Ramesh Babu / Hindustan Times
Desperate to carve a designated space in the southern state, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems to be using all the opportunities to strengthen its base in Kerala, including the meets with Christian religious heads making it to the national leaders’ itinerary.
Party president J P Nadda’s visit to Kozhikode (north Kerala) last Friday was no exception as he met Tamarassery Bishop Remigious Paul Inchananiyil.
“We discussed general situation in the country,” Inchananiyil skirted questions when asked about the BJP’s “latest love for church”.
Last week, minister of state for minority affairs John Birla, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sampark Pramukh, Ramlal, met many leaders, including Arch Bishop Cardinal Baselios Cleemis. The party also reportedly assured church leaders that the Union government will do everything possible to realise Pope Francis’ visit to the country.
Last year, when three Cardinals of the Catholic church — George Alancherry, Baslios Cleemis and Oswald Gracias — met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi they renewed their long-pending demand for the Pope’s visit and the PM agreed to their request. In 2018, when the Pope visited Bangladesh, the church asked the government to invite him to India but nothing materialised.
“We have been assured that the much-awaited Papal visit will be made possible by this year end or early next year,” a senior leader of the Syro-Malabar church said, adding that the official announcement will be there shortly. The last Pope to visit the country was John Paul II in 1999.
Last year, the PM talked to leaders of warring Jacobite and Orthodox factions to broker peace at the initiative of Goa governor P S Sreedharan Pillai.
Party leaders admit that they approached a few sulking Christian leaders aiming to float a new political outfit but their efforts are yet to pay off. Recently, when the saffron unit approached senior Congress leader K V Thomas, he expressed inclination towards the Communist camp.
Later, when the party approached first NDA MP from Kerala, P C Thomas — a junior minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee cabinet — to rejoin the BJP-led coalition, reportedly his cold- shouldered reply: “Vajpayee-era party to Modi-period, the distance is far” dampened their spirit.
Kerala Congress former general secretary George Sebastian’s outfit, Association of Christian Trust Services, seems to be an effort to bridge this gap.
“As of now, it is a non-political social outfit. Our aim is to establish a healthy relationship and remove all the misunderstandings between the party that is ruling the country and the church,” said Sebastian. He said besides established church denominations, there are many independent churches in the state and the new outfit will try to bring them under one umbrella.
‘FEAR FACTOR’
Minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan, hailing from the state, said that the Congress and CPI(M) instil fear among Christian community and keep them away from the BJP.
“In north-eastern states and Goa, the BJP gained support from the community but in Kerala some forces are trying to keep the community away from the party. Left and Congress often join hands to mount this misunderstanding but their designs won’t last long,” he said.
“They are deliberately creating this fear that Sangh Parivar is trying to make a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ and that Muslims and Christians will be targeted. But facts tell truth. In last eight years, communal riots came down to 20% compared to previous UPA regimes,” said Minority Morcha national vice-president Noble Mathew adding there is a perceptible change in community’s attitude towards the BJP. He said isolated incidents in other parts of the state get big publicity and a section of people is working behind this.
The party knows it well that going by the demographic pattern — 54.73% Hindus, 26.56% Muslims and 18.38% Christians (2011 census) — it is difficult to penetrate the state without the support of Christian community. Party leaders say though the community supports it in north-eastern states and Goa whole heartedly, in Kerala, Left and Congress have been working to create en environment of “fear psychosis” and recent meetings were aimed at dealing with the same.
Last year, when Pala Bishop Mar Joseph Kallaranghat raised “narcotic jihad” allegations, the BJP was first to defend him. The Bishop came out against a section of Muslim community saying “Catholic girls and youth were targeted by jihadi elements in the state.” Later, the government had booked him for creating enmity between different religious groups.
In the Kozhikode meeting, Nadda also said that Christian leaders who raise genuine concerns were silenced by the ruling CPI(M). He accused the Left front government of supporting fundamentalist forces and claimed that Kerala has turned a breeding ground for extremist elements under its rule.
“Christian leaders have recently raised concern over fast demographic changes taking place in the state. Instead of addressing their concerns, the government is silencing them. The government’s pseudo- secular policies are harming the communal fabric of the state,” the BJP president said.
But the ruling CPI(M) strongly objected to Nadda and said his desperation was quite evident. “The saffron party is desperate. North-Indian model lynching or polarisation is not taking place here. The state has a strong secular fabric and nobody can damage it. Despite all rhetoric, the party will remain a distant third in the state,” said Politburo member M A Baby.
STRONG RSS PRESENCE
Even after the strong presence of its ideological mentor RSS in the state, electoral success has eluded the BJP.
The state has 4,500 shakhas, one of the highest in the country, despite strong opposition from left extremist elements, said RSS joint secretary Krishna Gopal last year. The party never crossed 15% mark in bi-polar polity of the state. In 2021 assembly elections it forfeited the lone assembly seat in Nemom.
“In Kerala, both Congress and CPI(M) close their ranks to defeat prospective BJP candidates. They openly trade votes to realise this. But things will change,” said BJP leader S Suresh.
Political observers however feel it is difficult for the party to placate the community in the state. “The party will have to play its cards well and strengthen the organisation rather than playing to gallery,” said political commentator Sunnykutty Abraham.
This article first appeared on hindustantimes.com
