Muslim league declares truce with Sunni leaders

KOZHIKODE: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has brokered a compromise with the Samastha Kerala Jam-Iyyathul Ulema, the Sunni scholars' organization that has been angry over the Muslim League's overtures to the rival Sunni faction led by Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musaliyar.
The high level meeting of both the organizations held at Malappuram on Monday decided not to vitiate things further.
After the meeting IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty said there were some issues that were addressed by the leadership.
Samastha leaders also discounted the reports that the organization has taken an anti-IUML position.
What irked Samastha was the new-found proximity the League leaders established with the rival Sunni faction.
In a significant departure from the past, IUML leaders started attending the functions of the Kanthapuram faction.
There was a line of thought among a section of the IUML leadership that the party need not align with one section of the Muslim community.
They felt that as a political party the IUML should give space to all groups within the community.
It was this argument that led to mending fences with Kanthapuram, who had taken a pro-LDF line in the past.
As a reciprocal measure the Kanthapuram also gave some concessions to the IUML.
The melting of ice was not liked by the Samastha, which was powerfully expressed by its student wing Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation (SKSSF).
Articles appeared in Sathydhara, the official mouthpiece of the SKSSF, that flayed the IUML for trying to have a secret pact with Kanthapuram.
One of the articles declared that the Samastha will have to look for other alternatives if the IUML continued hobnobbing with Kanthapuram.
The Sathydhara articles particularly targeted Kunhalikutty for initiating a truce with the Kanthapuram faction.
Things reached a flash point when the articles became a subject of wide discussions.
The IUML sensed the danger and decided not to go ahead with the Sunni unity agenda.
Monday's discussions were meant to pacify the sentiments among the SKSSF leaders.
The IUML can never think of severing the ties with the Samastha as majority of its cadres are members of the Sunni organization.
IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty said there were some issues that were addressed by the leadership. Samastha leaders also discounted the reports that the organization has taken an anti-IUML position