Politics is not a tool for violence, says Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said that no one is above the law, no one is entitled to bypass rules. He added, politics is not a tool for violence. He was inaugurating the ‘Sarva Mangalam’ pension scheme instituted, by Dr. Mangalam Swaminathan Foundation, for the benefits of the dependents of the victims of political violence as well as Emergency excesses in Kerala. Governor said that recently when Kerala High Court gave the nod to go ahead with the case in connection with the untoward incidents took place in Kerala Assembly in March 2015, one leader stated, what the assembly witnessed was ‘politics, not violence’. The governor wondered if violence is permissible in politics. Violence and killings are not acceptable, whatever faith and ideology are behind them. Political murders have belittled the image of Kerala. Kerala is the land of compassion and kindness. The whole world praises the services of our nurses working abroad. Women holds important positions here. And, we possess a hundred percent literacy. Still, it is a shame that we come across political murders here.

Governor said, political violence is a challenge to culture, democracy and humanity. Bharatiya culture has been respecting all sorts of ideologies. We fight ideology with ideology itself, never personally. We could accept all. Our politics did not have the ideology of selfishness. It was not for power and pelf. Our politics was of sacrifice. Whatever had been gained, in this world, by force have never prevailed long. Ideology-based murders are not at all acceptable.

The governor quoted several Sanskrit slokas from Vedas and Upanishads to emphasise his points.

It is in Kerala that the pension scheme instituted first by the Foundation headed by BJP leader Dr. R. Balashankar. The scheme is in memory of late Dr. Mangalam Swaminathan, the better half of Dr. Balashankar.  The families of 25 RSS and BJP activists who underwent political murders and 26 workers who underwent brutal police torture during Emergency (1975 – 1977) will get Rs 2,000 each per month under the scheme. The governor distributed the first instalment.

Speaking on the occasion, His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, Supreme Head of the Malankara Orthodox Church, said that the scheme is nobler than Taj Mahal Shajahan built in commemoration of Mumtaz. Famous hotelier Chengal Rajasekharan Nair presided. Bharatiya Vikas Parishad Organising Secretary Suresh Jain, top businessman and former MP (RS) Ravindra Kishore Sinha, Malayalam playback singer G. Venugopal, former MP Mahesh Chandra Verma, Delhi Divyang Commissioner Ranjan Mukherjee, Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation Councilor Asok Kumar, C.H. Mustafa Moulavi and “Marunadan” editor Shajan Sakharia  spoke too.

No doubt, the Foundation’s is a kind gesture towards the bereaved families who lost the sons, husbands, brothers and close relations. The widow of Vadakkal Ramakrishnan, the first RSS victim of CPM’s dagger politics in Kerala, is one among the selected pensioners. Ramakrishna was killed on April 28, 1969. RSS has been alleging that the present Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan was the first accused in that murder case.

Hundreds of RSS workers who underwent unparalleled and barbarian police torture during the Emergency in Kerala are suffering consequent serious health issues. Most of them struggle even to buy medicines, hence Dr. Mangalam Swaminathan Foundation’s scheme is a welcome step.

Dr. R. Balashankar, the chairman of Dr. Mangalam Swaminathan Trust, said on the occasion that pension can be applied for cutting across caste-religious-political lines. Applications came from all districts. Most eligible people were selected for the 1st phase.