N.M.AMEEN
COLOMBO : Principal Zairdeen, a great personality who made enormous contribution for the advancement of Muslims in the field of education, predominantly science education
Marhoom Matale Al-haj A. C. M. Zairdeen had been an educationist with extraordinary talents and as well as a successful administrator, made an immeasurable contribution to the education sector of this country passed away on Friday,June 04 early morning.
Burial took place same day before Jummah prayers at the Jawatta Jummah Masjid burial grounds in Colombo in the presence of few family members due to Covid restrictions.
Due to the unfavourable situation arisen in the country with the outbreak of deadly COVID 19 pandemic, thousands, who were groomed by Zairdeen and attained highest positions in the society including education and administrative sectors miss the opportunity to attend the las rites of their beloved teacher.
Marhoom Zairdeen was born as the son of Abdul Cader who was turned to be a businessman after serving as CID Officer in the Police Department in Matale.
Zairdeen received his early education at Zahira College, Matale and he who went to India for higher education completed the graduation studies in science stream at Madras Christian College in Tambaram, Tamil Nadu.
Marhoom Zairdeen who returned to Sri Lanka as a science graduate was first appointed to be a science teacher to the Akkaraipattu Central College in 1960.
He is still fondly remembered by the people of Akkaraipattu for his yeoman services rendered in their education,.
Marhoom Zairdeen pioneered jointly with then Principal I. Ibralebbai to start the science division at the Akkaraipattu Central College.
He succeeded in his attempt by starting a science division in the midst of fierce oppositions in a school where G. C. E. (A L) classes were held only in Arts stream upto then.
More than 40 doctors have evolved from Akkaraipattu region up to now and four special medical experts are among them. Apart from this, there are many engineers in the Akkaraipattu region now.
Retired Agrarian Officer Meerasahib, a student of Marhoom Zairdeen and benefited from him stated that the later was the pioneer behind all these successes.
He said that even though Zairdeen is no more with them still lives in the hearts of Akkaraipattu people.
Meerasahib added that the Akkaraipattu people who were shocked by the demise of Zairdeen have organised an event to invoke the blessings of Almighty Allah on their beloved teacher.
Even though Marhoom Zairdeen went from an urban area to a village environment, still the senior citizens in the Akkaraipattu area recall the services he rendered for the advancement of school jointly with the Self-motivated education activists in the region.
At the time when Marhoom Zairdeen was serving at Akkaraipattu Central College there was no fence to demarcate the boundary of school.
The efforts Marhoom Zairdeen took to install fence bringing wooden fence posts cutting from the nearby forest to demarcate the boundary of Akkaraipattu Central College jointly with then students still have taken an indelible place in the minds of people in the region.
When the students were arrested by police with wooden logs when they were returning school from the forest Marhoom Zairdeen solved the issue after meeting his elder brother, then Ampara DIG A. C. A. Gafoor, travelling from Akkaraipattu to Ampara on a push cycles via the forest path. When the people were speaking of the development of Akkaraipattu Central College, they never failed to include this incident.
Marhoom Zairdeen who went to Matale Zahira College getting transfer from Akkaraipattu, after serving as a Principal there for a small period went to Mawanella Zahira College on transfer and served there for a long period getting the post of Principal.
When Marhoom Zairdeen was serving as the Principal of Mawanella Zahira College I was in G. C. E. (A/L).
When Marhoom Zairdeen served as the Principal of Matale Zahira College, in addition to academic activities, he was instrumental in fostering the moral and spiritual values among the students.
He started the science stream at the Mawanella Zahira College where only Arts stream was available until then and pioneered to produce many science graduates, doctors and engineers from Mawanella Zahira College.
The people of Mawanella still recall the contribution made by Marhoom Zairdeen to transform Mawanella Zahira College to be one of the Sri Lanka’s number schools further developing the development structure formulated by M. S. A. Wahid who served as Principal before him. The name of Marhoom Zairdeen. The period of Marhoom Zairdeen must be engraved with golden letters in the history of Mawanella Zahira College.
Marhoom Zairdeen assumed duty as the Principal of Gampola Zahira College accepting the invitation of then Education Minister Badi-ud-din Mahmud while serving at Mawanella Zahira College.
When former Minister Marhoom M. H. Mohammed was appointed as the Minister of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs, Marhoom Zairdeen was appointed by him as the Director of Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs.
Marhoom Zairdeen was the only one who was appointed to this post beyond the Sri Lanka Administrative Service. After serving three years in this post, Marhoom Zairdeen was appointed as the Government Agent (GA) of Trincomalee.
Zairdeen was appointed to be the Acting Principal of Colombo Zahira College at the time when he was serving as the Director of Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs. He was given this post during a plight situation arisen in the Zahira College when A. T. Alles was serving as the Director of college.
Then Deputy Principal of Zahira College A. M. Nahiya said that Marhoom Zairdeen could serve only for a short period owing to the turbulent situation found there. Marhoom Zairdeen had sublime qualities and was very concerned about the community. Nahiya added that It was unfortunate that Marhoom Zairdeen was not able to continue as the Principal of College.
Marhoom Zairdeen who was married to Rehaan has three including two sons. His sons Rushdie and Umar are serving as IT experts in USA now.
Marhoom Zairdeen showed much interest to make his only daughter Roshan to be a doctor, predominately VOG (Gynecologist), now she is serving as a Specialist Doctor in Colombo. At a time when there were only very little number of VOGs among the Muslim women, he educated his daughter in this field.
Marhoom Zairdeen’s daughter, when she was recalling the sweet memories of her beloved father said that “my father was more interested in educating me and sacrificed much for it. He accompanied me in his vehicle to Kandy from Matale for special classes. When I was studying he refrained accompanying me to family events. He always advised me to concentrate only on my education and was in the view that attending such events will be an obstacle for education activities. I was able to materialise my father’s dream and have received an opportunity to serve my country’s people to be a pediatrician. My father was much interested in the education of community just as he focused attention on his family members’ education. My father has produced hundreds of graduates, entrepreneurs and experts in many other fields.
In his last days, Marhoom Zairdeen who was involved in politics fielded the Matale District from United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in 1994 and unfortunately he was not elected to Parliament.
In the final stage of his life, Zairdeen who migrated to United Kingdom (UK) was living with his daughter. After he returned from UK was living in Colombo. Few days before he passed away owing to a brief illness. May Allah offer him his esteemed Jannathul Firdouse. (Al-haj N. M. Ameen -: President of Muslim Council of Sri Lanka (MCSL) and Chief Editor of Nawamani Newspaper)
