Inparaju Chinniah

Inparaju Chinniah
Born	March 9, 1932 Malacca, Malaysia
Died	February 5, 1980
Nationality	Malaysian
NSA member	Malaysia 1965 - 1972
Counsellor	Southeast Asia 1977 - 1980

Inparaju "Inbum" Chinniah (March 9, 1932 - February 5, 1980) was a Malaysian Bahá’í who served as a Continental Counselor.

Biography

Chinniah was born in Malacca, Malaysia. His parents were both Sri Lankan and his father was J.V. Chinniah, a school teacher at Malacca High School, and his mother was Elizabeth Thyria Ratnam. The family were members of the Methodist Church. Chinniah was a member of the scouts in his youth and in 1949 he represented Malaysia at a Jamboree held in Australia.

After completing his studies Chinniah became a teacher at Malacca High School and one of his colleagues invited him to a Bahá’í fireside in approximately 1954. In 1957 Chinniah became headmaster of the Masjid Tanah Primary School, making him the youngest ever headmaster in his state, and in 1960 he married Chinese Bahá’í Lily Leong who was a teacher at the school.

In 1962 Chinniah was appointed to the National Teaching Committee of Peninsular Malaysia and served for one year. In 1965 he was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Malaysia and in his professional career he was appointed headmaster of Sekola Menangah Jasin. He went on to serve as the treasurer of the Assembly and later the secretary of the body and he ultimately moved to Kuala Lumpur where he developed the office of the National Spiritual Assembly improving its organizational capacity.

In June 1972 Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir visited Malaysia and encouraged Chinniah to travel teach in Africa and he visited Tanzania for six months. In November 1977 the Universal House of Justice appointed Chinniah as a Continental Counselor for South-East Asia as Firaydún Mítháqíyán had pioneered to Korea leaving the jurisdiction of the Continental Board.

Chinniah passed in February 1980 and the Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message:

DEEPLY GRIEVED UNTIMELY PASSING DEVOTED CO-WORKER INPARAJU CHINNIAH. HIS OUTSTANDING UNTIRING SERVICES INSTITUTIONS FAITH BOTH MALAYSIA AND SOUTHEAST ASIA SHED LUSTRE ANNALS CAUSE GOD ENTIRE REGION. PRAYING HOLY THRESHOLD PROGRESS SOUL ABHÁ KINGDOM MAY BELOVED FRIENDS MALAYSIA INCREASE FERVOUR SERVITUDE BAHÁ’U’LLÁH FOLLOW EXAMPLE DEPARTED FRIEND COMPENSATE HIS LOSS THEIR MIDST ASSURE FAMILY FRIENDS SYMPATHY ADVISE HOLD BEFITTING MEMORIAL MEETINGS.