Criticism and threats will not deter me

IF HIS PREDECESSOR, Justice P. Sathasivam, had been tranquil, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan is a tempest.

- Cithara Paul

Making it clear that the governorship is no longer a decorative post, he is on a collision course with both the ruling Left Democratic Front and the Congress-led United Democratic Front. The strongest votary of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in the state, Khan has garnered critics and admirers alike, since taking oath as Kerala governor in September 2019.

Born in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh on November 18, 1951, Khan started his political career as a student leader at the Aligarh Muslim University. A former Union minister and four-time MP, he was part of four parties. Khan, who resigned from the Rajiv Gandhi ministry over differences about the triple talaq issue, says that he never does anything without conviction.

He says that the Muslim community in India should be alert not to fall into the trap of those who preach extremism and adds that the teachings at “Deoband and madarssas” will only result in alienation and segregation of the community. “And that is done deliberately to keep the students from poor backgrounds in the dark ages,” he says. Since Khan’s arrival, the Kerala Raj Bhavan has become a power centre like never before, as religious leaders from minority and majority communities throng to meet him. In an interview with THE WEEK, he spoke about his differences with the state government and his conviction that the CAA is right. Excerpts:

Q/ Your stint in Kerala so far would seem quite tumultuous to an onlooker. How has been it for you?

A/ I do not think they were tumultuous. You may say that they were full of activity, including visits to various districts to attend programmes which gave me the opportunity to meet and interact with remarkable Malayalis who have a strong sense of public service and have devoted their lives to lofty objectives.