Inaction on womens' complaint triggers 'male dominance' allegation in Kerala's IUML

The Indian Union Muslim League leadership in Kerala is caught up in a 'male dominance' allegation owing to the party's inaction in a sexually toned abuse allegation raised by its women students' wing activists against party leaders.

Irked over the women approaching the Kerala Women's Commission against the leaders, the party leadership acted against the women student's wing by freezing its state committee, while only an explanation was sought from the leaders who allegedly abused the women.

The women leaders of the party are now overtly and covertly flaying male dominance in political parties by highlighting the fate of women leader of Communist party like K R Gouriamma, Susheela Gopalan and K K Shailaja who were allegedly denied the chief minister post by male-dominated leaderships.

The fresh issues started with around some members of party women students' forum Haritha petitioning the Kerala Women's Commission against Muslim Students' Federation leaders including state president P K Nawaz and Malappuram district secretary V Abdul Wahab. The women alleged of sexually toned abuse by the leaders at a party meeting after Haritha leaders questioned some unilateral decisions of the MSF leadership.

On Tuesday, the IUML leadership decided to freeze the state committee of Haritha accusing them of not conceding to party directive to withdraw the complaint. But no action was initiated against those facing the allegations.

Haritha national vice president Tehelia Fathima said in a social media post that Communist leader Gouriamma who fought against male dominance was her hero. She also said that the women were forced to approach the Women's Commission after the party leadership did not act on their plight.

Noorbina Rasheed, who flayed the young women for not consulting the senior women leaders of the party before women's commission and stood with the party leadership, however pointed out the plight of Communist leaders like Susheela Gopala and former Health Minister K K Shailaja, who were also allegedly denied chief ministership owing to the male dominance of the party.

The IUML's decision to field a woman candidate in the recent Assembly polls, Noorbeena Rahseed at Kozhikode South, received much attention as it was after a gap of 25 years that the party was fielding a woman - though she was defeated in the polls.