Community groups donning political colours in Malabar

KANNUR: Community organizations are fast assuming political colours in Malabar.
The most recent development was the convention of the Most Backward Communities' Federation, an organization of educationally and socially backward communities. This includes Vaniya Samudaya Samithi, Vanika Vaisya Sangham, Kerala Padmasaaliya Sangham, Akhila Kerala Yadava Sabha, Vilakkithala Nair Samajam, and Kerala Veluthedathu Nair Samudaayam.
These communities are denied the right and privileges for educational and employment concession, said the leaders.
P V Shaji, district president of the federation, said: "In order to assert our right, we have to take a political stand, and that will be seen in the upcoming elections."
"These organizations have nearly 50 lakh voters in the state but since they don't come under one umbrella, especially in electoral politics, their voice has not been heard," he said. "In the upcoming local body elections, we would be with the political party which would work for our welfare," he added.
Similarly, in the last Lok Sabha elections, the Nambiar Maha Sabha had openly supported CPM candidate P K Sreemathi, who also happens to be a Nambiar.
"In a society where even the political parties take the path of communal appeasement, such things are imminent," Arayakkandy Santhosh, SNDP Yogam Devaswom secretary said. "But this is an indication of the degeneration of the political parties," said Kannur DCC president K Surendran.
"This tendency was less in Malabar compared to southern Kerala and is gaining ground here because people think it is better to express their communal identity than the political one," he said.