Christians, Muslims cold-shoulder desperate CPM overtures?

Kerala CPM in a big fix?

By S. Chandrasekhar

For more than a decade the CPM went out of the way to woo the Christian/Muslim voters, since it was convinced that it was this 44 per cent vote which was voting to power the Congress-Muslim League – Kerala Congress led UDF. It was part of this strategy that CPM pitched for Madhani’s release from Coimbatore Prison and Pinarayi Vijayan sharing dias with Madhani during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. The CPM regime also went go-slow on several terror related cases.

The crushing defeat of CPM led LDF in 2009 polls made it change its strategy. The CPM was convinced that although it was able to get a small percentage of Christian/Muslim votes, the bulk votes still went to UDF. Also influential Muslim/Christians in CPM like AP Abdullakutty, Sindhu, Joy, Dr KS Manoj etc. left to join Congress. In the local body elections in 2010, the Congress led UDF made impressive gains.

In the 2011, assembly polls, the CPM strategy to woo the Hindu vote-banks met with near-success, that LDF got 68 seats against the 72 of UDF. The CPM subtle campaign was that, if UDF comes to power, it will be reins in the hands of Muslim League and Kerala Congress representing Muslims and Christians. The CPM message was that if Hindu votes split into three—for CPM, for Congress and BJP, then it will be detrimental to Hindu interests. This campaign clicked to an extend and CPM was able to win handsomely in Hindu majority seats with Muslims League and Kerala Congress reaping victories in their strong holds.

Now with UDF in power, the CPM is exploiting the Hindu fear psychosis of administration in the hands of Christians-Muslims. The CPM is openly playing Hindu card. At its state conference pictures of Vivekananda, Sree Narayana Guru, Chatambi Swami, Vagbhatanandan were displayed prominently.

Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musaliar of Sunni faction, is an influential leader who has hobnobbed with CPM and for a time with the jehadis. For quite some item, he is claiming that he is in possession of prophet’s hair and that it will not burn in fire. He is collecting crores for building a huge Rs.1000 crores mosque in Kozhikode to house this relic. Now with Muslim League in power, the Musaliar is slowly drifting to them, since he needs their help for his huge project.

At a recent meeting in Badagara, Pinarayi Vijayan mocked at the claim of the Musaliar by saying that “Hair is a body waste and that any hair will burn, if set on fire.”

The Musaliar hit back by asking Pinarayi not to interfere in the Muslim beliefs.

The crux of the matter is that CPM is convinced that consolidation of the Hindu vote is its only route to return to power and is the reason why CPM is openly attacking Christians/Muslims.

Since Christianity in Kerala is ruled iron-handedly by clergy, weaker sections and poor among followers do not get the benefit of the professional and medical colleges run by them.

The CPM has almost bid good-bye to the mirage of Muslim votes and is concentrating of Hindu votes and a section of Christian Votes.

With Oommen Chandy ruling on 71-68 (3 vote) Majority and with Muslim League-Kerala Congress tightening their hold on administration, the Hindu fear has increased. All Major portfolios like Finance, PWD, Industries, Urban and Rural Development, Education, Water Resources are all, in the hands of Christians/Muslims.

Both in the Kasargod violence last year and the recent violence in Kannur, the fighting enemies were CPM and Muslim League. In Kannur last week, a Muslim League worker Shukkoor was killed and in retaliation CPM Secretary P Jayarajan and MLA TV Rajesh were attacked. CPM cadres attacked Muslim League MLA KM Shaji. Normally in Kannur CPM and RSS were the adversaries, now RSS has given way to Muslim League.

There is a history of CPM-Muslim confrontation in Nadapuram in Kozhikode. A few years back, CPM men laid siege on an island inhabited by Muslims, for several days.

The CPM hatred towards RSS is slowly varnishing and the area of confrontation is reduced to some CPM villages in Kannur. Local level RSS workers have contested and won in several local bodies in CPM strongholds. CPM is wooing good Congress/RSS youth to their camp with the Mantra ‘Don’t Split Hindu Votes and give victory to Muslim League- Kerala Congress.’

If CPM is genuine in protecting Hindu interests, it is good for the Hindus of Kerala, since CPM is still the biggest cadre based mass organisation in Kerala, and it is essentially a Hindu-majority party.?