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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

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News Network
April 11,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 11: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D K Shivakumar on Saturday lodged a complaint with Director General and Inspector General of Police Praveen Sood seeking action against four BJP leaders for their alleged communal statements.

In his petition, Mr Shivakumar cited remarks made by BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje, former union minister Anant kumar Hegde, MP Renukacharya and MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal were ''vituperative statements'' which were offences under Section 153A of the IPC.

The Congress leader alleged that the four leaders ''joined in a criminal conspiracy to create enmity between Hindus and the minority community.''

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News Network
March 29,2020

Madikeri, Mar 29: In an alarming situation in neighbouring Kerala State and instances of inter-state migration of Coronavirus suspects, the authorities on Sunday sealed both Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu borders, prohibiting entry of people from Kerala into Karnataka.

Dakshina Kannada had sealed its borders after repeated instances of people misusing ambulance services to travel to Mangalore. Villagers along with the police hauled mud on to the roads that were used as alternate routes.

The road that connects the two States, which people from east Kasargod used to enter into Karnataka, were closed at Mulleria by dumping mud on the road.

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News Network
February 21,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 21: The Supreme Court in its interim order on Thursday allowed the plea of the Karnataka government for implementation of the final award by a tribunal for sharing of water between Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra from the Mahadayi river.

The interim order was passed by a bench comprising Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Hemant Gupta after hearing the counsel from the three states. The bench said the final hearing in the matter will take place in July.

It also said the interim order is subject to the final outcome of the petitions filed by the three states against the tribunal's award.

The Mahadayi Water Dispute tribunal had passed the order on August 14, 2018, allocating 13.42 TMC ( Thousand Million Cubic Feet.) water (including 3.9 TMC for diversion into the depleted Malaprabha river basin) from the Mahadayi river basin to Karnataka.

Maharashtra was allotted 1.33 TMC water while Goa was given 24 TMC in the final decision of the tribunal. The UPA-2 government had constituted Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal in 2010.

Karnataka government, which has locked horns with the neighbouring Goa on the larger issue of sharing Mahadayi River water between both the states, had petitioned the tribunal seeking the release of 7.56 tmcft of water for the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project.

The Kalasa-Banduri Nala (diversion) project, which will utilise 7.56 tmcft of water from the inter-state Mahadayi river, is being undertaken by Karnataka to improve drinking water supply to the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and the districts of Belagavi and Gadag.

It involves building barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, the tributaries of the Mahadayi River, to divert 7.56 tmc water to the Malaprabha river which fulfils the drinking water needs of the twin cities.

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