Years ago, when the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) was facing a political crisis of sorts, the legendary leader, Seethi Haji, thundered, “We don't need to go after ministerial berth; ministership will be brought to the Panakkad house on a silver platter.”
Such was the clout commanded by Panakkad Syed Muhammadali Shihab Thangal, who steered the party for more than three decades from the ancestral house in Kudappanakkal.
But even while leading the party in politics, the members of the Panakkad family always kept themselves away from power politics and have never contested elections. “For us politics is only secondary,” said Panakkad Syed Munawarali Shihab, the younger son of Shihab Thangal. “Lending a helping hand to the needy is the first priority of our family.” Shihab Thangal, who was elevated to the helm of the IUML in his late 30’s, had a stoic resignation to politics. Initially he was reluctant to don the mantle. He sought 40 days to take a decision when he was asked to lead the IUML after the death of his father in 1975. The dust and din of electioneering never touched Shihab Thangal, who passed away in 2009. “Vapa (father) would silently walk out from the room where leaders like Ahmed Sahib and Kunhalikutty Sahib were breaking their head over a vexed issue,” recalled his son. Even when the heat of elections touched its zenith, Shihab Thangal would find time to nurture the garden and feed the pets. The Thangal family is highly respected by the Muslims in Kerala as they are the descendants of Prophet Mohammed. The family migrated to Kerala from Yemen. Election or no election, people, cutting across religion and politics, flock the Kodappanakkal House seeking solace. And they go back with a smile on their face.