Thiruvananthapuram, a Crucible of Identities

© 2006-2018 Kasturi & Sons Ltd. -vijay kumar [email protected] - EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU CHENNAI SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2019 GROUND ZERO 11 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Thiruvananthapuram, a crucible of identities The constituency which has been chosen by the BJP as its launchpad in Kerala is witnessing a threeway contest of Hindutva, Hinduism, and communism. Varghese K. George ﬁnds that the intense churn oﬀers newer opportunities for political mobilisation

(Clockwise from left): The UDF candidate Shashi Tharoor, the LDF candidate C. Divakaran, and the BJP candidate Kummanam Rajasekharan campaign in Thiruvananthapuram constituency. * S. MAHINSHA

khilesh Babu is an unlikely den Hari Kumar, a 44yearold in Kollam, national security frenzy of the BJP is a duism outweighs my critical concerns, tist. At a soiree in Thiruvanan says: “Our coming of age was marked by diversionary tactic, that we cannot alie and I make no apology for this,” he Athapuram, eased by single malt choosing our politics — being in the SFI Left, Right, Congress nate the people of Kashmir and claim wrote in his recent book, Why I Am A whiskey, he speaks of the American [Students’ Federation of India], KSU that to be an integral part of India.” Hindu. During campaigning, he ended electoral system, Marxism, social re [Kerala Students Union], or whatever. The contest in the temple town of Pathanamthitta CPI(M) district secretariat member N. up with a wound that required nine forms in Kerala, and contemporary pol Technology has replaced politics in Ker Ratheendran takes the mic moments stitches during a thulabharam — the ri itics. Though Hindu Ezhava by birth, Ba ala.” before ‘CD’, as the candidate is popular tual of weighing oneself against temple bu (name changed on request) even “Politics used to be the vehicle for as “You are here not because of me, Wearing a black shirt in an open ly known, arrives. “This is a fight for In offerings — when the heavy steel ba finds his way around the labyrinth of piration and gratification. From selfres and I know that. This land is the vehicle in Kerala’s April weather is dia’s future. Hindutva is trying to des lance fell on his head. His faith does not Kerala’s church history. Babu describes pect to sex, a Malayali seeks everything sacred place of Lord Ayyappa,” K. punishing, but this is symbolism troy India’s pluralism. The only credible prevent him from participating in Chris himself as “broadly a Leftist”, “a Daw these days on the handheld, and not Surendran, the BJP’s candidate in that Surendran cannot forgo — alternative to this onslaught on our di tian or Muslim worship — he sang ‘Silent kinsian” and a “neoAtheist” and teach politics,” says George, explaining how Pathanamthitta in south Kerala, says devotees climb to the Sabarimala versity is the Left. Kerala is a model of Night’ at a carol service and its video es dental science for a living. His adora his son is more connected to American to a gathering in Aranmula, a village temple clad fully in black. development, and it is accepted by the went viral last year. Tharoor has aligned tion for Kerala’s communist Chief cultural trends than Kerala politics. famous for its temple; the Aranmula “Here comes a candidate who entire world,” he says, recalling that it with the devotees on the Sabarimala Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, is boundless, “The increasingly layered under mirror, which is crafted out of a does not see religion or caste in was under CD’s watch (he was Food Mi controversy and questions the BJP’s in though his support for the party is less standing of identity has made political metal alloy; and an annual boat race people,” the pilot vehicle introduces nister of Kerala) that the State intro tentions on the issue. enthusiastic. “He is a man of scientific mobilisation difficult in Kerala,” says Ra in river Pampa. the candidate. How does his politics, duced the freshly cooked midday meal In Kovalam, Tharoor presents his rationality, and decisive. Many people man. “Politics is about privileging one Surendran is the face of the Sangh focussed entirely on the Sabarimala scheme in schools. “We have made pro politics as a countermanifesto to Hin might even see some of these attributes identity over others in pursuit of a com Parivar agitation against women issue, square with this statement? gress and this election is to keep our dutva. “On 23rd, your vote will decide in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, mon goal.” From this crucible of identi entering the forest shrine of “Muslims and Christians support State on the same course.” two things — who is your MP, who is though I don’t think Modi is scientific or ties, the Sangh Parivar wants to sculpt a Sabarimala, located in the our stand in large numbers. In fact, With his head full of black hair, neatly your PM. Who rules India matters, and rational. I like Modi too. He has a sense new Kerala in the Hindutva mould, and constituency. This is the second seat they run most businesses around parted and set, CD has a youthful ap we saw what happened in the last five of purpose, conviction. Both men came hopes Thiruvananthapuram will be its besides Thiruvananthapuram that #21659 the pilgrimage. We are winning this pearance that hides his 50yearlong ca years. What are our values? Our ethos? up against all odds,” says Babu. He wish launchpad. the BJP is focussing on. Veena time,” he says. reer. His long association with Thiruva Do we want an inclusive, just country?” es Modi had emphasised on the “plural George, a TV anchorturnedMLA A roadside shop along the nanthapuram is trumpeted in the From then on, he just says one sentence istic and inclusive” facets of Hinduism On the Rajasekharan trail from Aranmula, who managed to convoy’s route reads: ‘Best quality campaign: “He belongs to this place.” At after the photoops: “Vote for the hand, in his election campaigns. “It could be a “Remember the unspeakable horror of woo a significant segment of beef sold here.’ Women and men 76, he needs a hand to climb on top of Jai Hind.” force for good,” he adds. communist regimes in Poland, Cambo Christians to the Left in the alike in the Hindudominated the contraption of the campaign vehi More than the readers of his books, it It is Vijayan’s uncompromising stand dia and West Bengal. See the ongoing Assembly election, is the Chief panchayat shower petals and sing cle. He takes garlands mostly by hand. is the rural folks who drove Tharoor’s on the entry of women into the Sabari communist brutality in China and Kera Minister’s chosen candidate for the vanchipattu — folk songs that are As the sun gets harsher, he becomes a victory in 2014. Tharoor scored the mala shrine that reinforced Babu’s la. Wake up today, wake up now,” an an Lok Sabha. The Congress’s Anto usually sung during boat races. The little tired and his hands, worn out by highest in Kovalam. In Assembly seg loyalty to the Chief Minister, but his cou nouncer heralds the BJP candidate, Antony is seeking a third term. shop beckons. revolutionary politics of half a century, ments that are more urban — Kazha sin and host of the Kummanam Rajasekharan, along the begin to slightly tremble. But his voice is koottam, Vattiyoorkavu, Thiruvanan evening, Sindhu narrow, snaky roads in the lumpy ter firm as comrades offer him ‘revolution thapuram and Nemom — Tharoor (name changed on re rain of Kazhakoottam. “See the fake a CMP member, he was part of the Con ics for long, and he hopes to reap the ary salutes’. “Don’t fall for the rumours. trailed BJP’s Rajagopal, and the CPI can quest), is more muted contest of the deceitful communists gressled United Democratic Front harvest this time. We are winning with a huge majority,” didate was pushed to the third position. in her observations. and the Congress who are in an em (UDF) in 2014 and had campaigned for he tells small gatherings of 50 to 100 pe In the coastal segments of Parassala, Ko Growing up in a Leftist fa brace as soon as they cross the Shashi Tharoor, who is seeking a third Son of the red soil ople at every point. He says to The Hin- valam and Neyyattinkara, Tharoor won. mily and married to a Syr Western Ghats.” ‘Rajettan’, or el term in the Lok Sabha this time. In the Towering a little over six feet, his voice du: “By the time we began participating The BJP was pushed to the third posi ian Christian, Sindhu is ob der brother Rajan, is unlike all of local body elections in 2015, Chandran booming over the peaking vadyamelam, in parliamentary politics, other parties tion, as the CPI candidate came second. serving Lent ahead of Easter. them, the announcer reas became one of the 35 BJP winners in the CPI(M) MLA C.K. Hareendran waits with that were early movers had captured At Vizhinjam, a communally sensitive She occasionally sneaks her hus sures. The 66yearold candi corporation. The party is now the se about 200 others for C. Divakaran, the the system. That is a historical disadvan beach village, separated by a strip of no band into the Sree Padmanabha date, with his snow white cond biggest bloc after the Left Demo LDF candidate, in Parasala, 50 km short tage of the communist movement.” Af man’s land, the Latin Catholic and Mus Swamy temple in the city, report hair and beard, deep eyes cratic Front (LDF), pushing the UDF to of the southern tip of India. “Tharoor is ter the radical strides in the early years lim hamlets could potentially unite in edly the world’s richest place of and feeble manner of the third position in the 100member trying to make this a BJP versus Con of communism in the State, only incre their support for Tharoor. A new port worship owing to the massive gold speaking, looks and council. gress campaign, and consolidate all the mental progress could be made within under construction, a massive mosque treasure that it holds, where nonHin sounds more like an “We (Dalits) are ‘poster boys’ in the antiBJP votes. That is how he won last the limits of mass politics in Kerala, he and an imposing church overlook the dus are not permitted. On this day, off ideologue than a candi UDF and the LDF, as in we paste pos time, but this time it is not going to hap thinks. But believers and the commu village. If the BJP were to outperform it alcohol, she is the victim of mansplain date fighting an elec ters. We are also called upon to swell pen,” he says. Hareendran dismisses nists have made a great coalition along self in the four Assembly segments that ing, but slips this in: “Nobody should be tion. His plea for votes the crowd in their rallies,” Chandran talks of an undercurrent of unhappiness the way, he says. “Our comrades are ac are its strongholds, Tharoor will have to barred from any place. But I personally is matteroffactly. “De says. “In the BJP, in the last four years, I among the party cadres over the LDF’s tive in temple festivals, their upkeep. mop up more votes along the seaboard, do not want to go to Sabarimala as a velopment, protection feel more welcome,” he says, explaining strident position on women’s entry into There is no friction between believers in villages such as this. mark of respect for the custom.” of faith and security — his transition from being a communist Sabarimala. “There was some mild con and communists anywhere.” But the BJP is not leaving that field Syrian Christian Dev Thomas George, we are fighting for to an elected representative of the Hin fusion in the beginning. But once the open. Danny J. Paul, the party’s minori 40, who lives in the city but hails from three issues,” he du nationalist party. party took a clear position and ex Hindu against Hindutva ty morcha head, has been leading a spe Pathanamthitta, the constituency says. “The con Behind the calm demeanour of Raja plained it, everything has fallen in Shashi Tharoor spends more time giv cial campaign in the coastal areas since where the Sabarimala shrine is located, stituency is ne sekharan is an unwavering Hindutva place,” he says. At a booth campaign ing autographs and posing for selfies the last election and focussing on mi describes himself as “broadly a social glected. Our proponent who left his job to become a committee office of the LDF in Pangode, than asking for votes. He wears summer nority communities. BJP campaigners ist” and, if time permits, plans to drive faith is under attack. And security in fulltime activist in the early 1980s. In CPI(M) leader S. Suvarna Kumar says: colours, a breach of the Congress’s tra have reached all 170 booths in coastal 100 km to vote for the BJP’s K. Suren volves the security of our women, our 1987, he contested from the Thiruvanan “We get questions on Sabarimala from dition of wearing stiff whites. His Hindu Thiruvananthapuram, and nearly 30 dran in his home constituency. “He has children, our community and our na thapuram Assembly segment as a Hindu BJPleaning voters. And we explain our identity, he wears on his sleeve. “Des corner meetings have been held. The 200plus cases foisted on him by the go tion.” Kanikonna, the State flower and Munnani candidate. The district has politics. Not only on this but other is pite the flaws in some of its practices, considerable number of Left cadres will vernment of Kerala. There is an element an integral part of the Vishu festivities, been a fertile ground for Hindutva polit sues too. We tell people that this entire my admiration for and pride in Hin vote politically, which means that they of unfairness there,” he says. “I think and tender coconuts greet him at every will await instruction from the party. you have a split identity,” someone point. He may not have the wider ap In the midst of this organised work of taunts him. “Indeed. I have discussed peal of the other ‘Rajettan’, O. Rajago the Sangh Parivar and the LDF, Tha this with my psychiatrist and he thinks pal, who came a close second in the roor’s campaign has to fight the lethar it is okay to be like this,” George res constituency in the 2014 Lok Sabha gy — if not active sabotage — of the Con ponds, sharing with us some private in election, but “it is not the charisma of gress apparatus before he takes on his formation. George goes to church and is the candidate that is driving the BJP this opponents. His global persona and wid also a devotee of Ayyappa, neither of time; it is ardent political support,” says er popularity in the constituency are re which he is fanatic about. An engineer Ashraf Kadakkal, a professor at Kerala sented by entrenched interests within by training, he believes in rebirth, kar University. Rajasekharan stood second the Congress, but those are his greatest ma, and finds the Hindu belief system in the Vattiyoorkavu constituency in the assets too. After a shakeup involving a more mystical and rational than Chris 2016 Assembly election and Rajagopal visit by AICC general secretary Mukul tian certitudes. He has climbed the hill won from Nemom. Wasnik to the city, there is fresh vigour several times. “In principle, I support Rajasekharan’s campaign begins in campaigning, but whether it will be women going to Sabarimala, but I wish from a Dalit neighbourhood in Attipra. sufficient to deny the BJP its first Lok the custom had evolved gradually,” he As the rickety pickup truck that func Sabha victory in Kerala is an open ques says. tions as a moving dais for the candidate tion. “There was an initial lull in cam Ravi Raman, a Communist Party of stutters forward, a man in his 30s with a paigning but now it is in full steam,” says India (CPI) nominee of the Kerala Plan saffron headband and a child in one B.S. Shiju, Director, Rajiv Gandhi Insti ning Board, says ruefully that Babu and arm does not let go of Rajasekharan’s tute for Developmental Studies, a Con George are representative of a new pol hand. Eyes welling up and at a loss for gressaffiliated think tank in the city. itical culture in Kerala. “There is a dis words, he finally manages to let out a In moments of intense churn, read tinction between democratic populism scream: “Win, win, we must this time!” ing the public mood can be difficult. and authoritarian populism that is be A local temple is managed by the Da “The urban voters are willing to be ing lost,” he says of Babu’s comparison lit community. Suni Chandran, a leader swayed. They can change their political between Modi and Vijayan. Raman is al of the Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabha preferences easier than the rural folks,” so an ardent supporter of the Chief Mi (KPMS), is the councillor of the city cor says Dimpi V. Divakaran, Director Gen nister — not for his efficiency or deci poration from the ward. As most politi eral of the Institute of Parliamentary Af siveness, but for the politics he cally aware Dalits in Kerala, Chandran fairs in Thiruvananthapuram. represents. “Efficiency and develop too had started as a communist — first in The three political streams are trying ment are not politics. The question is the CPI and then in the Communist Mar to match their understanding of the sit what politics drives your development xist Party (CMP), a splinter group of the uation in a triangular contest that is un agenda,” he says. Communist Party of India (Marxist). As ique in the country in this election.

CM M CH-CHE YK