For Indian Union Muslim League's (IUML) national president E. Ahamed, MP, who died in New Delhi in the early hours of Wednesday after he suffered cardiac arrest in Parliament on Tuesday, Kannur had been the springboard for his political career, though his electoral fortunes were found elsewhere. Ahamed Sahib, as he was popularly known in political and social circles here, had remained rooted in his home town and home district.
A lawyer-turned-politician, Ahamed had been a widely-travelled leader and during his tenure as Union Minister of State for External Affairs he had maintained good relations with heads of State of many Gulf countries. That he had been given a berth in the UPA Ministry mirrored his good rapport with the Congress central leadership.
His political career spanned a period of over five decades during which he had held various positions, which included that of chairman of the Kannur municipality. Born in an orthodox Muslim family here in 1938, he had started his career as a lawyer at the District Court at Thalassery
“For a man from humble background, Ahamed Sahib’s political graph was remarkable as he rose from the Thalassery bar to the Raisina Hill during his long stint in political career,” said T. Asaf Ali, former Director General of Prosecutions, who had also practised at the Thalassery court and maintained close relationship with the deceased.
His statesmanship qualities had endeared him even to his political opponents, Mr. Ali remembered.
The political personae of the deceased leader had started taking shape after his election to the State Assembly from the Kannur constituency in 1967, though he had since then shifted to Malappuram as his political turf where he won four Assembly elections in succession and seven Lok Sabha elections continuously. He had been Minister of Industries in Kerala from 1982 to 1987. He had also served as Union Minister of State for Railways.
“During his tenure as Minister of State for External Affairs, he had been actively involved in safeguarding the interests of Indians in the Gulf countries,” recalled K.C. Joseph, former Minister for Non-Resident Keralites’ Affairs. He had always upheld secular values, Mr. Joseph noted in his condolence message. K. Sudhakaran, former MP and senior Congress leader from here, recalled him as the Congress leadership’s trusted coalition party leader who had represented India in various foreign nations in which the country had diplomatic interests.
Relatives informed that the body would be brought to his residence at Thana here by late night on Wednesday and would be buried at the kabarsthan of the Kannur city Juma Masjid near his ancestral home here at around 11 a.m. on February 2. The deceased is survived by two sons and a daughter.
