Just over a week after CPI(M)’s Kerala secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan made a stunning comment, “Will the mountains crumble if women enter Sabarimala templeIJ”, Public Works Minister and senior party leader G Sudhakaran has stirred a hornets’ nest with his suggestion that singing prayers and lighting of lamps — which he views as symbols of feudalism — should be avoided at Government functions.
Critics allege that the Marxists, who kept saying they were not against religion and faith during poll campaign, have suddenly started asserting their materialistic and atheistic position though they have no problem in celebrating religious festivals like Sri Krishna Jayanti and Ganeshotsav in order to keep their Hindu support base intact.
Kodiyeri and Sudhakaran are not alone in their alleged “incursions” into the areas of faith, religion and ritual systems. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, still the most powerful leader in Kerala CPI(M), had just two days ago said that Government employees should avoid celebrating Onam festival by preparing Pookkalam (floral patterns) at offices during working hours.
“No kind of prayer should be sung at Government functions because the Constitution of the country doesn’t have religion or caste. No songs of any religion should be sung at Government programmes…. There is no point in singing the Stotras of our gods and goddesses,” Minister Sudhakaran said at a CPI(M) programme at Muthukulam, Alappuzha the other day.
“I agree with anyone who says that Nilavilakku (the traditional bronze lamp, known generally as a Hindu religious symbol) should not be lit at Government functions. There is no need to light any lamp,” the Minister said. lighting of Nilavilakku and singing of prayers have always been integral parts at functions – including those of the Government – in Kerala.
“There are people who question those who suggest that Nilavilakku should not be lighted at official functions. What prompts them to such criticisms is their mentality of Brahminical supremacy. Those who raise such criticisms need not be Brahmins but their culture is that of Brahmin domination,” Sudhakaran alleged.
“Whenever there is a programme at a school, a girl would be brought on the stage to sing the praises of some goddess. What is the purpose of thisIJ What meaning does it haveIJ All these things are remnants of the old feudal style… A system should be there by which a pledge, “We have no caste”, should be taken at the morning assemblies in schools and colleges,” he added.
Responding to Sudhakaran’s controversial suggestion, Syro-Malabar Church spokesman Fr Paul Thelekkat said that lighting of lamp at functions need
not be seen as a religious symbol. “This has been happening for years and nobody
looks at it as a religious matter,” he said.
State BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan said that the CPI(M) leaders were speaking in a tone that ridiculed the State’s cultural heritage. “They don’t want Nilavilakku, Pookkalam or prayers. This tendency to say no to anything and everything is a sign of the policy of the cultural fascism they are following,” Kummanam said.
“Nilavilakku on such occasions is just a symbol of piety and knowledge and not one of feudalism or religion. As far as prayers are concerned, it can be examined whether a particular song is in praise of the god of any particular religion. But what the Marxists should understand is that secularism doesn’t mean negation of religion,” said Deepak Kumar, a Thrissur-based sociologist.
Referring to Pinarayi’s statement on avoiding Onam celebrations at offices during working hours, a former CPI(M) theorist said, “It is all right if he is sincere about it. But there is some serious contradiction when he makes such a suggestion and then gives a call to employees and others to make the general strike on September 2 a big success.”