When the CPM, Congress and Jihadi forces are reportedly condemning Janmashtami shobhayatras organised by Balagokulam, Mohammed Shiyaz MLA, who is also the Ernakulam District Congress Committee (DCC) president, participated in a shobhayatra in western Kochi, his constituency.
He was not alone. K.A. Manaf, Chairman of the Kochi Corporation Tax Appeal Standing Committee, was also present. Reports suggest that the MLA shared a video of his visit to the Sree Sankaranarayana Temple in Palluruthy, Kochi, on social media. The visit was also in connection with Janmashtami.
Significantly, Mohammed Shiyaz is considered a close lieutenant of Chief Minister V.D. Satheeshan and is regarded as being in charge of executing Satheeshan’s ideas in Ernakulam district.
The development was not limited to Kochi. T.P. Ashrafali, MLA of the Indian Union Muslim League, paid homage to the Balagokulam Janmashtami shobhayatra organised in Kondotty, Malappuram district. T.P. Ashrafali is the national general secretary of the Muslim Youth League, the youth wing of the Muslim League. The MLA shared the picture on social media.
Several posts have appeared on social media lauding Mohammed Shiyaz’s gesture, describing it as a real model for secularism.
R.V. Babu, state president of Hindu Aikyavedi, said the MLA’s action was exemplary and laudable and that he should be congratulated. He said it was a model that people’s representatives should follow and that they should not differentiate between Prophet’s Day, Sree Krishna Jayanthi, Onam, Christmas or Eid.
Hindu Aikyavedi’s senior patron K.P. Sasikala Teacher stated in a social media post that people should not forget Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who converted Ganeshotsav and Eid processions into platforms for the freedom struggle.
Meanwhile, Jihadi forces and Left activists have attacked Mohammed Shiyaz. Some have said that his participation was against Islam, while others have advised him not to move closer to the RSS.
Political observers have viewed the developments as a welcome change, saying they could lead the people of Kerala towards ‘Sarva Dharma Samabhavana’.
Meanwhile, P. Jayarajan, the senior CPM leader from Kannur, stated that Janmashtami shobhayatras are organised for political gains and are a method to penetrate into households. He said there were no Janmashtami shobhayatras earlier and that processions were organised only on Chathayam Day and Sree Narayana Guru Jayanthi.
Critics point out that Janmashtami shobhayatras were started in the mid-1970s. They also point to the fact that when Jayarajan was the CPM district secretary in 2015 and 2016, he led a campaign for parallel CPM-led Janmashtami shobhayatras in Kannur district. However, the attempts failed.
During those shobhayatras, a tableau depicting crucified Sree Narayana Gurudev was exhibited, which invited the wrath of Sree Narayana devotees. The CPM subsequently stopped the shobhayatras.
Critics said that people belonging to different religions sharing a common stage is a welcome gesture. However, they expect such participation to go beyond symbolism and say leaders should also express their views on issues such as anti-women remarks attributed to Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musaliyar. They argue that being vocal against such remarks by religious leaders would bring confidence and encouragement to progressive thoughts on equality and the rights of men and women in society.
