The women’s campus wing of the Indian Union Muslim League, frozen for speaking out against misogyny and sexually explicit comments by some leaders of the male counterpart, has made it clear it will not surrender to patriarchy.
The IUML had on Tuesday frozen Haritha — the women’s wing of party student arm Muslim Students’ Federation — after its leaders refused to withdraw a complaint lodged with the Kerala women’s commission alleging harassment by male MSF leaders.
Ten Haritha leaders, including its president, secretary and treasurer, had lodged the complaint against MSF state president P.K. Navas and Malappuram district general secretary V. Abdul Vahab. The women accused them of using sexually derogatory words during a state leadership meeting in Kozhikode on June 22.
The police have since booked a case based on a direction from the women’s commission. The IUML, a constituent of the Opposition front UDF, has sent showcause notices to the two accused and asked them to respond within 15 days.
While the Haritha leaders have desisted from speaking on the issue in public, Fathima Thahliya, national vice-president of the MSF and former president of Haritha, openly backed her colleagues and their allegations.
“Our women leaders, including me, have been facing character assassination and abusive comments on social media because we stood up against such behaviour,” Thahliya told a news conference in Kozhikode on Wednesday.
P.M.A. Salam, state general secretary of the IUML who has been assigned to look into the matter, told reporters there was no going back on the decision to freeze Haritha.
“It’s the final decision. Now there will be talks (within the party),” he said. “Our doors are open for discussion, but party discipline is very important.”
Salam said that once the accused had replied to the showcause notice, appropriate action would follow.
Party lawmaker M.K. Muneer said the Haritha leaders should have spoken to party leaders first. “They should have been open for discussion. Instead they went to the women’s commission, which immediately got the police to file a case,” he said.
He chided the accused MSF leaders for providing ammunition to political rivals “by using abusive language”.
