Saffroning Kerala: Part 9
By Abdul Basith, TwoCircles.net,
In effect what I want to re-emphasize is that Islamophobia and savarna ideology benefit a few elites among all our major religions and the lower-castes and the Dalits should be wary of these divisive tactics and unite against these polarizations.
James Michael
I think the issue here is communalism. And I think communalism cannot be understood without understanding secularism. Secularism envisions a rational public sphere and cannot brook resistance from what it perceives as ‘non-rational elements’ like religion, caste etc. Secular logic therefore tries to device ways to either camouflage or shove under the carpet these elements which are very much part of our public sphere. There is obviously a contradiction in ‘reason’ itself – that is why the domain of reason has been split into public and private spheres.
James Michael
Private sphere becomes the area where caste, religion etc., are addressed. In addition, I should add that the division between left and right is also untenable. Earlier, we did think that the right is fascist and the left is progressive. But now we know that most progressive forces were in reality camouflaging inequality, by talking about the supposed existence of some ideal real equality. However, we have painfully realized that the distance to be traversed between equality and inequality is long and in South Asia this distance cannot be addressed without taking into account the existence of caste.
The left has failed to do so to a large extent. This is the reason why I think the old binaries between the left and the right and secularism and communalism should be trashed. Our public discourses about a monolithic “Hindu” or a monolithic “Muslim,” whether it comes from the left or the right or from the secularists or the communalists, should be viewed with suspicion. The slogan ‘Hindu-Muslim bhai bhai’ is equally problematic as any slogan which engenders Hindu-Muslim enmity. These communally polarized identities are mobilized to make sure that internal inequalities and power hierarchies are maintained.
This is the logic behind the supposed new-found bonhomie between NSS (The Nair Service Society) and SNDP (Sri Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogham) under the convoluted logic of Hindu unity. And our political discourses suddenly find polarized between Hindu and Muslim discourses. Historically upper-caste Nairs, Syrian Christians and elite Muslims have used the same logic to topple down progressive measures initiated in the fields of land reforms, education etc., in Kerala.
Dalits and lower castes do realize that the logic of a monolithic ‘Hinduism’ has been deployed not only to terrorize non-Hindus but also lower castes and Dalits who are forced under the fold of Hinduism by the state and the communal forces—remember that the DHRM (The Dalit Human Rights Movement) is branded as a terrorist organization in Kerala.
I think caste discourses bring to light internal inequalities perpetuated by communal forces. In the same fashion Pasmanda movement of the lower-caste Muslims has revealed how elite Muslims, known as Ashrafs, have cornered many benefits that should have rightfully belonged to lower-caste/Dalit ‘Ajlaf/Arzal’ Muslims.
In effect what I want to re-emphasize is that Islamophobia and savarna ideology benefit a few elites among all our major religions and the lower-castes and the Dalits should be wary of these divisive tactics and unite against these polarizations.
(As told to TCN Staff Reporter Abdul Basith MA on saffronisation onslaught in Kerala.)
James Michael is a renowned activist from Kerala and a PhD student at EFLU, Hyderabad.. He is a staunch supporter of beef festivals against elite class interests and has been following the caste politics in Kerala closely.
[Note: NSS (the Nair Service Society), led by Sukumaran Nair, was formed to protect the interests of Nair community in Kerala (an elite class) and SNDP (Sri Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogham), led by Vellapalli Nadeshan (a spirit business giant) was originally an organisation formed to uphold the teachings of Sri Narayana Guru (a great reformer of Kerala, who fought the caste system and took strong stand against alcohol), representing the lower caste Ezhava community.
Originally with opposing views, they have now come together to resist minority influence in Kerala politics (saying they minorities get undeserved benefits through their organised structure in Kerala) and emphasizes on Hindu unity.]
Photo Courtesy: Abid Aboobacker