Janab Thangal Kunju Musaliar, a visionary and largest employer in India in the 1940s

Janab Thangal Kunju Musaliar, Kerala. Phila Art

Janab Thangal Kunju Musaliar was a man with a vision and pupose. Besides being a good business man, he was a man of charitable disposition. He made a mark in the educational, economic and socio-cultural spheres of the city of Kollam.
Born into a middle-class family in Kollam on 12 January 1897, his ancestry can be traced back to Malik Bin Deenar, the legendary Islamic missionary who came to India in the 8th Century and in the later period to the generation to Sheikh Ali Hassan Musaliar, who was entombed in the Sheikh Masjid at Karunagapally. He belonged to the 12th generation after him.

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Kerala state has been a leading exporter of cashew nuts in India and during his period the cashew industry was one of a few money-spinning export-oriented industries. In the 1940s and 50s,Thangal Kunju Musaliar was a pioneer in that industry and was a force to reckon with. Nick named "Cashew King", he had an innate leadership quality and was good at customer care and relationship which is essential for an industry to grow. No doubt, under his expert guidance his business thrived, despite competition. It enabled him to build a big empire through business acumen, careful planning and impressive management style. Thus he was instrumental in getting the much needed foreign exchange for the state.That in 1940, a U.S. magazine, 'Fortune' described him as the world's largest employer, would give you some idea about the size of his business empire and his versatility in business dealings. By 1940, he was one of the world's largest employers, employing over 100,000 people.

Yet another achievement Musaliar made in the area of media was founding of a new Newspaper named Prabhatham' . This newspaper had a good impact on the people of Kerala and brought about some changes in the socio-political scenario of the state. When
the Indian society was facing the scourge of disintegration and communalism. this newspaper was forthright and emphasised the values of communal harmony, fraternity and democracy so that the nation could progress well.

In 1956, Musaliar formed the TKM Educational Trust with a view to catering to the educational needs of the people of Kerala. He. under T K M educational trust, opened several colleges to impart valuable education to the young students.

With little education, how did he achieve enormous success in his chosen area of operation? It is a moot question that can not be answered. Simply speaking, Janab Musaliar was a born genius. Surprisingly, he published a couple of books - 'Practical Advaita - the law of Nature' and 'Communism, Capitalism and Socialism in the Present Context'.

The Postal Department of the Government of India honoured him by releasing a postal stamp for his valuable contribution to the state of Kerala. The year 1997 was thebirth centenary year of Janab Musaliar.

Ref:

https://en.wikipedia.or /wiki/Thangal_Kunju_Musaliar

http://www.tkmsa.org/0_about.html