Rising Intolerance: Kerala’s Anti-Hindu Rally Sparks Concerns

Approximately 300 individuals face charges for raising provocative slogans against Hindus in Kerala on 26th July 2023. Most of the accused are members of the Indian Union Muslim League’s (IUML) youth wing. Several anti-Hindu slogans like “We will burn you alive!” and “We will hang you in your temples!” were part of a solidarity march in Kanhangad, Kerala.

Under the guise of support for victims of Manipur violence, the IUML created an atmosphere of dread among the Hindu residents. The release of the 2008 Bangalore blast accused, Abdul Nasar Madani, by the newly elected Congress government in Karnataka is speculated to be the cause of the rising intolerance against Hindus in the land of their forefathers.

Manipur Violence a Foil for Kerala’s Anti-HIndu Rally  

Reports state that vile anti-Hindu slogans were chanted by the rally members in Kerala’s Kasargod. Most of the chanters were either members of the IUML or were incited by their members. These chants display the increasing anit-Hindu narrative of the state of Kerala under CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s administration. The implicit support of divisive politics by the CPIM government resulted in the events of 26th July IUML rally.

The 54% Hindu population of the state feels insecure due to the rise of the church-supported radical ‘peaceful’ extremists. The police have filed cases against 300 members of the rally after the complaint from the BJP Kanhangad Mandalam President. The charges come under Section 153A of the IPC, which deals with promoting enmity between different religious groups. However, there is no news of any arrests so far.

We strongly condemn the shocking footage from the Kanhangad protest. The chants of "We will hang you in temples" and "We will burn you alive" by the Muslim League, aimed at Hindus, are utterly reprehensible and cannot be justified. @RahulGandhi must be held accountable for the… pic.twitter.com/KIZPakreyo

— BJP KERALAM (@BJP4Keralam) July 26, 2023

Meanwhile, the Youth League State General Secretary, P. K. Firoz, confirmed that the worker who raised the provocative slogan has been expelled from the organization. In efforts to pacify the media and the BJP, Mr. Firoz stated that the party workers had deviated from the approved slogans. The Kerala BJP faction strongly condemns the anti-Hindu slogans raised during the rally. They labeled the actions of the Muslim League utterly reprehensible and unjustifiable. Moreover, they urged the Congress Party leader, Rahul Gandhi, to respond to the actions of the party he calls ‘secular’.

The IUML is a member of the inclusive I.N.D.I.A. opposition gang. This incident makes the agenda of the I.N.D.I.A. very obvious to the wise. 

Kerala Pays the Cost of Congress’ Karnataka Win

As soon as the Congress party took over Karnataka, they allowed Abdul Nasar Madani to travel into Kerala. The Supreme Court had restricted Madani’s movement to the Kollam district. However, after the Congress win in Karnataka, the SC allowed him to enter Kerala supposedly to get medical treatment. The court set his bail condition of reporting to Kollam every two weeks under police security. Consequently, Madani is free to orchestrate the radical elements in the state of Kerala as long as he can prove he is getting medical help. Moreover, he can entertain visitors as desired during his stay in Kerala. 

The ban on PFI has made the IUML the destination for radicalized elements of the ‘peaceful’ community. The presence of Abdul Madani increases the possibility of anti-Hindu campaigns in Kerala. These campaigns may be used to suppress the Hindu votes in the upcoming 2024 general elections. The registered case against the chanters of the Kasargod rally does not stop the spread of fear among the Hindu residents of Kerala. Consequently, the Hindu community may be fearful to cast their votes due the threat of election violence against them in 2024. Therefore, one slip-up from voters for freebies may have caused a cascade of events in the southern part of India.   

Conclusion

As the controversy continues, political tensions in Kerala are likely to escalate. Moreover, the incident raises concerns about communal harmony and highlights the need for responsible political discourse in the state. The communist government’s attempts to woo the Muslim votes through IUML may result in their abandonment of Hindus in the state. Additionally, the Congress and Communists will attempt to turn the incident on its head to make it the BJP government’s fault. The 2024 general elections are not just about the choice of political party, it is a choice of survival of Hindu identity in India. However, whether the residents favor Bharat over freebies of I.N.D.I.A. is a question for another day.