Prolific tradesmen who made an island their home

When looking back at moving into Ceylon as nothing and later having established famed businesses like Brandix, Expolanka and Timex, the Sri Lankan Memons are extremely elated to have Sri Lanka as their domicile. Mr. Hassan Siddique, vice president of the Memon Association of Sri Lanka (MASL) proudly mentioned that from the time Memons moved to Sri Lanka, they considered themselves no longer as foreigners but as “Sri Lankans”. Forever grateful for what Sri Lanka has been to them from the beginning, Siddique feels that in return they will never step back from giving their best for the betterment of the country.

The Memons originated from India, especially from Gujarat. Later on they dispersed to several other areas in the region which includes Sri Lanka too. The earliest Memon migrant who arrived in Sri Lanka in 1870 is noted for having started as an itinerant peddler of textiles in Jaffna before moving to Pettah. Since then the Memons were noted for merchandise purposes in various fields. From then onwards they spread across the country, settled and started many businesses and then gradually developed and mingled with the locals and increased in numbers with time.

The Memons are known to have a unique culture which later merged with the local culture. Mr. Siddique spoke about the fading of their community language, the “Memani Language”, a dialect of Sindhi which has no written script. Programmes and events are often conducted to involve their community to speak Memani and to preserve it and pass it to the next generation. Speaking about the attire, the usual dress of Memon women is the salwar kameez and for men it is shirt and trousers and occasionally the traditional costume “the Jubba.” The culinary fare of Memons doesn’t differ much from Indian cuisine as one of their main meals is Biryani and varieties of sweetmeats like Barfi.

To continue weaving their community bonds, celebratory events like marriages, Eid festivals, prayer occasions and many other events, the first Memon hall was founded in Pettah, yet with the population increase of the community, the new (current) Memon Reception Hall was established later on. This has been very helpful in staying alive as a community, said Mr. Siddique. Apart from this they also conduct events for every age group, like the “Memon Mela” an open fun fair conducted by the Memon women. Likewise the Memon Youth Club too is active in conducting toastmaster programmes, Badminton and futsal tournaments and cricket carnivals happening annually. Mr. Siddique also added that a separate team looks into fulfilling the medical and education needs of the less fortunate of the community.

“In comparison to the past our community stands out today solely because of the dedication and hard work we had throughout the years. From coming in as nothing to leading successful companies, food outlets, hotels and fine factories like Brandix, Expolanka, and Timex, our community has been contributing so much.”, said Mr. Siddique. Adding more to that he mentioned that they being part of exports and gem and jewellery has brought in dollars to the country and that their community is well known for offering job opportunities in every trade they are part of, and would keep serving the country in every possible way.

The Memons are known for celebrating the independence day every year, and this year is all the more special as it is the 75th anniversary. “We got freedom. We are happy about it and in return we give our best for the nation.” added Mr. Siddique. On behalf of the Sri Lankan Memon community, Mr, Siddique stated that his Independence Day wish is that “As a country we are going through a tough time and tough times don’t last forever. We as a country have gone through worse during Independence and war time. We have to be resilient and work together with one common goal to bring our Mother Lanka back to its glory. Wishing all Sri Lankans a happy Independence Day.”