ALAPPUZHA: The SNDP Yogam State Council, which represents the Ezhava community, estimated to constitute around 23 to 25 per cent of Kerala’s population and the largest Hindu community in the state, has passed a strong resolution against what it described as the religious dictatorship of the Muslim League, accusing the party of governing only for its own religious interests and violating the Constitution.
The resolution was adopted at the SNDP Yogam leadership meeting held at the Prince Hotel in Alappuzha. It is alleged that the Muslim League, which came to power by securing votes across religious communities in the name of frontline politics, is now ruling exclusively for its own religion. In the meeting, SNDP accused the League of misusing democracy by forming and operating political parties in the name of religion and described such claims as a “hypocritical drama” that has no place in a progressive society.
The council expressed full support for Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan, who has been openly criticising what he calls the neglect faced by the Ezhava community in education and employment. The resolution rejected attempts by what it termed “pseudo-secular politicians” to portray the General Secretary as a communalist, and asserted that the League was exploiting religion for its own advantage.
Strong criticism was directed at the alleged distribution of power and resources under Congress-led governments. The resolution claimed that whenever Congress comes to power in Kerala, departments that consume 65 per cent of the state’s total income are handed over to ministers representing religious political parties. It further alleged discrimination in the distribution of scholarships, stating that students from the majority community are denied equal access to education and social justice, while tax money is used by minority communities even for religious studies.
The council also said that Malappuram district is not anyone’s private empire and warned that people conscious of social justice would not tolerate such practices. It argued that values of social justice, equality and secularism must prevail in every part of Kerala, including Malappuram, and that equal justice should be ensured for all sections of society. The resolution noted that while some religious minorities are becoming a dominant majority in terms of collective voting power, the majority community is turning into a fragmented minority in terms of spending power. It called for social progress for all communities, “from Nayadi to Nasrani, ” (Dalits to Christians) and said the first step would be cooperation between the NSS and SNDP, involving other minority-Dalit organisations and like-minded groups.
At the meeting, the SNDP Yogam also decided to pursue unity with the Nair Service Society (NSS), which represents the Nair community, estimated to constitute around 12 to 15 per cent of Kerala’s population. Yogam Vice President Thushar Vellappally will meet NSS General Secretary G. Sukumaran Nair for further discussions, with Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan telling reporters that the meeting will be held soon, depending on mutual convenience. Responding to this, Sukumaran Nair said he would welcome Thushar Vellappally at its headquarters “as a son or a brother.”
The meeting reiterated its full support for Vellappally Natesan’s positions. Those who addressed the gathering included Yogam President Dr MN Soman, Vice President Thushar Vellappally, Devaswom Secretary Arayakandi Santosh, and council members PT Manmathan, Sandeep Pachail, ES Sheeba, Baby Ram, Ebin Ambatil, CM Babu, VP Nraj, PSN Babu, PK Prasannan, K Sundaran and others.
