We haven’t taken CPM overtures critically: Sadiqali Shihab Thangal

By Express News Service

Panakkad Syed Sadiqali Shihab Thangal has taken the reins of the Indian Union Muslim League in certainly one of its most tough intervals. Out for energy for the second consecutive time period and dropping its cadre to the extra aggressive Islamist outfits and in addition the Left, the IUML has a tricky street forward. However, Thangal, who took over as IUML’s state president not too long ago, expressed confidence in regards to the social gathering’s political future in a dialog with TNIE as a part of the Express Dialogues sequence. Excerpts:

Your communal concord journey throughout the state occurred at a time when the state’s secular material was going through many challenges. How was the expertise?
Our journey was fairly a hit; the response was rather more than what we anticipated. What we discovered was that individuals hailing from numerous communities had been eagerly ready for a typical platform to share their considerations. But there was no such platform out there to sit down collectively and talk about. We supplied that platform by the journey.
 
But organisations like SDPI, Popular Front of India and RSS weren’t invited for the dialogue. Without them, how will you interact these on the opposite facet?
In the primary part, the dialogue was with common-minded organisations which are towards fundamentalism and fascism. The dialogue also needs to be held with different organisations to persuade them of the necessity to preserve peace and concord. That would happen within the later stage.

The UDF has been out of energy within the state for the final 6 years; one thing which has by no means occurred earlier than. This has definitely Disillusioned the rank and file of your social gathering. The LDF received for a second time as a result of it cashed in on the Covid scenario by offering kits and all. So individuals might need thought that it’s higher to let this authorities proceed. But, now you may see that issues have modified. CPM is on the backfoot now. Our feeling is that UDF will certainly come to energy within the subsequent meeting election.

Added to this, the IUML’s fundraising marketing campaign ‘Ente partyku ente Hadiya’ had set a goal of Rs 30 crore however the social gathering didn’t mobilise even half of that Regarding the fundraising marketing campaign, we kickstarted it throughout Ramzan and on the similar time there have been a number of Ramzan reduction measures and charity fund mobilisation by IUML-affiliated our bodies going down. We have up to now mobilised Rs 10-13 crore from the state itself and contributions from abroad are underneath estimation.

Loads of churning is going on inside the Muslim neighborhood in Malabar… whereas a piece of the youth is getting drawn to CPM, one other part is getting influenced by excessive Islamist ideologies. Both augur unhealthy for the IUML. How will you deal with this?
The hue and cry about Muslim fundamentalism in Kerala is exaggerated. The basic outfits have failed to search out roots within the state all these years. When we noticed a piece of youth getting attracted in the direction of such outfits, the IUML took sturdy steps to counter it. Muslim neighborhood in Kerala is aware of how one can coexist in a pluralist society. That’s not the scenario exterior the state. There Muslims exterior the state are like a reinless horse. Here, the Muslim neighborhood is empowered and stands united underneath the management of the IUML and non secular our bodies akin to Samastha and Mujahid motion.

What is the present equation between IUML and Jamaat-e-Islami? The Kottakkal assembly of IUML had adopted a strict non-cooperation stand with Jamaat. But now there may be criticism that your social gathering is now pushed by Jamaat’s ideology…
We by no means had an alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami. What occurred was solely an electoral understanding with Jamaat’s political social gathering — Welfare Party of India — that too in a number of locations. But it was the CPM which struck an alliance with Jamaat. When CPM enters into an alliance with Jamaat, it’s a good factor and when IUML arrives at an electoral understanding with Welfare Party, it creates an enormous controversy. If IUML doesn’t set up a bond with Jamaat, there are others who do it.

There have been on and off overtures from the CPM in the direction of the IUML. Is it as a result of the ruling social gathering has an impression that IUML can not survive with out energy or is it due to any constructive sign acquired from a piece of IUML leaders?
We haven’t taken CPM’s overtures critically nor have we mentioned it in any boards. From a nationwide perspective, the necessity of the hour is to strengthen the Congress-led secular entrance. The nation is being pushed to dictatorship and authoritarianism as a result of weakening of the Congress. In Narendra Modi’s India, the individuals who expressed dissent are being killed. Congress is the one opposition social gathering which has a pan-India presence no matter its power. There isn’t any considering inside IUML to affix the LDF.

The Congress is more and more disappearing from nationwide politics. If secularism and Muslim id are being ensured, why can not IUML settle for the invite of a robust LDF?
Such a thought has not reached the plenty. Also, we don’t suppose that secularism might be sustained solely by the LDF. CPM exists solely in Kerala. They have negligible seats in Parliament. Even CPM common secretary Sitaram Yechury has underlined the significance of supporting the Congress which is why he at all times bats for it. M Ok Stalin is one other particular person within the South who might be projected as a tall chief. But Stalin too projected Rahul Gandhi because the pan-India chief. All these makes an attempt are aimed toward reviving democracy by strengthening the Congress towards the BJP’s fascist regime.

But in case you take a look at the nationwide state of affairs, one can see that the BJP has been higher resisted by regional events than Congress. For instance, the lotus has not bloomed in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala whereas BJP has had a straightforward walkover in all these states which had been dominated by Congress. Also, Congress is taking part in a tender Hindutva card as nicely. In such a state of affairs, is it affordable to belief the Congress to guide the battle towards BJP?

There you’ve gotten some extent. Primarily, it’s the Congress which ought to establish its weaknesses and handle the problems. The others within the alliance can solely assist them. Congress has to work actually onerous to broaden its election alliances and techniques. Also, it shouldn’t be a kneejerk response when election is not far away. The Congress ought to take initiative in consolidating the secular forces and events together with CPM ought to help it. The downside with the CPM is that it’s not a pan-India drive to reckon with however exists solely in Kerala. In the battle towards fascism and communalism, we should suppose with a nationwide perspective.

IUML has been making makes an attempt to develop exterior Kerala for fairly a while. But it has not fetched fascinating outcomes whereby SDPI had made inroads into the Muslim neighborhood in North India. What are the hurdles?
The downside is that in North India, IUML remains to be thought of because the Muslim League which had a job within the bifurcation of India. But the truth is that it was a distinct League. But reminiscences of partition are nonetheless contemporary in North India and it’s tough for us to make inroads there.

How are you going to handle new points akin to transgender rights, demand for extra ladies participation and many others. IUML’s stand within the HARITHA controversy had drawn widespread flak…
The Haritha committee was disbanded for breach of self-discipline and a brand new committee of ladies got here as a substitute. The new committee is doing nicely. At the identical time, the ladies within the previous committee are collaborating in IUML programmes as nicely. IUML has extra ladies illustration than every other social gathering. We have 2,000 plus ladies representatives within the LSG stage. The Prophet has taught that an individual’s decency is measured primarily based on his/her behaviour in the direction of a lady.

But there are Muslim organisations which challenge diktats that girls mustn’t seem in public…
Each spiritual organisation has its personal pursuits. IUML doesn’t choose their positions. The stand of Samastha has been clarified by its leaders. Our social gathering neither interferes nor opposes choices taken by Samastha. IUML and Samastha go alongside usually. Samastha is a platform of non secular clergy and it has its opinion primarily based on spiritual theories.

Until not too long ago, Samastha and IUML had been seen as the 2 sides of the identical coin. But of late, Samastha has began asserting its id. They are immediately holding discussions even with the Chief Minister. What is going on?
Samastha leaders immediately assembly the Chief Minister and different ministers had occurred throughout the UDF tenure additionally. But it didn’t make the information then. Now, LDF desires to make it a information story. They need to challenge it. Also, these days, everybody expresses opinions in social media and it triggers an issue. An individual who has nothing to do with Samastha might need expressed an opinion disguising as a Samastha consultant.

Of late, IUML has been attempting to attach with numerous Muslim organisations. Is it a political transfer?
All Muslim organisations ought to be a part of arms collectively to handle the backwardness of the neighborhood and it had occurred up to now. The nice strides that Muslim neighborhood has made within the training sector and joint protest for implementing Sachar Commission report and towards Citizenship (modification) Act occurred as a result of joint effort. IUML’s place is that although there will probably be points and distinction of opinions among the many Muslim organisations, all of them ought to be a part of arms in case of a typical challenge.

IUML not too long ago censured former MLA Ok N A Khader for collaborating in a RSS programme. What is improper with having a dialogue with these on the opposite facet?
Khader is our important speaker and debater. But the difficulty was he participated in an out-and-out RSS occasion, and never in a dialogue programme. There is a distinction. But no disciplinary motion has been initiated towards him.

Kerala is within the forefront resisting the saffron juggernaut as a result of sturdy minority communities and in addition due to a robust presence of the Left. But the IUML is fiercely opposing the Left events. Can you think about a Kerala with out the Left?
How Kerala could be with out the Congress social gathering? That will probably be equally disastrous like Kerala with out the CPM. Our stand is that each one events — Congress, CPM and IUML — ought to be right here to uphold a vibrant democracy and to battle fascism. We are usually not towards any political social gathering, besides the BJP.

The winding up of ‘Chandrika’ journal has invited the wrath of many. Chandrika’s contribution within the Malayalam cultural and literary area is profound. Is there any transfer to revive it?
Chandrika Weekly will probably be revived. It was shut down quickly as a result of disaster within the print media. We are slowly finding out the problems.

On a private word, will or not it’s appropriate to say that you’re extra political than your predecessors?
Is it so? Well… that may very well be as a result of I’ve been energetic in politics from a really younger age.

TNIE crew: Kiran Prakash, Cithara Paul, M P Prashanth, Manoj Viswanathan, Amiya Meethal, Vishnuprasad Ok P, E Gokul (pictures), Asif B R (video)