Prajapalana: Natesan of Yogam is unwilling to compromise and is still aiming for CPI
Prajapalana: The mouthpiece of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, Yoganaadam, sharply criticized the controversy that was sparked by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan giving Prajapalana Yogam’s general secretary Vellappally Natesan a ride in his official vehicle on Friday. The backlash was described as a disturbing reminder of long-standing social discrimination.
As the general secretary of the influential Hindu Ezhava social organization, Natesan is now under criticism from both the Congress and the CPI, the government Left’s second-largest supporter.
The magazine contends in a forceful editorial that the controversy surrounding the Chief Minister’s move reveals the “distorted and ugly face of untouchability” that persists in Keralan society even 78 years after independence.
It claims that the mockery and derogatory remarks that ensued after the occurrence show a failure to accept the societal acknowledgment given to leaders from underprivileged groups.
The Communist Party of India (CPI) has also been targeted by Yoganaadam, which claims that the Ezhava and other underprivileged groups are the foundation of both the CPI(M) and the CPI, but that the current leadership of the CPI seems to have forgotten this historical fact.
The magazine argues that the matter would not have escalated into a problem if the passenger in the Chief Minister’s vehicle had been from a minority group or a higher caste.
Additionally, according to the editorial, there is a conscious effort to present providing Vellappally Natesan with a lift as a serious offense, even “treasonous” in character.
The publication claims that the only reason for the criticism is because a backward community leader was engaged, which exposes ingrained societal prejudice.
The Muslim League is also criticized by Yoganaadam, who claims that the party is fostering aspirations to seize power by putting the UDF in the lead and promoting what it refers to as “religious governance,” which is bolstered by the outcomes of previous local body elections.
On Thursday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reaffirmed that his behavior was perfectly acceptable.
According to sources, some members of the CPI leadership are not pleased, but they are reportedly more upset with the Chief Minister’s public reaction than the act itself, and they are unlikely to express their displeasure publicly.
In the meanwhile, CPI(M) leaders have insisted that the Chief Minister’s choice was an individual one.