Muslims in Kerala shift loyalty

Jeji
Tue, 28-01-2020 07:30:10 PM ;

The CAA(Citizens Amendment Act) and the protests against it acquire new dimensions in Kerala in terms of political alignment striping the Congress led United Democratic Front it's traditional vote banks .The CPM led ruling front under the leadership of its Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan emerged champion to defend and protect the cause of the Muslims against the backdrop of the CAA. It is the Kerala government which first set example to protest against the CAA by passing a unanimous resolution by the assembly requesting the president to withdraw the discriminatory enactment dividing people on the basis of religion. Subsequently the Kerala government filed a suit petition against the law before the apex court, and decided not to fully cooperate with the census activity as well. And it also exorted people not to give answer to certain questions being asked by officers carrying out the work.

As the LDF started the protests in a very concerted manner it organized a mass protest making a human chain across Kerala from the northern end at Kasaragod to the southern end of the state at Kalikkavila in Thiruvananthapuram District. Though the LDF made a political request to the opposition parties to join the human chain as a joint protest highlighting need of the hour, the opposition leaders rejected the plea. Nevertheless the Muslim community in large numbers, particularly the rank and file of the Muslim League, the major constituent of the UDF, enthusiastically participated in the human chain. The presence of the leaders of various Muslim organizations in the human chain hitherto supported the UDF have raised eyebrows of the many in the UDF camp as well. Immediately the Muslim League leadership was forced to make public statements to lighten the situation claiming that the participation of the Muslim community in the human chain was to be viewed only as a gesture of protest against the center, and not as any shift of political alignment. But certain state level Congress leaders went on record that it should be viewed as an expression of conspicuous change taking place in the Muslim community towards the LDF.

The Congress and the UDF in Kerala are passing through one of its worst phases in the history due to the weakness of its  leadership .When the protests against the CAA was gathering momentum the state leadership was engaged in the infighting and confabulations in connection with the restructuring of the office bearers of the party in New Delhi. Still it has not been sorted out. The BJP and the RSS  view this situation an ideal one turn the tide to their favor by highlighting the minority appeasement of the LDF which would ,they think, accelerate the consolidation of the Hindu community. Any set back to the Congress would result to the benefit of the BJP in the state. The LDF is also eying on it trying to bring in a triangular fight so that they can make sure their victory in the elections.

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