KOZHIKODE: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has decided to disband the current state committee of Haritha, a collective of girls under the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) in colleges, for ‘gross violation of discipline’. Briefing reporters after a high-powered committee meeting, IUML state acting general secretary P M A Salam said a new committee will be announced soon.
“Haritha has repeatedly violated party discipline. Moreover, the current committee was formed in 2018. The stipulation is that the Haritha committee should be constituted every year,” Salam said. The party had earlier frozen the activities of Haritha after a controversy over allegations against some MSF leaders. As many as 10 Haritha leaders had alleged that MSF state president P K Navas and Malappuram district general secretary V Abdul Wahab had used sexually-coloured language against them.
Haritha leaders also filed a complaint with the Kerala State Women’s Commission, which asked the police to investigate the case. The police had recorded the initial statements of the girls. Meanwhile, the Muslim League leadership intervened and arrived at a rapprochement.
IUML move: Haritha plans legal fight
Accordingly, MSF leaders were asked to apologise publicly for their behaviour and Haritha was told to withdraw the complaint it filed with the Women’s Commission. But the girls refused to withdraw the complaint as they insisted on taking action against the MSF leaders, which was unacceptable to the IUML leadership. Former Haritha leader and MSF national vice-president Fathima Thahliya, who declared solidarity with the 10 girls, had complained that Haritha did not get justice in the issue.
It is learnt that the Haritha leadership is exploring the possibility of a legal fight against the decision to disband the committee. Meanwhile, DYFI state secretary A A Rahim said that the decision to disband the Haritha committee has exposed the anti-women stand of the IUML. Rahim told reporters that such actions cannot stifle freedom of opinion. Rahim said public opinion should be raised against the IUML decision because it is not an internal matter of the party.