KOZHIKODE: Responding quickly to complaints from its supporters in foreign countries, senior leaders of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) have decided to stage demonstrations to press for cheaper facilities for international journeys.

IUML State general secretary P. K. Kunhalikutty told mediapersons on Saturday, that League MPs, MLAs and other leaders would take part in the demonstration on August 22 in front of the office of the Air India to press this demand.

The plan for the protest was okayed by the State working of the party which held a meeting here on Saturday in the light of the complaints it had received from supporters in foreign countries, especially in Gulf region, about `the exorbitant' air travel charges levied by Air India.

The League's representative in the Union Ministry, E. Ahamed who is the Union Minister of State for External Affairs, was on Saturday requested by party leadership at its meeting to follow up the demand for cheaper international fares so that the Central Government would ask Air-India to slash its fares.

Mr. Ahamed had attended the meeting on Saturday.

While expressing its reservations about the Central Government's insensitivity to the demand for cheaper international airfares, the League leadership was also quick to express its deep appreciation for the UPA Government's decision to provide facilities for one lakh pilgrims to go on Haj.

The IUML leadership thanked the UPA chairman Sonia Gandhi, UPA Government and its Minister, Mr. Ahamed for having made it possible.

Though Mr. Kunhalikutty admitted at his press briefing that the State working committee did discuss the sensitive Narendran panel recommendations on job quotas in Government service for minorities, he declined to spell out the latest development on this issue.

All he would say was that it figured in discussions the Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had with party leader Syed Mohammed Ali Shihab Thangal in Malappuram on Friday.

``More information would be disclosed at an appropriate time. Satisfactory progress has been achieved on this issue. The IUML hoped a consensus would evolve. If the report is going to be implemented it would be because of the IUML,'' he remarked in response to questions. On the Supreme Court order on admission to unaided and minority professional colleges, Mr. Kunhalikutty also stated that League would follow whatever decision the UDF Government took on this issue. In the IUML's perception there should be provision for Government quota in all professional colleges as it was needed to ensure social and economic justice.

The League's State working committee has also decided to set up five-member panels at State and district levels to choose candidates for local bodies poll. Mr. Kunhalikutty claimed that the UDF had a bright chance for doing well in the elections which was why the Government had decided to hold the elections on time even though complaints about incomplete voters' lists and delimitation of wards were rife.

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