Changing their stand on Ayodhya Ram Mandir, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) state President Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal on Sunday (Feb 04), said there is no need to protest against the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya as both the new temple and the proposed mosque would strengthen secularism in the country.

 

 

Thangal, a senior member of Kerala’s influential Panakkad family, made the address at a public meeting in Malappuram on January 24, two days after the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya. The address, a video of which was widely circulated on social media on Sunday, has triggered a debate in political circles.

 

While the IUML, an ally of the Congress, said that Thangal’s remarks were a reaffirmation of its stand for tolerance and harmony, political rivals in the community said the IUML leader has borrowed RSS language and a time would come when party sympathizers take to the streets against him.

 

 

 

Referring to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya, Thangal said, “A major development has taken place in our country. Ram Temple, which the majority community of the country had desired, has become a reality. The country cannot now go back. That was a necessity of the majority community in the country. We need not protest that the temple has come up in Ayodhya. In a pluralistic society, everybody has freedom to go ahead as per their faith.”

 

“The Ram Temple and the Babri masjid, which is under construction following a court verdict, are best examples of secularism. We should imbibe that. Both are best symbols of secularism. It is true that kar sevaks had destroyed the masjid and we had protested against it in those days. But Muslims in the country could face that situation with tolerance, especially in Kerala where Muslim community is very sensitive and active,” he said.

 

“When the masjid was demolished, Muslims in Kerala could show a model for the country. Then, the entire country and its political leadership looked down south to Kerala. They were keen to know whether peace was prevailing in Kerala. We never fall to provocations and temptations,” he said. 

 

When Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992, the IUML was led by Panakkad Syed Muhammedali Shihab Thangal, eldest brother of Sadiq Ali. The senior Thangal had then appealed to the community: “Not a single stone should fall on a Hindu house. Muslims should stand guard for Hindu temples, if required.”

 

The middle path of the Panakkad family and IUML in the wake of the Babri Masjid demolition had led to a split in the party with late Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait, a multiple-term MP, walking out of the party and floating the Indian National League (INL), which later became an ally of the CPI(M)-led LDF in Kerala.

 

Referring to the moderate line adopted by his family in 1992, Thangal said, “The political centre of Muslims had then intelligently handled the situation. Time has ratified the stand taken by the then leadership. Had the leadership adopted a different stand, the community would have had to pay a heavy price. History would have been different. Yesterday also, there were provocations and many waited. But the IUML took a stand for peace and harmony.”

 

Thangal said there are several historical realities about the Babri Masjid. “But certain people think that the community can be tied to the issue and made to mill around it. Future is important. We should not forget history. By imbibing that historic reality, we should think how that can be turned beneficial for the community and the minorities as well. The IUML policy is to frame the future against the backdrop of the experiences of the past,’’ he said.