Vellapally Natesan is the General Secretary of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP). It has been a social service organisation representing the Ezhava community in Kerala since 1903. It was founded with the blessings of Narayana Guru. Vellapally Natesan was elected as the chief executive of the SNDP meeting three consecutive times.

During the last census, around 80 lahks Ezhavas were spread throughout Kerala. One in four Keralites belonged to this Hindu community. They have traditionally supported the communists of Kerala. A few excerpts of a Vellapally Natesan article published in the SNDP mouthpiece are enclosed below.

Vellapally Natesan

Managing Editor,
Yoganadam

I have only one thing to say to those who are raising swords against me for pointing out the reality of extreme Muslim appeasement being perpetuated by the left and right fronts in Kerala: I will not bow down to such threats. History tells us that those who told the truth were persecuted.

Some loot public wealth after grabbing the seats of power by bargaining with political parties for followers of their religion. Their secular masks should be uncovered, and that will be painful. I am ready to face their challenges.

I pointed out the injustice of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) (Communists/ Mani Congress and others) and United Democratic Front (UDF) (Congress/ Indian Union Muslim League and others) nominating two Muslims and one Christian to the three vacant Rajya Sabha seats.

Kerala has a total of nine Rajya Sabha members. Five of them are Muslims. Two are Christians. Hindus comprised more than half of the population, and both fronts gave us two seats.

Religion is the priority of both fronts while deciding who to contest in the elections. Minorities are nominated in Malappuram (Muslim-dominated) and Kottayam (Christian-dominated). (The left fielded K J Shine (Latin Christian) in Ernakulam, Thomas Chazhikadan (Knanaya Christian) in Kottayam and V Vaseef (Muslim) in Malappuram.) They do not have the confidence to field other community members in these constituencies.

Communists became secular when they fielded A M Ariff (green communist) in Hindu-majority Alappuzha. Ariff won in 2019 but lost this time. The communists lost 10% of the vote, and BJP’s Sobha Surendran gained 10%, but both lost to Sonia Gandhi’s stooge K C Venugopal.)

Muslims did not even vote for Muslim leftist candidates in Muslim-dominated Nor Kerala. They voted for the UDF to defeat the BJP.

CPM and CPI sacrificed the faith of the backward and scheduled community, which had been rock-solid with the party since the inception of the Communist parties. Yet again, they found Muslim leaders to nominate to the Rajya Sabha. They (communists) did so to appease minorities. If it is a mistake to highlight all this, then the decision is to continue that mistake.

It is regrettable that when I brought up a social issue in Kerala, some Muslim leaders came forward with statements that a case should be filed against me and I should be put in jail. Unfortunately, even All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama leader Kanthapuram AP Abubakar Musliyar, who generally speaks politely, responded with harsh words. When accusations were made against the injustices of his religious followers, Musliyar lost his gentleness.

Everyone knows who the communalists are in Kerala. Some are threatening lives around the world because of religious conflicts in some (Gaza) corners of the world. They indulge in speeches and activities full of religious hatred and ridicule and claim to be doves of peace. No one openly says this in the name of political correctness.

I am being accused of trying to create communal issues. I questioned the discrimination and inequalities society faces to avoid future communal riots and maintain communal harmony. There is an obligation to convince society of this severe situation. If not, those who will be trampled will respond.

Growing disparities will lead to protests. Those who try to fight with the sword now without showing the wisdom to understand it should also think about how they will react tomorrow. Our thoughts, not emotions, should guide us.

Those questioning me should ponder how Suresh Gopi won easily in Thrissur. (Suresh Gopi is the BJP MP from Kerala) Suresh Gopi’s trump card is the vote of Christians who recognise religious discrimination and hatred. The Christian community has been opposing the BJP for a long time.

When the Muslim appeasement of both fronts and the arrogance and intrusion of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and several Muslim organisations could not be tolerated, the Christians saw the BJP as their saviour. (The LDF is trying hard to woo the IUML) A Christian devotional sung by Suresh Gopi and his wife is now the worship song in Christian homes.

The Muslim community leadership should at least evaluate the change in the minds of people of other religions and modify their attitudes. If the political fronts go ahead without correcting the mistakes, tomorrow, the Hindus, especially the oppressed, will follow the path of the Christians.

Tolerance is at the core of Hindu culture. Hindus do not administer justice using violence. Hindus did not conquer countries, nor did they proselytise and destroy the places of worship of other religions. This community has endured persecution during centuries of foreign rule. Please don’t see it as a weakness and try to harm us again.

Minority appeasement in Kerala started with coalition politics. Minorities in Kerala gained strength under the UDF rule with the help of their vote banks. Minorities rose socially and economically. In half a century, we have witnessed the dominance of minorities in all areas, such as land, education, power, health, agriculture, and industry.

Economically backward Hindus were pushed into Vanvasi colonies, outlying areas of the cities and forced labour. If we evaluate the families of those who died in the Kumarakom boat accident and what they gave in the Beypore boat accident, the religious discrimination shown by the governments, even in death, is clear.

(The Beypore tragedy occurred at Tanur, and most of those on board the vessel were Muslims. While the Kerala government gave the kin of the deceased ten lakhs each, the central government, too pitched in. The Kumarakom tragedy involved non-Muslims, and their kin got nothing from the government.)

Who benefited when new educational institutions were granted? In Malappuram, not a single school was provided for the SNDP Yogam—dozens of colleges run by others (Muslim organisations got aid. Even Arabic colleges have been converted into government-aided institutions. If one wants to see where Arabic finance is taught, go to Malappuram.

So far, I have maintained silence on these matters out of respect. Now, I am forced to retort slowly. There are many such incidents. Isn’t it better not to reveal them all?

A social and economic survey must be conducted here to understand the inequalities faced by backward Hindus in Kerala. My grievances and allegations will then become apparent, and this is the only way if you wish to prove me wrong. In the modern world, figures and facts are valued.

Let them stop abusing me and my organisation and ask the authorities to conduct a social and economic survey. I challenge all minority organisations and political parties. Those who are energetic in their positions can come forward.

(Relevant excerpts from an editorial written as MD of Yoganadam, the SNDP magazine, in the 16 June 2024 issue)