Sangh Parivar trains guns on Kerala Speaker over Hindu mythology

“In contemporary textbooks, some are promoting myths as scientific facts. It is perplexing to see what they are attempting to teach these days. In my school days, the answer to the question of who invented the airplane was the Wright brothers. Now they (Hindutva propagators) claim that airplanes existed in ancient times, with the first-ever plane being Pushpak of Ramayana. They seem to be substituting scientific facts with myths, even in this age of advanced science and technology. For instance, IVF treatment is a viable option for childless couples today but they suggest it existed during the time of the Mahabharata, with the Kauravas supposedly born from it. Similarly, plastic surgery stands out as a significant achievement of modern medical science, but they assert that it was also practiced in ancient times, using the example of Lord Ganesh with a human body and an elephant’s head.”

This is what Kerala Assembly Speaker AN Shamseer said on July 21 during a function at a school in Ernakulam. He was answering queries from the students.

For most people, the Speaker’s response is grounded in scientific reasoning and basic commonsense. However, this is not the case for a few of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Kerala.

Also read: History, state data contradict Centre’s huge Kerala heatwave death figure

The Vice President of the BJP in Trivandrum district lodged a police complaint against Shamseer, accusing him of supposedly “insulting” Hindu beliefs under the pretext of advocating rational thinking. The complaint asserted that legal action should be taken under IPC section 153 (a), which pertains to promoting animosity between various religious groups, and Section 295 (a), for allegedly insulting religious beliefs.

Hindutva fury

Some fringe Hindutva groups staged protest marches in front of the state Secretariat. Some others are planning even bigger agitations against the Speaker. The situation escalated when a Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader delivered an intimidating speech at a demonstration. He asked Shamseer to refrain from consistently insulting Hindus.

“Shamseer might believe he won’t face consequences similar to those faced by professor TJ Joseph, who had his hand chopped off after being accused of insulting Islam in an exam paper. He should not assume that Hindus will always remain passive,” said the leader, Ganesh.

Also read: Kerala liquor policy: Toddy push to boost tourism, but not everyone is happy

The resonance of this fiery speech got even bigger when senior CPI(M) leader P. Jayarajan got into the act. “If you dare to raise your hands against Shamseer, Yuva ‘Morcha’ people will be end up in the mortuary,” Jayarajan declared in front of a thunderously applauding crowd, while rhyming ‘morcha’ with ‘mortuary’.

Following Jayarajan, who is widely regarded as a living martyr of the CPI(M) due to a brutal attack he endured by an RSS gang in 1999, the situation escalated into a war of threats between the rank and file of the BJP and the CPI(M).

Criticism of Hindutva

A section of BJP leaders and some Sangh Parivar affiliated bodies demanded that Shamseer should tender an apology to the Hindu society as he has “hurt the religious sentiments by dubbing their belief as myths”.

Countered poet and social commentator MM Sacheenddran: “In fact, it is the religious bigots who should be apologising to the Hindu religion and its followers. These individuals are the ones spreading false narratives about the religion. The Vedas and Upanishads do not contain any references to plastic surgery or aeronautics. Bringing up such baseless and ridiculous claims, the RSS and Sangh Parivar are portraying the Hindu society in a negative and unfavourable manner.”

In the meantime, the Yuva Morcha and BJP are labeling Shamseer not as an agnostic or atheist, as he asserts, but as an Islamist apologist.

The state president of Yuva Morcha, Praphul Krishnan, accused Shamseer of holding Islam in high regard and deliberately trying to demean Hinduism. Krishnan likened Shamseer’s remarks to those of the Taliban, suggesting an alignment with the banned PFI (Popular Front of India) ideology. “Considering his constitutional position, Shamseer should retract his statement and offer an apology,” he asserted.

Hindu organisations are planning to lodge complaints all across Kerala against the Speaker as part of an orchestrated move.

Long-term targets

“We do not know how the concept of myth can be an anti-Hindu notion,” said KT Kunhikkannan, a leader of the CPI(M). “BJP and RSS are trying to paint Shamseer as an Islamist, using his Muslim name. These are coming from their xenophobia and racism. It won’t work in a society like Kerala.”

The CPI(M) leadership is of the opinion that the BJP is trying to target their leaders of Muslim origin to play a communal card, with DYFI president AA Rhim and state PWD minister PA Muhammed Riyas, who is also the son-in-law of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, being regular targets.