NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair (second right).
Credit: X
Thiruvananthapuram: Resentment is brewing in the Hindu upper caste community in Kerala against the Nair Service Society (NSS) general secretary G Sukumaran Nair's backing for the CPI(M) government in Kerala following the Global Ayyappa Sangamam.
While anonymous banners and social media campaigns were going on since Sukumaran Nair openly hailed the Pinarayi Vijayan government the other day, on Friday one of the NSS local unit, which are known as 'Karayogams', openly came out against Sukumaran Nair citing the stand taken by the Pinarayi government on the Sabarimala women entry issue and the cases still being faced by many for taking part in the stirs.
The NSS Kanayanoor Karayogam in Kochi even passed a resolution strongly opposing Sukumaran Nair's support to the CPI(M). The Karayogam leaders said that what Sukumaran Nair said was only his personal opinion as no discussions took place in the NSS on supporting the Pinarayi Vijayan government.
Anonymous posters that appeared in parts of Pathanamthitta allege that Nair was succumbing to Vijayan for personal benefits. Nair's support to the CPM government was also portrayed as Kattappa's betrayal in the film 'Baahubali' in the banners.
Some NSS members at Changanaserry in Kottayam district, where the NSS headquarters is situated, reportedly tendered resignation from the NSS in protest against Sukumaran Nair's support to Pinarayi government.
Traditionally anti-Communist
The Nair community, which is estimated to be between 12 to 15 per cent of Kerala's population, is the second largest Hindu community in Kerala after the Ezhavas.
The Nair community is traditionally considered as anti-Communist especially since the land reforms initiated by the first Communist government in Kerala had hardly hit the landlords who were mostly from the Nair community. The NSS had even spearheaded the liberation struggle against the communist government along with the prominent Christian communities and the Congress.
For this reason, the open support of the general secretary of NSS, which is the prominent forum of the Nair community, indeed raised many eyebrows.
During the last Assembly election Sukumaran Nair took an open position against the left-front, that too on the polling day, citing the Sabarimala issue.
Even as the NSS used to openly maintain an 'equidistant' policy during all elections, the Nair community is generally considered as pro-Congress.
However, over the last few elections the BJP managed to make inroads into the Nair community even as the NSS is distancing from the BJP. The stir against Sabarimala women entry also helped the BJP enhance its influence among the upper caste Nair community. This BJP influence could be also a factor for the resentment among the Nair community members of NSS leader's left leniency.