Why n-deal worries the league

MICS - India By shekhar kulshreshtha

IUML’s stand on nuke deal gives Left, Ma’adani another chance to whip up anti-US sentiment

Thiruvananthapuram, July 11: The Indian Union Muslim League’s decision to support the UPA Government in the nuclear deal has put the party in a tight spot in Kerala, its stronghold. The party, an ally of the Congress-led United Democratic Front in the state, is being pulled up by Muslim organisations, both mainstream and fringe, for supporting the Congress. These organisations have found the issue as a chance to storm into community bastions, whipping up anti-US sentiments and IUML’s craze to wallow in power.

Besides, the IUML’s stand has given the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front an opportunity to raise the anti-US plank in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday fired the first salvo against the IUML saying that by supporting the Congress, IUML had proved it was loyal to US imperialism.

People’s Democratic Party chairman Abdul Nazar Ma’adani told The Indian Express that IUML had resorted to double standards on the issue. “The Muslim community across the world had been facing atrocities sponsored by the US. The deal with an anti-Muslim country should have been opposed by the IUML.” He said IUML would have to pay for its reluctance to address the issue. On several issues, like the demolition of the Babri Masjid, IUML had failed to rise to the aspirations of the community, he said.

The anti-US sentiments being whipped up by Left parties and extremist Muslim outfits in the state would be a matter of concern for the IUML in the next election, when the party desperately needs an electoral comeback. The party had lost Manjeri Lok Sabha seat, its stronghold, in the 2004 election. Its worst electoral performance was in the state Assembly election held in 2006, when the party was pulverized by the Left and IUML rebels, who exposed the party’s weakness in critical issues affecting the community.

The CPI(M) had played the anti-American strategy to the hilt twice in the recent past. During the Assembly election in 2006, the LDF had approached Muslim voters highlighting the Congress Government’s pro-US stand and India’s vote against Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency.

In the bypoll to Thiruvambady Assembly constituency held in December, 2006, the LDF took up the issue of Saddam Hussein, served with death sentence then, to solicit Muslim votes for the CPI(M) candidate. The Left had emphasised the Congress-led UPA Government’s failure to condemn the death sentence and flay the US for manipulating the case against the ousted Iraqi president. The Left played the anti-US trick, knowing very well that Saddam had been close to Muslim hearts. As expected, Saddam and a host of other factors helped the CPI(M) candidate scrape through in the bypoll.

The Left strategy to tap Muslims’ anti-US feelings always stemmed from the helplessness of the IUML to react to all issues pertaining to the US and its imperialistic tendencies. IUML, being an ally of the Congress at the Centre and in Kerala as well, had been in a quandary to openly criticise the foreign policies of the Government.

“The nuclear deal would certainly influence the Muslim voters in the election. The Muslim community has always fought against imperialistic forces. That was why Saddam’s death sentence and Iran issue had influenced the community in Kerala,” said K T Jaleel, MLA and an IUML rebel, who defeated party state general secretary K P Kunhalikkuty in the Muslim-dominated Kuttipuram constituency in north Kerala.

IUML state secretary E T Muhammed Basheer told The Indian Express that the party had considered several other issues while deciding to support the Congress in the deal. “We have to ensure that communal forces do not return to power. The party has to look beyond the nuclear deal while taking a decision,” he said.

Meanwhile, on July 2, CPI(M) mouthpiece Deshabhimani had carried an article, written by party MLA P Jayarajan, giving enough hints that the party would highlight the nuclear deal in Kerala as IUML’s failure to stand up to American imperialism. The article said that IUML has double standards on the nuclear deal. It said the Congress was with the US, which had killed many in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine. Manmohan Singh, under duress from the America, was hell-bent on inking the deal. The IUML has been silent on the issue, even when dissenting voices against the deal have come from within the Congress and the UPA. The article, referring to League’s silence on the nuclear issue, said IUML leaders in Kerala owe allegiance to America, Congress, power and money.