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Thursday, Jun 26, 2008
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A gifted parliamentarian

G.M. Banatwala

Mumbai/Thiruvananthapuram: The death of Indian Union Muslim League president G.M. Banatwala (74) in Mumbai on Wednesday plunged party circles in Kerala into gloom as he was part and parcel of the State politics.

Mr. Banatwala was the national face of the minority community and a seven-time Lok Sabha MP from Kerala. He represented the Ponnani constituency in the IUML heartland of Malappuram from 1977 to 1989 and after a break from 1996 to 2004.

A gifted parliamentarian and orator, Mr. Banatwala espoused the cause of Muslims in Parliament on the Shah Bano case, demolition of the Babri Masjid and minority rights, including the personal law.

Mr. Banatwala’s nephew Ismail Banatwala said the IUML leader was living with his brothers after his wife’s death. He had no children.

Mr. Banatwala attended the IUML’s platinum jubilee celebrations in Chennai on Saturday.

“When he returned home early this week, he felt uneasy, restless and feverish. This [Wednesday] morning he had breakfast with all of us. At 2.30 p.m., he experienced uneasiness and breathed his last on the way to hospital,” Mr. Ismail said.

The mortal remains of Banatwala will be brought to his Agripada home in south Mumbai. Born in Mumbai, Mr. Banatwala was the national face of the IUML, especially after Ibrahim Suleiman Sait left the League and floated the Indian National League following differences with a section in the party over continuance of ties with the Congress after the Babri Masjid incident. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh paid tributes to Mr. Banatwala and described him as an illustrious personality and a respected leader of people. — PTI

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