3 min readThiruvananthapuramFeb 9, 2026 08:23 AM IST
Ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Kerala, influential Muslim clerics’ body Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, which is closely associated with Congress-ally Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), has sought a bifurcation of the Muslim-majority Malappuram district. It also called for three-day public holidays on both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, changes to the academic calendar based on religious requirements, and the establishment of an Arabic university.
The clerics’ body passed resolutions in this regard during a conference held in Kasaragod to mark its centenary. The three-day conference concluded on Sunday.
These demands came close on the heels of senior IUML leader K M Shaji expressing confidence about the party’s chances in the Assembly elections, and saying that once the ruling Left loses power, the benefits that the community had allegedly lost during its reign would be restored.
According to the resolution passed on Sunday, the clerics’ body said the bifurcation of Malappuram district is necessary for effective administration, considering that the district has a population of 45 lakh, and for equitable distribution of resources.
In 2024, a prominent leader of SAMASTHA, Musthafa Mundupara, sought the formation of a separate state (Malabar state) with Malappuram and other North Kerala districts. In 1969, it was the Communist government led by EMS Namboodiripad that formed the Malappuram district. IUML was also a partner in that government.
In another resolution, the conference sought three days’ holiday for two major Muslim festivals. It pointed out that the Gulf countries have long holidays for Eid celebrations, and in Kerala, there should be at least three days of official holiday. At present, Kerala has only one day for Eid and all other festivals.
In another resolution, the organisation demanded that the government fix time-tables for educational institutions and examinations in a manner that does not affect religious requirements.
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The conference also sought the establishment of an Arabic and foreign languages university in Kerala, which can be linked to madrasas and religious classes held in mosques.
In another resolution, the clerics’ body demanded that a research centre named after Mamburam Thangal should be opened in the University of Calicut, which, it said, would help in research on Indo-Arab cultural exchange and his contributions to the Malabar region. Mamburam Thangal was a prominent scholar during the British era.
