Munambam land issue catches UDF on the wrong foot

Deep fissures appeared to have developed in the United Democratic Front (UDF) on the nature of the Munambam land with the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leaders publicly adopting conflicting stances on the sensitive issue. 

The difference of opinion among the front partners on whether the Munambam land is Waqf property or not surfaced with IUML leader K.M. Shaji vehemently opposing the reported stand of Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan that the Munambam holding was not a Waqf.

Mr. Shaji tried to disparage Mr. Satheesan by asserting that the holding was indeed a Waqf and that the opinions expressed by Mr. Satheesan were his personal views. Senior IUML leaders such as E.T. Muhammad Basheer, MP, and P.K. Kunhalikutty, MLA, quickly intervened to de-escalate the situation by stating that the party had made its stand known on the issue and individual views didn’t count.

‘Communalising issue’

Later, Mr. Satheesan, who chose not to name anyone in the controversy, tried to blame the government for the alleged fiasco and cautioned that some quarters were trying to whip up communal passions on the Munambam issue. The Leader of the Opposition refused to be dragged into the controversy and added that the Muslim League had clarified its official position on the issue.

IUML supremo Panakkad Syed Sadiqali Shihab Thangal on Monday dismissed the comments of his party colleagues as personal views, which, according to him, had no bearing on the party’s position. “A meeting of the Muslim League leadership and the Muslim organisations held one month ago had decided to stay clear of the controversy on whether the property was a Waqf or not and leave it to the government and other authorities to decide on it based on the available facts,” Mr. Thangal told The Hindu. Even though the Babri Masjid was on Waqf property, the Muslim Personal Law Board left it to the Supreme Court to decide. The Muslim League had adopted a similar position in Munambam, he said.

‘None should be evicted’

“We had also adopted a position that the settlers in Munambam shall not be put to any trouble while cautioning society about the attempts being made to cause a communal divide between Muslims and Christians. No one shall be evicted from their holdings in Munambam,” said Mr. Thangal, who recalled his meeting with the Church leaders to mend the strained relationship following the controversy.

UDF betraying people: BJP

Earlier in the day, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the IUML of trying to foment communal tensions “as a section of its leaders attributed the land ownership to the Waqf Board.” Citing the differences within the UDF over the issue, BJP State president K. Surendran said the UDF was betraying the people of Munambam.