For the past couple of days, reports of violence have been pouring in from the state of Kerala. We are aware of the growing violence and intolerance in our country. Kerala has often been called, ‘Gods Own Country’, though such incidents of violence and bloodshed, say otherwise. Who is responsible for these incidents? These events of political violence have caused a lot of damage, both to property and life. It is disheartening to see that instead of using policies and positive reforms, political parties are resorting to violent methods to win over control of the state. Kerala has always been ahead of the rest of the country in many ways, such as sanitation, health, cleanliness and education but to see such violence in such a progressive state is shocking and extremely saddening. Most of the educated to working class Keralaites have moved from the state to earn their bread whatever they earn outside is invested in the state and that is one of the reason this state is very rich and progressive. At the same time it’s politically backward.
The people are continuously fed with negative news about any person or organization or political party and they will start believing in it one day. Like all Muslims are terrorists, CPI (M) are naxalites and anti-Hindu, none of these claims have ever been proved. But whenever you hear “Kerala and its government” the first thing that comes to your mind is “Anti-Hindu” and when you hear about any such alleged stories you are likely to blame the state government. By announcing rewards and awards, more anger is incited among people, which can lead to violence. The major problem with the followers of both RSS and CPI (M) is that they follow their leaders blindly without even giving a second thought. Both organizations are greedy for garnering power in Kerala so they are trying their best to influence their activists and will make them kill each other for their personal political gain. Kerala is the only state in which their political strength is seen in India and when looking at the statistics RSS and BJP are emerging in the state. RSS thinks this is the perfect time where they can make an entry into the politics of Kerala, where residents of the state are already fed up with the politics of two leading parties.
The resentment between the CPM and the BJP has been a part and parcel of Kerala’s political landscape but the present stand-off seems to be more than just the usual political one-upmanship. Kerala has always witnessed political murders, where the RSS-BJP and the CPM have lost several of their cadres. Last month, the death of BJP leader Santhosh was the eighth murder to have taken place after the Vijayan government took over in May, 2016.
The RSS is the ideological fountainhead of the BJP. Last week, Pinarayi Vijayan had said right-wing organisations, including the RSS, have been trying to divide the country for the last several years. Vijayan also alleged RSS saying Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, was a weapon in the hands of the RSS. The assassination was the result of a conspiracy. CM of Kerala always attacks the extremism of RSS and its members. The anger against him is very common among RSS and BJP supporters but it can reach to this level was not expected.
Between 2000 and 2016, Kannur district in Kerala reported 69 political murders, with RSS losing almost as many workers as CPM. Each killing has been followed by the protest by the party to whom the latest victim belonged.
In the last 17 years, 85 CPM workers, 65 RSS or BJP workers, 11 workers of Congress and IUML each have been killed – mostly by their political rivals including CPM and RSS or BJP. A CPM activist from Kannur, 43-year-old Sreejan Babu, has been in the Kozhikode’s Baby Memorial Hospital for almost a month, after he was brutally attacked by nine masked men – believed to be right-wing activists. In the last one year, 13 of CPM workers have been killed. However, according to police statistics, 10 RSS or BJP workers have been murdered since February last year while four CPM workers have been killed due to suspected political rivalry. Meanwhile, RSS killed 85 CPM and 11 Congress workers. Political murders are taking place in Kerala from 1976 – firstly between Congress and CPM, then it was shifted to Muslim league, then to CPI and eventually to BJP. The CPM attacks another political party when that party gains or rises. Now the BJP is becoming strong and Congress is lagging behind so the shift in killing from Congress to BJP. The opponent varies but the other party is always the CPM.
It takes two to make a squabble. Both sides are responsible for the conflict. It’s high time these political parties should sit together and sort out the differences. Any attempt to politicize the matter may boomerang. Moreover RSS/BJP leaders should stop making provocative statements to its cadres; second they also have to stop making bombs and swords. Only CPM can match these RSS/BJP attackers. Both parties are killing each other’s activists and one day they will vanish from the map.
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