Abstract :
This paper seeks to trace the nature of communitarian politics in Kerala, with a focus on how the Indian Union Muslim League (also known as Muslim League), has employed diverse religious and political strategies to create a ‘political space’ for the Muslim community in the state. The paper explores the significance of the party’s engagement with the political structure by being part of governments within the frame of a secular democratic order to achieve its communitarian goal and thus establish political ascendancies from time to time. Muslim League’s negotiations with electoral politics in order to achieve political power and enhance their stake in the formulations of policies, especially for the Muslim community, are explored in this paper. This paper also examines Muslim League’s contribution toending the ‘political alienation’ experienced by Muslims in the immediate aftermath of independence and enhancing the political consciousness of the community.
Keyword :
Community, Religion, Identity, Politics, Power, Muslim League.