Kerala   

IUML changing with the times

MALAPPURAM: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leadership has chosen to steer off its traditional track of politics to cope with the changing mindset of the people in Malabar. The hartal called by the party last Saturday to protest against the alleged neglect of Calicut International Airport at Karipur was the latest example of the leadership’s change of track.

It was the first hartal called by the IUML in recent memory. The IUML had not resorted to a hartal, the strongest available method of protest, even when the Babri Masjid was razed in 1992.

The party leadership reportedly made a calculated shift in its approach to issues by calling a hartal last Saturday despite the opposition from some cadres. Many IUML activists were, in fact, surprised by the protest call.

Some view it as a measure to buck up the party cadres after the second coming of P.K. Kunhalikutty as IUML State general secretary. Others find a deft move by the party to make gains out of the Karipur imbroglio.

Almost all organisations, irrespective of their political affiliation, had protested against the neglect of Calicut Airport in different forms. But it was the IUML that stole the show by resorting to a dawn-to-dusk hartal seeking an early solution to the problems of Karipur airport.

The party wanted to be in the forefront of the protest against Karipur’s neglect with an eye on the thousands of expatriates who are the beneficiaries of Calicut International Airport. Gulf expatriates from Malabar have been the mainstay of the party both in terms of money and votes.

IUML can now safely claim a good share of the credit for any improvement at Karipur. Some steps have already been initiated at Karipur following the recent outcry.

A section of cadres even view the hartal as an excogitated effort from the Malappuram leadership to embarrass Union Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed, who is the party’s national general secretary. The criticism it faced was over the impropriety of such a drastic protest when Mr. Ahamed enjoyed a position in the Union Ministry.

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