The Congress and the Communist Party of India [CPI(M)] on Monday used the Guru Samadhi day functions to elaborate their strong opposition to the moves of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan to float a political outfit.
Criticised
While Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and CPI(M) State unit secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan made oblique references to the Yogam’s plan to float a political party, Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan was rather direct in his criticism of the Yogam leader for his overtures to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), pointing out to the dangers of tying the Guru’s tenets to the Sangh Pairvar.
Mr. Chennithala, while inaugurating a function at Chempazhanthi, near here, to mark the Guru Mahasamadhi day, came down against attempts to use the teachings of the guru for political gains.
Politicisation
He said the Guru’s teachings cannot be ever politicised as he did not belong to a community or a period.
The spirituality of guru’s teachings were inseparable, he said.
Mr. Balakrishnan criticised the attempts to portray the guru as a Hindu God. Sree Narayana Guru was not a mere imagination, but a reality. Some evil forces were trying to distort his teachings, he said.
Renaissance
The Opposition Leader dwelt at length at the historical perspectives of the contribution of the renaissance movements, including that of Sree Narayana Guru and the Communist parties.
He hit out at some unhealthy trends that were creeping into Kerala social and cultural life.
It would be a travesty for the Yogam to subjugate its self before upper caste forces, he said.
. He was vehement in criticising Mr. Natesan who, he claimed, was moving towards the Sangh Parivar which had now called for doing away with caste reservations in the background of the agitations in Gujarat.
Similarly, it was the BJP, which under L K Advani, had opposed the Mandal Commission implementation, he said and wondered whether Mr. Natesan understood the undercurrents of history.
