Swachch Bharat activist Abdul Hakkim says how a Muslim organisation, of which he is a part, is working to build communal harmony in Coimbatore.

Social worker M Abdul Hakkim from Coimbatore’s market town of Kuniyamuthur is a Swachch Bharat ambassador, who works with a long-established Muslim organisation to build communal harmony.

Hakkim says from his school days he has been associated with the 69-year-old Jamaat e Islami Hind that works for social and educational empowerment besides communal harmony in Coimbatore.

“I live in Kuniamuthur and most of my social work is concentrated in the neighbouring Karumbukadai where many impoverished Muslim families and other minority communities live,” Hakkim told The Covai Post.

“We provide free coaching for TNPSC and other civil service exams, school and college tuition, free tailoring classes for women to empower them and also help poor men to set up businesses and get jobs,” he added.

“However our main aim is building communal harmony. We want Coimbatore to be a peaceful place where Hindus, Muslims, Christians and other communities live in harmony. We conduct many events to promote this objective,” Hakkim said.

He said that Jamaat e Islami Hind recently distributed school bags, cloth bags, clothes, notebooks and other essentials to all communities.

“Also, it runs many schools and colleges in Coimbatore and Kerala. I am part of a school in Karumbukadai where 3,000 students study, and of which 70 per cent are girls.”

He said, due to space constraints the organisation is planning to build another school and college at Chettipalayam.

Once in every two or three months, Hakkim said, the students are taken on culture tours to nearby temples like Perur, gurudwaras and churches.

“We sometimes organise these tours along with other institutions like KCT (Kumaraguru College of Technology). During these tours, the children are taught to adopt the moral values of all religions and develop a broader outlook to life.”

Hakkim also works closely with government officials and ensures that the poor of Karumbukadai benefit from schemes like free toilets, garbage collection and others.

He said he guides people to get work done in any corporation office. “We maintain good rapport with corporation officials and as I am a Swachh Bharat ambassador, I participate in city cleaning campaigns.”

The Jamaat e Islami has 200 Muslim board members in south India. “We support government effort during natural calamities like the Kerala floods and help to spread peace during communally tense moments in Coimbatore.”

As a member of the organisation, I raise funds in cash and kind to help anybody in trouble.

“My wife and two children support me, while I balance my own security camera business and social work,” said M Abdul Hakkim. His phone number is 91-7708472406