The Indian Union Muslim League (abbreviated as the I. U. M. L. or the League) is an Indian political party primarily based in the

Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, with a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions. History Pre-indepen ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

. It is recognised as a State Party in Kerala by the

Election Commission of India The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a constitutional body. It was established by the Constitution of India to conduct and regulate elections in the country. Article 324 of the Constitution provides that the power of superintendence, di ...

. The first Council of the Indian segment of the

Muslim League Muslim League may refer to: Political parties Subcontinent ; British India *All-India Muslim League, Mohammed Ali Jinah, led the demand for the partition of India resulting in the creation of Pakistan. **Punjab Muslim League, a branch of the organ ...

was held on 10 March 1948 at the south Indian city of Madras (now

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

).Wright, T. (1966). The Muslim League in South India since Independence: A Study in Minority Group Political Strategies. ''The American Political Science Review,'' ''60''(3), 579-599. The 'Indian Union Muslim League' constitution was passed on 1 September 1951. The party is a major member of the opposition United Democratic Front, the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...

-led pre-poll state level alliance in Kerala.James Chiriyankandath (1996) Changing Muslim politics in Kerala: identity, interests and political strategies, ''Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs'', 16:2, 257-271. Whenever the United Democratic Front rules in Kerala, the party leaders are chosen as important Cabinet Ministers. The party has always had a constant, albeit small, presence in the Indian Parliament. The party is a part of the

United Progressive Alliance United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is a centre-left political alliance of predominantly left-leaning political parties in India. It was formed after the 2004 general election with support from left-leaning political parties when no single party ...

in national level. The League first gained a ministry (Minister of State for External Affairs) in

Indian Government The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the Government, national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy lo ...

in 2004. The party currently has four members in Parliament -

E. T. Mohammed Basheer E. T. Mohammed Basheer (born 1 July 1946) is an Indian politician and social worker who serves as the Member of Parliament from Ponnani Parliament Constituency of the Indian state Kerala. Basheer was first elected to Kerala Legislative Assemb ...

M. P. Abdussamad Samadani M.P. Abdussamad Samadani (born 1 January 1959) is an Indian politician, orator, writer and scholar. He knows Malayalam, English, Urdu, Hindi, Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit languages. Samadani was awarded Doctor of Philosophy degree from Jawaharl ...

and K. Navas Kani in the

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past ...

and

P. V. Abdul Wahab P. V. Abdul Wahab (born 1 July 1950) is an Indian politician and social worker from Nilambur, Malappuram. He currently serves as a Member of Parliament (India), Member of Parliament from Kerala in the Rajya Sabha, Rajya Sabha (the Council of Stat ...

in the

Rajya Sabha The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...

- and fifteen members in Kerala State Legislative Assembly.

History

Panakkad_Shihab_Thangal_2010_stamp_of_India

After the partition of India in 1947, the

All-India Muslim League The All-India Muslim League (AIML) was a political party established in Dhaka in 1906 when a group of prominent Muslim politicians met the Viceroy of British India, Lord Minto, with the goal of securing Muslim interests on the Indian subcontin ...

was virtually disbanded. It was succeeded by the Indian segment of the Muslim League in the new Dominion of India (first session on 10 March 1948 and constitution passed on 1 September 1951). M. Muhammad Ismail, the then President of the Madras Muslim League (M. M. L.) was chosen as the Convener of the Indian segment of the League. The Travancore League (the States' Muslim League) was merged with the Malabar League in November, 1956. Indian Union Muslim League contests

General Elections A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

under the Indian Constitution. The party is normally represented by two members in the Indian Lower House (the

B. Pocker B. Pocker (1890 – 29 July 1965), Badekkandy, also spelled Poker, title Sahib Bahadur, as an Indian politician and lawyer from Tellicherry, north Kerala, Madras Presidency. He served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India and as the ...

, elected from Malappuram Constituency, was a member of the First Lower House (1952–57) from the Madras Muslim League (M. M. L.). The party currently has four members in Parliament. Apart from Kerala and West Bengal, the League had Legislative Assembly members in Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Maharastra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Assam. In

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...

, the League had won Assembly seats in the 1970s, and A. K. A. Hassanussaman was a member of the

Ajoy Mukherjee Ajoy Kumar Mukherjee (15 April 1901 – 27 May 1986) was an Indian independence activist and politician who served three short terms as the fourth and sixth Chief Minister of West Bengal. He hailed from Tamluk, Purba Medinipur district, West Be ...

cabinet. Indian Union Muslim League first gained a ministry in Kerala Government as part of the Communist Party of India Marxist-led United Front in 1967. The party switched fronts in 1969 and formed an alliance with the

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

in 1976. It later became a chief constituent in a succession of

-led ministries.

Early years

*First Council of the Indian segment of the Muslim League was held on 10 March 1948 at the south Indian city of Madras (now

). *On 1 September 1951 the 'Indian Union Muslim League' came into being in Madras (constitution was passed). * B. Pocker Sahib, elected from Malappuram Constituency, was a member of the first Lok Sabha (1952–57). * K. M Seethi Sahib served as the Speaker of the Kerala Assembly from 1960 to 1961.'

From the 1960s to the 80s

*The League gained a ministry in

Kerala Government Government of Kerala is the subnational government of the Indian state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who selects all the other ministers. The chief minister and their most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision ...

in 1967 (

C. H. Mohammed Koya Cheriyan Kandi Muhammad Koya (15 July 1927–28 September 1983), known as C. H. Muhammad Koya, was an Indian politician who served as the Minister of Education in various Kerala Governments from 1967 to 1973 and from 1977 to 1979. He also brief ...

and M. P. M. Ahammed Kurikkal). *The League oversaw the creation of the

University of Calicut The University of Calicut, also known as Calicut University, is a State ownership, state-run public university headquartered at Tenhipalam in Malappuram district of the state of Kerala, India. Established in 1968, it is the first university to ...

, the second university in Kerala, in 1968. * Contribution to local government - the League oversaw the creation of

Malappuram District Malappuram (), is one of the List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala, with a coastline of . It is the most populous district of Kerala, which is home to around 13% of the to ...

in 1969. *Death of M. Muhammad Ismail (1972) and Bafaqy Thangal (1973). Syed Ummer Bafaqy Thangal rebels against the leadership.

With the Congress Party

*Muslim League formed an alliance with the

in 1976. *

served as the

Chief Minister of Kerala The chief minister of Kerala is the chief executive of the Indian state of Kerala. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with the chief minister. Fol ...

from 12 October to 1 December 1979.Chief Minister of Kerala (Official Website)
/ref> *Muslim League joined the Congress (Indira)-lead United Democratic Front in 1979/80. *The 'rebel' Muslim League formed 'All India Muslim League' and joined the Left Front in 1980. *

and K. Avukaderkutty Naha served as Deputy Chief Ministers of Kerala in the 1980s.

In the 1990s

*All India Muslim League (AIML) quit the Left Front and merged with the Muslim League in 1985. *Demolition of the

Babri Masjid Babri Masjid (IAST: Bābarī Masjid; meaning ''Mosque of Babur'') was a mosque in Ayodhya, India, at a site believed by many Hindus to be the birthplace of Hindu deity Rama. It has been a focus of dispute between the Hindu and Muslim communi ...

(1992). Panakkad Syed Mohammed Ali Shihab Thangal made a passionate plea to all the Muslims in Kerala to remain calm. Kerala remained peaceful throughout. *

Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait (1922 – 2005), known as "Mehboob-e-Millat" , was an Indian politician, born in Bangalore in a Cutchi Memon family, who served as an Indian Union Muslim League Member of Parliament from northern Kerala several times. He ...

, then National President, rebelled and formed the

Indian National League Indian National League (abbreviated as the I. N. L.) is an Indian political party formed in 1994 under the leadership of the then Indian Union Muslim League leader Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait. The party is currently a member of the Communist Party o ...

(INL) in 1994. *Minister of Education ( E. T. Mohammad Basheer) decided to establish the University of Sanskrit (1993) in Kerala.

From the 2000s

Atal Bihari Vajpayee Atal Bihari Vajpayee (; 25 December 1924 – 16 August 2018) was an Indian politician who served three terms as the 10th prime minister of India, first for a term of 13 days in 1996, then for a period of 13 months fr ...

dispatched

E. Ahamed E. Ahamed (29 April 1938 – 1 February 2017), Edappakath Ahamed in full, was an Indian politician from Kannur (then Cannanore) in northern Kerala. A Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) between 1991 and 2017, he was a key figure in India's diploma ...

to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

(

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

) to represent India (2004). *Mid-2000s witnessed the Manjeri (2004) and the

Kuttippuram Kuttippuram is a town and a block headquarters, which is situated in the Tirur Taluk, Malappuram district of Kerala state, India. The town is located 34 kilometres south-west of Malappuram. The Bharathappuzha river flows through Kuttippuram. A ...

Mankada Mankada is a hillside village in the Malappuram district of Kerala state. It is located from Malappuram and is part of the Malappuram parliament constituency. The municipal town of Perinthalmanna is just away. Also, the municipal towns of Ma ...

(2006) defeats. *The League first gained a ministry (

) in

(

Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh (; born 26 September 1932) is an Indian politician, economist and statesman who served as the 13th prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He is also the third longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indir ...

Ministry) in 2004. *Panakkad Syed Mohammed Ali Shihab Thangal died in 2009. *The League won a record 20 out of the contested 23 seats in the 2011 Assembly Elections. *The League remains in the Oppossition for two consecutive terms (

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

and

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

)

National Presidents of Indian Union Muslim League

Ideology

Composition

Organizational structure

* Youth Wing: Muslim Youth League (the Youth League)br>
**National President: Asif Ansari (New Delhi) **National Secretary: Faisal Babu (Kerala) **Kerala State President: Sayyid Munavvar Ali Shihab Thangal **Kerala State General Secretary: P. K. Firoz *Students' Wing: Muslim Students Federation (I. U. M. L.), Muslim Students Federation (M. S. F.) **National President: T. P. Asharafali **National General Secretary: S. H. Muhammed Arshad * Scheduled Caste Wing: Indian Union Dalit League * Women's Political Wing: M. S. F Haritha and Muslim Women's League * Trade Union Organization (Kerala): Swathanthra Thozhilali Union (S. T. U., Independent Workers Union) * Peasants' Union (Kerala): Swathanthra Karshaka Sangam (Independent Peasants Union) * Advocates: Lawyers Forum * Expatriates: Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (K. M. C. C.)

Kerala Legislative Assembly

''Source: http://www.ceo.kerala.gov.in/electionhistory.html''

Early years (1957 - 1979/80)

With the United Democratic Front (1979/80 - present)

Current members

Members of Parliament

Loksabha

''Source
Loksabha
'

Rajya Sabha

''Source
Rajyasabha
'

Controversies

The judicial commission which probed the 2002

Marad massacre The Marad massacre (sometimes called the ''Second'' Marad Massacre) was incident of targeted communal killing of Hindus at the Marad Beach of the Kozhikode district, Kerala, India, in May 2003, by Islamic fundamentalist groups. The Indian Un ...

concluded that IUML was directly involved in the conspiracy and execution of the massacre.

Political activities

The Muslim League has opposed the

Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme judicial authority of India and is the highest court of the Republic of India under the constitution. It is the most senior constitutional court, has the final decision in all legal matters ...

verdict regarding entry of adult women to Sabarimala temple. It is also at odds with several

LGBTQ ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

rulings from the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

. The party also supports the primacy of

Muslim Personal Law All the Muslims in India are governed by the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937. This law deals with marriage, succession, inheritance and charities among Muslims. The Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939 deals with the circ ...

among Indian Muslims. An article by the current president of the Muslim League, on

Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia ( 'Holy Wisdom'; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque ( tr, Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi), is a mosque and major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The cathedral was originally built as a Greek Ortho ...

, seemed to support the views of

political Islam Political Islam is any interpretation of Islam as a source of political identity and action. It can refer to a wide range of individuals and/or groups who advocate the formation of state and society according to their understanding of Islamic pri ...

. Muslim League generally presents itself as a patriarchal and conservative political party in Kerala. This was evident from a recent controversy involving the women's youth wing of the party.

References

External links

* {{United Progressive Alliance , state=collapsed Political parties established in 1948 Political parties established in 1951 Muslim League Muslim League breakaway groups Islamic political parties in India Islam in Kerala 1948 establishments in India Conservative parties in India