In significant political move, Kerala CM Vijayan takes over minority welfare department

In a significant political move, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would handle the Minorities Welfare Department. As per the notification issued by the Government allocating portfolios among various ministers, the Minority Welfare has been allotted to the Chief Minister.

Vijayan is the first Chief Minister to handle that department. Ever since its formation in 2008 by the LDF regime, the department has been allotted to ministers belonging to a minority community. The issue of alleged discrimination in distributing minority welfare scholarships had recently emerged a major bone of contention, contributing for an unprecedented rift between Muslims and Christians in Kerala.

In the previous LDF regime, the minority welfare had been handled by Minister K T Jaleel, a CPI(M)-backed independent legislator from Malappuram. Apart from alleged discrimination in distributing minority scholarships, the department under Jaleel had faced serious charges of nepotism in various appointments. Last month, he was forced to quit as the minister after Lok Ayukta found him guilty of nepotism and abuse of power in appointing his close relative in the Kerala State Minorities Finance Development Corporation.

CPI(M) had electorally benefited from the rift between Muslims and Christians in this election, with a section of Christians leaning towards the LDF as a mark of protest towards the growing influence of Indian Union Muslim League in the Congress-led UDF.

A section of Christians, particularly the prominent Catholic community, feared that if UDF is voted to power, IUML would call shots in the minority welfare department. Christian groups had been aggrieved that most of the alleged discrimination in the minority welfare had taken place during the previous UDF regime of 2011-2016, when IUML minister Manjalamkuzhi Ali handled the minority welfare department. They believed that Congress failed to address the concerns raised by Christians, despite the community being a traditional vote bank of UDF. Hence, although the alleged discrimination in allotting minority schemes emerged during the first Vijayan government, it was UDF that faced the heat in this assembly election.

After the LDF retained power in 2021 elections, various Christian groups have been demanding that the minority welfare department be taken over by Vijayan. During the allocation of the portfolios, it was believed that CPI (M) nominee V Abdurahiman would be allotted the minority welfare as he was stepping into the shoes of former minister K T Jaleel. However, Abdurahiman was allotted sports, Wakf and Haj Pilgrimage, Railways, Posts and Telegraphs.

By taking over the minority department, Vijayan also could prevent BJP from trying to exploit the situation. By highlighting the alleged discrimination in allotting minority welfare schemes between Muslims and Christians, BJP has been attempting to woo Christians to that party fold. Before the assembly elections, senior BJP leaders had met several Catholic Bishops in Kerala offering party support in the issue.

Kerala formed a separate minority welfare department in 2008 by the then LDF Government. Senior CPI (M) leader Paloli Muhammed Kutty had been the first minister for welfare of minorities. During the previous UDF government of 2011-2016, the department went to Indian Union Muslim League nominee Manjalamkuzhy Ali. In the first Vijayan government of 2016-2021, the department went to K T Jaleel.

At present, there are eight types of student scholarships and the ration between Muslims and Christians is 80: 20. Now, Christians say this 80:20 ratio is discriminatory and scholarships should be distributed considering population size (Muslims form 26 per cent and Christians 18 per cent as per census 2011). Besides, the Christian community allege that appointments in minority departments have been “hijacked’’ by Muslims, and the Christians should get their due share.