By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Kozhikode: Indian Union Muslim League [IUML] appears to have made a complete U turn on their stand over the aided status to schools in Malabar. Only few days back, IUML state General Secretary KPA Majeed had said that the party would go to any extent, in order to ensure aided status to 33 schools in Malabar.
Within days, however, the IUML leadership have completely changed their stand stating that aided status to schools in Malabar is not there among the main agendas of the party. The dramatic withdrawal has been observed as a clear case of party succumbing to some external influences, as even last Sunday the League GS was found reiterating this demand.
The League National Secretary ET Muhammad Basheer yesterday said that IUML is not so insistent on the demand for aided status to schools in Malabar. He further stated that the issue at present doesn’t come under the main agendas of the party. The party will think about the issue later and now the focus is on providing complete salaries to the teachers in these schools, he clarified.
The IUML state council meeting held at Kozhikode too shared an opinion that the issue should not be taken so seriously, as most expressed their anxiety that the insistence on the demand will be made use of by the Nair Service Society [NSS] leadership. It is believed that the IUML fears the NSS leadership giving communal colours to this genuine demand from the league leaders and so had chosen to stay away from providing the NSS leadership with a weapon to pressurise the Congress party and government.
The decision taken in the IUML state council meeting was not unanimous and some raised their objection saying that it is not fair to step back from the genuine demands only because of the threats posed by some communal organisations like NSS.
It was with much importance the aided status to these schools in Malabar was listed in the UDF government’s election manifesto and the League General Secretary KPA Majeed had a week before told TCN that, IUML will strongly resist any attempt to violate this assurance over a few vested caste interests.
Days back, it was not just KPA Majeed and instead other top IUML leaders including PK Kunjalikutty too insisted on this demand and the state Educational Minister even brought the issue to discussion before the state ministerial level meeting. The finance ministry objected to this move from the part of IUML ministers and the Congress state leadership too opposed to it saying that they are not ready to make any change in their earlier stand with regards to aided status to the schools in Malabar.
Even after this, the IUML state General Secretary sent a strong warning to the Congress leadership demanding a final decision over the row within the next ministerial level meeting.
It was only hours later the IUML leadership dramatically revised their decision and stated that the issue doesn't come under their main agenda.
Related:
IUML unhappy with Congress opposition to aided status to schools in Malabar