Interview in Jail: Part-3

Ali Musaliyar of Mapilah Uprising fame
The Trial of Ali Musaliyar

This is part 3 of the Interview conducted at the Coimbatore Jail with the legendary Mappila leader, Ali Musaliar. The interviewer was C.K. Mohammed Yacoob, a local journalist. This excerpt is from the recently published book, “Imagined Nationalism” edited by Syed Asraf and Abdul Bari, C, which is a collection of newspaper reports on the Malabar Rebellion of 1921-22, appearing in the Bombay Chronicle

Hundreds of Moplahs have been remanded here and they are awaiting trial for the last three months. Practically all of them are without any sort of clothing worth the name and it could be well for the Khilafat and Congress Committees of your place to cover these unfortunate men with some sort of clothing.

AN APPEAL:

I would conclude this communication with an appeal to the general public and in particular to the constituents of the local Khilafat and Congress organizations to do their bit towards these unfortunate beings. One individual like me cannot dream affording relief to the extent required. I have been clothing and feeding about a dozen of those who are in remand and more than that is beyond my means. Is it too much for me to expect that our local leaders will rise to the occasion and discharge their duties towards those suffering fellow beings?

pp 302-303. The interview was also published in The Hindu

Links to previous parts:

The Trial of Ali Musaliar

Interview in Jail: Part-1

Interview in Jail: Part-2

Interview in Jail: Part-3 (final)