MALAPPURAM: In a move that is evidently aimed at establishing a political connect and thus creating a vote bank, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has launched a slew of welfare schemes in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand.
While 61 houses have already been built for Muzaffarnagar riot victims in Uttar Pradesh, the beneficiaries of the IUML largesse in Tamil Nadu were 33 underprivileged persons, who got houses. Non-Muslims account for 25 per cent of the total beneficiaries of the Baithu Rahma Scheme.
Baithu Rahma, which means house of mercy, is a social welfare programme initiated by the IUML Malappuram district committee to provide housing for poor people irrespective of caste, religion and community.
While the party has also sanctioned a house project for Rohit Vemula’s family in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, it has renovated a fisheries school in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district at a cost of Rs 42 lakh.
In Jharkhand, the party went for digging borewells in rural areas. The leaders were reluctant to openly admit the schemes were being extended to other states with a political motive, with IUML national secretary E T Mohammed Basheer saying "the party is concentrating on charity and welfare activities in other states by joining hands with various agencies and feeder organisations."
It was Syed Sadiqali Shihab Thangal who proposed the Baithu Rahma Scheme in 2013 at a meeting held to commemorate IUML ex-state president Syed Mohammed Ali Shihab Thangal. “The idea was to build 150 houses in Malappuram district in order to keep my brother’s memory intact. Though all of us were initially apprehensive, the response was overwhelming. With IUML and its feeder organisations joining hands, we could construct 150 houses within one year,” said Sadiqali Shihab Thangal.
The scheme was later extended to other districts by the party and its various outfits.
As per the latest figures with IUML state committee, 4,200 houses have been constructed in the state, which include those built through Pravasi Baithu Rahma Scheme of IUML’s expatriates outfit Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre. “Each house costs Rs 6.5 lakh-Rs 10 lakh. The fund is raised by party units and feeder organisations while materials are contributed by benevolent hearts,” said IUML state general secretary K P A Majeed.
“The criteria for selection look beyond community or political affiliation. We select beneficiaries based on economical status. The scheme is also aimed at leaving a strong message of communal harmony and coexistence,” said Sadiqali Thangal.
At BP Angadi near Tirur, 25 Hindu beneficiaries were selected while a total of 101 Baithu Rahma houses were proposed by IUML affiliated Syed Shihab Thangal Relief Cell. “We’ve given five houses to our Hindu brothers while we completed construction of 19 houses,” said E Sadiqali, a functionary of thee trust.