While introducing the Kerala Madrasa Teachers’ Welfare Fund Bill, 2019, Minister for Minority Welfare K T Jaleel made a politically loaded comment about Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee report that triggered a battle of words in the Assembly on Wednesday. It was as if the two leading fronts were fighting to claim the 'Muslim Messiah' title.
On the face of it, Jaleel's was a factual statement. “The Rajinder Sachar Committee was formed by the UPA-I that had the Left's support,” he said. The opposition saw this as an attempt to usurp the credit for the constitution of the Sachar Committee.
Later, while responding to the UDF members, a defiant Jaleel confirmed the suspicion. He said the formation of a committee to study the educational, social and economic conditions of Muslims in India was the Left's contribution to the UPA's common minimum programme. Jaleel also said that the Welfare Board was the first ever welfare measure for poverty-stricken madrasa teachers who never earn more than Rs 6000 a month. “Had the Congress ever cared for the condition of the Muslims before the Sachar committee was formed,” CPM MLA M Swaraj asked rhetorically.
Congress MLA M Vincent wanted to know why the Left did not demand such a committee when it was part of the V P Singh government in 1989. Congress's V T Balram was bitingly sarcastic. “How could they have asked for such benefits for the Muslims when the BJP was part of the V P Singh arrangement? We can understand your helplessness,” he said.
Balram used the opportunity to further rub it in saying that the Left was also part of the Janata experiment along with the “RSS and others”. “Why were you not able to seek such benefits for Muslims then,” he asked.
Seemingly at a loss to find a quick repartee, Swaraj said that the RSS did not exist then. When a huge roar of laughter greeted him from the other side, he said: “What I meant was, the RSS was not part of the government.”
The plight of Muslims in West Bengal was the UDF's sharpest weapon against the CPM. “The Sachar Committee had said that Muslims in West Bengal were so hungry that they stuffed mud in their mouths,” said Congress MLA Anwar Sadath. Muslim League leader N Samsudheen asked: “Why weren't you able to bring about social change in West Bengal where over 30 per cent are Muslims, more than in Kerala.”
Samsudheen also reminded Jaleel of a speech he used to make during his days in the Muslim League. “In his arresting baritone he once used to say this about West Bengal: Where the drinking water pipes ended, the Muslim villages begin. Where the electricity lines ended, the Muslim villages begin. Where the tarred roads ended, the Muslim villages begin,” Samsudheen said, and added: “I am sure he has not forgotten his own speeches.”
CPM's K V Abdul Khader said it would be wrong to say that the CPM government in Bengal had not done anything to improve the condition of Muslims. “The CPM government had introduced 10 per cent reservation for Muslims in government jobs,” Khader said.
Another Muslim League MLA T V Ibrahim told the ruling benches of the Left's strident opposition to what he called the “mulla mukri” pension (pension for workers in mosques) that was introduced by K Karunakaran in 1982. “The DYFI and the Marxists took to the streets against the decision,” Ibrahim said. He said that E M S Namboodirippad even said that the Muslims were looting the state exchequer.
Swaraj then told the opposition that they should not forget it was EMS who was the Chief Minister when Malappuram district was formed. To this Samsudheen said: “Then we (the League) were with you. Malappuram district was one of our major demands. The other was the creation of Calicut University. We made sure that both our demands were met,” he said.