Kerala Minister for Fisheries and Culture and CPI-M leader Saji Cherian has run into trouble for his blatant attack on the Constitution of India.
Cherian, a two-time legislator from the Chengannur Assembly constituency in Alappuzha district while taking part in a CPI-M party meeting at Pathanamthitta, had said, “The Indian Constitution is not fair to the labour class as there is no protection for them and instead of that some ‘stupid’ (used popular colloquial words like ‘kunthem’ and ‘kudachakrem’) things like secularism and democracy are written in it.
“The Constitution is what the British said and has been written by an Indian. It’s something which one allows for loot and nothing there for the labour,” said Cherian.
He slammed the judiciary and said, “In labour cases the courts are favourable to the business people and that’s what has helped the Adanis and Ambanis.”
Kerala Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan said, “What Cherian said is not acceptable and Vijayan should ask for his resignation. “If Vijayan does not act, we will seek legal recourse,” said Satheesan. Saji Cherian is a Christian CPM leader, who is considered close to both the Church and SNDP Yogam – a Hindu Dharmic org founded by Ezhava community leaders.
The usual communist rhetoric against big business notwithstanding, there is more than a grain of truth in what Cherian has said. Our Constitution is based on the British colonial Government of India Act, 1935 and does not represent the will of the people or the ethos of our ancient Dharmic civilization. Articles 25 – 30 have led to a perverse situation wherein the minorities have greater privileges compared to the majority in terms of managing their religious institutions and running educational institutions.
Any time a Hindu raises these pertinent questions and the need for Constitutional reform, the left-secular-liberal intelligentsia shouts her/him down with slogans like ‘basic structure of Constitution is inviolable’ or ‘Constitution is our holy book’.
Now that a Christian communist leader has criticized the foundational elements of the Constitution, it will be interesting to see what our Hinduphobic intelligentsia has to say.
(With IANS inputs)
