Kozhikode, July 26 (IANS) Differences seem to have emerged in the coordination committee of Muslim organisations that is demanding the withdrawal of a controversial textbook in Kerala, with one organisation withdrawing from the agitation.
The Jamaat-e-Islami Saturday said that it was withdrawing from the agitation against the government and would appeal to other organisations in the committee to also do so.
“We are appealing to other organisations to also withdraw from the agitation as there is a change in the attitude of government on the issue,” T. Arifali, Kerala president of Jamaat-e-Islami said here Saturday.
Various religious and political organisations in the state came out against the Class 7 social studies textbook introduced this year by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led government, alleging it propagated atheism and communist ideology.
The coordination committee is led by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which is a major constituent in the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) led by the Congress.
Arifali said that the government had already constituted an expert committee to look into the textbook issue. “If anybody has a complaint regarding the book they can approach the committee,” he said.
However, IUML general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty denied that there is discord in the coordination committee. “Each of the organisation in the committee has their own position in the issue. IUML has no plans to withdraw from the agitation,” he added.