With Kerala elections nearing, Ezhava and Nair community organisations are discussing a possible political coming-together of Hindu groups. SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan said the outfit’s council has passed a resolution supporting the idea, calling such unity “the need of the hour.”
Author : Akshita Jain | EQmint | Political News
Two of the state’s biggest Hindu caste bodies—the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam and the Nair Service Society (NSS)—are now seen as pushing this “Hindu unity” proposal as the assembly polls draw closer.
SNDP–NSS unity talks gain steam; Vellappally asks Thushar to engage
Vellappally Natesan, general secretary of the SNDP Yogam, backed the decisions taken at the outfit’s general council meeting on Wednesday. He also asked his son, Thushar Vellappally, to hold further talks with the Nair Service Society (NSS).
SNDP Yogam mainly represents the Ezhava community, while the NSS speaks for the Nair community. The development has drawn attention because Natesan is seen as pro-Left and has even predicted a third term for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. In contrast, Thushar leads the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), a BJP ally in Kerala, and is also an NDA convener—adding a strong political angle to the talks.
After the meeting, Natesan told the media that unity among Hindu organisations was “the need of the hour.” NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair quickly echoed the sentiment, saying they were ready to discuss how to move forward once Thushar comes for talks.
The SNDP Yogam council also passed a resolution focused on Malappuram, saying it was necessary to protect social justice, equality, and secularism in a district where Muslims form a numerical majority. The resolution alleged that organisations like the Muslim League use political influence to secure benefits, and claimed that if the Congress-led UDF returns to power, key money-handling departments would come under parties formed around religious identity. It further argued that the majority community faces discrimination and denial of social justice.
Unity pitch widens, but row grows over Natesan’s comments and Congress backlash
Natesan has also argued that Christians should be part of the proposed unity plan. Over the past year, he has sharpened an anti-Muslim narrative, making comments about Malappuram—known for its large Muslim population—by claiming people there live in fear and “can’t even breathe freely,” and describing the district in highly provocative terms.
The ruling CPI(M) attempted to downplay these remarks, suggesting they were directed at the IUML. The Congress, however—led by Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan—has repeatedly called the statements divisive.
Political heat rose further last week when Satheesan, speaking alongside Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, said hate speeches should not be encouraged. He also remarked that people should be careful “when we give a lift to others in our cars,” a pointed reference to Vijayan sharing a ride with Natesan in September, soon after the controversial remarks.
Both the NSS and its general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair—like Natesan—have also taken aim at Satheesan, especially after he said community and religious bodies should not interfere in party politics. Even though Satheesan remains one of the Congress’s leading contenders for the top post, Nair recently appeared to favour senior leader Ramesh Chennithala, saying no one else was “fit to be Chief Minister.”
On Wednesday, Sukumaran Nair again took a swipe at Satheesan, calling him an “overhyped” leader and saying he isn’t a “big person.” This contrasts with a recent pre-election survey by a national news channel that reportedly showed Satheesan as the most popular leader in the Kerala Congress.
Meanwhile, both the CPI(M) and the Congress appear cautious about the proposed Hindu unity platform and are responding carefully. At the same time, no prominent Nair or Ezhava leader in the Congress has publicly backed Satheesan on issues involving the NSS and SNDP Yogam, which has fuelled talk that the party itself is split.
The timing is also notable: this discussion is happening as the ruling CPI(M) is trying to win back parts of the Hindu vote base it has lost. A similar attempt at consolidating Hindu groups was floated in 2012, when the Congress-led UDF was in power, driven by the feeling that minority communities were getting the biggest share of benefits. That effort, however, did not translate into a formal alliance.
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