By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Malappuram: The Muslim League will enforce a code of conduct for its female candidates contesting in the local body elections, said party state secretary Adv KNA Qader. The party would field more young men and women in the elections. Mr Qader was speaking at a ‘meet-the-press’ organized by the Malappuram Press Club prior to the local body elections.
Mr Qader said that the code of conduct for women was meant so as not to lose the religious order and discipline especially in relation with demonstrations and marches. He added that men too were bound to follow the code. Women would not face any difficulty to contest and carry out duties of a representative following the religious discipline. Muslim women are present widely in campuses and work places, which do not force them to stay away from the religious orders. The party has a lot of women able to be made candidates. There is no question of right and wrong in the secular party of Muslim League forming a religious code of conduct as it was only to ensure that they can follow their faith and rites, he added.
Mr Qader said that the Muslim League would give just representation for young men and women. The most important criterion in selecting candidates would be the chances of victory. The youth are going away from politics thinking political parties cannot solve the complicated problems of the new age. This may lead some youth to anarchy. Parties including the League should try to avoid such a situation.
The Muslim League also would follow the announcement of the UDF that it would not field anybody having terrorist links. The Indian National League would be given seats as a member of the alliance. The UDF would decide as to whose seats should be given to the INL. The UDF and the League would repeat a victory like the Parliament elections, he added. The party would not field those who had held the presidency of a local body thrice.
Muslim League general secretary PK Kunhalikkutty had earlier reportedly said that the activities of the Women’s League would not be like that of feminists or the CPI (M), but would be following religious orders. It would also take care not to affect the family set-up adversely. KK Shailaja Teacher of the CPI (M)’s Democratic Women’s Association harshly criticised this code of conduct stating the League was trying to enforce Talibanism among Muslim women.
The Samastha Kerala Jam’iyathul Ulema, which is closely associated with the League, is basically against the public entry of women in general and sees it as haraam, and opines it can be allowed only in cases of emergency. The League has never had any women representative in the state Assembly. Qamarunneesa Anvar had contested in Kozhikode 2 seat in the 1996 Assembly election, but lost. However, the party had fielded some women in the local bodies in the seats reserved for women. Adv KP Mariyumma of the party had served as the Malappuram district panchayat president.
However, this would be first time for the League, just like other parties, to field a large number of female candidates. The 50% reservation for women in the local bodies would lead to the victory of 11,135 women in the reservation seats alone in the state. Women’s representation would be more as some women would be fielded in general seats also. Among the 16,646 wards in village panchayats, 8613 would go to women’s reservation. The reservation would be applicable to 1,051 wards in block panchayats, 169 wards in district panchayats, 1121 in municipalities and 181 wards in the corporations. In the last local body elections, the UDF had fielded 6,738 women among whom 2361 won. The LDF fielded 5752 in which 3802 women won.