Political controversy emerges around Kerala's minority scholarship scheme

Thiruvananthapuram: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second biggest ally in the Congress-led UDF in Kerala on Saturday came out against the Left goverment claims regarding the proportion of minority scholarship scheme on which a High Court judgement came out on Friday.

A division bench of Kerala High Court, headed by Chief Justice S. Manikumar on Friday gave the order on a public interest litigation, directing that the scholarships should be distributed on the basis of the population of the minority communities.

The Kerala High Court ordered to cancel the 2015 state government order under which 80 per cent of the merit-cum-means scholarships went to the Muslim community and 20 per cent to the Christian community (Latin Catholic and converted Christians).

Reacting to the verdict, former State Minister Paloly Mohammed Kutty  said that the then UDF government (2011-16) came under duress from the IUML it was they who had done this and the Left government then which he was a part, (2006-11) had no role in it.

Denying the claims of veteran CPI-M leader Mohammed Kutty, IUML National Secratary, PK Kunhalikutty said that it was the Left Government in 2011 which came out with the government order under which 80 per cent of the merit-cum-means scholarships went to the Muslim community and 20 per cent to the Christian community (Latin Catholic and converted Christians).

Speaking to the media, the senior IUML legislator said it was the Left government which came out with the order and they are now spreading canards that it was the UDF government in 2015 which decided on this.

"This is nothing but covering up of facts and all that the then UDF government (2011-16) did was to go forward with the order which the Left government first came out in 2011. The Left is now trying to put the blame on us," said Kunhalikutty.

A report by Times of India quoted Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) National organizing secretary E T Muhammed Basheer as saying that the said scholarship scheme was launched on the basis of the findings of the Sachar committee, which was set up exclusively to study the social, economic and educational condition of Muslims in India and to suggest steps to address backwardness among Muslim community.

He said that while there were general projects like the MSDP meant for all minorities, the said project was meant to address the backwardness of the Muslim community alone.

"Even now, the existing budget head for the scholarship is from the scheme to implement the recommendation of Sachar committee report," the report quoted Basheer as saying.

Basheer added that "Muslim students were getting 100% benefit of the minority scholarship scheme. Later, 20% of it was earmarked for Latin Catholics and converted Christians. It was a mistake to change the heading of the project. We did not oppose it then as we did not want the issue to take a different turn,"

He also said that the High Court verdict directing the government to provide scholarships to students of notified minority communities equally in accordance with the latest population census was wrong and demanded that the state government should file an appeal against the order. Basheer also added that as an aggrieved party, IUML will consider legal remedies on the issue.

Meanwhile the Kerala Catholic Bishops Conference on Saturday welcomed the verdict and opined that it's not against any one particular community and the benefits should go to all the minority communities.

Incidentally it was Mizoram Governor and former state BJP President P.S. Sreedharan Pillai last year for the first time had gone on record to say that Cardinal George Alencherry, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, had shared his concerns that 80 per cent of the funds for the minority community are going to 'one' particular community and the Christian community is getting just 20 per cent.

In Kerala, of the 3.34 crore population, the Muslim community accounts for 88.73 lakh, while the Christian population stands at 61.41 lakh.

However if the apportionment is going to cover all the Christians, then the new ratio will see the Muslims getting 60 per cent and Christians 40 per cent. But if it is going to be applicable in the present form to only the Latin and converted Christians, then the present 80:20 ratio will continue.

Welcoming the new judgement was veteran Kerala Congress opposition legislator and former State Minister P.J. Joseph who on Saturday said that if need be, there can be a new survey conducted to find out who all can get the benefits of this.

Meanwhile, the Pinarayi Vijayan government has decided not to do anything in haste and it has asked the Law department to study the new order in detail and with the Assembly now in session, the first signs of a renewed tussle between the ruling Left and the Congress led UDF on this can be expected, starting from Monday.  Meanwhile,  CPIM leader and minister MV Govindan has remarked that the government will abide by the court's decision,  as it is bound to do.   It is not clear whether the government will go in appeal against the judgement as demanded by several quarters,   but the government's stance appears to be to tread cautiously.  

However the Kerala unit of the BJP has welcomed the new order and its senior leader George Kurian said this was what the BJP has always been batting for, that the apportionment should be based on the population.