What is left of the Left?

If Yogendra Yadav’s desire to see the death of the Congress party had dismayed many in India, a wishful whisper from an ardent Communist follower, to see the complete annihilation of the Communist Party of India (M), had shocked me no end too. As we stood on the pavement with the traffic blaring around us, I was unsure if I had heard it right. With unbelieving rounded eyes, I strained my ears to catch every word, he seemed to nod that I heard him correct: “The Communist Party is no longer what it was,” came another sad whisper. “It’s only a shadow of its former self.”

Though pre-poll surveys indicated that the Left parties had little hope in Kerala in the Lok Sabha elections, I had totally dismissed this conversation from my mind till the results started pouring in. The Left in Kerala was completely routed way more than what their worst enemies would have imagined.

Kerala, Politics

May 30, 2019

The Rise of Hindutva is Only a Matter of Time in Kerala

An unmistakable message from the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in India is the emergence of a cosmopolitan Hindu identity cutting across the seemingly insurmountable barriers of caste and regional diversities. This is a phenomenon that has evaded the many waves of Hindu resurgence in the past, and its impact on Indian politics in the coming days would be substantial. The politics of secularism is vacating the centre stage, leaving the scene to the rising Hindutva crescendo.

However, it is assumed in political circles that Kerala successfully bucked the dominant national trend, resisting the onslaught of the Hindutva forces. Kerala definitely threw up a very interesting outcome, vastly different from the national scenario. A tally of 19 seats for the Congress-led United Democratic Front and, a solitary win for the CPI (M) with the BJP winning none, it does look like a resounding victory for secular forces.

Kerala, Opinion, Politics

May 29, 2019

How Tharoor Won the Puram

In February, I was in Thiruvananthapuram for nearly a week for personal and work-related stuff. My last port of call was writer Paul Zacharia’s apartment on a Sunday evening. When I called him at short notice and requested for an audience, Zacharia initially tried to shake me off—only to finally agree to talk to me for 30 minutes. He was busy giving final touches to his now released debut English fiction—A secret history of compassion. My freewheeling conversation with the writer ended with some political chatter. And I asked him the inevitable: Which candidate was he supporting in the general elections as a voter enrolled in Thiruvananthapuram?

Pat came the reply, “Shashi Tharoor”.

Kerala, Politics

October 13, 2017

SC decision on case of women’s entry into Sabarimala prompts mixed reactions

More than a decade after the Indian Young Lawyer’s Association filed a petition seeking lifting of ban on women’s entry in Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, a three-member bench of Supreme Court (SC) headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, referred the case to a Constitution Bench on Friday. The petition assailing the Rule 3 (b) of Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rules, 1965, was filed in the year 2006 and the rule has been flayed on the grounds of violation of right to equality and discrimination on the basis of gender.

On March 7, 2008, the Court referred the case to a three-member bench. A hearing in the case was held only on January 11, 2016. In February 2017, the Court said it might refer the case to a Constitution Bench. Following it, the three-member bench including CJI Dipak Misra, Justice R. Bhanumathi and Justice Ashok Bhushan referred the case to a Constitution Bench on October 13, 2017.

Multiple opinions

Law, Life, Opinion, People, Religion

September 5, 2016

Mixed Reactions by Experts on Comparison of the Haji Ali Dargah Judgment to Sabarimala Issue

In a recent historic judgment, the Bombay High Court declared that women can enter the sanctum sanctorum of the Haji Ali Dargah, located at the southern part of Mumbai. This place of importance contains the tomb of Sayed Peer Haji Ali Shah Bukhari.

Through its judgment, the High Court lifted the ban that prevented women from entering the sanctum sanctorum. The Court said that if women were banned from entering the Dargah, it would be in violation of Articles 14, 15 and 25. However, following a plea by the Haji Ali Trust, the order has been stayed.

The Bombay High Court judgment has greater significance when compared to the issue of women’s entry in Sabarimala. In both the cases, women are being prevented from worshipping the deity. However, experts say that Sabarimala is a place where the deity is perennially celibate, and so the cases aren’t the same.

Religion

July 15, 2016

The Ever Shaky Stand on the Sabarimala Issue Continues

The debate on the entry of women in Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple has reached its next stage as the ruling government’s majority party CPI (M) has come out in support of it. The previous Oommen Chandy-led UDF government’s decision to not allow women devotees in Sabarimala, as it would be against centuries-old beliefs and rituals, is likely to be changed by the new government.

Surprisingly, even last week, the State government in the Supreme Court had stuck to the UDF government’s decision. The current stand by the CPI (M) has put the government under immense pressure, as rejecting the party’s stand may give the people a feeling that the party and the government have two different stands.

As per tradition, menstruating women are not allowed to enter the temple. When the Supreme Court asked the previous government to submit an affidavit mentioning its stand, the UDF decided to not allow temple access to female devotees.

People, Religion