A party for communal polarization

SNDP General Secretary Vellapally Natesan had embarked on his much publicized ‘Samasthwa Munnetta Yatra’ starting from Kasaragod on November 23 to Thiruvananthapuram with the support of the RSS aiming to unite the members from the Nayadi to Namboothiri communities.

While both the UDF and the LDF severely criticized the statewide rally and its intentions, the BJP seemed excited. The yatra ended in the formation of his new political party Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) which was launched at the Shangumukham beach side in the presence of his supporters. Congress working committee member A K Antony had said that the formation of Vellapally’s new party Bharat Dharma Jana Sena was part of an RSS agenda to create communal polarization in Kerala. He also said the party wouldn’t be able to spread its root in the state. While KPCC president V M Sudheeran said that Vellapally was operating as a recruiting agent of the Sangh Parivar, CPM Politburo member Prakash Karat alleged that the new party was the result of a BJP-RSS project. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had also said that Vellapally’s new party was a recruiting agency of BJP and RSS in the state. Despite the numerous disagreements between the UDF and the LDF, both the Fronts agree on the fact that Vellapally’s BDJS wasn’t formed with noble intentions. Vellapally had earlier announced that it would be a Hindu party. He has now said that it would be a secular one and that the aim of the party was not to build a Hindu country. Not just the UDF and the LDF but the majority of the people has not believed his statements. The main reason is the severely communal speeches he made ahead of the launch of BDJS. Vellapally had given igniting speeches even at the Shangumukham beach, aiming communal polarization. He had earlier propagated that the UDF and the LDF governments who ruled the state always favoured the minorities and neglected the majority community in the state. He had also presented estimates of different allowances given to the minorities while deliberately hiding the fact that his party and caste received much more benefits.

He had conveniently neglected the fact that the governments hadn’t shown any reluctance to sanction government plots, schools and colleges to the Sree Narayana Trust and the SNDP. The reservation, financial assistance and scholarships permitted for the Scheduled Caste has also not gone down well with Vellapally. He had even alleged the state government’s offer of financial help to the family of the deceased auto driver, Noushad, as minority appeasement. Noushad had died by falling into a manhole and inhaling poisonous gas while trying to rescue two labourers from the sewage pit. The Chief Minister had visited his family and offered help along with a government job to his wife according to her educational qualification. Vellapally had alleged that the financial aid was provided because Noushad was a Muslim. So the claims of his party’s secular character are ridiculous. Whatever his goals, the path ahead for Vellapally seems tough. Whether he would be able to continue facing the challenges as SNDP’s General Secretary is yet to be seen. It’s because there are people who belonged to the LDF, UDF and other parties present in the BDJS. He would at most be able to take a faction of them to the BJP’s fold. Given that he has invited other caste outfits as well to the BDJS, it’s yet to be seen how he retains the Ezhava superiority. The truth is that Vellapally’s party is based on no creative agenda other than the aversion towards the Muslim and Christian communities. The Sangh Parivar might be vigilant in ensuring that the BDJS wouldn’t receive the same fate as former SRP. But even they might not be able to prevent the party from it's decline above all his personal interests and gains. The tie-up is likely to secure BJP a section of Ezhava votes in the impeding elections.