Vadood Careem ( popularly known as Vadood Hajiar) was the son of Careem Nana and his wife who was the sister of Raheem . founder of Ismail Raheem Crown Jewellers of Singapore. Careem Nana was the trustee of the Thalapitiya mosque.... looked upon as prestigious and respected position... by the Muslim community of Thalapitiya Galle.
He was also known as 'Goda Perakorr'...a rough English translation of this would be ' uncertified village proctor'..He earned this 'friendly' name because some people of the Galle community went to seek his advice on various common law matters..obviously his advice worked for them and the resultant 'Goda Perakorr' nick name.
I had to mention these facts of Careem Nana..(father of Vadood) because of a misconception that sticks..even today.. to this grand old man.. According to my father Vadood Hajiar, a man came up to Careem Nana and mentioned that the well water around the area they lived was "kiuool" taste meaning ..that the water was bitter ..smoky..taste.
One knew in those days that the taste of water from certain wells either had a fresh 'sweet' taste or
it was not so good..as this 'kiuool' water from this particular well. There is nothing one can do to rectify the quality of water from this well. So Careem Nana ..tongue in cheek..told this man to go get a sack of sugar and empty it in this well and this would make this well water sweet!
The man was angered by Careem nana's reply....and spread the word that Careem Nana advised that the water would be sweetened by this sack of sugar!..As time passed, gossip took on the shape
that the grand old man went himself and emptied the sack of sugar into this well!
So, why was this 'gossip' accepted? It appears that there were losing candidates for the position of
Trustee of the Thalapitya Mosque..and thus was created the 'sugar sack' story to taint the credibility of Careem Nana...
A person who was accepted as 'Goda Perakorr' and appointed Trustee of the mosque, must be a man of acceptable intelligence. And, in those days..one does not go to a local grocer and buy a SACK of SUGAR...Remember, a sack of sugar is heavy and cannot be readily hauled or carried by a single man..I ask the reader to consider the facts and arrive at the correct conclusion..that it was
untrue and UNFAIR to label this man as..gossip suggested..Molen Careem Nana" or Fool Careem
Nana.
I had to explain this to the reader....because the name still hangs around as Molen Careem..and
his offspring..Vadood and Ozman were referred to as 'Molen Careem's' sons !
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