THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after the chief minister triggered a row by challenging the Sangh parivar narrative linking Sanatana Dharma and Sree Narayana Guru, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said Pinarayi Vijayan’s interpretation would only help the Hindu nationalist organisations.
At an event held on Tuesday to mark the 92nd Sivagiri pilgrimage, Vijayan highlighted Guru’s opposition to Sanatana Dharma, stating its core “varnashrama dharma”, based on “chatur varnyam”, upheld caste-based jobs. In contrast, Guru urged rejecting caste- or religion-based roles.
“The CM linked Sanatana Dharma to the varna system. By doing so, he bestowed the right of Sanatana Dharma to the Sangh parivar,” Satheesan told reporters at Sivagiri on Wednesday.
Sanatana Dharma is a cultural tradition, he said. “It encompasses the concepts of Advaita, Thathwamasi, the Vedas and the Upanishads. Attributing Sanatana Dharma to the Sangh Parivar is like branding templegoers as RSS followers. Sanatana Dharma and the Hindu tradition were misused by priests and kings, and this trend is visible in other religions as well,” Satheesan said.
Satheesan said he does not support Chaturvarnya. “Sree Narayana Guru also spoke about the relevance of Sanatana Dharma. There is no communal element in the concept. The chief minister misinterpreted it. He should not drive Hindus to the RSS camp,” he said. Sanatana Dharma should remain a tradition of the country, Satheesan remarked. Congress’s VD Satheesan argued that Sanatana Dharma transcended caste and religion. It embodied the essence of India’s spiritual and cultural heritage rooted in the Vedas and Upanishads.
Criticising the Vaikom Satyagraha centenary celebrations jointly organised by the Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments, Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai said the contributions of Sree Narayana Guru were ignored while the organisers credited a leader from the neighbouring state for the fight against caste discrimination.
Kerala succeeded in removing caste discrimination and inequality due to the positive reformation spearheaded by social reformers like Sree Narayana Guru. He said Guru had endorsed Sanatana Dharma and the spirituality of Sree Sankaracharya. “All 70 books written by Guru discussed spirituality. The 42 temples he established follow Sanatana Dharma,” Pillai said. “Compared to neighbouring states, Kerala succeeded in removing inequality and caste discrimination, thanks to the reformation movement led by leaders like Guru.
The organisers of the Vaikom Satyagraha centenary celebrations ignored his contributions and credited a leader from the neighbouring state for the protest. It was ‘Gurudevan’ who inspired the agitation and contributed Rs 1,000 for the purpose,” Pillai said.
He said Guru represented positivity, which was the secret behind the success of the reformation movement in Kerala. “He did not blame any community for the social evils that prevailed in the state and never passed any negative remarks. However, the leader credited for the success of Vaikom Satyagraha hailed from a state where negativity was spread in the name of reformation, which ignited an atmosphere of riot. That is why caste discrimination still prevails in that state,” he said without naming either Tamil Nadu or Periyar E V Ramaswamy.
Sivagiri pilgrimage is an important festival among followers of Sree Narayana Guru. It’s an annual festival observed for three days, from December 30 to January 1, when devotees, attired in yellow, gather at the Guru’s samadhi at Sivagiri.
A philosopher and spiritual leader of late 19th-early 20th century Kerala, Sree Narayana Guru led a reform movement against caste-based discrimination. His iconic declaration, “One caste, one religion, and one God for all human beings,” became the cornerstone of his mission.
He has since been elevated to being called a saint, but he championed the belief that with skills, knowledge, hard work, and a clean environment, oppressed communities could become self-reliant, fearless, and morally and financially strong.
The Sivagiri pilgrimage, envisioned by the Guru, embodies a transformative vision with guiding tenets like “One in kind, one in faith, and one in God is Man” and “Whatever be the religion, man must be good.” And it must be borne in mind that Vijayan’s remarks were made on a platform that celebrated this pilgrimage. As a good citizen concerned about national integrity, we should never support anyone who would try to break the unity among Hindus just for the sake of a few votes.
