Thiruvananthapuram, March 6 (BPNS)
Kerala state president of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Panakkad Hyder Ali Shihab Thangal (74) passes away at a private hospital in Angamaly, Ernakulam district on Sunday. His funeral will be held at Panakkad in Malappuram district on Monday at 9 am.
He was the state president of the Indian Union Muslim League for the past 12 years and succeeded his elder brother Panakkad Mohammed Ali Shihab Thangal.
One of the soft-spoken leaders of the Muslim League, he has always played a major role in mediating between the rivalries within the opposition, United Democratic Front (UDF) of which Muslim League, Congress, Kerala Congress , RSP are part of.
More than a political leader, Hyder Ali Shihab Thangal is considered as a spiritual leader of the Muslim Community and was the state president of the Samastha Kerala Jamaithul Ulema, the powerful spiritual body of the Muslim community in Kerala.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President K. Sudhakaran said that as a mark of respect to the departed leader, Congress has cancelled all the official programmes of the party. He also said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will attend the funeral.
Goa Governor ,P.S. Sredharan Pillai while speaking to BPNS condoled the death of Panakkad Hyder Ali Shihab Thangal said, “ He was a person with high integrity and secular credentials. He was one whose life was always for maintaining the secular credentials of the state and his strength was his down to earth attitude. Hyder Ali Shihab Thangal will always be remembered as a great spiritual and social leader more than a political leader.”
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President, K. Sudhakaran while speaking to BPNS said, “ The passing away of Thangal is a personal loss to me. He was one of the most secular leaders of the state who stood for upkeeping the secular credentials of Kerala and was the harbinger for peace. He and his late elder brother Panakkad Mohammed Ali Shihab Thangal are instrumental in maintain peace in Kerala even after the destruction of Babri Masjid.”
All India Congress Committee Organisational general secretary, K.C. Venugopal condoled the death of Hyder Ali Shihab Thangal. Speaking to BPNS over telephone from New Delhi, Venugopal said, “Hyder Ali Shihab Thangal will always be remembered for his secular and democratic credentials. Has always been a soft-spoken force for the Kerala UDF and one of the most prominent leaders of the Muslim League in Kerala and nationally. He was personally very close to me and have always been in touch with him.”
Congress leader and opposition leader of Kerala, V.D. Satheeshan while speaking to media persons said, “ The passing away of Hyder Ali Shihab Thangal is a major loss for the UDF. More than a spiritual and political leader he was a social worker who was always keen on opening more and more charitable institutions including dialysis centres, cancer treatment centres and many charitable activities. Panakkad family has worked for maintaining the secular credentials of Kerala and his elder brother late Panakkad Mohammed Ali Shihab Thangal was instrumental in preventing any communal war in Kerala after the Babri masjid destruction. Hyder Ali Shihab Thangal always believed in living according to the rules and regulations of the land and has been a churning force for the Muslim community in Kerala.”
