Row over article in RSS journal calls Kerala a ‘godless country’

mangaloretoday.com

Kerala, Nov 13: An article in the RSS journal Organiser has claimed Hindus in Kerala lack “a collective consciousness of Godliness”, and rationalists in the state “often attack everything dear to Hinduism” with their “street activism”. Titled ‘Kerala: God’s own country or godless country’, the article has sparked outrage.

Written by Mumbai-based lawyer M Surendra Nathan, the article says Kerala has seen over 50 years of Communist activism, and its ideology of violence, atheism and purported rationalism has reached everywhere in the state.

 

 

If one asks a Hindu Communist about Hinduism, he would respond by saying religion is the opium of the masses, the article claims. The state has the highest number of rationalist NGOs who attack everything dear to Hinduism by branding them as superstition, it says. Such rationalist NGOs “conduct street activism such as mangalsutra burning, beef festival etc, in total defiance of the sentiments of the majority citizens of the country,” the article claims.

The CPM and the Congress have slammed the article.

CPM politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan said the article is a challenge to the state’s history, culture and the self-respect of its people.

“The article should be seen as the Sangh Parivar’s war cry against the people of the state. The article is spreading lies about Kerala,” Vijayan said.

He said the article shows the RSS’s agenda to destroy the state’s secular and left mind-set. “The Sangh Parivar has been raising a threat to humanity, truth and secularism. For quite some time, it has been spreading lies about the Muslim-dominated Malappuram district. This should be seen as an attempt to foment communal trouble in that district,” he said.

The RSS’s bid to paint Kerala as a centre of extremism will be foiled at any cost, the CPM leader said, adding, “The people of the state will prove that the Sangh Parivar’s lies can’t shatter Kerala’s culture and secularism.”

Congress state general secretary M Liju said the progressive and secular nature of the state has the RSS worried. “The RSS cannot stomach the fact that Kerala has been freed from the fetters of caste system long ago. The progress the state has made in various spheres has made the RSS restless,” Liju said.

RSS Kerala Pranta Pracharak Gopalankutty Master and BJP state president V Muraleedharan said the article has not come to their notice.

“I can comment on it only after going through it,” Master said.