The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has accused the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government of rejecting the Sachar Committee recommendations by rearranging scholarships for Muslims and Christians
on the basis of their population.
“Instead of implementing the Sachar Committee recommendations, which included scholarships to backward Muslim students, the LDF government has diluted them and rejected them in effect,” said IUML general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty, MLA, and district president Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal here on Saturday.
Mr. Kunhalikutty said the IUML would stick to its stand on the implementation of the Sachar report. “We have no objection in giving aid to Christians and other communities. But it should not be mixed with Sachar,” he added. League leaders said the State government had diluted the recommendations first by forming the Paloli Committee and then by fixing 80:20 ratio for Muslims and Christians in the scholarships.
“Our demand is that the benefits due for one community should not be shared for others. We want separate schemes to be devised for other communities,” he said.
Instead of devising a separate scheme for Christians, the LDF government shared the benefits for them at 80:20 ratio, he said. “The government is deliberately holding discussions with the potential to create a divide between communities,” said Mr. Kunhalikutty.
He added that there was no divide within the United Democratic Front (UDF) over the matter. He said Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan too was of the opinion that both Sachar recommendations and scholarships should be viewed separately.
“The IUML view is very clear. We said it in the UDF meeting. We said it in the all-party meeting. And, we gave it in writing to the Chief Minister as well,” said Mr. Kunhalikutty. He said that the IUML would never welcome the government stand.
