Amid row, Mohammed Abdur Rahiman Jubilee Hall in Kozhikode inaugurated

Kozhikode: The renovated Jubilee Hall in Kozhikode, originally constructed in 2000 by the municipal corporation to mark the Golden Jubilee of Independence, was inaugurated on Saturday evening. It will now be called Mohammed Abdur Rahiman Memorial Jubilee Hall.

BJP and Sangh Parivar organisations had opposed the move to rename the hall. They claimed it was “against the cultural background of the locality popular for the Tali temple.” However, Kozhikode Corporation scoffed at the demand. In a rare display of unity, UDF also supported the corporation.

In an all-party meeting on Thursday, Mayor Beena Philip stated that the Corporation decided to rename the hall after realising that Abdur Rahman did not receive the respect he rightly deserved. The BJP boycotted the meeting. 

However, political parties, including CPM, Congress, Muslim League (IUML), Loktantrik Janata Dal, and Janata Dal (Secular), welcomed the decision to rename the hall to commemorate the late freedom fighter who served as president of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee in 1939.

According to Mayor Beena Philip, Abdur Rahiman is a highly respected individual who even fought against his own community in the pursuit of building a secular nation. She further stated that the hall is a landmark of Kozhikode and does not represent any specific corporation ward.

BJP argued that the corporation is implementing the agenda of CPM, and such a move is aimed to erase the legacy and history of the region. They accused deputy mayor Musafar Ahammed as the “mastermind” of renaming the hall. They also held a symbolic inauguration of the hall “without renaming it” on Saturday. They see the renaming as an “attempt to create communal division.”

The Kovoor Community Hall, which will be opened soon, is to be named after Krishna Pillai.