Hundreds of thousands of Hindus thronged the streets of Kerala in response to the call of Nair Service Society (NSS), powerful community organisation of (Hindu) Nairs, to observe Faith Protection Day as a powerful challenge to the anti-Hindu CPM in connection with the blasphemous comments against Vikhneswar, from A.N. Shemseer, CPM leader and Speaker of the state legislature assembly of Kerala.
"Hindus in Kerala remember to light lamps and perform Sandya Vandan when they hear azan from mosques" says CPM leader and Kerala assembly speaker A N Shamseer who insulted Bhagwan Ganeshji in a meeting held at school. He had told school children that Bhagwan Ganeshji is a 'myth'! pic.twitter.com/8rPfpHmnwh
— Ex-Comrade ☭ (@excomradekerala) August 3, 2023
NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair said that Shemseer’s comments pierced the hearts of the Hindu believers. Several Hindu leaders and BJP leaders participated in the procession in Thiruvananthapuram. Now, about 14 Hindu community organisations have resolved to hold a large Hindu conclave to deliberate future course of actions. Kerala Pattika Jathi Pattika Varga Aikya Vedi (Kerala United Front of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) stated that the Front would go with protests to any extent until the Speaker withdrew his insulting comments against Hindu faith.
In the meantime, police, under the LDF regime, have charged cases against more than 1,000 identifiable people who participated in the Thiruvananthapuram programme. NSS vice president Sangeethkumar is the first accused. BJP national vice president A.P. Abdullakkutty blamed that it is nothing but political vendetta.
He wondered whether the participants of the namajapa yathra were violent, did they pelt stones on any Kerala State Road Transport Corporation or did they attack the secretariat. He warned Shemseer that he would face the same fate as Rahul Gandhi.. He came down heavily on Kerala Assembly LoP V.D. Satheeshan for equating BJP leaders with Shemseer. Satheeshan is reported to have said that both parties are equally guilty.
BJP state president condemned the LDF government’s step to register cases against the people who rendered prayers for Lord Ganesh. He said that the government move is to create religious polarisation and to ensure the votes of Islamic fundamentalists. This is unprecedented. If the case is against identifiable people, even old women will be booked.
Old men, young girls and children will be trapped too. Surendran said that the cases registered now reminds the people of Sabarimala agitation of 2018 – 2019. Cases registered against more than 50,000 people at that time and thousands of devotees were jailed. But, at last the government had to bite the dust.
The namajapa yathra organised by NSS was very much a disciplined one and there was not a single provocative slogan against any one. They were only rendering bhajans. On the other hand, a case should be registered against the Kerala speaker for blasphemy. BJP will oppose the government’s move with all might. If necessary, thousands of party workers will take to the street for peaceful protests. He called upon the party workers to carry out protests immediately. He added that BJP would discuss, with all Hindu organisations, the future course of action.
Surendran said, people of Kerala want to hear from the Chief Minister, not from the party secretary on the issue.
Union minister V. Muraleedharan condemned the police action too. He said, LDF regime denies Hindus’ civil rights in the state.
Dr. K.S. Radhakrishnan, BJP state vice president and former Vice Chancellor and former PSC chairman, said that none has seen the Allah Shemseer believes in. He said so to emphasise the role of faith in human life. Faith is different from reality.
NSS vice president Sangeethkumar told the media that the case would be faced legally. All steps will be taken to save the accused. NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair said, it is CM to react, not the party secretary.
Similar namajapa yatras have taken place in all metro cities likes Mumbai and Delhi.
The issue has caused dents in the ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front. B. Ganeshkumar MLA, the supremo of Kerala Congress (B), a constituent of the LDF, has said that as far as NSS is concerned the final word is of its General Secretary. It indicates he is not happy about the Speaker’s derogatory comments against Hindu faith.
Meanwhile, there are reports that CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran’s son has updated his FB profile picture with that of Lord Ganesh. CPI is the second largest constituent of the LDF.
Malayali actor Salimkumar, the national award winner of 2010, sarcastically stated that Dewaswom Board in Kerala should be renamed as Mythism (read mythicism) Board. It is to be remembered that Salimkumar was shot to fame through his comedy roles. His comments are always enveloped with humour and sarcasm. Dewaswom Board is the government-controlled body responsible for the temple administration.
Salimkumar’s FB post reads, changes should start from the nerve centres of the ruling apparatus. Since the fight is between myth and reality, Dewaswom Minister should be called ‘Mythism Minister’ for the sake of the success of the reality. He also demanded the renaming of the money collected from the temple bhandars (the collection box installed in temples for the donation from the devotees) as “Mithu Money”.
Congress leader and former Assembly Speaker Therambil Ramakrishnan said that the Speaker should not have insulted the faith of Hindus. He said, if people protest about it they cannot be blamed.
P.C. George, Government Chief Whip during Congress-Led United Democratic Front (UDF) rule, said that LDF actions remind IS.
Congress Pradesh General Secretary A.A. Shukkoor said that Shemseer has insulted the faith of Hindus. He should withdraw it.
Shemseer one again stated that he sticks onto his earlier stand towards Hindu faith. CPM state secretary M.V. Govindan reiterated, on August 2, while talking to the media, that Shemseer is right.
Supreme Court lawyer Adv. Koshy Jacob is reported to have submitted a complaint before Rashtrapathi against A.N. Shemseer’s blasphemous comments. Petition says, Shemseer violated the oath he took as an MLA and the Speaker.
Senior RSS Pracharak S. Sethumadhavan and state VHP leaders met NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair. Now, it looks like a joint Hindu upsurge is highly likely to take place soon.
