State: Krishna Shobhayatra Enthralls the Streets

Intro:Janmashtami Shobhayatras have become parcel of Kerala’s social life hence, Communist Party has got no alternative than to accept it. This year, Democratic Youth Federation of India, student wing of Communists has also celebrated Rakshabandhan in some places.

Balagokulam in Kerala celebrated Shree Krishna Janmashtami Day in more gaiety and pageantry compared to yesteryears. More than 10,000 Shobhayatras were carried out throughout the length and breadth of the State on September 15,. About 5 lakh children, in Krishna and Radhika attire, turned the streets into Gokul and Vrindavan. As usual mothers of the children, youths and Krishna worshippers made their presence felt in the shobhayatras which took the total participation to around 25 lakhs of people. Tableaux of Krishna, Radhika, Sudama, Kansa, Bheema, Arjun, etc. added colours to Shobhayatra.
Balagokulam is a children’s movement founded in 1975 during the dark days of Emergency. Shree Krishna Janmashtami Shobhayatras have been phenomenal since the very day of inception of the movement. Balago-kulam has been imparting lessons of Sanatana Dharma to the children through different wings like Amritha-bharathi Vidyapeetam, Balasahithi Prakasan, arts wing which even got Limca Book of Records recognition for its Krishnayanam Conference participated by 1,000 children and International Shree Krishna Kendram being built up in Thrissur district.

Many functions are conducted well in advance in connection with Janmashtami Shobhayatras. Gau pooja, cultural evenings, uriyadi (breaking of hanging pots made of clay, reminiscing infant Krishna’s butter pilferage from them), flag hoisting, etc. are some to mention. This time more than 5,000 Gau poojas were conducted in the State. The programme consists of performing the pooja of cows and felicitating the men who look after cows properly. About 7,000 cultural evenings were conducted where stories and speeches on Shree Krishna and children’s dance programmes were performed. More than 17,000 flag hoisting ceremonies were conducted one week before Janmashtami. It gave a saffron touch to the whole State for several days together. Uriyadi programmes were conducted on the eve of Janmashtami and during Shobhayatras. Thousands of children and youths participate in them.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) leaders’ nonsense outbursts had created some sort of anxiety about the peaceful conduct of Shobhayatras. CPM’s Kannur district secretary, P Jayarajan had called on the people (read, his partymen) to oppose Shobhayatras. Anxiety had mounted in the wake of the brutal murder of Manoj, Kannur District Shareerik Pramukh of RSS on September 2. But, the people of Kerala took the challenge up in real spirit.
Kannur has been witnessing CPM’s worst sort of killing spree against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh- Bharatiya Janata Party (Jan Sangh) workers since 1969. Sangh parivar organisations have so far lost about 250 workers due to the intolerant, arrogant and Fascist attitude of CPM in the State. But, CPM once again fell into the graves they had dug for the Sangh parivar. Lot of DYFI (CPM’s youth wing) workers displayed flex boards welcoming Shobhayatras. Earlier party workers celebrated Ganesholsvam. Since Janmashtami Shobhayatras have become part and parcel of Kerala’s social life hence CPM has got no alternative than accepting and observing it. It also indicates that CPM has lost the ideological plank they had borrowed from some other parts of the world and people have rejected anti-nationalistic stand communists have been towing in the State. This year, DYFI had even celebrated Rakshabandhan in some places.

—T Satisan from Kochi