IUML is upset with CPI(M)’s invitation to a demonstration in favor of Palestine

The oldest ally of the Congress in Kerala, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), is facing another dilemma: should it accept the CPI(M) invitation to participate in their November 11 Palestine solidarity demonstration in Kozhikode?

Leading figures in the Indian Union of Malayalam League, as the party is called in Kerala, will convene in Kozhikode on Saturday to choose whether to put aside the party’s political rivalry with the Left in order to demonstrate support for a cause that is dear to their hearts. The League’s situation has become worse since the CPI(M) did not extend an invitation to the Congress for the occasion.
“Either Keralan elections or alliance politics have nothing to do with this issue (regarding Palestine). Everyone with a conscience is concerned about this. League is a democratic party that consults before making decisions. We will sit and make a decision tomorrow. The CPM and I do not share a political dais. The IUML general secretary, PMA Salam, informed reporters on Friday that this was being done for a public good.

November 11 at the Sarovaram Trade Centre in Kozhikode is the date of the CPI(M)’s pro-Palestine rally, which state minister Pinarayi Vijayan is expected to open. It comes after a similar demonstration that the League held on October 26 at Kozhikode Beach, where Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was the main guest.

In addition to the League, the CPI(M) has extended invitations to the event to the Kerala Muslim Jama’ath and Mujahid factions, as well as Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulema, the biggest group of Sunni clerics in the state.

The CPI(M) has invited the League to one of its programs for the second time in over four months. The League received an invitation from the Left to participate in a seminar on the BJP-led Center’s Uniform Civil Code (UCC) plan at the end of July. The League had politely refused the invitation at the time, saying that the Congress, which it said was the backbone of the anti-BJP opposition front, ought to be involved in any protest against the UCC.

IUML Lok Sabha MP ET Muhammad Basheer said on Thursday that the party would attend the CPI(M) pro-Palestine protest if invited, demonstrating how passionately the party feels about the matter. “We hear the stories from Gaza every day; this is a problem that has to be addressed nationally. There, the level of brutality is unparalleled. He said, “We have to put up some effort to schedule public events and gather opinions so that we can respond if they call.”

In an attempt to integrate the League into the LDF and expand its support base among Muslims, particularly in north Kerala, the CPI(M) has been courting the League for a while. In doing so, it will also destabilize the UDF, which is dominated by Congress and in which the League plays a significant role.

The CPM’s invitation to the League did not impress the Congress on Friday. The CPI(M) is aware that the next elections would not be won by them. Thus, it is causing problems for us and acting like a bandicoot rat. The working committee of the Congress has declared its unwavering support for Palestine, maintaining the same position since Jawaharlal Nehru. We haven’t toned it down,” K Muraleedharan, a Congress MP, said.