Battle intensifies for Sree Narayana Guru’s legacy

KOLLAM/KOTTAYAM: The alleged ‘crufixion’ of Sree Narayana Guru on a tableau displayed by the CPM workers in Kannur during the  Sreekrishna Jayanthi led to widespread protests by the  SNDP Yogam activists in the state on Monday. 

The Yogam director board meeting held in Kollam also decided to  boycott the CPM leaders over the issue.

Protest marches  were held in several places, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and various parts of Kottayam.

Clashes  erupted between  CPM and Yogam workers  during a hartal declared by SNDP Yogam at Kurichy panchayat near Kottayam. Four injured SNDP activists were  admitted to the Kottayam MCH and district hospitals.

SNDP general secretary Vellappally Natesan flayed the CPM  and  said  the party had reduced itself  to ‘Judas’ and insulted Sree Narayana Guru.  

Mr Vellapally demanded that  the CPM leadership should apologise for the heinous act.  “Do they have the courage to insult Chattampi Swami or Mannath Padmanabhan in the same manner?” Mr Natesan asked.

He also hinted at forming a political party for the community. The SNDP was  ready to help parties which  approached it.  He demanded action against the CPM workers who had tried to malign the  SNDP.

He said the CPM had  aligned itself with communal leaders like Abdul Nazer Madani and Kanthapuram Aboobacker Musaliyar. 

“The CPM should do a reality check,” he added. CPM state  secretary  Kodiyeri Balakrishnan  opined that the tableau on  Guru could have been avoided by the CPM workers.

At a public meeting in Kottayam, CPM leader  Pinarayi Vijayan said that there had  been efforts to ‘kill’ the dharma of Sree Narayana Guru. 

He  tried to defend the party saying that it had never tried to insult Narayana Guru.   “The uproar in the state is against the move of SNDP Yogam for a tie-up with Sangh Parivar,” said Mr Vijayan.

When Mr Vijayan was addressing the rally at Thirunakkara grounds, the SNDP workers took out a   protest march on the adjacent road and  destroyed the flex boards of the CPM.

In  Changanassery also, Yogam workers destroyed the flags of the party. Chingavanam police said cases had  been registered against the SNDP activists.

The SNDP Yogam youth movement workers conducted  protest  marches before the secretariat in  Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts as well.