Moulvi Elayadatha Moidu

MOULVI ELAYADATHA MOIDU

Date of Birth: 1890 and Date of Death: 1995

Moulvi Elayadatha Moidu, who fought against communal politics throughout his life, was born in 1890 in Maranchery village near Ponnam in Malabar district in Kerala.  He had his primary education at Kodenchery and higher education in the Arabic College at Vazhakkad.  He took membership in the Indian National Congress in 1919, when he participated in the Home Rule Movement.  While leading the activities of the Indian National Movement, he became famous not only as an able organiser, but also as a good orator.  Mohammad Abdul Rehaman, who became a famous freedom fighter of Kerala, was inspired by Moulvi towards the Indian National Movement.  Moulvi Movement in 1921 under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi and Ali brothers.  He was imprisoned for two and a half years for his participation in the Non Cooperation Movement.  He started ‘Majlisul Ulema’ to bring reforms in the Moplah society of Malabar area and he worked as its secretary.  He held discussions with the Moplah leader, Moulvi Ali Mussaliar in order to involve Moplahs in the stream of Non violent Movement.  He started a newspaper ‘Al-Ameen’ in 1929 from Calicut with the help of Abdul Rehaman to propagate Nationalist ideology among the people.  But, it was banned by the British.  H participated in Salt Satyagraha at Payyannur as a part of the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930, for which he had to face the cruelty of the British police and imprisonment for nine months.  He served the people as the member of the District Board of Malabar in 1938.  He travelled extensively in Kerala in 1942 to strengthen the Quit India Movement, for which he was again imprisoned for three years.  Moulvi strongly opposed the communal politics of the Muslim League from the very beginning.  He said “If the Muslim League is not a communal organisation, there will be no communal organisation in the world”.  His comment irked the leaders of the All India Muslim League.  He resented the divisive politics of the Muslim League from the beginning with great courage.  Moulvi was acquainted with different languages and wrote several books on different subjects.  He got opportunity to enter the Parliament after independence.  But, he refused to join and confined himself to social reforms and literary activities.  Moulvi Elayadatha Moidu, who was a freedom fighter, committed social reformer and a writer, passed away in 1995.