IUML in a league of its own in Kerala

The symbol of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is appropriately a ladder.
It has used its clout in the Muslim heartland of Kerala, the fabled Malabar
region, to steadily climb into a powerful position. The party has transformed
itself into an influential political
"The Left Democratic Front (LDF) must go, under it Kerala with all its
advantages has missed the bus. What can you say of a party which says it will
establish an Islamic bank and then borrow Rs 40,000 crore from it to wipe out
the state's enormous debt?" Ahamed asks as an approving crowd titters at a
public meeting in Kozhikode district.

In Malappuram, the IUML general secretary, PK Kunhalikutty, is in full flow
at a community meeting. Several women in full hijab sit away from the men
listening to him. Questioned about women donning the hijab, not a common form of
dress in these parts earlier, the League's workers claim women prefer it.

Replies to why the League did not give women a single ticket for the April 13
polls reflect prejudice and dishonesty. Some leaders say women don't want to
come into politics, while a few others claim women will get half the seats the
next time.

The League may be secular, but there is a definite Arabisation of the Malabar
region. Koran classes for women are common and mosques galore have sprung up in
an area where the real needs are drinking water and healthcare.

The League has already begun murmurs about its value to the UDF and also
hinted at how it needs to get its due. "Our worth must be appreciated," says
Ahamed.


VIVEK KUMAR
PGDM - 2 sem