Respected Shri Oommen Chandy Ji
Hon. Chief Minister
Government of Kerala
Dear Sir
First of all thanks a lot for taking cognisance of an opinion article published in Organiser (weekly) dated November 15 & 22, 2015, titled “Kerala: God’s Own Country or Godless Country”. I am not here to defend the article or opinion submitted by a fellow Malayalee about Kerala. In fact, I express my sincere regrets if the feelings of an esteemed Malayalee like you are hurt. But I certainly have issues to raise about the politicking that has been doing rounds around this article which virtually forced the office of Honourable Chief Minister to write to the Editor of Organiser on behalf of the state.
Sir, in your letter you have rightly mentioned about the great socio-cultural tradition of Kerala, which is not limited to the state but, belongs to the whole nation. Not mere tolerance, as you tolerate when you do not accept others point of view to be true at his/her own place, but acceptance is our tradition which we are well aware of. The real question is whether the same tradition and values are threatened under the venomous mixture of communism and Islamic fundamentalism. Why political leaders in Kerala are trying to play around the politics regional sentiments rather than addressing the real issues.
The tradition which you have mentioned in your letter from Adi Sankaracharya to Sree Narayana Guru is the rich tradition, which is essentially in Hindu. Unfortunately the impression has gained the ground that both UDF and LDF governments in Kerala have been compromising with this tradition and values, just for the sake of vote bank politics.
Communist violence is a regular trend and Karyakartas of RSS and affiliated organisations are the biggest victim of the same. More than 200 murders have taken place in Kerala and 72 of them are in Kannur district only which is the hotbed of communist activism. This is a sign of ideological intolerance and unfortunately, but the state government government visibly doing nothing to curb this.
The answer to spread of communism by Congress seems to be communal politics in the name of ‘secularism’, which senior Congress leader and former defence minister Shri A K Antony had put succinctly while addressing the party workers recently, when he said that “Some sections of the society have an impression that the party is inclined to certain communities or organisations. This doubt is created by the party’s proximity to minority communities.”. Indian Union Muslim League, the biggest sign of communal and divisive politics in Bharat, is part of the Congress led UDF Government over years and the national party is succumbing to their bargaining politics just to retain power. Gulf money is fuelling Muslim extremism in Kerala and the Muslim League is taking advantage of it, as widely reported in media over the years now. Kerala has seen a series of Islamic fundamentalist outfits with varying nomenclature like Islamic Seva Sangh, Muslim Aikya Vedi, Muslim Prathikarana Vedi, Jihad Committee, Jihad Movement, Muslim Yuvajana Vedi, Islamic Dawa Mission, Hisbul Mujahid, Al Ummah, Adam Sena, NDF, Jihad Conference, etc. But no action was initiated by successive Governments. Popular Front of India (PFI) is openly engaged in anti-Bharat activities and successive government in Kerala are mute spectator to the menace. This is a real threat to the Malayalee identity and state of Kerala.
The article is neither meant to insult Malayalees nor the state of Kerala. It just reflects what a Malayalee thinks about ill-effects of communist activism on Kerala. People who had objections to some of the issues raised in the article or countered the facts had written to me and we have given them space in readers forum.
The reality is nationalist forces are gaining ground in Kerala. Communist ideology and violent politics is waning in Kerala, as all over the world. That is why communist parties tried to kindle the regional identity politics around the article. I am at pain to see that you also decided to raise the issue of Malayalee pride. Kerala is on a turning point and has a golden chance to revive the tradition of inclusiveness and acceptance which was religiously practiced by her people over the centuries and be part of the national mainstream. At this juncture, you are in a better position to understand what Kerala needs. It is perhaps the path of development which will reduce forced migration from the state for employment rather than spirit of regionalism. No massacre takes place on communal lines as it happened in 2003 and security to the fisherman community is ensured is may be another expectation. The perpetrators of communal and political violence should face the legal punishments to instil sense of justice among citizens. No new Malappurams should be allowed to be created where communal ghettoism is justified. This is the best way to ensure protection to the rich heritage of Kerala which everyone is proud of. Like every Malayalee, we too want Kerala to remain ‘God’s own Country’.
Regards
Prafulla Ketkar
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