{"id":13271,"date":"2015-09-16T06:28:59","date_gmt":"2015-09-16T06:28:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lankafrontnews.com\/?p=13271"},"modified":"2015-09-16T06:42:39","modified_gmt":"2015-09-16T06:42:39","slug":"m-h-m-ashraff-an-outstanding-leader-of-the-muslims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lankafrontnews.com\/?p=13271","title":{"rendered":"M.H.M. Ashraff : An Outstanding Leader of the Muslims !"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"M.H.M.Ashraff\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By: Ashraff.A. Samad<\/span><\/p>\n

Fifteen years sound, but quite a long period. But not when it comes to Ashraff . It seems only\u00a0 yesterday that he took off\u00a0 without bidding us farewell. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However it is, but sad even after this long period, leaders are born every where\u00a0 in the world and the services rendered by them for the good of their community are many. Although\u00a0 such services are remembered by the people now and then: all their names\u00a0 would not become historical as that of Minister\u00a0 Ashraff\u00a0 whose 15th<\/sup> years remembrance falls today September 16. 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mohamed Hussain Mohamed Ashraff\u00a0 Minister , a great and worthy son of the Eastern Province was born Sammanthurai . He was indeed not born with the proverbial silver spoon but at the time of his untimely death in the political establishment of this country.\u00a0 Indeed within a very short\u00a0 spell of\u00a0 half a dozen\u00a0 years he was Cabinet Minister,\u00a0 Member of\u00a0 Parliament and Sri Lanka\u00a0 Muslim Congress\u00a0 and National Unity\u00a0 Alliance Founder Leader, died\u00a0 on September 16th<\/sup>\u00a0 2000 while on his way to his native Ampara District in a Sri Lanka Air Force\u00a0 helicopter which crashed\u00a0 in a blaze of flames in Aranyake.<\/span><\/p>\n

Being a son of the Eastern soil\u00a0 he had his primary education\u00a0 at Wesley College, Kalmunai and had to leave his home\u00a0 region to pursue\u00a0 further studies\u00a0 at the metropolis in 1970 he joint\u00a0 Law College where he excelled\u00a0 and manifested prowess,\u00a0 In the field of constitutional\u00a0 Law by writing the first book on Tamil\u00a0 with particular reference to 1972 Republican Constituents of Sri Lanka Law College\u00a0 the natural nursery of many a political leader, he was the president of the Law students, Muslim Majilis and of the student community.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1974 he joint Attorney General\u2019s Department as a state Counsel, and worked there to get himself acquainted with the law to become an eminent Lawyer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He practiced in\u00a0 Kallmuani\u00a0 and completed\u00a0 Master Degree in Law prior to becoming a Senior Minister . He was honoured with the title\u00a0 Presidential Council .\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ashraff saw as nobody did before him, the political potential of the Eastern Province with its predominant Muslim population.<\/span><\/p>\n

In November 1986 the SLMC became a national political party and created history in Sri Lankan Muslims politics. The symbol of his party was the tree.which was planned and nurtured in the Eastern and Northern Muslims areas in Sri Lanka.\u00a0 In 1989 he contested the parliamentary election and entered parliament as an MP. At the 1994 general election he was\u00a0 returned\u00a0 to parliament seven MPs from the East North.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Two SLMC MPs were appointed\u00a0 Deputy Ministers and one MP,\u00a0 SLMC played a constructive\u00a0 role to install the Former President Chandrika Bandaranayake Kumaratunge Government\u00a0 in a hung parliament , Ashraff became minister of Ports, Shipping, Rehabilitation and Reconstructions,\u00a0 Ashraff fulfilled\u00a0 his responsibilities as\u00a0 a Minister with the utmost dedication and efficiency. The Colombo Port made vast strides under his leadership, achieving the government\u2019s vision of\u00a0 becoming one of\u00a0 Asia\u2019s leading ports.<\/span><\/p>\n

His dedicated efforts have transformed his home district of Ampara from backward rural district\u00a0 into a farby developed\u00a0 area. Moving rapidly\u00a0 towards modernism.<\/span><\/p>\n

His single \u2013 handed dedication to established\u00a0 the South Eastern University\u00a0 Oluvil will be recorded in letters of gold.<\/span><\/p>\n

His constant struggle to obtain the rights of the Muslims people had much success during\u00a0 the last six years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He had a vast following\u00a0 among the Muslim people who appreciated his vision, the immense sacrifices he made for their\u00a0 cause\u00a0 and his sincerity of purpose, more\u00a0 than all\u00a0 these\u00a0 the late Ashraff was a man with a very big heart. In friendship he was warm, sincere and forgiving his kindness was limitless.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a minister\u00a0 he was not only a policy formulator, a policy implementer , a keen monitor but also a hard task master, in implementing\u00a0 the decisions\u00a0 of the Government\u00a0 he had a total vision , In the problems of the affected and displaced\u00a0 persons and\u00a0 port\u00a0 employees, he acted as catalyst\u00a0 without causing\u00a0 any embarrassment to the government.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

His qualities of\u00a0 leadership\u00a0 and respect for bureaucracy\u00a0 developed\u00a0 loyalty and team spirit.\u00a0 Ashraff was a very kind hearted\u00a0 sensitive and highly emotional\u00a0 personality always with ready smile and kind word\u00a0 never failing to greet his staff at least with a smile, and was a stickler for correct details.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A good administrator\u00a0 should be a good\u00a0 human being, Despite all the knowledge and techniques\u00a0 of administration and management\u00a0 one cannot\u00a0 be a good administrator unless one has good qualities\u00a0 Late Leader Ashraff,\u00a0 possessed all these qualities\u00a0 coupled with attractive talents in ample measure.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ashraff was a deep\u00a0 religious man and\u00a0 would commence nothing without remembering the Almightily and seeking his guidance and blessings . He was an excellent\u00a0 writer of Tamil prose\u00a0 as well as\u00a0 English.\u00a0 He generous was in full bloom in his poetic compositions.\u00a0 His anthology\u00a0 of poems\u00a0 has been hailed as a piece\u00a0 of outstanding\u00a0 literacy merit by none other than former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu , who himself\u00a0 is a respected Tamil Scholar\u00a0 Mr, Karunanidhi was\u00a0 so enthralled by the title\u00a0 of anthology of\u00a0 his poems that\u00a0 he commented \u201cThis title\u00a0 by\u00a0 itself\u00a0 is a matter\u00a0 for contemplated enlightenment and ultimate enjoyment of all the qualities and talents Ashraff\u00a0 wished to outlive him was his literary talents, because he valued them above all other achievements.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nothing has happened to your Leader\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Never forget this in your life\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Leaders never die<\/span><\/p>\n

Haven\u2019t I told you this ?<\/span><\/p>\n

Pardon me if\u00a0 I hvaent\u2019t\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Has your Leader\u2019s body been<\/span><\/p>\n

Coated with the sandalwood of blood<\/span><\/p>\n

Should\u00a0 the smell of\u00a0 the same fragrance\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Smell in the womb of his\u00a0 tomb as well<\/span><\/p>\n

Then take this body\u00a0 away<\/span><\/p>\n

Pray and burry without\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Any further delay<\/span><\/p>\n