Fostering upliftment of Indian Muslims is the essence of Thanghal’s new book: A review

“A race of people is like an individual man; until it uses its own talent, takes pride in its own history, expresses its own culture, affirms its own selfhood, it can never fulfill itself.”-Malcom Ex.

India’s booming economy has left the nation’s largest minority group lagging behind. Muslims experience low literacy and high poverty rates, prone  to many communal violences  now vulnerable  to lynching & dissemination of  fake news and marginalization, the right wing in power now in India  is in an ideological war with the community that which ensured active participation and sacrifices   in independence movment to oust the British Imperialists out of country.

Many political experiments to empower Muslim minorites were tried in many parts of India since independence, but the best out of them was ingrained in the state of Kerala without generating hatespeeches & grudges among majority community. That is how ‘Indian Union Muslim League’ which was pioneered by Qaedemillath Mohamed Ismail Sahib propounded a polity of amity  with other major political parties and became the part of United Democratic Front in Kerala State, ushering community  progress in all fronts when compared to other fellow Muslim citizens who are suffering in length & breadth of the country. Eventhough it had strong foothold in Tamilnadu, Bengal etc., It made strides to be a close ally of Indian National Congress  and had the previlege of assuming chief ministership of kerala through late CH Mohammed Koya who was one of the doyens of Kerala’s political sphere .The party was lucky enough to have a Minister in  the bigone cabinet of Manmohan Singh government through E.Ahmed who was the Minister of State for External Affairs. He became a starwalt who could represent India in United Nations too.

Community consciencesness and respectful existence of minorities is what Indian Union Muslim League advocatess, instead of communal extremism that will get them polarised away from the mainstreaam community. During Babri Masjid Mohamed Ali Shihab Thanghal who was the head of party in Kerala  & other Muslim league leaders strived hard to uphold communal harmony.

M.I.Thangal a prominent writer & Columnist of kerala proclaims through this book ‘Minority Politics,   Ideology  & Mission’ the importance of own political party for indian Muslims, emphasizes political stance of Muslim minority in a plural society. Theoriticaly and practicaly analyses issues faced by the community, imparts guidelines and offers solutions to their problems.

Showcasing the  spirit enthralled by one of the  greatest poet of modern era, Allama Mohamed Iqbal the book discusses the advent of Islam in India, the identity crisis that Indian Muslims faced, Religio Political narratives of Islam, Communalism, Terrorism, Partition and its impacts, the aproach towards various sects & organization within community, Threat of fascism, Islam and  democracy, and proposes future outline for the overall prosperity of the community.

 At a crucial time when hostile ideologies elevated to power,making hegemonical strides to their ultimate goal of country restricted to   majority community  vehemently , the book is worth reading for every peace loving citizen of this great country who wants to uphold peaceful coexistence and multi culturalism that prevailed through many centuries. Mr.Thangal forsees that India has to become a strong country with developmental upheaval of every section of society and for that existing governments and  beurocracy have to guarantee all the benefits of citizenship to any common citizen irrespectibe of religion, caste or creed or else India will perish to a nation of instability and insecurity.

As a translator, even though not in the limelight Dr.Aboobaker Kappad  has translated the book from malayalam to english with fluidity and captures the spirit of text.

Not only for the progress of Indian Muslims in each state of India, but also, for any other belittled community in India, the book unravels the IUML model which is definitely an experiment that can be emulated through out the country for their advancement.