Taliban in Saffron

One of the important issue dealt in the media meet at Mukkam on Friday was about attack of the communal out fit sreerama sena in a facist style. The threat posed by this new outfit and its leader Pramod Muthalik under the sangha parivar umbrella undermines not only the cultural heritage of the land but also the basic principles of democracy. The roguery meted out to the daughter of Mancheswaram MLA and CPI(M) leader C H Kunhambu in Mangaluru can only be termed as mere barbarism. Morality of our children is not something that is lost if talked to brother of a schoolmate while travelling in a bus. People of this country cannot be indifferent to the facist dictates that friendship and fraternity shall be based on religion. This is nothing but terrorism under the cover of religion. It is saffronised talibanism. It has to be countered by all means. Every body has to be vigilant against the entry of such barbarianism in Kerala state.
Unfortunately, UDF is taking a stand of promoting and encouraging the growth of communalism and their political outfits. That alliance is coming to power by purchasing the votes of RSS and other fundamentalist forces. Because of this, communal clashes used to be a regular feature of UDF rule. 79 communal clashes occurred during the last UDF government. 18 people were killed in them.
Nava Kerala March was greeted in the Beypore constituency in which the Marad region is situated. Hundreds of people from Marad participated in the reception organised at Feroke Petta. Participation was above average. Marad is a wound scar of Kerala. The wrong attitude of the then UDF government was one of the critical factors that led to the Marad incident. UDF was not vigilant even to get the chargesheet filed. Preventive measures were not taken despite the advance information from the local MLA and the intelligence wing. It may also be noted that the UDF government couldnot intervene effectively to deal with the situation in which the minority community was made to vacate the area by the RSS, subsequent to the killing spree organised by muslim fundamentalists, due to its cordial relations with the communal outfits. All the while, it was CPI(M) which worked to mitigate the sufferings of the people. The first rescue shelter itself was that of CPI(M).
The then Chief Minister spoke in favour of saffronisation. Deliberate propaganda was made that those belonging the minority community are rich. The distribution of “Trisul” by the Viswa Hindu Parishad was not prevented. Pravin Thogadia was received as state guest. The then UDF government was generous in pampering the minority communalism as well. UDF has adopted a policy to ignore the cases in which NDF members were the accused. It is the UDF attitude that ensures, even though limited, existence of the NDF. UDF has made it a practice to pamper the majority as well as minority communal forces alternately.
It was the unambiguous stand of the LDF government against the communal forces that resulted in preventing any communal flare up during its period. The LDF government of 1996-2001 has taken stern actions to control the activities of communal forces. The conspiracy to kill the chief minister Com. E K Nayanar, the instances of assassinations and attacks organised by certain organisation in connection with al-umma, activities of some people having foreign connections etc could be effectively enquired into and culprits identified. When UDF came to power in 2001, the situation turned upside down. That was the period when communal, casteist and vested interest groups had their say.
The LDF government that came to power in 2006 has taken stern stand against communalism. It is able to strongly deal with minority communalism while preventing the flare up attempted by majority communalism. Kerala is not a haven of terrorists as propagated by some. At the same time the fact that national situation has its reflections in Kerala too shall not go unnoticed. The Government machinary alone shall not be sufficient to deal with such problems. The organised strength of the people has to be mobilised. The slogan raised in the Nava Kerala March, “Secure India”, is to stress the need for building the mass movement against communal and extremist forces. It is evident from the enthusiasm shown by various sections of the people coming to greet the march that they are taking this slogan and the message to their heart. It is the continuous vigilance of the people and the communists that assures that there is no space for the roguery like that of sree rama sena in the Kerala soil.