Kerala elections: Caste teams maintain main fronts guessing days earlier than polls

Express News Service
KOCHI: With simply 4 days left for the meeting elections, there may be apprehension over the political stand of caste teams and non secular denominations within the state.

The Nair Service Society, which represents the Nair group, has adopted an equidistance coverage in elections for greater than a decade.

But the choice of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, which represents the Ezhava group, and Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabha (KPMS), which represents the Dalit Pulaya group, to keep away from declaring public help to any political entrance has come as a shock. 

The SNDP Yogam and KPMS had been supporters of CPM and have been vociferous of their help to the Left motion until not too long ago. Does this point out a change within the stand of the caste organisations or whether or not it’s a tactical method is the million greenback query.

The state authorities’s determination to implement the reservation for economically weaker sections in ahead communities has been welcomed by the NSS, however the delay in publishing the checklist of caste teams eligible for reservation has irritated them.

Besides, the Nair group was harm by the federal government stand on the Sabarimala subject and the NSS was within the forefront of the authorized battle to guard the age-old practices of the hill shrine.

However, the NSS has been supportive of the Congress from the time of its founder, Mannath Padmanabhan.

The Ezhava group has at all times been the help base of CPM in Kerala and SNDP Yogam basic secretary Vellappally Natesan used to help Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan vociferously until not too long ago.

He was made the chairman of the Renaissance Protection Samithi (RPS) shaped by the CPM to counter Sabarimala protests and promote renaissance values amongst Hindus.

However, the choice of the LDF authorities to implement ahead group reservation has upset the group. Vellappally has determined to not help any political social gathering this time. 

It is learnt that Vellappally determined to remain impartial as the largest problem for him is the Yogam election which is about to be held in three months.

His son Thushar Vellappally, who leads Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), a constituent of NDA in Kerala, is energetic in campaigning. However, he determined to not contest the election regardless of stress from the BJP. 

The KPMS, which supported entry of younger ladies at Sabarimala vociferously and was energetic within the marketing campaign for renaissance, turned hostile to the CPM after the federal government determined to implement the ahead group reservation. 

“The decision to provide reservation to communities that enjoy high social status will only increase social polarisation. The CPM, which declared that it would not implement CAA and farm laws, implemented forward community reservation in haste, refusing to accept our suggestion to appoint a commission to study its social impact. Both UDF and LDF are not speaking about our demand to implement reservation in the private sector. Hence, we have decided not to support anyone this time,” stated KPMS basic secretary Punnala Sreekumar.

“There is ambiguity regarding the political stand of NSS and SNDP Yogam,” stated social activist M N Karassery.

“Though the NSS is happy with the implementation of forward community reservation, it has been criticising the government for the approach on Sabarimala issue. The equidistance policy of NSS is nothing new,” he stated.

According to Karassery, it’s the ahead group reservation that has alienated the SNDP Yogam and KPMS from the CPM. 

“While a majority of the Ezhava community and Vellappally  supported the Left, it was not a hurdle for Thushar Vellappally to align with the BJP. While NSS and SNDP Yogam have bargaining power, the Dalits including Pulaya, Paraya and Kalladi communities have not been able to form a vote bank, though they constitute 10 per cent of the population,” stated Karassery.

“We cannot predict how the caste equations will work this time. But there is a growing trend of caste and denominations of religions forming vote banks which is a dangerous,” he stated.

“The caste groups have always been trying to create vote banks so that they can protect their interests. However, I feel the NSS and SNDP Yogam are in a dilemma this time. Besides, the growing influence of BJP among the Hindu communities has caused concern among the caste leaders. The Christian denominations are also puzzled over the influence of RSS campaign like ‘love jihad’ among the community. Kerala has a strong secular fabric. Though communities play a dominant role, they have always defeated attempts to create communal polarisation,” stated Kerala University Social Science school dean Shaji Varkey.