KOZHIKODE: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is a 72-year-old party with a strong presence in Kerala. However, the second-largest UDF ally has never had a woman representative in the assembly.
The reason is simple — It has hardly fielded women in the assembly elections. It did so once in 1996, but its candidate Kamarunnisa Anwar, who contested from Kozhikode-II, lost to CPM’s Elamaram Kareen by 8,766 votes.
Though woman leaders from IUML contest in the local body elections (the party has no choice in seats reserved for women) , there is a strict ‘no’ for them contesting in the assembly and parliament elections on the party’s ticket.
Though the Indian Union Women’s League (IUWL), the woman’s wing of the party, demands representation during every assembly election, it is never met. IUWL state chief P Kulsu said things would change this time. “This time, we will have representation. It is not about who are contesting or in how many seats, but that women are contesting on the ladder symbol,” said a hopeful Kulsu. IUWL national general secretary Noorbina Rasheed too is hopeful.
There are apprehensions. K P Mariyumma, 65, one of the founder members of IUWL, says such optimism remains till the announcement of candidates. “The reason for IUML hardly having any woman candidates is that it gets less than 30 seats as part of coalition rule. Several male aspirants work for the party 24x7. So, while trimming the list, women are the first casualty,” said Mariyumma, who was the first district panchayat president of Malappuram in 1995.
MSF national vice-president Fathima Tahiliya said besides IUWL, Haritha, the girl students’ wing of IUML, had also approached the party seeking seats for women. “Several unmarried girls contested in the local body polls from IUML. That was a major change,” she said. Mariyumma said things are changing as three women — Kamarunnisa and Noorbina and herself — became IUML’s state secretariat members for the first time.
Though neither IUML nor IUWL leaders say it openly, the opposition by religious body Samastha is often said to be the biggest obstacle in fielding women. Sunni Yuvajana Sangham state secretary Samad Pookottur recently said women should be fielded only in unavoidable circumstances. “There is no need for IUML to field women in seats where there is no women reservation,” were his words. Samastha has not officially responded either to women’s candidature or Pookottur’s remarks.
IUML national working secretary E T Mohammed Basheer, MP, said women’s representation is everybody’s wish and such a demand has been raised this time. “Let us first know which seats we will contest and we will look into accommodating woman candidates in appropriate ones,” he told TNIE.