The Indian Union Muslim League or I. U. M. L. (commonly referred to as the League inside Kerala) is an Indian political party primarily based in the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is recognized by the Election Commission of India as a State Party in Kerala.
The first Council of the IUML, which was at the time the Indian successor of the Muslim League, was held on 10 March 1948 at the south Indian city of Madras. The ‘Indian Union Muslim League’ constitution was passed on 1 September 1951.
The party is a major member of the United Democratic Front, the Indian National Congress -led pre-poll state level alliance in Kerala and has always had a constant, albeit small, presence in the Lok Sabha. The party is a part of the United Progressive Alliance at the national level. The League got its first union minister (Minister of State for External Affairs) in the first Manmohan Singh ministry in 2004.
The party currently has four members in Parliament – E. T. Mohammed Basheer, M. P. Abdussamad Samadani, and K. Navas Kani in the Lok Sabha and P. V. Abdul Wahab in the Rajya Sabha and nineteen members in State Legislative Assemblies of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
History
After the partition of India in 1947, the All-India Muslim League was virtually disbanded. It was succeeded by the Indian segment of the Muslim League in the new Dominion of India (first session on 10 March 1948 and constitution passed on 1 September 1951). M. Muhammad Ismail, the then President of the Madras Muslim League (M. M. L.) was chosen as the Convener of the Indian segment of the League. The Travancore League (the States’ Muslim League) was merged with the Malabar League in November, 1956.
Indian Union Muslim League contests General Elections under the Indian Constitution. The party is normally represented by two members in the Indian Lower House (the Lok Sabha). B. Pocker, elected from Malappuram Constituency, was a member of the First Lower House (1952–57) from the Madras Muslim League (M. M. L.). The party currently has four members in Parliament.
Apart from Kerala and West Bengal, the League had Legislative Assembly members in Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Maharastra, Karanataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Assam. In West Bengal, the League had won Assembly seats in the 1970s, and A. K. A. Hassanussaman was a member of the Ajoy Mukherjee cabinet.
Indian Union Muslim League first gained a ministry in Kerala Government as part of the Communist Party of India Marxist-led United Front in 1967. The party switched fronts in 1969 and formed an alliance with the Congress in 1976. It later became a chief constituent in a succession of Indian National Congress-lead ministries.
Early years
- First Council of the Indian segment of the Muslim League was held on 10 March 1948 at the south Indian city of Madras (now Chennai).
- On 1 September 1951 the ‘Indian Union Muslim League’ came into being in Madras (constitution was passed).
- B. Pocker Sahib, elected from Malappuram Constituency, was a member of the first Lok Sabha (1952–57).
- K. M Seethi Sahib served as the Speaker of the Kerala Assemby from 1960 to 1961.
From the 1960s to the 80s
- The League gained a ministry in Kerala Government in 1967 (C. H. Mohammed Koya and M. P. M. Ahammed Kurikkal).
- The League oversaw the creation of the University of Calicut, the second university in Kerala, in 1968.
- Contribution to local government – the League oversaw the creation of Malappuram District in 1969.
- Death of M. Muhammad Ismail (1972) and Bafaqy Thangal (1973). Syed Ummer Bafaqy Thangal rebels against the leadership.
With the Congress Party
- Muslim League formed an alliance with the Congress in 1976.
- C. H. Mohammed Koya served as the Chief Minister of Kerala from 12 October to 1 December 1979.
- Muslim League joined the Congress (Indira)-lead United Democratic Front in 1979/80.
- The ‘rebel’ Muslim League formed ‘All India Muslim League’ and joined the Left Front in 1980.
- C. H. Mohammed Koya and K. Avukaderkutty Naha served as Deputy Chief Ministers of Kerala in the 1980s.
In the 1990s
- All India Muslim League (AIML) quit the Left Front and merged with the Muslim League in 1985.
- Demolition of the Babri Masjid (1992). Panakkad Syed Mohammed Ali Shihab Thangal made a passionate plea to all the Muslims in Kerala to remain calm. Kerala remained peaceful throughout.
- Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait, then National President, rebelled and formed the Indian National League (INL) in 1994.
- Minister of Education (E. T. Mohammad Basheer) decided to establish the University of Sanskrit (1994) in Kerala.
From the 2000s
- Atal Bihari Vajpayee dispatched E. Ahamed to the United Nations (Geneva) to represent India (2004).
- Mid-2000s witnessed the Manjeri (2004) and the Kuttippuram-Mankada (2006) defeats.
- The League first gained a ministry (E. Ahamed) in Indian Government (Manmohan Singh Ministry) in 2004.
- Panakkad Syed Mohammed Ali Shihab Thangal died in 2009.
- The League won a record 20 out the constested 23 seats in the 2011 Assembly Elections.
Ideology
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Conservatism portal
Politics portalThe party…has shown strands of identity politics, but largely remained communitarian; it has at times been conservative, but never communal. It has furthered Muslim aspirations without antagonising any other segment—and hence has retained its centrality in the larger Kerala polity
— Outlook
The distinctive feature of the Muslim League in Kerala is that it strove to keep the community at the centre of the state’s politics, unlike other Muslim political formations elsewhere in India that revelled in confessional isolationism. As a result, the Kerala Muslims emerged as probably the only community of that faith in India that achieved genuine political empowerment on the one hand and, on the other, lived out the promise of equal citizenship enshrined in the Constitution.
— Outlook
If organising a religious community politically on the basis of antagonism to another is communalism, the IUML has never mobilised its cadre nor used its political and often administrative clout to create religious divides. On the contrary, whenever the state faced a communally sensitive situation, the party rose to the occasion and played a stellar role in dousing the flames….By practicing a brand of politics that could be termed communitarian rather than communal, the IUML succeeded in actualising the constitutional guarantee of equal citizenship for the Muslims in the state.
— The Indian Express
IUML was formed “to preserve and promote the religious and cultural identities of Indian Muslims and other minorities and backward classes of the country”. Even though the constitution of IUML has pledged allegiance to the secular Constitution of India, the party has opposed many constitutional verdicts by the Supreme Court of India like those allowing the entry of women of menstruating age to Sabarimala temple & abolishing Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, in which the court had upheld the constitutional right to equality above religious & cultural values.
Composition
A postage stamp released in commemoration of Mohammed Ali Shihab Thangal (1936-2009).
The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (2004-14) releasing a postage stamp in commemoration of Mohammed Ali Shihab Thangal (1936-2009). E. Ahamed, Hyder Ali Shihab Thangal and Sachin Pilot are also seen.
| Designation | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman-Political Advisory | Sayed Hyderali Shihab Thangal (Kerala) |
| National President | K. M. Kader Mohideen (Tamil Nadu) |
| Vice-Presidents | Iqbal Ahmed (Uttar Pradesh) |
| Dastagir Ibrahim Aga (Karnataka) | |
| National General Secretary | P. K. Kunhalikutty (Kerala) |
| National Organising Secretary | E. T. Mohammed Basheer (Kerala) |
| National Treasurer | P. V. Abdul Wahab (Kerala) |
| Secretaries | Khorrum Anis Omer (Delhi) |
| M. P. Abdussamad Samadani (Kerala) | |
| S. Naim Akthar (Bihar) | |
| Siraj Ebrahim Sait (Karnataka) | |
| Assistant Secretaries | Abdul Basith (Tamil Nadu) |
| Kausar Hayat Khan (Uttar Pradesh) |
Organizational structure
- Youth Wing: Muslim Youth League (the Youth League)
- National President: Asif Ansari (New Delhi)
- Kerala State General Secretary: P. K. Firoz
- Kerala State President: Syed Munawar Ali Shihab Thangal
- National Secretary: Faisal Babu (Kerala)
- Students’ Wing: Muslim Students Federation (M. S. F.)
- National President: T. P. Ashrafali
- National General Secretary: S. H. Muhammed Arshad
- Dalit wing: Indian Union Dalit League
- Women’s Political Wing: Muslim Women’s League
- Trade Union Organization (Kerala): Swathanthra Thozhilali Union (S. T. U., Independent Workers Union)
- Peasants’ Union (Kerala): Swathanthra Karshaka Sangam (Independent Peasants Union)
- Advocates: Lawyers Forum
- Expatriates: Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (K. M. C. C.)
Kerala Legislative Assembly
Source: http://www.ceo.kerala.gov.in/electionhistory.html
Early years (1957 – 1979/80)
| Election | Seats | Vote % | Government/Opposition | Ministers | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won (Contested) | |||||
| 1957 | 8 (19)As independents | 4.72 | Opposition (to Namboodiripad Ministry)1957 – 59 | ||
| 1960 | 11 (12) | 5.0 | Government (Pattom Ministry)1960 – 62
|
Excluded from the Pattom Ministry | |
| Abstaining Opposition (to Shankar Ministry)1962 – 64 | |||||
| 1965 | 6 (16) | 3.71 | Inconclusive (no government formed) | ||
| 1967 | 14 (15) | 6.75 | Government (Namboodiripad Ministry)1967 – 69 |
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| Government (Achutha Menon Ministry)1969 – 70 |
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| 1970 | 11 (20) | 7.7 | Government (Achutha Menon Ministry)1970 – 77 |
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| 1977 | 13 (16) | 6.65 | Government (Karunakaran Ministry)1977 |
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| Government (Antony Ministry)1977 – 78 |
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| Government (PKV Ministry)1978 – 79 |
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| Government (Koya Ministry)1979 |
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With the United Democratic Front (1979/80 – present)
| Election | Seats | Vote % | Government/Opposition | Ministers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won (Contested) | ||||
| 1980 | 14 (21) | 7.18 | Opposition (to Nayanar Ministry)1980 – 81 | |
| Government (Karunakaran Ministry)1981 – 82 |
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| 1982 | 14 (18) | 6.17 | Government (Karunakaran Ministry)1982 – 87 |
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| 1987 | 15 (23) | 7.73 | Opposition(to Nayanar Ministry)
1987 – 91 |
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| 1991 | 19 (22) | 7.37 | Government(Karunakaran Ministry)
1991 – 95 |
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| Government(Antony Ministry)
1995 – 96 |
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| 2001 | 16 (21) | 7.59 | Government(Antony Ministry)
2001 – 2004 |
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| Government(Chandy Ministry)
2004 – 2006 |
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| 2006 | 7 (21) | 7.30 | Opposition(to Achuthanandan Ministry)
2006 – 11 |
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| 2011 | 20 (23) | 7.92 | Government(Chandy Ministry)
2011 – 16 |
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| 2016 | 18 (23) | 7.40 | Opposition(to Vijayan Ministry)
2016 – 2021 |
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| 2021 | 15 (25) | 8.27 | Opposition(to Vijayan Ministry)
Incumbent |
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Current members
Map of Kerala showing 2021 Assembly Election Results
| hideLegislative Constituency | Member |
|---|---|
| Kerala | |
| Kasaragod | |
| Manjeshwaram | A. K. M. Ashraf |
| Kasaragod | N. A. Nellikkunnu |
| Kozhikode | |
| Koduvally | M. K. Muneer |
| Malappuram | |
| Kondotty | T. V. Ibrahim |
| Eranad | P. K. Basheer |
| Manjeri | M. Ummer |
| Perinthalmanna | Manjalamkuzhi Ali |
| Mankada | T. A. Ahamed Kabir |
| Malappuram | P. Ubaidulla |
| Vengara | K. N. A. Khader |
| Vallikkunnu | P. Abdul Hameed |
| Tirurangadi | P. K. Abdu Rabb |
| Tirur | C. Mammutty |
| Kottakkal | K. K. Abid Hussain Thangal |
| Palakkad | |
| Mannarkkad | N. Samsudheen |
Lower House (the Lok Sabha)
Source: Loksabha
- 1st House
- B. Pocker (Malappuram)
- 2nd House – No members
- B. Pocker (Manjeri) – independent
- 3rd House
- C. H. Mohammed Koya (Kozhikode)
- M. Muhammad Ismail (Manjeri)
- 4th House
- M. Muhammad Ismail (Manjeri)
- Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait (Kozhikode)
- S. M. Muhammed Sheriff(Ramanathapuram)
- 5th House
- M. Muhammad Ismail (Manjeri)
- Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait (Kozhikode)
- S. M. Muhammed Sheriff(Periyakulam)
- Abu Taleb Chowdhury (Murshidabad) – independent
- 6th-9th Houses
- G. M. Banatwalla (Ponnani)
- Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait (Manjeri)
- 10th House
- Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait (Ponnani)
- E. Ahamed (Manjeri)
- 11th-13th Houses
- G. M. Banatwalla (Ponnani)
- E. Ahamed (Manjeri)
- 14th House
- E. Ahamed (Ponnani) as Union Minister of State.
- 15th House
- E. Ahamed (Malappuram) as Union Minister of State
- E. T. Mohammed Basheer (Ponnani)
- 16th House
- E. Ahamed and P. K. Kunhalikutty (Malappuram)
- E. T. Mohammed Basheer (Ponnani)
- 17th House
- P. K. Kunhalikutty (Malappuram)
- E. T. Mohammed Basheer (Ponnani)
- K. Navas Kani (Ramanathapuram)
Council of States (the Rajya Sabha)
Source: Rajyasabha
Madras
- M. Muhammad Ismail (1952–58) – independent
Kerala
- Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait (1960–66)
- Abdulla Koya (1967–73, 1974–98)
- Hamid Ali Schamnad (1970–79)
- Abdussamad Samadani (1994–2006)
- Korambayil Ahammed (1998–03)
- P. V. Abdul Wahab (2004–10, 2015–21)
Tamil Nadu
- A. K. A. Abdul Samad (1964–70)
- S. A. Khwaja Mohideen (1968–74)
- A. K. A. Abdul Samad (1970– 76)
- A. K. Refaye (1972–78)
- S. A. Khwaja Mohideen (1974-80)
Principal mass organisations of IUML
- Muslim Youth League
- Muslim Students Federation
- Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre
- Indian Union Dalit League
- White Guard Volunteers (Kerala India)
Controversies
Role in Marad massacre
The judicial commission which probed the Marad massacre concluded that IUML was directly involved in the conspiracy and execution of the massacre.
Opposition to Child Marriage Act
IUML has consistently opposed the Child Marriage Act by saying that it contravenes Muslim personal law. A circular issued by Local Self Government Department of Kerala which was under IUML in 2013 asking to register marriages of muslim women under the age of 18 had created controversy resulting in later withdrawal.