By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Kannur: The Indian National League has decided to end its 14-year long relation with the Left Democratic Front in Kerala. The decision was taken in the party’s state council meeting held yesterday in Kannur. The party has also decided to cooperate with the United Democratic Front in the up-coming three-tier panchayat elections.
The INL had to face total ignorance from the LDF even though it had till this time followed an anti-imperialist and secular attitude, said Prof Muhammed Sulaiman, national president. The party made the decision considering the public opinion of all the members in the state. The CPI (M) had always said that the entry of the INL was opposed by the other allies but now we know the truth. The INL applied for entry to the LDF seven years ago, but the front has not yet discussed it. Instead it is now discussing about taking in a party which came just yesterday. The decision to leave the LDF was taken in protest against this, he added.
The INL also made it clear that it would not merge with any other party and that its stand on the demolition of the Babri Masjid remained the same as before. ‘It is indeed a big change in the attitude of the Muslim League that it has now begun to see the INL as a party whereas earlier it was not even ready to accept it so’, said Prof Sulaiman. The decision to leave the LDF was taken unanimously by the council. The party would resign from all the board member posts achieved through recommendation. However, it would continue in those posts which it had won in elections. Eighty six of the 106-member state committee took part in the meeting.
National general secretary Siraj Ibrahim Sait said that the party had discussed and decided on the plans to be followed in the panchayat elections alone. The policy to be taken in the Assembly elections and other future matters would be discussed later. A six-member committee has been formed under the chairmanship of state president SA Puthiyavalappil to make the future plans. PMA Salam, NA Nellikuth, Ahmed Devarkovil, AP Vahab and MA Majeed are the other members of the committee which would decide on matters including election-related discussions with the UDF. Mr Sait, however, did not rule any more alliance with the LDF in future saying that anything might happen in politics.
The Muslim League general secretary PK Kunhalikkutty welcomed the INL decision to cooperate with the UDF in the coming panchayat elections. He added that the LDF had not dealt with the INL in good manners.
The Indian National League was formed in the turbulent times following the demolition of the Babri Masjid. It was a response to the Hindutva-appeasement of the Congress and the refusal of the Muslim League to withdraw support to the Congress in power after the demolition of the Babri Masjid. When senior Muslim League leader Ibrahim Sulaiman Sait thought about forming a new party to voice the concerns of the minority, he discussed the matter with the then CPI (M) leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet who advised him to avoid the name ‘Muslim’ so as to take the party into the left front. Thus, the Indian National League was formed on April 23, 1993. However, Surjeet’s promise was not fulfilled as successive leaders of and parties in the Left Front refused to take the INL in. At the same time, the front utilized the power of the party against the Muslim League in every possible way. The LDF which never found harm in taking in PC Thomas who had worked with the BJP to defeat the CPI (M) earlier, found fault and tinges of communalism in INL which had stayed with the front since formation. The decision of the INL at last to cut off ties with the LDF has come after years of insult and humiliation.