When the Kottakkal conclave was held at the initiative of the IUML, it had raised a lot of expectations. The move was widely welcomed as a significant input in the fight against the forces of terrorism which have become active in the State of late.

It also effectively rebutted the strident criticism of the Sangh parivar that when it comes to condemning terrorism, the Muslim community has always maintained a deafening silence.

No doubt, the conference which Kottakkal, otherwise famous as an excellent centre of ayurvedic treatment, played host to, brought on a single platform, for the first time, various Muslim organisations which otherwise fight among themselves.

The conference took, among others, a decision to launch a joint campaign against the terrorist forces like the Popular Front of India (PFI) which was behind the incident in Muvattupuzha in which the hand of a professor was hacked. The PFI is also suspected to be behind the train sabotage attempt at Nilambur. A number of PFI activists have already been taken into custody in connection with the ghastly incident.

A month has elapsed since the Kottakkal conference was held. But no effective follow-up action has come so far. There is no sign, as yet, of the promised joint campaign against terrorist forces.

Needless to say, the delay in taking follow-up action has drawn flak from various parties that it was a mere propagandist move aimed at silencing criticism from various quarters, including the IUML'S partners in the United Democratic Front(UDF) that the IUML was soft on terrorism.

That being the case, a huge responsibility devolves on the IUML leadership to ensure that the promises it made at the conference are implemented without any further loss of time. The IUML leadership is on test. Will it rise to the occasion and erase the growing impression that the Kottakkal conclave was a mere flash in its political pan?(IPA)