activities were seen on roads. After 7 p.m. movements of all kinds of vehicles will be prohibited. 

The relaxation was to facilitate economic activities that had come to a standstill during the first two phases of lockdown. Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Dr P S Harsha, meanwhile, warned the people against misusing lockdown relaxation and venturing out without any genuine reason.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.