1938-2017
My friendship with E. Ahamed is more than half a century old. We knew each other from 1964, but got close from 1969 onwards. Our friendship continued through the vicissitudes of Kerala’s two-front politics, and also after both of us moved to Delhi. We were partners, colleagues, but above all, friends.
Ahamed had a peculiar ability to strike warm personal friendships with people across political, religious and national boundaries. He had a personal dignity in his dealings with others and that attracted people to him.
In his political convictions, he was quite firm. As partners in the same alliance, we were participants in several political meetings, where I have encountered him putting forth the views of his party—the Indian Union Muslim League—with conviction. But, there was a softness to the style and manner in which he presented his arguments.
It was this ability, coupled with his innate dignity, that made him one of our finest political diplomats. He dealt with world leaders in the same manner. This quality of his earned him friends across the world, particularly in the Arab world, in Africa and elsewhere. The wide network of friends he had built up helped him during his stint as minister of state for external affairs to handle several of the crises the government faced. In fact, the first foreign policy crisis of the Manmohan Singh government was the issue of a few Indian workers being taken hostage in Iraq. We should recall how deftly Ahamed handled it.
Then, there was the crisis in Libya from where we had to evacuate our citizens. He spent the whole night in his office or near his phone at home during those days, monitoring every moment of the crisis.
Ahamed was mentored by one of Kerala’s finest political leaders, C.H. Mohammed Koya, who was chief minister for a short period. Both of them were known for their secular credentials. Yes, they spoke for their community, but not at the cost of other communities.
Following the 1992 Babri Masjid incident, there were riots and violence in several parts of India. But Kerala remained by and large peaceful, thanks to the sagacity of Muslim League leader Shihab Thangal. Ahamed was his right-hand man then. They were particular that the peace and communal harmony of Kerala shouldn’t be disrupted.
During a political strife in Kannur in north Kerala, we, in the United Democratic Front, were thinking of boycotting an all-party meeting called by the Left Front chief minister E.K. Nayanar. But Ahamed told us that we ought to do all we could to prevent the situation from getting worse.
Ahamed was a capable administrator. He was one of Kerala’s best industries ministers. At the Centre, he handled several portfolios with élan.
He loved to work. Even when he knew his health was deteriorating, he refused to sit idle. He went to Kashmir as part of the all-party delegation a few months ago ignoring his failing health.
Any assignment he was given, he took it up as a mission. That was why both P.V. Narasimha Rao and A.B. Vajpayee sent him several times—I think ten times—to speak for India in world forums whenever the Kashmir issue was raised. Even while in the opposition, where he was critical of policies and measures of the government, he was particular about defending India in world forums.
We have lost a great patriot, a passionate secularist, a fine diplomat and a warm human being.
Antony is former defence minister.
