– Dr. Govind Raj Shenoy
Kerala, the only State that lays claims to fame as the only 100% literate State in the country, takes its moral turpitude and hypocrisy to a new high to practice its ‘secular’ values
The picture with this article is that of a controversial cartoon by a youngster called Subhash. It depicts Bishop Franco of Jalandhar as a Cock (Kozhi a derogatory Malayalam slang for a person on sexual overdrive) with pink panties tied to the handle of his “religious stick”. It also shows MLA PC George, who supported the Bishop and another famous Communist leader P K Sasi, accused in a #MeToo case by a lady working in the party. The nuns on the run complete the picture.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is called the “Double Chested” Hero of Kerala, the leader of the modern “Navotthaanam” movement. A K Balan is the Cultural Minister of Kerala.
Ramesh Chennithala is a Congress stalwart and Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly. He aspires to be the next Chief Minister of Kerala but will never be. That is another story for another day. Let us come back to the cartoon.
This cartoon won the top award in the Kerala Lalithakalaa Academy awards announced recently. The introduction done, the fun starts now. Representing the brave new world order of Kerala, the Communist Cultural Minister A K Balan has come out strongly against the cartoon and the award. He says, “This hurts the religious sentiments and religious symbols and hence will not be allowed at any cost.” He has strongly recommended that the award be withdrawn.
Fun doubles when the leader of the opposition from Congress, Ramesh Chennithala too jumps on the bandwagon and demands the award be withdrawn. This is “Kerala’s Own Award Wapsi”. The difference being the ruling LDF and opposition UDF are together in demanding this Award Wapsi in God’s Own Country. The government and the opposition are joining hands to snatch an award that was declared by an “independent jury” in the most literate state in India.
Now some history for those who know little or nothing about Kerala, the self-proclaimed God’s Own Country. We will conveniently leave the Sabarimala atrocities and the Piravom Church cases out of this for they would demand a separate article altogether.
Pinarayi Vijayan is that brave leader who transferred a District Collector for demolishing an illegally constructed Cross on encroached forest land belonging to Kerala Forest Department. He made sure a larger Cross was constructed at the same place on a larger encroachment.
Comrade Pinarayi Vijayan is a true champion of social justice and women’s empowerment. So strong that a team of police went to Jalandhar to interrogate Bishop Franco and came back empty-handed because they didn’t get an appointment to meet the Bishop. The case was about a nun coming out with serious and multiple charges of sexual exploitation against the Bishop.
Finally, when Kerala Police managed to beg the Bishop to come to Kerala for an eyewash interrogation, he was lodged in the Intensive Care Unit of a premier Government Medical College. Such a ruthless approach to justice and women’s empowerment, the classic Communist style.
Pinarayi Vijayan and his party stood steadfastly for freedom of expression when hundreds of cartoons, paintings and writings grossly insulting to Hindu religious symbols were “expressed”. Lampooning the same brave new world order normalised the concept of Bharat Mata and insult of national anthem.
“Not too long ago, the Communists even conferred Raja Ravi Varma Award on a notorious artist who had drawn nude Saraswati, nude Sita and other Hindu religious symbols in obnoxious manners”
Pinarayi Vijayan was the hero of the Malayalee people who demanded an instant apology from Amit Shah for Tweeting Vamana Jayanti wishes because it hurt Malayalee sensibilities. Vamana Jayanti wishes to a few crore people on a day when the whole world was celebrating Onam was an obnoxious act according to Comrade Vijayan.
Chennithala Ramesh was one of the several Congress leaders who supported the “Meesha” novel by one Harish. A large number of Hindus protested against the novel published by “Matrubhumi” because it was supposed to be grossly derogatory towards temple going women. At that time Ramesh Chennithala, as well as most of the opinion makers in Congress party, were clear about freedom of expression being sacrosanct.
This, in essence, is the real and threadbare naked form of ‘secularism’ practised in Kerala. Welcome to God’s Own Country, where Hindu Gods are not welcome!
(The writer is a columnist and writes mostlyon Politics, Cricket and Cinema)
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