Kerala Not Fertile Ground For Politics Of Hatred

KERALA CHIEF MINISTER Pinarayi Vijayan is a relieved man.

- Cithara Paul

As the pilgrimage season at the Sabarimala temple—the first one after the Supreme Court allowed the entry of women of menstrual age—came to an end, he had the air of someone who had managed to tide over the political storm successfully. The unprecedented floods last year brought his leadership and administrative skills to the fore, and he received much appreciation from all quarters. But, his aggressive posturing in support of the Sabarimala verdict won him both bouquets and brickbats. While diplomacy has never been his strong point, political astuteness and crisis management certainly are.

Some may not agree with the manner in which he welcomed and implemented the Sabarimala verdict, but Vijayan insists that his government did not show any “unnecessary haste” in implementing the order. “We did only what we are constitutionally bound to do,” he tells THE WEEK.

Vijayan also discounts the increasing influence of the BJP in the state and pins his hope on Kerala’s strong secular fabric. While he agrees that people in a democracy have the right to protest and that hartals are a medium of protest, he says they should be the last resort. “Unfortunately, the BJP and the RSS have organised seven hartals after the Supreme Court verdict on September 28, 2018, for flimsy reasons. They just want to tarnish Kerala’s image outside,” he says. “I believe people will realise their heinous intentions.”