Kerala: As Left govt tries to reach out to Hindu devotees with Ayyappa Summit for votes, read CPI(M)’s history of bigotry and massacres against the community

There appears to be an ideological churn occurring within the Communist Party of India (Marxist) regarding Hinduism. The party, which has historically opposed the majority religion and its followers, has surprisingly been showing a softer stance towards it.

It was illustrated recently when Kerala Temple Affairs Minister V N Vasavan commenced the inaugural session of Ayyappa Summit. He perused a message from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath which was received after an invitation was extended to him, reported The Indian Express.

“Dear V N Vasavanji, I am thankful for the invitation to attend the agola (global) Ayyappa Sangamam on 20th September at Pampa in commemoration of the platinum jubilee of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). Lord Ayyappa is the divine protector of Dharma. His worship illuminates the path of righteous living and inspires devotees to promote and preserve sattvic values and strengthen harmony and inclusivity. It is necessary to spread ancient Indian wisdom and traditions. In this perspective, the Sangamam assumes much significance and this conclave will successfully achieve its objectives,” the CPI(M) leader read.

The Global Ayyappa Sangamam at Pampa marks a historic moment in reaffirming Kerala’s secular legacy. Organised by the Travancore Devaswom Board as part of its platinum jubilee, it celebrates Sabarimala’s universal message of devotion, fraternity & inclusivity, while opening new… pic.twitter.com/LzPFMVgRDq

— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) September 20, 2025

Although there are a number of reasons, many believe it to be an electoral ploy. “There is no doubt that this means the normalisation and hegemony of Hindutva as an ideology. All may not be singing the same song as the Bharatiya Janata Party, but they are trying to sing different versions of the party’s song,” voiced a senior Left activist from the state.

He seems to have struck at the heart of one of the main explanations, considering the anti-Hindu track record of the Leftists and their historical ties to Islamists.

However, two CPI(M) leaders, one of whom was a member of the Politburo and the other of the Central Committee insisted that the event’s goal was to promote Pamba as a destination for religious tourists. According to one of them, Lord Ayyappa has been a “symbol of secularism” because of the legend of Vavar Swami, a Muslim warrior and his friend that is connected to his worship.

Certainly, it is evident that having followers across various religions does not diminish the religious significance of a deity nor does it render them secular. However, it is a common tactic among this group to undermine the religious aspect particularly in relation to Sanatan Dharma.

Opposition to the event

On the other hand, the Sangh Parivar and the saffron party had acknowledged the motivation behind the decision and denounced the event. They questioned the political purposes of the government and demanded that it first drop criminal cases against the devotees. Notably, the Kerala authorities had attempted to enforce the Supreme Court’s ruling allowing women of menstruating age to worship at the sacred site, leading to severe protests in multiple parts of the country, in 2018.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan attempted to refute the criticism and even emphasised his counter by quoting from the Bhagavad Gita as well. “Only true devotees can do this. Those who feign devotion may have a special agenda and have tried to prevent the gathering of devotees. It is a relief for all of us that such attempts have been prevented by the Supreme Court,” he alleged.

He conveyed that it was a “sangamam” or gathering of people who support the holy scripture’s concept of devotion. However, a CPI(M) leader exposed the truth and disclosed that the party sensed that its Muslim vote had taken a significant hit and planned to make up for it by reaching out to the state’s small but well-organised Hindutva constituency.

A calibrated political strategy

The CPI(M) which is the leader of Kerala’s Left Democratic Front (LDF) coalition, vehemently opposed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). It was their primary agenda for the Lok Sabha elections to win over Muslim voters. Nevertheless, the party only won one of the 20 seats in the state, compared to the 18 seats held by the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). Meanwhile, BJP also secured a victory in Thrissur, party’s first-ever victory in the general elections, in Kerala.

Afterward, the CPI(M) shifted its position and charged that the UDF’s triumph was the result of collaboration between the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) as well as the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political branch of the outlawed Popular Front of India (PFI) along with Jamaat-e-Islami.

“The league is being criticised for having joined hands with communal forces. The approach of the IUML towards the CPI(M) is the same as that of the SDPI and Jamaat-e-Islami. IUML has the voice of extreme communal outfits,” CPI(M) Politburo member A Vijayaraghavan declared. “The Congress and IUML joined hands with communal forces for votes. During the elections, IUML had turned into the face of the SDPI,” he further slammed.

CPI(M)’s troubles were far from over. In the June by-election, the grand old party defeated the Left candidate by over 11,000 votes in the Nilambur Assembly constituency which is part of the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, held by All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

PV Anvar, a two-time CPI(M)-backed Independent lawmaker who had become a harsh critic of Vijayan and ran as an Independent. He obtained almost 20,000 votes, which ensured the triumph of Congress.

The CPI(M) was persuaded that Muslim votes could no longer be relied upon because of this, according to a party insider. According to another source, there is a conviction within the party that certain Ezhavas and Nairs have started to switch to the BJP. The loss of Muslim and Hindu voters could affect the former. Hence, the Hindutva push is to appeal to the devout particularly the Ezhavas.

CPI(M) tried to gain the favor of pro-Hamas, Hinduphobic IUML

The CPI(M) might lament about Congress-IUML alliance akin to a jilted partner, but the fact remains that the party spared no effort in trying to win them over to its side, without success. The IUML which is a key part of the UDF possessed equal importance for the Left front.

The Congress party was attacked by the LDF convenor E P Jayarajan in 2023 for barring P K Kunhalikutty, the IUML’s national general secretary, from participating in the M V Raghavan memorial meeting in Kannur.

Jayarajan outlined, “Kunhalikutty maintained close ties with Raghavan. When the latter’s son Nikesh invited him for the meet, Kunhalikutty agreed. But the Congress was insecure and uncomfortable. It does not trust the League.” He then stressed, “We moved from 91 to 99 seats. The people of Kerala wish to maintain this government. It is only natural that the Muslim League also wishes the same.”

Jayarajan also lambasted Congress for its position on the Israel-Palestine dispute and underscored how the IULMI would not agree with it. “When Aryadan Shoukath held a pro-Palestine rally in Malappuram, the Congress opposed it. The Congress stance has generated a dissent within the IUML,” he pointed out.

It is no secret that the CPI(M), Congress and other opposition parties have a well-known affinity for Islamists and jihadi factions, while simultaneously targeting Hindus over trivial matters.

The same affection was displayed during a debate on India Today presented by Rajdeep Sardesai when IUML leader MK Muneer, Congress spokesperson Lavanya Ballal Jain, CPI(M) leader MA Baby and other speakers unanimously declined to call Hamas a terrorist group. They also debated the matter interminably without denouncing the Hamas leader who addressed at a rally in Kerala.

IUML’s Hindumisia has been highlighted during a march in Kasargode after which the Kerala police arrested over 300 persons, including five members of the youth wing of the Indian Union Muslim League, for shouting anti-Hindu slogans in the name of protesting against Manipur violence. They chanted “Pachakkittu Kathikkum (We will burn you alive)” and “Ambalathil Ketti Thooki (We will hang you in the temple).”

According to the full slogan, “Without reciting the Ramayana, will be hanged in temple, will be burnt unto death,” Hindus will be burned to death and hanged in front of the Sanctum Santorum without being permitted to recite the Ramayana. Furthermore, “Youth League Zindabad” and “Muslim League Zindabad” were also raised at the rally.

More importantly, the parent organisation of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which insists that it was born with India’s independence in 1948, is the All India Muslim League (AIML) that was formed by Pakistani ideologue and founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

CPI(M) and the Sabrimala saga

Massive protests followed the apex court’s verdict to permit women of all ages to enter Kerala’s Sabarimala temple. However, rather than dealing with the sensitive matter pertaining to the religious sentiments of millions with the required sensitivity, the CPI(M) government initiated a brutal crackdown on devotees who were protesting against the judgment.

The government declined to file a review petition as the devotees had requested, instead choosing to carry out the decision, inviting their fury. It sent out two battalions of female combat troops along with approximately 1,000 police. However, the police brutally attacked the agitators and even assaulted them in the pretence of maintaining law and order.

Vijayan referred to the beliefs of Lord Ayyappa devotees and announced that some customs are designed to be broken, applying salt to the injury. Meanwhile, at least 2000 persons were taken into custody by the authorities and 450 cases were filed against them. According to reports, the government intended to slap between Rs 10,000 and Rs 13 lakh on the accused to obtain bail.

The Kerala High Court had condemned the government for its brutal treatment of devotees and took notice of the arrests. It pronounced that the latter would have to bear a “heavy price” if any innocent individual was apprehended, in response to a plea. The petitioners also asserted that police had even harassed devotees who were only taking part in Lord Ayyappa’s Nama Japa Yajnam.

The high court even asked for information about the government’s use of excessive force in relation to the abuses committed by the police against the devotees. Additionally, it mandated that those police personnel who behaved violently be subject to the appropriate repercussions.

The government even forcibly evicted the worshippers from temple on several occasions in addition to enforcing harsh restrictions.

Furthermore, highlighting his Hinduphobia, Kerala minister G Sudhakaran disrespected the Sabarimala temple Tantri (head priest) by stating that the donkeys in the temple town possess more grace and later called him a “Brahmin Monster,” following the lead of the chief minister.

Many people had to sacrifice their lives, endure wounds and face arrests due to the nefarious actions of CPI(M) workers and the Left government as they spared no effort in violating the religious sentiments of Hindus, from assaulting the devotees to assisting women from their cabal in undermining the time-honored traditions at the holy place.

Unfortunately, the controversies surrounding the temple only intensified due to the CPI(M) and its leaders. The party has perpetuated its legacy of offending the sentiments of Hindu devotees and breaching the sanctity of the temple, from serving unhygienic food to the devotees to manhandling them.

CPI(M) leader attacks NIA to support Hadiya

Akhila Ashokan, a woman hailing from Kerala converted to Islam and adopted the name Hadiya under the influence of a roommate. She entered into marriage with Shafin Jahan, affiliated with the PFI. However, this union was unknown to anyone, including her parents. Moreover, she maintained contact with other PFI Islamists while her husband was reportedly in communication with ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) operatives.

This case should have raised alarms in a state with the highest number of ISIS recruits and mounting instances of love jihad, also repeatedly emphasized by the church. Nevertheless, a CPI(M) leader opted to denounce the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for investigating the matter.

“The NIA is on a fishing expedition having already interrogated 89 such couples in Kerala,” Brinda Karat wrote in a letter. “An agency whose proclaimed mandate is to investigate offences related to terrorism has now expanded its mandate by order of the Supreme Court to unearth so-called conspiracies of Muslim men luring Hindu women into marriage and forcibly converting them with the aim of joining the Islamic State,” she added.

Karat stated, “Her (Hadiya’s) case reveals how deeply the current climate created by sectarian ideologies based on a narrow reading of religious identity has pushed back women’s rights to autonomy as equal citizens. From the government to the courts, to the strengthening of conservative and regressive thinking and practice, it’s all out there in Hadiya’s case.”

She even hailed Hadiya and declared, “It was the courage of her conviction that stood out. She wanted to be treated as a human being. She wanted her faith to be respected. She wanted to study. She wanted to be with her husband. And, most importantly, she wanted her freedom.”

She accused the NIA lawyers, who were assisted by the centre’s legal team, of presenting it as an instance of “indoctrination and brainwashing in a conspiracy of love jehad, which they claimed rendered Hadiya incapacitated and invalidated her consent.”

While the CPI(M) has been preoccupied with denying a horrifying reality, similar to how Vijayan ridiculed the plight of the Hindu girls portrayed in “The Kerala Files,” numerous non-Muslim women were discovered to have converted and traveled to ISIS-controlled territories with their Muslim husbands.

The most notable occurrence involved four girls, including Fathima Isa alias Nimisha, who were located in an Afghanistan jail and her mother is continually appealing to the government to bring her back to the country.

Furthermore, the Hadiya case also established a disturbing precedent for girls, particularly underage girls. It ignored the real and concerning risks of terror recruitments and brainwashing, and instead highlighted the targeted conversions as some romantic ideal.

CPI(M) and its anti-Hindu legacy

The Left is notorious for harboring an unbridled animosity towards Sanatan Dharma and its followers. This sentiment has guided their actions not just in the present but for decades, especially during times when they wield authority.

16 monks and a nun from the Hindu group Ananda Marga were killed and burned alive in broad daylight on 30th April 1982, close to Ballygunge in Kolkata. They were pulled from the cabs that were supposed to transport them to their headquarters in Tiljala in Kolkata for an educational seminar.

It was reported that thousands of people witnessed the killings which took place at three distinct sites at the same time. no one was arrested. The CPI(M) government persisted in hiding the truth about the lynchings for multiple years.

Sher Singh who was serving as Additional District Magistrate at 24 Paraganas offered to provide pertinent documents and the facts of the case. His plea held that the victims were killed because of a land dispute with the Communists. The CPI(M) was afraid that the Marga would overtake them in the then-communist stronghold of the Kasba area.

The Marga’s public relations secretary, Acharya Trambakeshwarananda Avadoot, told The Indian Express that the Left government’s “only success has been the concealment of its involvement in the state’s biggest case of lynching.” He stated that the communists intended to destroy the Ananda Marga’s senior leadership, but its thugs unintentionally killed regular monks who were connected to the group.

A one-member judicial panel was set up by the state government to look into the lynchings only in 2012, after Mamata Banerjee was elected as West Bengal’s chief minister. The communists were angry with the Ananda Margis because they disagreed with their ideology.

The Ananda Margis were first attacked in 1967 in its Purulia Global Headquarters where five of them were slain by CPI(M) cadres. The Coochbehar congregation of the Ananda Marga was attacked just a few years later. Five Ananda Marga members were slaughtered by the party’s cadres in April 1990, even after the Bijon Setu Massacre.

In the meantime, chief minister Jyoti Basu had infamously declared, “What can be done? Such things do happen,” as no justices was ever served during the extensive CPI(M) rule.

Similarly, a few years ago, an alarming incident unfolded under his government, showcasing the Left’s bewildering hostility towards Hindus. The island of Marichjhapi in West Bengal’s Sunderbans became a precarious sanctuary for over 40,000 famished, indigent and desperate Bengalis at the beginning of 1979.

They were Hindu refugees who had fled East Pakistan which had just became Bangladesh to save themselves from persecution. However, they were unaware that a more dreadful fate awaited them in their original homeland. They were forced to escape into the thick Sunderbans jungle since the West Bengal government refused to accept any responsibility for them.

The Hooghly river delta’s waterways were taken over by the state police, who arrived on launch boats. The island was totally encircled and there was no way for the people to access food or medicine. The cops then indiscriminately opened fire on the Hindu refugees on the morning of 31st January. The island was evacuated. The West Bengal government never released an official death toll and therefore the scale of the slaughter remained unknown.

The red color in the party’s flag seems to symbolize the blood that its members and governments have shed of innocent Hindus.

CPI(M)’s anti-Hindu rhetoric and antics

The party, which purports to be secular and anti-religion has consistently opposed Hindus while pandering to Islamists. This was also pointed out when CPI(M) requested prominent Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen to leave West Bengal in 2007 to cater to the radicals.

Nonetheless, CPI(M) has shown a consistent pattern of glaring hypocrisy concerning religion. The party, which claims to despise all religions as unscientific and superstition, accommodates a prayer space for followers of Islam while regularly displaying its aversion to Sanatan Dharma.

M V Govindan, the state secretary of CPI(M) was under fire in August for visiting Mahava Poduval, a Hindu astrologer. The party became enraged with him for talking about “astrology.” The astrologer had to clarify that the leader was there for tea and meet his family.

Saffron flags and other decorations installed at the temple for the Attukal Pongala festival were taken down by the communist workers, who then covered some of the saffron flags with a billboard that extolled the chief minister, triggering agitation by Hindu protesters, in February.

The Ganapati homam was held within the Nedumannur LP School in the Kozhikode region of Kerala in February 2024 to the displeasure of the CPI(M), in February 2024. Its thugs stopped the pooja after learning about it from the residents.

Additionally, they assaulted the organisers who performed the ceremony. The latter were later arrested by the police as the CPI(M) men marched in protest to the Nedumannur LP School. This outlined the state of justice for Hindus under the Left’s governance.

The party protested as pooja was conducted during the introduction of the national emblem in July 2022. CPI(M) lambasted its minister, Kadakampally Surendran, in September 2017 for going to the historic Sree Guruvayur temple in Thrissur and performing pushpanjali at his family’s request.

The party also played a key role in overthrowing Nepal’s Hindu monarchy.

Conclusion

The aforementioned incidents are just a glimpse into the larger issue, showcasing the profound hatred that CPI(M) has harbored against Hindus over the years. The ongoing strategy of the Left government to appease Hindus is primarily motivated by their need to secure votes from this demographic as their preferred vote bank seems to have abandoned them in favor of Congress.

The government, which has not hesitated to violate the sanctity of the deity is organizing a summit in his name. This should be enough to elicit scepticism from any rational mind. Interestingly, the image of the Ayyappa was also missing from the summit’s posters. Perhaps iconography is “haram” for the Leftists.