The SLMC –A Game Of Musical Chairs

"Kattankudy has now learned a lesson from Hisbullah’s mischievous politics and have resorted to forming their own; PMGG (People Movement for good Governance) to take control of their own affairs at their local administrative level. Although Ashroff pardoned him previously for disobeying the leadership and readmitted him, he was once again suspended by Ashroff weeks before the 2000 parliamentary election for allegedly issuing a liquor license. This was conveniently forgotten by the hierarchy and the people.”
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by S.M.M. Bazeer

• “Did you think I too will
  Spend my days in
  search of food,
  Tell petty tales,
  Worry myself with thoughts,
  Hurt others by my acts,
  Turn senile with grey hair
  And end up as fodder to the
  relentless march of time
  As yet another faceless man?” - Subramaniya Bharathi

(March 10, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) Mohhamed Alim Mohamed Hisbullah has been re-active in politics after a brief relapse. He is now vocal about election violence in the East and is trying to boost his tarnished image in his own town Kattankudy whilst re-cultivating his support base in Eravur and Oddamavdi. He has been in serious confrontations with Ameer Ali; Minister of Disaster. Ameer Ali was their party MP some three years ago when he secured a seat under the SLMC, and later crossed over to the UPFA.

Mr. Hisbullah was also formerly a PA (currently UPFA) M.P and a Deputy Minister of Telecommunication. Hisbullah was up in arms against the SLMC during the elections in April 2004. He contested against the SLMC, and lost his seat in the last general election. Ameer Ali joined the SLMC when Mohideen Abdul Cader, a former SLMC MP from Oddmavadi had died of some illness in 2004. Hisbullah was not even allowed to pay his last respects to Mohideen Abdul Cader at his funeral in Oddamavadi. The people of Oddamavadi have become hostile to Hisbullah and the SLMC, as he failed to resign from his post of MP to give way to the late Mr. Mohideen Abdul Cader, after two years of office. Hisbullah first contested in Parliamentary elections in 1989 under the SLMC with a pledge to the party and the people of Oddamavadi and Eravur that he would hold office of MP for two years and step down for the other two main contestants from Eravur and Oddmanavadi to share the MP position in rotation. It was politically imperative to unite the geographically divided distinctive three Muslim pockets under one banner to secure a parliamentary seat for the Muslims of the Batticaloa District under the Muslim Congress. Therefore the SLMC had to enter into a gentleman agreement in order to have an MP in the Batticaloa District. This became clearer when Ali Zahir Moulana and Hisbullah later became MP’s in the Batticaloa District with the help of Tamil Voters from the major national political parties like the UNP and the SLFP (PA). Until 2000 the Muslim Congress struggled to get a Muslim MP in the Batticaloa District as the three towns were at loggerheads. Mohideen joined the UNP when Mohideen felt that the SLMC could not do anything effectively against Hisbulla. However in 2000, Mr. Ashroff had to repent for his breach of promise to Mohideen Abdul Cader and the people of Oddamavadi. Mohideen Abdul Cader also realized that he could not secure a seat by switching sides to the UNP. Mohideen Abdul Cader was a business man who also financially contributed to the SLMC in its election campaign in 1989.

During the 1989 elections, Hisbullah showed his shrewdness and manipulated the other SLMC candidates from conducting public meetings freely in Kattankudy, Furthermore, when the other candidates passed handbills to be distributed among the public, his men were asked to bury them instead of issuing them. He created the impression that he was the first Muslim MP to be elected by the Kattankudy people. Although he agreed to contest on a gentlemen agreement he carefully planned to become an officially elected MP by obtaining the highest votes from the Muslim population in the Batticaloa District. The Kattankudy people were also keen to see their own man be elected for the first time in the history of Kattankudy. The former Muslim MP’s like Mudaliyar Sinnalebbe, his son Latheef Sinnalebbe and his son Risvy Sinnalebbe were not from Kattankudy although their great grandfather, Ahamed Lebbe Marikkar Sinna Lebbe was.

Soon after Hisbullah became a MP for the Batticaloa District, he was also appointed to a senior position in the SLMC politburo and he used all his skills to manipulate the party hierarchy to be on his side. He became closer to the members of the Politburo and especially to Segu Issadeen, the then Chairman of the SLMC, to sustain his position as a MP for the entire term of six years. However, Ashroff was annoyed by his conduct and insisted that he should resign when his turn was due. Hisbullah was determined to challenge Ashroff and any member of the politburo when things turned out to be critical for him. His brother Dr. Najumudeen (Physician) criticized Ashroff’s position with a fellow doctor in Colombo that his brother would not resign as he was elected by the people and not by Ashroff. The SLMC also resorted to legal action against Hisbullah, knowing well in advance that they would not succeed but used it as ruse to fool the people of Eravur and Oddamavadi. The first Muslim political party that claimed its constitution was Quran and Hadith had failed to honour a promise given to the people. It is the SLMC that quotes Quran to hoodwink the voters than any other known Muslim party in Sri Lanka. Ashroff always quoted the Quran in his political meetings and propaganda materials in an attempt to unite the Muslims, “And hold fast by the covenant of Allah all together and be not disunited, (3:103) Al ‘Imran “.

Ashroff was worried about the people of Oddamavadi as they became anti-SLMC and advised Mohideen to join the UNP and teach the SLMC a lesson. They protested against the SLMC leadership and chased out the Kattankudy Muslim businessmen who were based in Oddamavadi. The people of Oddamavadi and Eravur pronounced Hisbullah as a "Munafik” (Hypocrite). Oddamavadi always supported K.W. Devanayagam a former UNP MP until the Muslim Congress promised to represent them with their own man.

Although Ashroff had established a close relationship with the former president Premadasa, he could not confront Premadasa for promoting and protecting Hisbullah. Premadasa was sympathetic to Hisbullah and to Buharudeen MP who later followed Hisbullah’s suit. After some years later Hisbullah had rejoined the SLMC with an apology to the leader. He provided electricity to Paduvankarai villages when he was a minister with the approval of the LTTE and he was in fact spreading his net to catch Tamil votes and also introduced Ahilewaran to contest SLMC parliamentary elections in 2000 under the SLMC. Hisbullah was also alleged to have provided motorbikes to the LTTE in the Paduvankarai area. During the 2004 Parliamentary elections an Indian Journalist who met Hisbullah wrote:-

“Describing the LTTE as ``a reality'' in Batticaloa, Mr. M.L.A.M. Hisbullah, Deputy Minister for Telecommunications and a candidate of the National Unity Alliance (NUA), was candid enough to say that were it not for a tacit understanding with the group since the day he was sworn in as Minister in 1994, he would not have been able to nurse his constituency.

``I cannot move in this area without their consent,'' he stated, as he prepared for yet another day's campaigning in Kathankudy, a Muslim enclave in the district and his main base. With its modern telecommunication facilities, well-lit streets, new roads and a proper beach, all in the last six years, Kathankudy has experienced first-hand the benefits of its leader's modus vivendi with the Tigers. “

It was then that the SLMC were alleged to have forged the signatures of the former chairman of Pattipolai Pradesiya sabha, Ahileswaran and the former Minister of Hindu Culture Mr. C.Rajadurai. The former was in detention in Kandy for the alleged bombing of the temple of the tooth whilst the other was in Malaysia. On a technicality the legal action against the SLMC’s alleged forgery was lost in court. The SLMC had a previous record of alleged forgery of candidates’ signatures for political mileage. In 1989 the SLMC was alleged to have made a list of fictitious candidates with a mix of Sinhalese and Tamils who had not signed before the JP and or the party secretary. (i.e Krishan Ratnarajah, Mudiyansalage Loku Bandara and N.M.Mohamed and R.Saseenthran). Mr. N.M. Mohamed of Kattankudy was alleged to be the "creation" of Hisbullah. This was all done by the so-called party that followed the Quran as its constitution. It was reported that there were also complaints against Hisbullah by his first personal secretary, to the police for alleged misappropriation of his salary. His first secretary was from Colombo and educated at the Royal College. Due to the significance of his testimony he was kept in a safe place in Modara (Mattakkuliya) by some members of the SLMC, including Mohideen Abdul Cader. It was there I went with Mohideen to Modera to visit the victim in his hiding place. I was informed by a section of the SLMC hierarchy that this matter had been reported to the Police Criminal investigation and the action brought against Hisbullah was defended by a leading Criminal lawyer Mr.A.M.Ameen. It seemed that there may have been some controversy as the matter was discretely swept under the rug.

Democracy and Hisbullah

Ahamed Lebbe Marzook , a former SLPF Kattankudy organizer also once staged a protest in front of the SLFP party head quarters at Darly Road Colombo against Mr. Hisbullah for being a hindrance to their political activities in Kattankudy. This was the same Marzook who stood against Hisbullah in the Parliamentary elections in 2000 and alleged Hisbullah’s practices as non-democratic later crossed over to the SLMC in the successive parliamentary elections.

Another hypocritical incident was when Hisbullah was a minister in the PA (SLFP) he prevented Hakeem from landing in Kattankudy for prayer in the mosque and from freely interacting with the public. Hakeem was pelted with stones and sandals by Hisbullah’s supporters. Hakeem had to be safely escorted to Batticaloa town where he stopped over at Amen Corner, and took refuge in Oddamavadi Mohideen's cousin's house until he was safely rerouted to Eravur with the help of Basheer Segu Dawood's military strategy. As Hakeem frequently quotes “There are no permanent enemies or friends in politics”.

The SLMC had also retaliated violently against their erstwhile members when they split as NUA. It was reported that on or about the 5th of July 2001, at least twenty two persons were injured and 10 vehicles were damaged in violence that broke between the supporters of the National Unity Alliance (NUA) and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) at Samanthurai. Hakeem’s supporters acted against Mrs. Asroff, Hisbullah and their party supporters, when they were on their way to Ampara to hold their party conference.

Buying votes

Some 10 years ago a senior SLMC stalwart said to me in London during his personal visit , that Hisbullah was a necessary evil to the party as he had a vote bank in Kattankudy. Now Hisbullah may consider the SLMC to be a necessary evil to regain his grandeur and power with easy usage of Quranic verses and Sinhalese chauvinism. He also spent a lot of money buying votes from the poor Muslim people of Eravur. During the 2001 and 2004 parliamentary elections, Hisbullah engaged a local politician in Eravur, the late Mr. Mohideen ( known as Ruby Mohideen who was a former Northeast Provincial Councillor) to pay the poor Muslims a sum of SL rupees 2000 and a rice bag and took their oath on Quran to Vote for Hisbullah. This type of vote buying tactic is also used by Segu Dawood Basheer.

Kattankudy has now learned a lesson from Hisbullah’s mischievous politics and have resorted to forming their own; PMGG (People Movement for good Governance) to take control of their own affairs at their local administrative level. Although Ashroff pardoned him previously for disobeying the leadership and readmitted him, he was once again suspended by Ashroff weeks before the 2000 parliamentary election for allegedly issuing a liquor license. This was conveniently forgotten by the hierarchy and the people.

With all the scandalous and controversial issues, the leadership fails to change the broken record of religious mantra, hence the replay of their former leader's speech to garnish votes at the time of elections.

- Sri Lanka Guardian