M. Muhammad Ismail


M. Muhammad Ismail was an Indian politician and social worker from southern Indian state Tamil Nadu. He was a founder of the Indian Union Muslim League party after the partition of British India. He was popularly known in Tamil Nadu and Kerala as the "Quaid-e-Millat". Ismail was a member of Madras Legislative Assembly and Leader of the Opposition. He was also a member of the Constituent Assembly, the drafting body of the constitution of India. He was also a member of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.

Early life and career

M. Muhammad Ismail Rowther was born in Pettai, Tirunelveli, in what is now the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, on 5 June 1896 to Maulavi K. T. Miakhan Rowther in a Tirunelveli Rowther family. He was educated at C. M. S. College and Hindu College at Tirunelveli and later at St. Joseph's College, Trichinopoly and Christian College, Madras.
Ismail started the 'Young Muslim Society' in his home town Tirunelveli Pettai in 1909. He was also instrumental in establishing Majlis ul-Ulama in 1918. He went into business in the 1920s and became a leader of Madras leather industry and eventually of Madras commerce.
Ismail married Jamal Hameeda Biwi in November 1923. Ismail's brother, K. T. M. Ahmed Ibrahim, was also a principal leader of the All-India Muslim League in Madras Presidency. Ismail served as Vice President, Muslim Educational Association of Southern India and Anjuman Himayat-e-Islam. He was also a founding member of the Tamil Valarchi Kazhagam, Madras.

Political career

With the All-India Muslim League

Success in Madras commerce led Ismail into Indian politics. Along with K. M. Seethi Saheb, B. Pocker and K. Uppi Saheb, he was one of the principal leaders of All-India Muslim League in Madras Presidency from the mid-1930s.
In 1945, he became the President of the Madras Presidency unit of the All-India Muslim League. In the elections to the Madras legislature, the League won all but ten of the reserved seats in 1936 and all in 1946. The League emerged as the second largest party in the Assembly after the 1946 elections and Ismail served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly during 1946–52.

With the Indian Union Muslim League

When British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan, the All-India Muslim League was virtually disbanded. Ismail, the then President of the Madras Muslim League, was chosen as the Convener of the Indian segment of the League. The Indian members of the League formed the Indian Union Muslim League at Madras. Ismail was chosen as the first President of Indian Union Muslim League.
After partition of India, Muslims were still well represented in the Constituent Assembly, the drafting body of the constitution of India. Only those from Madras Presidency formally adhered to the League. Ismail was elected from the Madras Legislative Assembly to the Constituent Assembly in 1948. When the report of the Advisory Committee on Minorities was debated, Ismail moved a motion for the retention of reserved seats for Muslims and a separate communal electorate. The Assembly summarily rejected this motion. Ismail Sahib wanted Tamil to be the Official Language of India.

Attempts for an alliance

In the 1950s, Ismail started negotiating with the stubborn High Command in New Delhi for an electoral alliance with the Congress. Some informal or local alliances with the Madras Congress were realized. The party thereupon suffered a rout in the 1957 General Elections and witnessed a major split in 1961. League in due course allied with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Swatantra Party.
In 1952, Ismail was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Madras with support of the independent candidates endorsed by the League.

As a Member of Parliament from Kerala

When the state of Kerala was formed by the States Reorganisation Act in 1956, Ismail his constituency to northern Kerala. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Manjeri Parliamentary Constituency three times – in 1962, 1967 and 1971 as an Indian Union Muslim League candidate.
During the 1962 India-China War, Ismail famously offered to send his son Mian Khan to join the Indian Army to fight against China.
General ElectionConstituencyWinnerPartyRunner upMargin
1962 ManjeriM. Muhammad IsmailIndian Union Muslim LeagueMuhammed Kunju 4,328
1967 ManjeriM. Muhammad IsmailIndian Union Muslim LeagueA. N. Beevi 107,494
1971 ManjeriM. Muhammad IsmailIndian Union Muslim LeagueS. P. Mumammed Ali 119,837

Business career

Ismail went into business in the 1920s and was involved in various commerce committees. He was a noted businessman of the Madras Presidency involved in leather and meat industry.
The boards and committees he was a member of include:
M. Muhammad Ismail died in 1972. Indian National Congress politician M. Bhaktavatsalam, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, paying his tribute, described Ismail as a "a model for all Opposition leaders".