Kerala Wakf Board chairman TK Hamsa resigns

Former Kerala minister and CPI-M leader TK Hamsa has resigned as Chairman of Kerala Wakf Board. Although his term will only a year and a half hence, Hamsa said, he opted to step down, citing age and weakening health.

After the meeting of the Wakf Board on Tuesday in Kozhikode, he submitted his resignation and told mediapersons that his resignation was due to his age. Hamsa is 86 now. He discounted rumours that he quit because he fell out with the current Wakf minister V Abdurahiman. He explained that right at the time he became the chairman he was already 82. The party, the CPI-M had fixed 75 as the maximum for public offices, but gave him exception as done for VS Achuthanandan two-time chief minister. But now that he has crossed 86, he was opting out, he said.

He said his failing health did not allow him to continue any more and the matter had been discussed with the party leadership. However, he added that until the formalities like publishing the resignation in the gazette were completed, he would continue to hold the responsibility on a care-taker basis.

Despite Hamsa's explanations, talks abut his tiff with minister Abdurahiman continued. Hamsa was reported to have skipped many meetings convened by the minister, citing health reasons which the minister did not relish. He is also said to have expressed his grouse to many in the inner circles that the minister, a relative newcomer, had tried to rule over him, despite bis being a senior leader, former minister and one who had held key official positions. Naturally the non-cooperative stand of Hamsa used to upset the minister.

Some reports also indicated that although Hamsa tried to hold out by convincing the party secretary MV Govindan and the chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, he failed to win their support. Among the names heard to succeed Hamsa are that of former PSC Chairman MK Sakeer Husain.