Kerala: Protests against anti-Hindu paintings in college magazine

Dewaswom runs and manages the ancient and historic Guruvayoor temple. Sree Krishna College, an arts and science institution, was established 59 years ago in Guruvayoor, Thrissur district and is hardly 6 kilometres away from the famous Guruvayoorappa temple. The temple is also known as Dwaraka of Dakshin Bharat. Infant Bhagwan Sree Krishna is the principal deity.

The cover picture of the magazine has drawn wide attention on social media. The people behind the magazine are distorting Hindu values in the name of the anti-RSS/BJP campaign. A god-like four-armed caricature is painted semi-nude. Caricature of a sanyasin bears Nazi swastika symbol.

Deity of Guruvayoorappa in the famous temple has got four arms. One bears conch (Panchajanya), and another hand bears Sudarsana Chakra; the third one has got a danda (stick of authority), and the fourth one holds a lotus with a garland of holy basil.

Reports suggest, magazine is the handiwork of SFI, student wing of CPM. The magazine is named ‘Pasoma Republic’. Temples and soldiers are shown in distorted form. It is a shame that these things take place in a college managed by Gurvayoor Dewaswom. ‘Pasu” means cow and ‘Ma’ means mother. The people behind this blasphemy cleverly depicted Gurvayur temple. Bharatiya soldiers are shown in a distorted manner. It is a shame, such anti-Hindu paintings are carried by a college named after Sree Krishna and managed by Guruvayoor Dewaswom.

BJP State Secretary A. Nagesh said, the college survives on Hindus’ offerings to Guruvayoor temple. He demanded police case against Hindu blasphemy by the SFI. He added that Guruvayoor Devaswom should withdraw the controversial magazine and apologise to the Hindus. Nagesh alleged that Guruvayur Devaswom supports anti-national efforts to create riots in the country.

Recently, CPM opposed its state committee member Advocate  K Anilkumar’s comments regarding hijab. Anilkumar commented, it was due to the influence of CPM that several girls in Muslim majority Malappuram district gave up the headscarf. He added that Malappuram district was established in 1969 by CPM-led EMS government which took over in 1967. But, fact is far different from Anil’s statement: Muslim girls do not come to public, sans hijab, in Malappuram district.

But, immediately, Anilkumar was opposed by CPM fellow-traveller and former minister K.T. Jaleel MLA. Then came CPM’s lone MP (LS) from Kerala AM Arif. He said, Anilkumar has not studied the matter well; he should have done it. Then his party state secretary MV  Govindan said that dressing is the right of the individual; Constitution guarantees it. None can intrude into it. Close on the heels of the heat Kumar suffered from within his own party, Muslim organisations like Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, Indian Union Muslim League and its student wing Muslim Students Federation (MSF) attacked Anilkumar. As expected, VD Satheesan Congress leader and LoP in the Kerala Assembly, opposed Anilkumar’s remarks. He sarcastically asked what is the difference between BJP and CPM. At last Anil had to withdraw his words saying that he agrees to the party secretary’s statement.

Now, the right thinking people wonder if CPM is bold enough to ask SFI to withdrawn the college magazine. But, it is highly unlikely. Because, CPM-led ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Congress-led opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) are in tight competition in appeasing minority communities.

This is not the first time SFI of this particular college insulted Hindus and RSS/BJP. In 2014, the college magazine was used to insult Prime Minister Narendra Modiji. In another words, in Kerala, Hindus are whipping boys of the anti-Hindu forces.