Kerala has seen lot of
killings, turf war between workers of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and
the Sangh Parivar in Kerala – at times the Kerala’s ruling community seemingly
endorsing the blood spilling on the roads.
Sadly, there could be politics of blood shed in celebrating the birth of
Lord too as there were to be parallel processions and pageantry on the occasion
of Sree Krishna Jayanthi. The events, organised under the aegis of Balagokulam
and Balasangham, children's outfits backed by RSS and CPM respectively, passed
off peacefully on Tuesday. But the unease they created in a district which has
already witnessed violent clashes may linger on.
Media claims that the police
averted a showdown between the two warring groups this year by assigning
separate spots and routes for their respective processions. The police also did
not allow them to go beyond 6 pm. Over 3,500 policemen, including armed
personnel, were deployed in sensitive areas of the northern district. Fact would remain that Balagokulam has been conducting the programme for the last
40 years, organised processions in about 450 centres in the district with a
natural flair for celebrating birth of Lord Krishna. Children dressed up as
Krishna and Radhika in glittering robes took part in processions in over 300 processions organized so.
The CPM, which suddenly
took to celebrating the function since the first time in 2015, used the same
religious symbols. But following criticism from several quarters, the party
kept out deities the next year and instead depicted social reformers like Sree
Narayana Guru and Ayyankali, freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh and Mohandas
Gandhi, and former president APJ Abdul Kalam. But the processions organised by
CPM this year did feature religious symbolism alongside cultural leaders. The
CPM had earlier opposed the Shobha Yatra, saying it was a strain on children.
The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the party,
had even undertaken a door-to-door campaign against parading children on the
streets.
The BJP views the CPM's
bid as an attempt to disrupt the Balagokulam's Shobha Yatra. The party's state
president Kummanam Rajasekharan termed it as a challenge to the believers and
the children. He said it was against the spirit of the peace meeting initiated
by the government to end the spate of political violence in the district. RSS leader Valsan Thillankery said the CPM
was organising parallel events after the party found its cadre increasingly
being drawn into the saffron fold. He said that a large number of CPM workers
belonging to the Hindu community have been joining BJP in Kannur, as they felt
that the latter was the best defender of the community's interests. "The
CPM is rattled by the spiritual awakening among Hindus. They are experimenting
with new tactics after they failed to use muscle power to stop the exodus of
cadres. But this too will not succeed. CPM workers are fed up with the party's
outdated philosophy," he said.
However, P Jayarajan,
CPM's Kannur district secretary, said there was nothing religious in the
party's programme ! of organizing rally on the occasion celebrating birth of
Lord Krishna !!!! Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said CPM's decision to
organise the programme on Sree Krishna Jayanthi revealed its ideological
bankruptcy. The party is trying to counter RSS by staging religious events, as
it is clueless about its political standing, he said. Political observers view
the CPM's indulgence in the Hindu religious activity as a sign of the communist
movement's decay.
Kannur, the cradle of
Communism in the state, has been gripped by waves of political violence ever
since RSS made inroads into the Marxist bastion in the 1980s. More than 250
people have been killed and hundreds maimed in cross-fire in the district over
the last three decades ~ and how good is
Communist idealogy ??
Kerala Devaswom Minister
Kadakampally Surendran’s action of offering prayers at the Guruvayur Sree
Krishna temple in Thrissur district on the auspicious day of Ashtami Rohini on
12 September has kicked off a debate within the ruling Left Democratic Front
(LDF) in the state on the issue of faith.
Surendran, who belongs to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), was
shown in television channels as performing pushpanjali (offering flowers to
God) and praying with folded hands at the sacred steps during his day-long
visit to the famed temple. Temple officials said he had also contributed money
for annadhanam, a long-held, sacred tradition followed by the temple of
offering food. The minister has justified his action saying it was part of his
duty as minister in charge of temple affairs. However, some of his fellow
comrades in the ruling front have rejected his claim. They say participation in
temple rituals was not part of the minister’s duty.
Clear ideology ~ go to
Temples, shall not pray ! celebrate Krishna, all for votes !
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
16th Sept.
2017.
