Mocking Hindus and their customs and rituals has become a recurring pattern among certain communist leaders, where such remarks are not isolated but part of a larger ecosystem that remains silent, thereby normalising anti-Hindu comments. This silence enables such statements to escape legal scrutiny and strengthens a narrative that appeases anti-Hindu elements. With elections now approaching, this pattern once again appears to be surfacing, raising questions over whether such rhetoric is deliberate and politically timed.
Senior CPM leader and former minister M.M. Mani has now insulted and ridiculed Hindu faith and Swami Ayyappa. Speaking to a TV channel, he said that Ayyappa was not vomited by someone, but delivered by a woman. He took the opportunity to insult Hindu deities. He questioned why women are stopped from entering the Sabarimala shrine.
He made these obscene comments while answering questions regarding the Sabarimala temple entry of young women. This remark comes at a time when the government appears to be reconsidering its earlier stand of “compulsory” Sabarimala temple entry of young women.
This is not the first time CPM leaders have insulted Hindu faith and deities. In July 2023, A.N. Shamsser, CPM leader and Kerala Assembly Speaker, sparked controversy by stating that Bhagwan Ganpati is a myth.
CPM leaders had also issued statements insulting the women who participated in the Namajapa Yatra against the breaking of Sabarimala traditions through the entry of young women under police escort.
Now, CPM leaders are issuing public statements claiming they stand with devotees, particularly in view of the imminent Assembly elections. At the same time, critics allege that they betray devotees by shielding CM-level leaders, including ministers, from legal action in connection with the Sabarimala gold loot.
CPM leaders, with the support of the police, have also been accused of disrupting temple festivals when patriotic songs are sung. There have been instances where police allegedly stopped temple authorities from decorating temples with saffron flags during festivals.
In one case, police reportedly instructed temple authorities to ensure that the patriotic song ‘gangeet’, generally associated with RSS, should not be sung in private or public places.
On the other hand, during temple festivals, premises have reportedly been decorated with images of communist leaders like Che Guevara, who have no connection with the country, its traditions, or its cultural ethos. Recently, a TV channel showed a minister standing within temple premises wearing shoes, which is considered a taboo in temples.
M.M. Mani is known for making controversial statements. On May 26, 2012, he made a speech referring to the killing of political opponents while attempting to assert dominance against the Congress. He stated that a list of 13 people had been prepared, of whom the first three were killed one shot dead, one stabbed, and the third beaten to death. An FIR was subsequently registered against him, and he had to face legal proceedings.
