Kerala imam stresses need for caste census to counter minority appeasement charges

Thiruvananthapuram: Amidst widespread criticism of minority appeasement by the Kerala government, a Muslim religious leader has asked the state government to publish data to make clear the benefits that each community received from government.

The Imam of Palayam in Thiruvananthapuram V P Suhaib Moulavi, also said in his address in connection with the Bakrid mass prayer (Eidgah), that the Lok Sabha elections had proved that the people of India reject the divide and rule strategy.

The people gave a warning to fascist communal forces as the elections witnessed the surge of a secular front. The Centre should keep off from the attempts to saffronise history, he urged.

He flayed that some community leaders in Kerala were unleashing a baseless campaign that the Kerala government was extending undue benefits to minority communities for appeasing them.

"Muslim community's backwardness in jobs and education is evident from the Sachar committee report. If the Muslim community has made any advancements, it is mainly due to the hard work of community members in Gulf countries as well as the reforms by Muslim outfits in the education sector."

Moulavi said that in order to counter the baseless campaigns the state government should publish exact data of the benefits about how and what each community received from the government and the social status of each community as well.

The SNDP Yogam that represents the Hindu Ezhava community accused the CPM government in Kerala of resorting to minority appeasement to tap the vote banks. The previous Congress governments in Kerala too often faced criticism of minority appeasement.