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Vaishakh Shukla 4, Kaliyug Varsha 5114
New Delhi : In the early 1960s when Muslim League leader Mohammed Koya was sworn in as the speaker of the Kerala assembly, the state Congress had insisted that he take off his fur cap at the ceremony.
Koya had to yield to the demand from the powerful coalition leader. As if that alone was not enough, none other than Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had come out with a statement: "The League is a dead horse".
The Muslim League and its leaders had to grin and bear it.But that was back then.
Some 50 years on, Congress in the state has lost its sting, and has yielded to the Muslim League's demand for a fifth minister in the 21-member council of ministers.
With the induction of Manjalamkuzhi Ali of the Muslim League and Anoop Jacob of the Kerala Congress (J), the number of ministers from the minority community has risen to 12. Yes. In Kerala's council of ministers the minorities are a majority.
And analysts - besides many Congress leaders themselves - say the party's continuous efforts to please its allies, especially the 20-MLA-strong Muslim League, are proving to be extremely counter-productive. They say it could result in deep polarisation along religious lines in the state.
Apart from powerful Congress leaders such as Aryadan Mohammed and VM Sudheeran, influential Hindu caste organisations such as the NSS (representing Nairs) and the SNDP (of Ezhavas) have said that this decision will alienate a majority of the state's Hindus who form nearly 56% of the population.
For its part, BJP organised a hartal in the state capital to protest Congress' policy of "appeasement of minorities". The opposition LDF also lashed out at Congress for surrendering itself to parties with "communal agendas" just to cling on to power. In the 140-member state assembly, the Congress-led UDF enjoys only a two seat edge, winning 72 seats, over the opposition which has 68 seats.
Over the past few weeks, the Muslim League's insistence on a fifth minister had kicked up a major controversy and chief minister Oommen Chandy and the state Congress chief Ramesh Chennithala had to rush to Delhi to seek the advice of the high command, which, like in other states, finally favoured conceding to allies' demands to stay in power.
Meanwhile, on the day the two new ministers were sworn in, in a bid to keep the Hindu religious groups happy and to keep the religious and caste equations in his cabinet rather unchanged, Chandy relinquished the powerful home portfolio to Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan. Radhakrishnan had earlier held the revenue portfolio.
The government's swift move is also seen as a ruse to assuage the feelings of the NSS and the SNDP ahead of the crucial assembly by-election in Neyyattinkara.
In the mini-reshuffle, Radhakrishnan becomes the new home minister. Adoor Prakash will be in charge of revenue and VS Sivakumar health.
Source : Economic Times
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Koya had to yield to the demand from the powerful coalition leader. As if that alone was not enough, none other than Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had come out with a statement: "The League is a dead horse".
The Muslim League and its leaders had to grin and bear it.But that was back then.
Some 50 years on, Congress in the state has lost its sting, and has yielded to the Muslim League's demand for a fifth minister in the 21-member council of ministers.
With the induction of Manjalamkuzhi Ali of the Muslim League and Anoop Jacob of the Kerala Congress (J), the number of ministers from the minority community has risen to 12. Yes. In Kerala's council of ministers the minorities are a majority.
And analysts - besides many Congress leaders themselves - say the party's continuous efforts to please its allies, especially the 20-MLA-strong Muslim League, are proving to be extremely counter-productive. They say it could result in deep polarisation along religious lines in the state.
Apart from powerful Congress leaders such as Aryadan Mohammed and VM Sudheeran, influential Hindu caste organisations such as the NSS (representing Nairs) and the SNDP (of Ezhavas) have said that this decision will alienate a majority of the state's Hindus who form nearly 56% of the population.
For its part, BJP organised a hartal in the state capital to protest Congress' policy of "appeasement of minorities". The opposition LDF also lashed out at Congress for surrendering itself to parties with "communal agendas" just to cling on to power. In the 140-member state assembly, the Congress-led UDF enjoys only a two seat edge, winning 72 seats, over the opposition which has 68 seats.
Over the past few weeks, the Muslim League's insistence on a fifth minister had kicked up a major controversy and chief minister Oommen Chandy and the state Congress chief Ramesh Chennithala had to rush to Delhi to seek the advice of the high command, which, like in other states, finally favoured conceding to allies' demands to stay in power.
Meanwhile, on the day the two new ministers were sworn in, in a bid to keep the Hindu religious groups happy and to keep the religious and caste equations in his cabinet rather unchanged, Chandy relinquished the powerful home portfolio to Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan. Radhakrishnan had earlier held the revenue portfolio.
The government's swift move is also seen as a ruse to assuage the feelings of the NSS and the SNDP ahead of the crucial assembly by-election in Neyyattinkara.
In the mini-reshuffle, Radhakrishnan becomes the new home minister. Adoor Prakash will be in charge of revenue and VS Sivakumar health.
Source : Economic Times
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