K. M. Seethi Sahib

K. M. Seethi Sahib (1899—1961), born K. M. Seethi[2], was an Indian politician and community leader from Kerala. He is often considered as a chief architect of the Kerala Muslim revival after the 1921 Mappila Uprising. Seethi Sahib was also a protégé of the reformist leader Wakkom Maulavi (1873—1932).[3] He served as the Speaker of Kerala Assembly during 1960-61.[2]

K. M. Seethi Sahib
Speaker of Kerala Legislative Assembly
In office
22 February 1960 – 17 April 1961
GovernorV. V. Giri
Chief MinisterPattom Thanu Pillai
Preceded bySankara Narayanan Thampi
Succeeded byC. H. Mohammed Koya[1]
Personal details
Born1899[2]
Kodungallur, British India[2]
Died17 April 1961[2]
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala)
Political party
Spouse(s)Khadija[2]
Parents
  • Seethi Mohammed[2]
  • A.K. Fatima Beevi[2]

Seethi Sahib was born in 1899 in an affluent family in Kodungallur in central Kerala.[2] He enrolled as an Advocate in Madras High Court in 1927 and started practice in Kerala.[2] He started his political career with the Congress Party. He was elected to the Cochin Council twice (1928 and 1931) as a Congress member. [1] During the mid-1930s when the Muslim League ceased to cooperate with the Congress, Seethi Sahib and colleagues started organising the Muslim League in Malabar District.[1]

Seethi Sahib was the Secretary of the Muslim League during the 1957 General Elections in India. After the Kerala Assembly Election victory against the Communist Party in 1960, Seethi Sahib was elected as the Speaker of the Kerala Assembly. He died while in office in 17, April 1961.[4] C. H. Muhammed Koya succeeded Seethi Sahib as the Speaker of the Kerala Assembly. [4]

Life and career

Early life

K. M. Seethi was born in 1899 as the son of Haji Seethi Mohammed and A. K. Fatima Beevi in an affluent family in Kodungallur in central Kerala. He did his schooling at Kodungallur High School and completed the Intermediate Course from Maharaja's College (Cochin) in 1917, topping his yearly batch. After graduating in law, he enrolled as an advocate in Madras High Court in 1927 (practising at Ernakulam and Tellicherry).[2]Former Supreme Court justice V.R. Krishna Iyer and Seethi Sahib continued their legal practice in Tellicherry and both were elected to Madras Legislative Assembly.

With the Congress Party

Seethi Sahib joined politics as a student, taking part in the Noncooperation Movement in (1920-22). The movement was organized by Mohandas K. Gandhi to induce the British government to grant Self-Government to India.[5]

In 1928, Seethi Sahib was elected to the Cochin Legislative Assembly and attended the 1930 Lahore Congress representing "Kerala" state. A year later (1931), he was re-elected to the Cochin Legislative Assembly. [5]

Seethi Sahib left Congress in 1933.[5]

With the Muslim League

During the mid-1930s when the Muslim League ceased to cooperate with the Congress, Seethi Sahib and colleagues started organising the League in Malabar District.[1] In 1946, he was elected to the Madras Legislative Assembly from the Malappuram Constituency, a victory he repeated in 1952.[5]

In the new Kerala state

Seethi Sahib was the Secretary of the Muslim League during the 1957 General Elections in India.[4] The Congress High Command wished to form a tripartite coalition consisting of the Congress Party, the Praja Socialist Party and the Muslim League in the upcoming elections.[4] However, the proposed front was eventually veteod by the Congress Party.[4]

After the Kerala Assembly Election victory against the Communist Party in 1960, Seethi Sahib was elected as the Speaker of the Kerala Assembly (22 February). He represented Kuttippuram Constituency.[5][4] Seethi Sahib died while in office in 17, April 1961.[4] C. H. Muhammed Koya — only after resigning his legislative party (the League) affiliation — succeeded Seethi Sahib as the Speaker of the Kerala Assembly. [4]

As a 'reformist'

K. M. Seethi Sahib was inspired by Wakkom Maulavi (1873—1932), a major theological reformer of 20th century Kerala.[3] Seethi Sahib, one of the students who held discussions with Wakkom at Trivandrum Law College, carried forward the reforms to social and political realms.[3]

His mentor was Vakkom Moulavi, a pioneering social worker and freedom activist from Travancore. Maulavi's thoughts and writings in his periodical Muslim played an important role in defining his religious beliefs and ideology.[6]

Influence

Seethi Sahib was an eminent lawyer, statesman, writer and a gifted orator. He was a founder member of the Chandrika newspaper in 1934 and influenced a wide range of other individuals who struggled for the Mappila community revival.[5] They included figures such as KK Muhammad Shafi, the first editor of the newspaper Chandrika, C.P. Mammu Keyi, its first managing director and B. Poker Sahib (1890-1965) etc.[7] He was a founding member of the Farook College at Calicut, a landmark institution in the renaissance of Muslims in the Malabar.[8]

Legacy

Seethi Sahib Memorial Polytechnic College in Tirur and Seethi Sahib Higher Secondary School in Taliparamba are named after him. In August 1992, the Department of Cultural Publications, Government of Kerala published his biography titled "Seethi Sahib", authored by T. M. Savankutty.[9] Another biography was written by his grandson KM Althaf under the title, Nathodhana Samskrithiyude Speaker, published by Olive.

Preceded by
Sankara Narayanan Thampi		 Speaker of Kerala Legislative Assembly
1960– 1961		 Succeeded by
C. H. Mohammed Koya

References
  1. Wright, T. (1966). The Muslim League in South India since Independence: A Study in Minority Group Political Strategies. The American Political Science Review, 60(3), 579-599.
  2. "SPEAKERS AND DEPUTY SPEAKERS OF KERALA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY" (PDF). Kerala Legislative Assembly. Trivandrum: Secretariat of the Kerala Legislature. 2007.
  3. Miller, Roland. E., "Mappila" in "The Encyclopedia of Islam". Volume VI. E. J. Brill, Leiden. 1987. pp. 458-56.
  4. Wright, T. (1966). The Muslim League in South India since Independence: A Study in Minority Group Political Strategies. The American Political Science Review, 60(3), 579-599.
  5. Speakers & Deputy Speakers Book Final - Kerala Legislative Assembly, Secretariat of Kerala Legislature, Thiruvananthapuram, 2006
  6. Mappila Muslims of Kerala: a study in Islamic trends, Roland E. Miller, Orient Longman, 1976. p. 272
  7. Mappila Muslims of Kerala: a study in Islamic trends, Roland E. Miller - Orient Longman, 1992. p. 297
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 June 2010. Retrieved 7 December 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 15 February 2008. Retrieved 15 February 2008.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

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