Pathanamthitta Nair Meet: NSS not to allow political leaders to ride piggyback

Pathanmthitta Nair Maha Sammelanam (Nair meeting) of NSS held on March 3 declared that NSS won’t allow political leaders with vested interests to misuse organization for their political growth. In an veiled attack on Congress leaders in Kerala, NSS General secretary G Sukumaran Nair said NSS would no more allow anyone to piggyback on it.

Sukumaran Nair was inaugurating the public meeting organized in connection with Platinum jubilee celebrations of Pathanamthitta Taluk NSS Union.

Sukumaran Nair’s statement comes in the wake of rift between NSS and Congress Kerala leadership. Nair had accused Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and Oommen Chandy of subverting an agreement NSS had reached between Congress central leadership. Nair said the days of right distance (meaning soft approach to Congress) is over and from now onward it would be real equidistance.

Sukumaran Nair said many of those political leaders who try to exploit NSS are from our own side (hinting that they are Nairs). They need the support of community to win positions but disown us after achieving their aims, said Nair. Nairs should recognise such elements, he said. 

His statement received huge applause from thousands of Nair community members who assembled in Pathanamthitta town from different parts of the taluk.

Some self proclaimed leaders issue statements that social leaders should not cross the limits. NSS will react in those issues which concerns Nair community members and has every right to react in social and political issues, Nair said. But NSS won’t express any opinion on internal affairs of political parties, he added.

Nair said NSS had never gone out of the way to meet a political party leader but leaders of several political parties had queued up before the NSS headquarters at the time of elections. A majority of such leaders belonged to the Congress, added Nair. He said the reason for the current hostility of some Congress leaders towards NSS is the opposition expressed by NSS towards giving undue representation to certain groups in Kerala cabinet.

NSS had earlier expressed its opposition to appointing a fifth minister in Kerala cabinet from India Union Muslim League.

NSS president P N Narendranathan Nair presided over the meeting.