Last week, a controversy erupted in Tamil Nadu after videos surfaced on social media of a meeting in Hyderabad between the leaders of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the head of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul-Muslimeen Asadudin Owasi. A DMK leader also informed the media that the party had invited Owaisi to a conference on minorities, scheduled for January 6 in Chennai.
Although the DMK later clarified that Owaisi had not been invited to the meeting, the prospect of his AIMIM participating in the 2021 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu has caused quite a stir in the state. Some observers predicted that the charismatic Owaisi would cut Muslim votes that are expected to go en bloc to the DMK-led alliance. This is because his rival, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, is in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
In an interview with Scroll.in, MH Jawahirullah, the leader of Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, one of the two largest Muslim parties in Tamil Nadu, said that it was not necessary for an out-of-state Muslim party to set up their tent in Tamil Nadu because the needs of Muslims are adequately represented. . by local parties.
Excerpts from the interview:
The Manithaneya Makkal Katchi is currently in alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu. However, the DMK appears to have tried to invite Asadudin Owaisi to a proposed minority party conference. How do you see this?
While it is true that videos emerged of DMK leaders inviting Owaisi to the conference, DMK has now officially clarified that only Muslim parties from Tamil Nadu will participate. We would like to end this discussion here given the clarification.
But what do you think of Owai’s initial invitation and attempts to venture into Tamil Nadu?
The DMK has said there was no invitation.
Let’s first understand the political context of Tamil Nadu to answer the second part of the question. I don’t think an Owaisi or any other outside party is necessary.
First of all, Tamil Nadu has two major Muslim parties and many minor parties. The big two are Manithaneya Makkal Katchi and the Muslim League of the Indian Union. Both parties have always had representation in both Parliament and the State Assembly. Apart from this, both the DMK and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam have provided representation to Muslims in the cabinet. We have also been able to accomplish many things for the community, including a separate 3.5% quota for Muslims under the Backward Classes reserve. This is not the case in northern India, where the Bharatiya Janata Party, today the dominant force in those states, contests elections without running a single Muslim candidate, despite the Muslim population being higher than in states. like Tamil Nadu.
So, are you saying that Owaisi has no relevance here?
I’ll get to that in a minute. In Tamil Nadu, there is also greater communal harmony. Go to any Muslim wedding in the state and see how many Hindus are participating and vice versa. Even many businesses are run jointly by Hindus and Muslims. During the Covid-19 pandemic, members of our party have buried more than 1,600 bodies of infected people across religious lines. Where else do you see such harmony?
This communal harmony is what has helped the Muslim community in the state in its upward economic mobility. You must remember that Muslims have played a fundamental role in politics since the days of the Justice Party. [the precursor to the Dravidian parties].
Even in DMK and AIADMK, we have had many Muslim leaders. So given the context and the long tradition that Muslims have in the politics of this state, there is no doubt that the lack of representation or their interests are completely ignored as the BJP does in Uttar Pradesh or Bihar.
If the situation is so good, what need is there for a Muslim holiday like yours?
I’m not saying that everything is completely perfect. Also in Tamil Nadu, Muslims face social and economic problems that need to be vociferously highlighted, something that the Muslim parties here are already doing. Even the reservation was possible after great turmoil. But that does not mean that the situation is comparable to that of North India or even Karnataka. All I am saying is that the voice of the Muslims of Tamil Nadu, whether speaking Tamil or Urdu, is well represented.
Do you think that the DMK’s attempt to invite Owaisi to the conference is the result of Prashant Kishor’s advice and the lessons it seems to have learned from the elections in Bihar, where Owaisi’s party won five seats? Kishor is managing DMK’s campaign strategy …..
You have to ask this question to the DMK.
Look, the DMK is the leader of the alliance. If the DMK feels that the opposition to the BJP will strengthen with Owaisi at the conference, we don’t care at all. His question was whether an external Muslim party is necessary in Tamil Nadu. Owaisi has said that he will not compete in Kerala and Assam because there are already strong Muslim parties there. The case of Tamil Nadu is no different.
Is it because you feel Owaisi’s charisma could influence young Muslims, the main voter base of your own party? Do you think you can replicate your success in Bihar here?
We are not insecure. You must understand that an IUML or a Manithaneya Makkal Katchi are not organizations that emerged yesterday. We have a long tradition and our organizations are deeply rooted. So saying that the arrival of someone from outside will make us insecure is not correct. As parties that have worked in Tamil Nadu for so long, we are in a unique position to represent the interests of Muslims here. We are confident that the Muslim population will continue to support us. And remember that it is not only Muslims but also other communities who have voted for us when we have disputed alliances with the Dravidian parties.
But one could argue that this is the problem that is being highlighted, that Muslims should not work as separate blocs in different states given the broader political context of a dominant BJP. That the country needs a national Muslim party.
I do not agree with that proposition. India is not only religiously diverse, there is diversity within religions and regions. The Manithaneya Makkal Katchi is the Dravidian Muslim party in Tamil Nadu uniquely located to represent the interests of the Dravidian Tamil people.
There is a fear that Owaisi’s entry could lead to polarization, which the BJP delights in. Do you think that your entry into Tamil Nadu politics would be counterproductive? The BJP has now become a great player in Telangana …
As a political force, the BJP is irrelevant in Tamil Nadu. As I mentioned earlier, there is a tradition of secularism in Tamil Nadu that the BJP cannot tear down so easily. They have tried hard and failed. They will continue to fail.
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