Udayor Blog

Another attempt by the coterie at Chanagnacherry to pull down the Nayar community, Hindu community in general. This time it is a call to promote the Brahmin priests in temples. The return, it seems is to teach Vellappilly Natesan of the Ezhava community a lesson. For he has hunted down K C Venugopal, the Devaswom Minister. Forget that it was the same coterie that began the game, targeting the Devaswom Board President K. Raman Nair. Supposed to be their own man, perhaps he did not please their bloated egos, or did not share the booty. What eventually spilled over and the old man and his man Friday chose to hit back. Obviously there are hidden issues involved as sharing the loot is what brings all the conflicts, Devaswom Board, NSS or SNDP. That the post-colonial state apparatus is corrupt to the core is known to all, that includes the Devaswom Board, a den of corruption. What repeats in similar bodies like NSS and SNDP. But angels guarding the truth came out with crusades against corruption.

The steady process of a Hindu consolidation is suddenly on threat. To be on the fair side there was no need for Vellappilly Natesan, now with a fan following among the Nayars, also other Hindus, to have gone behind Oommen Chandy with his ‘bomb’ against the ‘Nayar Minister’ Venugopal. What came handy for the old sponsors of Changanacherry, the Syrian Christian community. Oommen Chandy and the ever thankful KPCC President, Ramesh Chennithala, brought in with a lot of noise, played behind the scenes can be inferred. How the Mannam Jayanthi in Changanacherry had a horde of UDF ministers. The strategy was well planned, there was also a ‘Nair Pratinidhi Sammelanam’, though what kind of ‘Pratinidhis’ now go to Changanacherry is well known. Statements from the Brahmin community came immediately, that only Brahmins, now destitute after serving the gods for many generations, should do poojas. In a state whose Hindu population is famous as the most disturbed, suicide prone, driven to destitution. Understandable, with out Santhi job they will starve to death, even if the salaries for the Santhis suffice only to keep them in semi-starved conditions, karmam.

Now the demand by the NSS supremos is primarily to cut Vellappilly to size, an image they resent with the dynamic man filling newspaper space all over, what they fail to match even to a small degree. And as if to add insult to injury the Ezhava community leadership is also hobnobbing with the powerful minorities, bargaining from within and attacking from without. When Vellappilly strikes from outside Vakkom Purushothaman fixes the deal from inside. Clever game plan where the NSS was found wanting. The old SNDP leadership has used this tool earlier also, aligning with the lower castes and minorities, making quite a territory in the name of ‘Pinnakka Noonapaksham’, abusing the ‘Savarna Fascists’. Not that they were fond of the pathetic condition of the real ‘Pinnakka’ groups like Dalits and Tribals. Who remain where they were. Who made the kill was the ‘minorities’ and a bit by the Ezhava community. It was also to counter this that the Nayars aligned with the Syrian Christians. Both parties realized the folly of fighting each other and a general consensus in favour of Hindu Aikyam emerged.

It is this initiative that the present stand off is going to damage. Where both the parties are at fault, the NSS more so. For the organization claiming to represent the Nayars and located in the Christian belt has its own world view. They go by what Malayala Manorama editorials tell and are in that sedation from their inception. Where the small crack in the present Devaswom stalemate came handy for the lobby. In any case a ‘Visala Hindu Aikyam’ was not going to be in their interest. The Hindu empire was beginning to strike back. The last Panchayat elections saw the minority lead UDF reduced to Kottayam and Malappuram. How the frantic efforts to compromise began. The Congress, once lead by the freedom fighters, a majority Nayars, has since been captured by the moneyed Syrian Christians. High command now in Italy it was easy. How the attempt to white wash the sins began and the NSS was given some privileges. Like handing over some land in Thiruvananthapuram. Where the MG College and Women’s College are located, so far on lease. Similar land assigned to Syrian Christians during the same period, like the YMCA, was handed over long back, as the Nayars slept. There are many other plots in the capital, like Mar Ivanios College land in this list. But such things are only known to insiders.

With the generosity, where Oommen Chandy gave his land to the MG College, the UDF and NSS were friends again. What was celebrated at the Mannam Jayanthi day, almost the entire cabinet paraded before the cameras. The NSS super heroes elaborating about the percentages of Commission, Narendran Commission here, to the TV cameras with great scholarship. The General Secretary, an old lawyer at the Magistrate Court in Changanacherry who used to frequent the head quarters, as Kidangoor Gopalakrishna Pillai used to narrate, is his best in such matters. What if he had no cases as a lawyer he knows the nuances of how the ‘laws’ work. Is also fond of fighting Court Cases, NSS has a plethora of cases in various Courts. The British who made all the ‘laws’ for the natives were a smart lot, it is very easy to put people in to the spider’s web of laws and procedures. So for some time now it will be a debate on the percentages of the Commission. Forget the capture of Kerala by the minorities. Forget also the larger Hindu Aikyam. Obviously this will have enough ammunition to keep the parties fighting. One caste against other, one community against the other and the loot of the state will remain out of focus.

As a senior community member said, the NSS leadership, like the pied piper in the old story, is taking the whole Nayar community to sea. Which they are not even aware of. As other communities like Ezhavas are busy planning and implementing various developmental programmes like loan facilities to poor there is nothing of the kind in the NSS. The old guard do not understand such matters and will not want to hear what others tell. Their incompetence make them insecure. The main role of the NSS Karayogams is collecting ‘Kodi Panam’ the money collected at death rituals of members. Also assisting in marriages, what is no more there in many places like Thiruvananthapuram where the Residents Assciations have taken over this role. How many Karayogams, match box buildings inaugurated by the NSS General Secretary who enjoys elephant processions and talapoli for such events. The dilapidated Karayogam buildings and unkempt educational institutions of the NSS give an idea of what is happening. As more and more of the community perish, as the jobless and unmarried swell there is celebration at Changanacherry.

And at the core of the problem is nothing but their skewed religiosity. It was a hundred years back that Chattambi Swamikal gave a call to the Nayars, to get out from the slavery to caste Brahmins. From blind beliefs and customs. Now, when Narayana Panikker and his ‘sinkidy’ asks that Kerala go back a hundred years either they are having serious mental problems or are playing the fool. For the Nayar community, with all the challenges, is not stagnant to that degree that they will stand by such absurd positions. For them they know that they will have to progress in spite of a dead engine like the NSS. And historically looked at the thousand dollar question is where were the Nayars when the NSS was formed and where they stand now. Comparing with how the SNDP helped the Ezhava community the picture becomes clear. Indeed NSS has done a lot of damage, much more than their help, to the community. What repeats in the present case. Without changing the whole NSS structure, from its constitution down, there is no hope from there. But the NSS duo have spread rumours that they have done black magic, with a Brahmin priest, to destroy all those who oppose them. How no one from the pious Nayars dares to approach them.