MSF-Haritha standoff: IUML mulling options

A section in party demands disciplinary action against Fathima Thahliya

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leadership is mulling different options to find a solution to the ongoing tussle between men and women of the Muslim Students Federation (MSF), the party’s student wing.

Even when the party had considered shaking up the MSF State leadership, the press briefing made by MSF vice president Fathima Thahliya a week ago in Kozhikode backing up the MSF women’s wing called Haritha embarrassed the leaders.

A section within the party demanded that disciplinary action be initiated against Ms. Thahliya for speaking to the media even when the leadership had proscribed the MSF and Haritha leaders from doing it.

Ms. Thahliya’s words supporting the State leadership of the Haritha, which had been frozen by the IUML State committee, brought to the fore the existing factional divide in the MSF.

MSF president Ashraf Ali and Ms. Thahliya had distanced themselves from the State leadership led by State president P.K. Navas. A recent report submitted to the party leadership by Mr. Ali in the wake of a meeting of the MSF national and State leaders was being condemned by the State leaders as flawed and ingenuine.

MSF leaders said that Mr. Ali had made the report without consulting anyone in the national committee. MSF leadership here alleged that a Kozhikode-based section within the party was planting stories in the media with the purpose of igniting factionalism.

Although it has been months since differences emerged between the leaderships of the MSF and the Haritha, it was a recent complaint by the Haritha to the Women’s Commission that brought about a showdown.

Ten Haritha State committee members led by general secretary Najma Thabsheera complained to the Women’s Commission alleging sexual harassment against MSF leaders, including Mr. Navas.

A section in the IUML leadership believes that it was a lie made by Ms. Thabsheera that triggered the standoff. The IUML leadership suspects that since nine other women had signed on the petition that Ms. Thabsheera prepared, she found herself in a position beyond correction or retrieval.