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" Kolsa Moholla Hallai Memons.—The Jamayet of the Kolsa Moholk Hallai
" Memons was represented by a large number of Volunteers. Almost every one of
" influence was on the Committee.
" For some time after taking charge I found little or no improvement. As in
" other cases, I collected the Jamayet leaders, but all went to no purpose, and for a
" considerable time I could not well understand the difficulty. At last I learnt that
" there were certain elements of internal discord. These were removed when, on the
" resignation of the Chairman, on account of ill health, the patel, Haji Ibrahim Haji
" Sumar, succeeded to his place. The sense of the whole Jamayet was in favour of this
" measure and a marked improvement followed. The Jamayet as a body communi-
" cated its thanks to the authorities for it; and the leaders, specially the Patel, and
" his brother, commenced working on the same lines as the Catchi Jamayet. A desire
" to co-operate was generally evinced, and the change was marked and gratifying.
" The Sectional Medical Officer rightly said of it " I was working before as if I was
" working in darkness, and now I find sudden light thrown in the Kolsa Moholla. "
'' The Khandwani Hallai Jamayet could not be induced to form a Volunteer
" Committee, but after several discussions they agreed to assist. Only one day after
" the promise of assistance, the leaders of this community opened their hospital and
" removed three patients to it. I count to their credit that they opened their hospital
"and contact house before the Kolsa Moholla Jamayet did, and as a prominent instance
" of active co-operation 1 always mentioned to the other Memons the case in which
" the relatives of a well-to-do plague patient were unwilling to take him to hospital,
" but Abdulla Mian Khandwani removed the patient to the Jamayet Hospital with
" determination, and behaved on this occasion as well as any of the most useful
" chairmen would have done.
" In a few words it can be said that the leaders of this Jamayet helped when
" help was required of them and did not show a spirit of opposition to the measures.
" Similar assistance was obtained from the Bhawnagri Memons Jamayet and
" the Khatri Memon Jamayet.
" Kokni Mussalmans.—The Koknis are the oldest Mahomedan inhabitants of
" Bombay, whose influence, not many years ago, was paramount among all the
" Mahomedans. They are originally Arabs who belonged to the party that waged war
" against the grandsons of the prophet, but when their influence was overpowered later
" on they were obliged to leave Arabia. They settled more than a thousand years ago
" at different places on the coast in the Konkan and afterwards in the Island of Bom-
" bay. The principal mosque in the city is still held in their trust; the principal Kazis
" or Moulvies who lead religious or social discussions are from their community.
" About nine-tenths of their population live in my district.
" Among the Koknis there is not a formal sort of Panchayet institution,
" but they have got their local Jamayets in the different localities, differing in func-
" tions from the Jamayets of the Memons. The majority of the Koknis follow the
" purdah system. The work among them was also as backward as among the
" Memons, and similar endeavours were made from time to time to secure the
" co-operation of the leaders of their Jamayets. No plague case had been reported,
" and their plague hospitals had not been opened. Matters improved in January,
" and evacuation of whole houses and removal of evicts from whole floors which
" had not been carried out before among these people was introduced through the
" assistance of the leading men.
" Mr. Budruddin Coor, J.P., whose name deserves prominent mention in
" this community, was particularly useful in this as in other matters. He rendered