Won't bow to religious orthodoxy even if it costs votes: Kerala Minister V Sivankutty

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Sunday said a modern state cannot be governed by bowing to orthodoxy from any religion, and that if standing for progressive values costs the ruling LDF some votes temporarily, so be it.

The senior CPI(M) leader made the remarks in an exclusive interview with PTI while responding to a volley of questions regarding the factors that led to the poor performance of the party-led LDF in the recent local body polls.

Asked whether the state government's stand on the hijab row involving a Christian-managed school in Kochi, and the decision to implement Zumba dance programmes in schools despite opposition from certain Muslim clerics, contributed to the Left's poor showing in its strongholds, Sivankutty admitted that "these are distinct issues that were blown out of proportion".

"On the hijab issue at St Rita's School in Kochi, the government stood firmly for the student's constitutional right to education and religious expression. We intervened to ensure she was not denied entry. That proves our commitment to minority rights," the General Education Minister said about the row over a Muslim student being initially denied entry for wearing a hijab, prompting government intervention to uphold her right to education and religious expression.

Regarding the Zumba issue, he said, "Let me be clear: opposition to physical fitness and anti-drug campaigns in schools under the guise of morality is regression." "When we introduced Zumba, it was for the health of our children. The opposition from certain conservative sections was unfortunate and misplaced. We cannot govern a modern state by bowing to orthodoxy from any religion.

"If standing for progressive values costs us some votes temporarily, so be it. We will convince the communities that our decisions were taken for their children’s future," Sivankutty said.

Responding to a query on the impact of the Sabarimala gold loss case on the present poll debacle, Sivankutty said devotees continue to have faith in the Left government and that the SIT investigation is progressing effectively.

He accused the Congress-led UDF and the BJP of "committing treachery" against believers by attempting to politicise the Sabarimala gold loss incident.

"Anyone who stole Lord Ayyappa’s gold will not be let off. We have already demonstrated that no matter how powerful a person is, the law will catch up with them," Sivankutty said in connection with a case in which two CPI(M) leaders who served as presidents of the Travancore Devaswom Board, were arrested by the SIT appointed by the Kerala High Court.

The minister further said that if anyone has concerns regarding the Sabarimala gold loss case, the government will proceed only after addressing them.

He said he does not view the local body poll drubbing as a permanent setback, and claimed that the magnitude of the loss is certainly not as severe as the media portrays it.

"Local body elections should not be viewed solely through the prism of Assembly polls. We have seen this before—in 2019, the UDF swept the Lok Sabha elections, but in 2021, the people of Kerala gave Pinarayi Vijayan a historic second term," the minister said.

Noting that local body polls often revolve around hyper-local issues, individual candidates and ward-level dynamics, he said the LDF has the resilience to correct its course ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

"While we accept that the results are not what we expected and we respect the people’s verdict, this is a wake-up call, not a death knell," Sivankutty asserted.

The minister also rejected opposition allegations of an anti-incumbency wave in the state, accusing the UDF and the BJP of "thriving on a smokescreen of negativity".

"We will examine whether we have been successful in effectively communicating the Centre’s anti-people policies to the public. People are the true strength of the Left, and we will take all necessary measures to retain their support," he said.

To a question on the "failure" to win the confidence of the Muslim minority in the state despite Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan organising several pro-Palestine rallies, Sivankutty said the LDF does not organise rallies to win votes or target any particular community.

"We stand for principles. Our support for Palestine continues India's historic anti-imperialist stance. Similarly, our cooperation with the Global Ayyappa Sangamam organised by the TDB is to ensure convenience for devotees," he said.

The election results show that the BJP’s communal polarisation and the UDF's opportunistic alliance with extremist groups such as Jamaat-e-Islami have temporarily misled a small section of voters, he alleged, adding that this does not represent a permanent shift.

According to Sivankutty, there was malicious propaganda regarding the state’s stand on PM SHRI and the Centre's Labour Codes during the local body election period.

"We are entitled to central funds--it is our tax money. We agreed to sign the MoU to secure the release of pending funds for our schools, but we made it clear that we will not implement the communal or toxic elements of the National Education Policy." Referring to the Labour Codes, the minister said as a trade unionist, he strongly believes the Central Codes strip workers of their hard-won rights.