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{{short description|Indian politician and lawyer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = B. Pocker
| image = B. Pocker Sahib (Indian politician).png
| caption = B. Pocker
| birth_date = 1890
| birth_place = [[Tellicherry]], [[Malabar District]], [[Madras Presidency]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1965|7|29|1890}}
| office = [[Member of Parliament]], [[Lok Sabha]]
| parliament =
| majority =
| term_start =
| term_end =
| predecessor = ''Inaugural Holder''
| successor = [[M. Muhammad Ismail]]
| prior_term =
| office1 =
| term_start1 =
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 =
| successor1 =
| party = * [[All-India Muslim League|Muslim League]] (till 1947)
* [[Indian Union Muslim League]] (after 1948)
| death_place = [[Kozhikode]]
| term1 = 1952–1957
| term2 = 1957–1962
| constituency = [[Malappuram (Lok Sabha constituency)|Malappuram]]
| image_size = 150px
| parents = * Chalakkandy Peedikayil Kuttivatha Sahib (father)
* Badekkandy Mariyumma (mother)
}}

'''B. Pocker''' (1890 – 29 July 1965), '''Badekkandy Pocker,''' also spelled '''Poker''', title '''Sahib Bahadur''', as an Indian politician and lawyer from [[Tellicherry]], north Kerala, [[Madras Presidency]].<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal |last=Wright |first=Theodore P. |date=1966 |title=The Muslim League in South India since Independence |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/muslim-league-in-south-india-since-independence-a-study-in-minority-group-political-strategies/2EBA3F25D373A0D9BA1DBAA6B9D25C30 |journal=American Political Science Review |language= |volume=60 |issue=3 |pages=579–599 |doi=10.2307/1952972 |issn= |jstor=1952972|s2cid=143572105 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> He served as a member of the [[Constituent Assembly of India|Constituent Assembly]] of India and as the [[Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha|Member of Parliament]] from [[Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency|Malappuram Parliamentary Constituency]] between 1952 and 1962.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Thottappuzha |first=Varghese John |date=27 November 2019 |title=Bharanaghadanayile 'Malayalam' |work=Malayala Manorama |url=https://www.manoramaonline.com/news/editorial/2019/11/26/13-politicians-from-kerala-who-signed-up-in-Constitution-of-India.html}}</ref>

Pocker was the first [[Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha|Member of Parliament]] (1952) from [[Indian Union Muslim League]] in independent India.'''<ref name=":22">{{Cite book |last=Miller |first=Roland E. |title=Mappila Muslims of Kerala: A Study in Islamic Trends |publisher=Orient Longman |pages=123 and 168}}</ref>'''

== Career ==
Pocker was born to Chalakkandy Peedikayil Kuttivatha Sahib and Badekkandy Mariyumma in 1890 at [[Tellicherry]] in [[Malabar District]], [[Madras Presidency]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kakkad |first=Haroon |title=B. Pocker Sahib: Samudayathinte Vakeel |url=https://shababweekly.in/b-poker/ |website=Shabab Weekly |date=24 February 2022 |location=Kozhikode}}</ref> He carried his mother's 'house name' as his initials as the tradition among the [[Kannur|Cannanore]] Mappilas.

=== Early career ===
Pocker studied at [[Government Brennen College, Thalassery|Tellicherry Brennen College]]<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Miller |first=Roland E. |title=Mappila Muslims of Kerala: A Study in Islamic Trends |publisher=Orient Longman |year=1976 |pages=123 and 168}}</ref> and [[Madras Christian College]]. He graduated from [[Madras Law College]] in 1915 and started practising as an advocate in [[Madras High Court]] in 1917. He was one of earliest university graduates from the Mappila Muslims of Malabar District.<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Miller |first=Roland E. |title=Mappila Muslim Culture |publisher=State University of New York Press |year=2015 |pages=37}}</ref>'''<ref name=":22" />'''

Pocker, by then a senior advocate in the [[Madras High Court|High Court]], entered politics in the late 1910s by arguing for special Muslim constituencies in Malabar District. He famously submitted a memorandum during the introduction of the [[Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms|Montagu-Chelmsford reforms]] (passed as [[Government of India Act 1919|Government of India Act, 1919]]).

Pocker was a leader of the [[Khilafat Movement|Caliphate Movement]] in Malabar District (he supported [[Shaukat Ali (politician)|Shaukat Ali]] at Madras by representing the Malabar District). He later led the relief activities for Mappilas, who were affected by the [[Malabar rebellion|Mappila Uprising]] (1921–22). He formed the "Mappila Amelioration Committee" at Madras, which collected and distributed more than Rs. 200,000 among the Mappilas.

Pocker founded the "South India Muslim Education Society" and "Kerala Muslim Education Association". He served as the Parliament Party Secretary of the United Nationalist Party in the Madras Assembly from 1930 to 1936.

=== With the Muslim League ===
B. Pocker was one of earliest leaders of the [[All-India Muslim League|Muslim League]] in [[Madras Presidency]] (along with [[M. Muhammad Ismail|Mohammed Ismail Sahib]], [[K. M. Seethi Sahib|K. M. Seethi Saheb]] and [[K. Uppi Saheb]]).<ref name=":02" /> He contested from the [[Kurumbranad]]-[[Kozhikkode]] [[Constituency]] (Muslim League). Though he lost the election to the candidate supported by [[Syed Abdurrahiman Bafaki Tangal|Bafaqy Thangal]], the election campaign led by [[K. M. Seethi Sahib]] strengthened the Muslim League in Malabar. Eventually, Bafaqy Thangal also joined the party, which spread the acceptance of Muslim League among Mappilas.

=== In the Constituent Assembly ===
Pocker was elected from the Madras Assembly to the [[Constituent Assembly of India|Constituent Assembly]] of India in 1946 (Malabar - Urban Muslim).<ref name=":02" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Constituent Assembly Debates (Proceedings) Volume VII |url=http://164.100.47.194/loksabha/writereaddata/cadebatefiles/C30121948.pdf |website=Lok Sabha |publisher=Government of India}}</ref>

Following the partition of India (1947), the [[All-India Muslim League]] was virtually disbanded.<ref name=":02" /> It was succeeded by the [[Indian Union Muslim League]] in the Dominion of India.<ref name=":02" /> Even after partition, Pocker and his south Indian League colleagues remained with the League.<ref name=":02" /> Within a month, the [[Constituent Assembly of India|Constituent Assembly]] voted to abolish separate electorates for Muslims.<ref name=":02" /> Pocker and K. T. M. Ahmed Ibrahim moved an amendment to retain the separate electorates.<ref name=":02" /> This motion was defeated in the Constituent Assembly.<ref name=":02" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Constituent Assembly Proceedings |url=http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/debates/vol4p3.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170716113228/http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/debates/vol4p3.htm |archive-date=2017-07-16 |website=Lok Sabha |publisher=Government of India}}</ref>

== In independent India ==

=== As a Member of Parliament ===
Pocker was elected from [[Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency|Malappuram Parliamentary Constituency]] to the [[Lok Sabha|Lower House (Lok Sabha)]] in 1952 with the [[Indian Union Muslim League|Muslim League]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2019-04-06 |title=History of Muslim League in Kerala and India |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-the-history-of-muslim-league-in-kerala-and-india-5660839/ |website=The Indian Express |location= |language=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=B. Pocker (1952 - 57) |url=http://loksabhaph.nic.in/Members/lokaralpha.aspx?lsno=1&search=P |website=Lok Sabha |publisher=Government of India}}</ref> He was re-elected in 1957 as independent ([[Madras Muslim League|Muslim League]]) candidate from [[Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency|Manjeri Constituency]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=B. Pocker (1957 - 62) |url=http://loksabhaph.nic.in/Members/lokaralpha.aspx?lsno=2&search=P |website=Lok Sabha |publisher=Government of India}}</ref>

His efforts helped to win Indian Muslims exemptions from the [[Special Marriage Act, 1954|Special Marriage Act]], 1954. He also served as National Executive Member, [[Indian Union Muslim League]] and Vice President, [[Indian Union Muslim League|Muslim League]] Kerala State Committee.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
|-
!
!Candidate
!Votes%
!Party
|-
| rowspan="3" |[[1951–52 Indian general election|1952 General Elections]] ([[Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency|Malappuram]])
[http://loksabhaph.nic.in/Members/lokaralpha.aspx?lsno=1&tab=15] [https://www.indiavotes.com/pc/detailsearch?eid=1&pcname=MALAPPURAM&submit=]
|B. Pocker
|39.0
|[[Madras Muslim League|Muslim League]]
|-
|T. V. Chathukutty Nair
|30.6
|[[Indian National Congress]]
|-
|Kumhali Karikedan
|30.4
|[[Communist Party of India]]
|-
| rowspan="3" |[[1957 Indian general election|1957 General Elections]]
([[Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency|Manjeri]])

[http://loksabhaph.nic.in/Members/lokaralpha.aspx?lsno=1&tab=15] [http://www.indiavotes.com/pc/detailsearch?eid=2&pcname=MANJERI&submit=]
|B. Pocker
|43.5
|Independent ([[Madras Muslim League|Muslim League]])
|-
|Kunhikoya Palat
|34.4
|[[Indian National Congress]]
|-
|Mohamed Koya K. P.
|22.1
|[[Communist Party of India]]
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pocker, B.}}
[[Category:1890 births]]
[[Category:1965 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian lawyers]]
[[Category:Indian Muslims]]
[[Category:Indian Union Muslim League politicians]]
[[Category:India MPs 1957–1962]]

B. Pocker - Revision history

imported>TamaraNibbi737 at 01:08, 7 October 2025