By Hassan Cheruppa

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Eleven years ago, precisely in a winter evening in January 2009, an elderly Saudi citizen in Madinah was attending a send off party to an Indian national, who had been instrumental in helping him establish his first date plantation in the Quba neighborhood of Madinah.

When his turn came, the citizen, who was the sponsor, said in an emotionally charged speech: “My beloved Moosa, you are basically responsible for the entire prosperity achieved by me and my family in our life.

“Our rags-to-riches story actually kick-started with your planting of the first date palm in the Quba plantation and eventually developing it into one of the best plantations where Rotana and Ajwa dates are flourishing in the city of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

“Each and every palm tree in the plantation is owed to you for this, and hence how can you bid adieu to any of these date palms...” the citizen burst into tears and could not complete his words.

P.T. Moosakkoya, who hails from Kozhikode in the southern state of Kerala, died last Wednesday following a cardiac arrest. He served as supervisor of the date palm farm in Quba for over a quarter of a century.

In the meantime, he played an active role in the social work and media field by serving as Madinah reporter of Malayalam News daily. He was also in the forefront of extending voluntary services to the Hajj pilgrims.

Moosakkoya had to his credit several short stories that were published in the periodicals in India and Saudi Arabia. After leaving the Kingdom in 2009, he was running a readymade garments shop named after “Rotana” in Kozhikode. He was active in social and cultural activities in Kozhikode and was the vice chairman of Goodwill Foundation.

Several prominent figures from Saudi Arabia and India paid rich tributes to Moosakkoya in a virtual condolence meeting held on Saturday.

The speakers recalled that Moosakkoya carved a niche for himself and left an indelible mark as an honest and altruistic person with selfless and dedicated services to the community.

Moosakkoya was a great school of love and empathy with his down-to earth character and loving nature, they observed.

Those who spoke on the occasion included Dr. Sheikh Muhammad Ashraf Ali Malaibari, CK Hassankoya, Eng. Abdul Sathar, Haneefa Kochanoor, Musafir, Abdullakkoya Kannankadavu, Usman Irumpuzhi, Ashraf Vengatt, Rafeeq Rahman Moozhikkal, Sikkandar Ponmadath, Sadiqali Thuvvur, Basheer Alanelloor, P.M. Mayinkutty, Basheer Baderi, Shareef Peruvalloor, Siddeeque Kuttikkattoor, Kabeer Kondotty, PP Abdurahman, Alavi Olippuzha and Anwar K.M.

Dr. Ismail Maritheri of King Abdulaziz University presided over the function in which Hassan Cheruppa welcomed the gathering and Noufal Palakkoth proposed the vote of thanks. The function began with recitation of a few verses from the Holy Qur’an by Sahal Kalambrattil.