MALAPPURAM: The Differently Abled People’s League (DAPL), an Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) wing for the differently abled, is planning to increase its base in Kerala. With its new state committee set to be formed in August, DAPL’s state leadership is keen on taking its membership count to above the one-lakh mark.
DAPL state president Basheer Mampuram said his organisation is preparing to conduct a membership campaign across the state. “We will organise jathas in the first week of May as part of the campaign. The jathas, to be led by state committee members of the DAPL, will help attract more people to the organisation. IUML state president Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal will inaugurate the campaign at Kozhikode League House in the first week of June. The new state committee will be formed in August,” Basheer said.
Basheer said the DAPL will work to protect the rights of the differently abled in the state.
“I am 80% disabled. I learnt a lot about their rights and began to campaign for them after becoming a part of the DAPL. Differently abled people have 4% reservation in jobs and education. However, many of them are unaware of their rights. We will be able to help them lead an independent life. We will also form cooperative societies to provide more job opportunities for the differently abled,” Basheer said.
The DAPL leadership will also ask the IUML leadership to appoint an observer to monitor its functioning. “We will also ask the leadership to identify one IUML MLA to raise our issues in the assembly. Moreover, separate IUML observers should be appointed to all districts to monitor the activities of the district committees,” he said.
Any differently abled person who approves of the policies of the IUML can join the DAPL. Formed on April 3, 2019, it initially focused on Malappuram district. Its functioning was later expanded to ten other districts. On January 26, 2020, the state committee comprising 11 members was announced by then IUML state president Panakkad Sayed Hyderali Shihab Thangal. After the membership campaign this year, the number of district committees in the state will be increased to 14, from the present 11.