By Najiya O., TwoCircles.net,
Kochi: Kerala Muslim organizations have agreed on the formation of a permanent common platform to deal with the matters related to the community. The leaders met in Kozhikode yesterday at the meeting called by the Muslim Service Society to protest against the anti-minority moves of the LDF government in the state.
Representatives of the Muslim League, EK and AP factions of the Sunni organizations, Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen, Nadvathul Mujahideen Kerala, Jamaat-e-Islami, Muslim Education Society and Muslim Service Society were present at the meeting. The organizations unanimously agreed upon the idea of a permanent common platform based, at least, on a common minimum programme.
There is a strong move to sabotage the educational gains of Muslims, said MP Abdussamad Samadani, national secretary of the Muslim League. He accused that the move to disrupt the AMU campus was its part. He asked the organizations not to leave in the middle when all organizations move forward together to realize various demands.
Muslims face many problems in the field of education and so a joint struggle can be organized, opined Prof AK Abdul Hameed, representative of the AP Sunni faction. TP Abdullakkoya Madani, president of the Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen, supported the need for a joint struggle. Nasar Faisi Koodathayi, representing the EK Sunni faction, put forward strongly the need for a permanent common platform. H Shaheer Moulvi of the Jamaat-e-Islami also supported a permanent common platform to fight in common issues, without being affected by politics. Other organizations also supported the idea.
All organizations also agreed to fight strongly against the government in the issue of the pre-matric scholarships. The organizations said that the scholarships should be distributed based on the list already prepared. They have decided to organize protest programmes including march to the Secretariat. The leaders will meet the Education Minister and submit an appeal.
The idea of a permanent common platform came up in the light of the success of the struggles in which Muslim organizations fought together. The organizations could make changes in various decisions of the government in the textbook controversy (anti-religious portions were included in school textbooks), change in the timing of schools (this would have affected the madrasa system adversely had it come into effect), affiliation of CBSE schools etc.
Muslim organizations use to come together and set up a common platform in specific circumstances, answering to the need of the time, as happened in the Beemapalli issue. But once the issue goes out of limelight or as time passes, the common platform ceases to exist. However, now the organizations have come up with the idea of forming a permanent set up of a common platform. Still, the leaders have only spoken about the idea. The actual formation of the common platform may still take time, especially since what all should be included in the common minimum programme is yet to be discussed.