KOZHIKODE: There is shortage of labour not only in the material world, but also in the spiritual field in Kerala. This is acutely being felt in the mosques in Malabar where the job of muezzin (the person who calls the faithful to prayer five times a day) is now performed by migrants.
The local youngsters in the community are no longer interested in this holy work and, therefore, the mosques have begun employing those from other states, including Bengal, Bihar and Odisha, who are ready to work for meagre salaries.
The Muslim youths of Malabar have turned to business and other jobs to make money. The divinity and spiritual benefits of being a muezzin no longer attract them, say mosque committee members.
“This is a real issue and we are not getting new muezzins from Kerala. Traditional muezzins, who were engaged in this profession for the last several decades, continue with it as they find it spiritually rewarding. But the new generation is not coming forward to take up this job,” Mr Mannil Muhammed, president of the Perinthalmanna Big Masjid, told Deccan Chronicle.
The language is no barrier as the prayer call is done in Arabic, and Muslim youths from other states are good in rendering the prayers.
The salary structure for a muezzin in bigger mosques ranges between RS 7,000 and Rs 8,500.
In mosques with madrassas, muezzins have to teach the children in the morning and be present in the mosque throughout the day.
“They cannot do anything else outside,” Mr Muhammed added. The trend of appointing migrant muezzins started during Ramzan months.
The Beypore Mosque had a North Indian muezzin during Ramzan and he continued even after the holy months.
When the mosque committees found them adaptable, the practice continued and several mosques now have migrant muezzins.
Religious leaders say that most of the mosques in Kerala may soon have non-Malayali muezzins when the present generation of native muezzins is gone.
