ZAHIRA’S ZENITH!

Continued from yesterday

Text of the Dr. T. B. Jayah Oration delivered by Al Haj S. H. M. Jameel at the 122nd birth anniversary.

A very limited number of Ceylonese were granted voting rights at the beginning of the 20th Century to elect representatives on the basis of islandwide ‘communal electorates’ to the Legislative Council. Such election to a Mohemadan electorate was held for the first time in 1924, in which three members were elected to represent the Muslims obtaining the following number of votes:

H.M. Macan Markar 10311 votes
N.H.M. Abdul Cader 6705 votes
T.B. Jayah 5221 votes

The other candidate, M.L.M. Riyal obtained 3,629 votes. This heralded the entry of Jayah into the Legislature, where he continued to serve from 1924-1930; 1936-1947; 1947-1950 and a brief period in 1960. Instead of being a ceremonial member of the Legislature, he made ample use of every opportunity to serve the community and the nation, thus emerging as a community as well as a national leader at the time of British Imperialism in this country. He became an active participant in the struggle for Independence from 450 years of European domination.

One other great personality from the Malay community, who sat along with Jayah in all the committees appointed by the Legislative Council for the recommendation of framing of Laws pertaining to the Muslims and whom we cannot fail to mention at this juncture was Justice Akbar. After a brilliant school career at Royal College, Colombo, where he carried away every possible prize, he proceeded to Cambridge University in the United Kingdom on the government scholarship having obtained the highest points in the selection for the scholarship to qualify as an engineer. He not only qualified as an engineer, but also as a Barrister-of-Law.

On his return to Ceylon, he joined the Government Legal Department and very soon was appointed as the Solicitor General and subsequently as a judge of the Supreme Court. He could have risen to be the first Ceylonese Chief Justice, but suddenly and prematurely retired from the service. No one, including the Governor, could persuade him to reconsider his decision. He spent the remainder of his days in religious activities, living in Wekanda and distributing his monthly pensions to his relations, friends and the needy. It was said that 'Akbar’s Pension day was the salary day of the others.’

By virtue of his position as Solicitor General, he became automatically a member of the Legislative and Executive Councils. Though a government nominee to look after the interests of the rulers, he utilized the opportunity to the maximum benefit to the Muslim community by being chairman or member of many committees, in which Jayah also actively contributed to the formulation, enactment and implementation of many legislations, such as the Muslim Property Laws, Wakf Act and Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act. He was also Chairman of the Committee that recommended the replacement of the term ‘Mohamedan’ with the term ‘Muslim.’

National consciousness

Akbar was the Chairman of the Committee that finally decided the site for the establishment of the Ceylon University. The battle of the sites whether to establish the university at Peradeniya or Colombo was long-drawn, where a very powerful group preferred Colombo. However, the Committee finally decided on Peradeniya, one of the most scenic sites for a university in any part of the world.

But a point of regret is that the university authorities thought it fit to perpetuate the memories of many leaders of the university movement by naming the Halls of Residence with their names, but quarter of a century elapsed before the same authorities thought it fit to name a Hall with Akbar’s name, and that too only half of a hall was named, the other half being named as Nell Hall.

The national consciousness for self-rule began to emerge by the beginning of the 20th century. The Ceylon Reform League founded in 1917 under the Chairmanship of Ponnambalam Ramanathan came to an abrupt end being succeeded by the formation of the Ceylon National Congress, which continued to be the prime organization in demanding Independence to Ceylon.

The Muslims participated in the demand for freedom from British rule without any hesitation and in full measure through their organizations.

The Moor Union was founded in1900 which blossomed into the All Ceylon Moors Association in 1922, of which in later years A.R.A. Razick (Sir.Razick Fareed) became the leader and made significant contribution to education and national independence.

1903 saw the birth of the Ceylon Muslim Association, which soon became the Young Muslim League under the chairmanship of Barrister Saheed A. Marikkar. In 1924, it assumed the name of All Ceylon Muslim League under the chairmanship of N.H.M. Abdul Cader, on whose death, Jayah was chosen as the President and remained so till 1950.

In articulating the Muslim point of view, Jayah balanced the national and community aspirations in such a manner that the Muslims became an integral part of the freedom movement, while preserving their community identity intact. This was evident as early as 1930s when is his capacity as the leader of the Muslim Political Conference, he led a delegation to England and presented a Memorandum on “Muslims and Proposed Constitutional changes in Ceylon” to the British rulers. He steadfastly continued this policy of ‘country and community’ all throughout his political career. As stated by Dr. M.C.M. Kaleel, “He was sincere and dedicated in the cause of his country and community above all personal considerations. He valued freedom so dearly that he declared that no concept in political life was more precious than freedom.”

At the same time, Jayah had the courage to forewarn the members of the State Council, how a section of the membership was attempting to convert the struggle for reforms to a narrower and parochial approach. Speaking on the Governor Caldecott Reforms in 1937, in which Debate Jayah spoke for three hours; G.G. Ponnambalam for nine hours and forty five minutes; A.E. Goonesinghe for four hours and thirty minutes and Nadesan for nine hours, Jayah said that “some of the politicians here particularly those who are puffed with power cannot understand the realities of the situation. They think that self-government for this country means self-government for themselves. The benefit of self-government they think should accrue only to one community. When others say that the benefits of self-government should be diffused among all the people, they want to call such people all sorts of names. They cannot distinguish between what is proper and what is improper, between what is legitimate and what is not legitimate, between what is good for the country and what is detrimental to the country.

Political freedom

When finally the arrangement for granting Independence to Ceylon was being arranged, and the State Council debating in November 1944 the Soulbury Report and the White Paper of the government of the United Kingdom, Jayah said that “I speak with the full support of members of the Muslim community of Ceylon. I saw to it that the Muslim community was consulted with representatives in different parts of the country on the important issue before the House; and I am in a position to say that the Muslim members of this Council have the fullest backing of the Muslim community in this island. When the Muslim members of this Council decided to take a definite stand at the time the ‘Sri Lanka Bill’ was introduced, they did so for one and for one reason only. The reason was that where the political freedom of this country was involved, they were prepared to go to any length, even to the point of sacrificing advantages and benefits as a result of such action.”

S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, then Leader of the House, speaking during the Debate, appreciated the definitive views expressed by Jayah. He said that “the Hon. Nominated Member Mr. Jayah had made a speech today that will have a great effect in bringing about unity among the people of the country in bringing some sense of reality to this struggle, however it may shape, that we are going to undertake to obtain a satisfactory measure of freedom. What have the Nominated Member Mr. Jayah and his colleagues Hon. Nominated Member Mr. Razick and the Member for Colombo Central Dr. Kaleel done? There is provided in the Bill a scheme of representation under which the Muslim community more than any other community in this country might suffer in this form which it appears, but yet he himself was so sincerely determine to work for the main idea of freedom that he was prepared to vote for the principle embodied in the Bill.”

Such was the greatness of Jayah who was primarily an educationist, who advocated that the most important way for the community to advance economically, politically and socially was to upgrade the standard of education, specially English education among the Muslims. He not only made Zahira to blossom into one of the leading schools in Ceylon, but extended its wings to other parts of the country by opening Zahiras in Gampola, Matale, Puttalam Alutgama and Wekanda. His hand-picked successor Azeez took Zahira to its zenith, and another disciple Badiudin Mahmud whom he appointed as the Principal of Gampola Zahira, rendered yeoman service as a longest serving Minister of Education. Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake once referred to the prominent part played by Denominational schools specifically mentioning the role of Stone of St.Thomas, Hartly of Royal, Highfield of Wesley and Jayah of Zahira. He further stated that “Ceylon’s securing of Dominion Status without civil strife or political turmoil was not a little due to the priceless lessons which young and old learnt at the feet of those successful school-masters and bridge builders.”

National hero

As a politician, he entered the Legislative Council of the Colonial Ceylon, continued to serve in the State Council and became the Minister of Labour and Social Services in the first Parliament of Independent Ceylon. During the many decades as a Legislator, he always espoused the cause of his community, but balancing it with the national interest. He was a statesman, who was fittingly declared a national hero.

Jayah was the first Ambassador of Ceylon to Pakistan, where he became so popular and prominent that the University of Punjab conferred on him the title of Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) on December 22, 1951. He politely declined the Pakistan citizenship offered by its government. His recall by Allah itself was so significant that he breathed his last in Medina on May 31,1960 after accomplishing the mission of setting up the ‘Ceylon House’ in Mecca.

It is the bounden duty of the Muslim community to perpetuate the memory of such a great personality. We appreciate efforts taken by the members of the Conference of Sri Lankan Malays under the Presidentship of my good friend Alhaj Azoor. I should also mention with gratitude two persons, Dr. M.S. Jaldeen and Enver C. Ahlip, for having extensively recorded the biography of Jayah in their books. I may mention with humbleness that I too have published a book in Tamil language in 1994 titled ‘Educational Contributions of Jayah.’ In fact as a student I received two prizes from the hands of Dr.Jayah at the Zahira Annual Prize Giving in 1958, which occasion he graced as the Chief Guest.

However, the All Ceylon Muslim League on the very next day of Jayah’s demise decided to inaugurate a Fund to perpetuate the memory of late Dr. Jayah. In fact, funds were collected, a piece of land was bought close to Ananda College and plans were made to build a Memorial Hall. This land we are told, had gone into litigation and the plan is still dormant for half a century.

The government of Sri Lanka has honoured him with an issue of a postage stamp on declaring him a national hero and naming a school and a street in Colombo in his name. My earnest hope is that the Memorial Building will one day become a reality.

Concluded