COLOMBO: Senior Broadcaster M. K. Muhammadhu Jamaldeen who was born in 23rd March 1934 in Erukkalampiddy in Mannar to Mohideen Kappudayar – Kulthum Umma passed away at his age of 87 in Dehiwala.
Listeners of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) (then known as Radio Ceylon) had been spellbound to the mesmerizing voice and the presentation style of Jamaldeen. He joined the SLBC after gaining mastery in Urdu, Hindi and Sanskrit languages as well as classical music and the Corporation made use of his multilingual proficiency to reach the listeners who spoke different languages. Many turned to their radios to listen to the classical music of Jamaldeen.
Jamaldeen received his early education at Erukkalampiddy Maha Vidyalaya, secondary education at Jaffna Central College and while excelling in sports he was the only Muslim senior prefect of the history of Jaffna Central College and this record is yet to be broken.
Former Principal of Zahira College, Colombo, Senator Dr. A. M. A. Azeez, native of Jaffna who was attracted by the innate talents and superior qualities of Jamaldeen invited him to Colombo sending him a postcard.
After serving three years as a teacher of Zahira College under the Dr. Azeez, he left for Bhatkande University, Lucknow in India for higher studies and graduated as Sangeet Wishara, after returning to Sri Lanka Jamaldeen was appointed as a gazetted officer of Radio Ceylon. All Asia Service was popular in the subcontinent of South Asia during the period of 1960s and 1970s. He also interviewed prominent personalities who came from India and Pakistan including Ravi Shankar and Noor Jehan.
He did live commentaries in Hindi for the Asian audience when Pope Paul VI visited Colombo. He also translated commentaries on the moon landing mission in July 1969 and as well as the speech of late Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He was on many music auditions for the Sinhala and Tamil services of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC).
While receiving higher education Jamaldeen several times visited Kashmir and started to raise voice for Kashmiris after witnessing the sorrows and tragedies they were undergoing in their day-to-day life.
After retiring from the SLBC he established the Kashmir Education Research Circle and served as it’s until his demise. He also wrote a English book titled “Kashmir, an Orphan while conducting seminars and workshops in order to show the pathetic situation of Kashmiris also released leaflets from time to time in this regard.
In recognition of his contribution to the struggle of Kashmir since 1991, then President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain who invited Jamaldeen to Pakistan in 2016 honored with countries third excellence civil award of Sitara-I-Imtiaz.
Former Muslim Cultural Affairs State Miniser marhoom (late) A. H. M. Azwer honoured Jamaldeen with the honorary award “Sahis Sabaan” (King of Languages” under the scheme “Let’s honor living legends”.
Jamaldeen served as a full time employee of SLBC since 1966 and had been the controller Hindi and Urdu services of the Corporation and was promoted to the post of Director of Commercial Service in 1987.
When the Tamil employees were sent on compulsory leave during the LTTE war time the credit of operating the entire Tamil unit must go to Jamaldeen.
(Al-haj N. M. Ameen, President of Muslim Council of Sri Lanka and the Chief Editor of Nawamani Newspaper)
My dear friend Jamaludeen was one of most sincere friends of oppressed and brutalised Kashmiri Muslims.
He has answered he call f Allah. May Allah grant him Jannathul Firdouse
Latheef Farooik