After the CPI(M) decided to celebrate Ramayana Masam in the month of Karkadakam, the Congress has also lined up a month-long programmes to celebrate the epic. Realising that aggressive minority appeasement has diminishing returns both the major political parties in Kerala – CPI(M) and Congress — are looking for ways to woo Hindus, who hitherto were taken for granted as the community was not a monolith. Fed up with minority appeasement and utter neglect, Hindus have started moving towards the BJP. This has unnerved both the parties.
The CPI(M) launched an outfit Sanskrita Sangham to celebrate Ramayana Month during this monsoon. Various seminars and talks on the social background of Ramayana will be the highlights. They are also conducting the meeting of the temple committee members from all over the state. Idea is to keep BJP away from the field. The state level programme is expected to be inaugurated on July 25.
No doubt, CPM’s worry is about losing the Hindu vote bank, their core support base. It is due to party’s carefully orchestrated nexus with the Islamic extremist forces in the state which appears to be wavering. Allegations are rife that government develops cold steps in taking stringent steps against the killers of Abhimanyu, the SFI worker murdered in Maharaja’s College, Kochi, by the SDPI goons. The idea of clamping UAPA was doing the rounds; but, now there are reports that government is not keen in it. This catch 22 situation has forced the party to do everything possible to keep the Hindu vote bank intact. They are afraid, their soft approach to the Abhimayu killers would alienate Hindus.
Observance of Ramayana Month by CPM is to be viewed from this angle. The concept of Ramayana Month had been launched by the Sangh parivar-led Vishal Hindu Sammelan of 1982. People wait and see whether the CPM endevour to bag both Hindu and minorities’ votes will end up in another vote bank political gimmick or change the character of CPM in every respect in the days and years to come.
When the ‘Marxian Ramayana’ turned to be a subject of trolls in the social media, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told the media that Sanskrita Sangham is independent and not a CPM offshoot. But, the same time, he said that Sangham’s programme is not confined to the Ramayana Month, but lot of programmes are in the pipeline. Observers wonder how come he speaks on behalf of an organisation which has nothing to do with his party, CPM.
It is noteworthy that couple of years ago CPM started to celebrate Janmashtami, the most popular programme of Balagokulam, an RSS inspired organization, since the last more than four decades. CPM conducted shobhayatras in their strong holds when they realized that such programmes have been playing significant roles in the increasing popularity of Sangh and Sangh-inspired bodies in the state. But, CPM shobhayatras ended up as mere political dramas sans any devotion to the divine memories of Sri Krishna. Their Ganesholsavam and Rakshabandhan met with the same fate.
Meanwhile, the plan to hold Ramayana month has created fissures within the CPM-led Left Democratic Front. The second largest partner in the combine, CPI has come down heavily on it saying the CPM was aping RSS style. CPI’s Binoy Vishwam MP (RS) says that observance of Ramayana Month is a religious ritual and not fit for left style.
The cultural wing of the Congress, Vichar Vibhag, will launch Ramayana Masam celebrations on July 17. The programme will be inaugurated by Ramesh Chennithala and Shashi Tharoor, MP, will deliver keynote address. The pamphlet distributed by the Congress says: “Ramayan is ours and it is the blessing of this land.” However, RSS pracharak and ideologue P Parameswaran who launched Ramayana Masam practice will have the last laugh.
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