Hajjumma, who hailed from the beautiful land of Thalassery, was the daughter of T C Mayan Haji, the first Indian Executive of the Port Haj Committee in Mumbai. She passed away in 2006 and was an inspiration to all their siblings including Lt. Col. Mayan, who was the Assistant Director of the National Police Academy in Hyderabad.
Aboo’s journalistic career began during his school days, well before the 1960s, under the guidance of the late Mushtaq P A Mohammed Koya, who is regarded as the Father of Sports Journalism in Malayalam. Aboo started his journey by covering Sports for Chandrika Daily, whose Chief Editor was CH Mohamed Koya, who later became the Deputy Chief Minister of Kerala. Later, he took up a job as a teacher for almost three years, never once putting his pen down, as he continued to contribute Sports articles regularly. His writings attracted the Management of leading dailies, including Malayala Manorama.
Soon he was inducted into the Editorial Staff of Manorama in 1966 when the 100 years old daily launched its first unit outside Kottayam in Calicut. He was recruited as an editorial trainee and was later promoted as News Editor in 1996, a post which he served for a record 18 years. During those fruitful years, Aboo was deputed by Manorama to cover many National and International Sports events including football, cricket, hockey, tennis and athletics. He was also a columnist for the English sports magazine “Sportsweek”, brought out by Inqilab Publications, Mumbai. Occasionally, Aboo also appeared as a broadcaster for Akashwani in Malayalam and English. Aboo was also in the District Sports Council Executive and played a major role in the construction of the Indoor Stadium in Calicut.
Aboo trained under the Press Institute of India at Jaipur in 1973, and in 1982 was selected to be one of the two Indians to undergo an Advanced Journalism Diploma course at the prestigious Thomson Foundation in London.
The position of Resident Editor at Manorama, which was bestowed upon him in 1996, was a coveted post previously held only by the bosses of Manorama at Calicut. Aboo was fortunate enough to serve under legends such as K M Cherian, K M Mathew and Mammen Mathew, who were all Chief Editors honoured by the country with Padma awards. Aboo was also the first Sports Scribe Member of Kerala Sports Council, amongst the Sports Journalists of the State
After a career spanning 46 years, Aboo retired from Manorama in 2012. In his own words, he was happy to have joined at the age of 27 and retired at the age of 72. Nevertheless, he believes that a journalist never retires, and he continues to contribute articles. During his long career span, he received various prestigious awards, including the Swadeshabhimani Award from Calicut, C H Mohammed Koya Award from Coimbatore, MES award from Calicut, Shihab Thangal Award from Malappuram and Sportsmen Association award from Thiruvananthapuram.
Married to Zakeena, daughter of late K M Ahamed Koya, one of the founder Secretaries of Malabar Produce Merchants Association, Calicut, Aboo is a proud father of three sons, a daughter and nine grandchildren. An ardent lover of music, Aboo is a former President of the Mohammed Rafi Foundation and is a patron of the Sangeeth Milan, an organisation which promotes classic Hindi Songs. He also figures as the Vice President of the 100 years old Himayathul Islam Higger Secondary School Management Committee and serves as the Vice President of St Joseph’s Higher Secondary School, one of the oldest Educational Institutions in Kerala. Additionally, he is also the Vice President of the century-old Jilla Masjid in Nadakkavu, Calicut.
His old-time colleagues have brought out a commemorative volume on his contributions entitled “Keeper”, under which nom de plume he writes occasionally. It was released by Adv. P S Sreedharan Pillai, Hon’ble Governor in last year at Calicut.
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