Where is Nair Service Society heading towards?

Nair Service Society or NSS founded by Mannath Padmanabhan and other visionaries from Nair community had done an yeoman service in not only uniting and lifting the community from the adverse impact of social changes in Kerala but also helping Kerala society as a whole progress. But when one sees the latest stand and responses of present NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair, one wonders what is his real focus?

Is he interested in uplifting Nair Community or is his agenda limited to uplifting and saving his friends like K.M. Mani, Kerala's finance minister who is now under a cloud of bribery allegations, P J Kurien MP who allegedly molested a girl, and his friends in Congress who want to ensure their positions at the cost of organisation of Nairs?

These doubts comes to mind as the only activities of NSS general secretary reported by Media in 2015 have been his acts to protect all those friends who face allegations rather than doing anything for the community. Sukumaran Nair did not have many admirers among Nair in Kerala but when he came to power, this blog hoped that he would be better than his predecessor P.K Narayana Panicker who was known for inaction and his constant support to leaders from minority communities in Kerala. But at the present rate Mr. Nair is all likely to overtake his predecessor.

Though there had been efforts to unite the Hindus of Kerala by uniting Nairs and Ezhavas, Mr. Sukumaran Nair called off such efforts reportedly under the influence of Christian Leaders of Congress and Kerala Congress who fear that Hindu unity in Kerala will affect their political prospects. If a strong Hindu unity is achieved in Kerala parties like Kerala Congress controlled by different Churches will find it almost impossible to win elections as the demography is such.

At present when Kerala finance minister K M Mani is facing trouble following allegations that he has accepted huge bribes from bar hotels, Sukumaran Nair's statement that he does not need to resign has not only made him a sorry figure in the eyes of public but also lowered the status of NSS.

It is sad that the general secretary's thoughtless statements came after NSS completed its centenary celebrations recently. One hoped that NSS would launch several programmes on the occasion to help Nairs throughout India and spread its wings to other states where Nairs reside. Moreover, NSS should have used the occasion to bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the valedictory meet and gain something for Nairs from the BJP government at the centre.

But Sukumaran Nair let down such expectations and the usual crowd of Chandy, Mani, Outha, Philippose, Joseph......congregation ruled the roost. It seems NSS leadership continues to suffer from "FROG IN THE WELL' syndrome. They don't know what the community needs. They don't have a blueprint for developing Nairs or uniting them. Some Old Men in Changanassery want to cling to their positions till their death and gain things for their family using NSS. Will there ever be a Nair Spring to save NSS from those haggards?










 

Amit Shah in Kerala and revival of BJP in Kerala

BJP president Amit Shah is expected to arrive in Kerala tomorrow (August 31). Kerala media have published many speculative reports on his mission. All reports agree at one point; Shah seems to be on a mission to give a boost to the the prospects of BJP in Kerala ahead of local body election. But how? Only Amit Shah knows. Borrowing a cliche from Mainstream Media informed sources in RSS say RSS had already begun (even before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections) work to ensure victory of BJP candidates in their strongholds.

BJP sympathisers across the state expect that Amit Shah who worked wonders for the party in Uttar Pradesh will have a panacea for all the ills faced by party Kerala unit. But it is not known whether Kerala BJP leaders share the same enthusiasm. Kerala BJP is sore over the lack of consideration shown by BJP central leadership towards their senior leaders. But it is also doubtful if BJP has many leaders in the state who merit such consideration.

Perhaps Shah who is a calm, wise, astute and a ruthless taskmaster has already made his assessment on the state as to why BJP has failed to make any inroads in Kerala. Let us have a look at the scenario in Kerala.

The usual argument for the failure of BJP to make inroads in Kerala is its huge minority population which accounts to 45 plus per cent of total population. However this is a lame excuse as NDA candidate PC Thomas had won from the Christian dominated Moovattupuzha Lok Sabha constituency earlier defeating LDF and UDF.

Lesson 1. Right BJP candidates with right strategy and right alliances can be victorious even in Kerala’s minority dominated constituencies.

The second argument of BJP is that LDF and UDF gang up when there is a strong chance of BJP victory and in the last minute BJP victory is subverted.

They corroborate arguments pointing out that BJP leader O Rajagopal was defeated in 2014 from Thiruvananthapuram constituency by just around 14,000 votes. BJP candidates who contested Kerala assembly elections from Kasaragod and Manjeswaram constituencies ended up second. They were expected to win but were defeated as LDF and UDF entered into a tacit understanding in the final moments to defeat BJP.

Lesson 2. There is some merit in this argument. But if one finishes second repeatedly to different opponents, it is not merely the opponents’ strength, it is also the runner-up’s weakness. Simple fact is an influential, shrewd election manager who can snatch the wind out of the sails of the opponent was never appointed by BJP to ensure victory in its candidates in important constituencies. Such a manager would study nuances of local politics in advance and identify chinks the opponents’ armour and will strike there. Majority of BJP candidates who came second did not have the killer instinct to secure victory by all means. Remember those who are desperate to win eventually wins. Tharoor has showed it at Thiruvananthapuram. So a good election campaign manager is as important as a good candidate.

BJP has the great idea of uniting all Hindus. But remember it will take much time to achieve this. Caste is one of the key factors that influence voters even now in Kerala.

Lesson 3. BJP needs to get the strong support of either Nairs or Ezhavas and support it with more votes from other Hindu castes and Christians to win election in Kerala. According to the last socio-political census of Kerala Nairs constitute more than 16% of Kerala population while Ezhavas constitute just over 22 per cent. Of these two, Nairs are traditionally pro Congress while Ezhavas are pro-CPM, according to political pundits. At present, different estimates say around 20 per cent of Nairs vote for BJP. The influence of BJP in Nair majority Thiruvananthapuram district supports this. According to certain other estimates, only less than 10 per cent of Ezhavas vote for BJP. But it is true BJP is gaining more ground among Ezhavas. But it will take much more time and effort if BJP is to win the support of more Ezhavas. 

As a strategy, Weaning away Ezhava/Thiyya cadres of CPM to BJP is not so easy. The secular teachings of Sree Narayana Guru (spiritual leader from ezhava community), Sahodaran Ayyappan and others and communist ideology have many agreements. This has been interpreted by CPM to their advantage and the party has strong support from community members. Eventhough the current leader of Ezhavas, Vellappally Natesan has a soft corner for BJP, he never goes public about it. Moreover organisationally CPM kerala unit is stronger than Bengal unit and weaning away its cadres is more difficult than in Bengal. So it is clear. It needs and intelligent strategy and herculean (Or Bhageerathan) hard work for BJP to win influence among Ezhavas. If BJP needs to gain influence quickly, then win the support of majority of Nair voters and take them away from the Congress. They will win a few seats in Kerala. Remember also that upper section of Christians and Nairs vote similarly. Though NSS has never publicly supported BJP, interests of Nairs and ideology of BJP have several meeting points.

At present Congress has strong influence among Nairs in Kerala because of the presence of a large number of tall leaders from the community including Ramesh Chennithala, K Muraleedharan, KC Venugopal, V D Satheesan, Shashi Tharoor, PC Vishnunath and many more. These leaders individually manage to win votes of even BJP sympathisers when they contest which eventually costs BJP dear.

BJP does not have such a leadership line from Nair community who can attract voters.

Some say other parties in Kerala consider BJP as an untouchable  and hostile conditions make it difficult for them to work.

  

Lesson 4. Yes there is some logic in the argument. But it is also true that BJP doesn’t have many credible leaders even in state level; not to speak of district and local level leaders. Though BJP has support of the middle class, one may not find many leaders in BJP who have risen from the Middle class. More people from respectable background, like teachers, senior advocates, professionals and intelligentia need to be incorporated in the leadership to win the confidence of middle class. To sum up BJP leadership needs to induct some new faces at different levels.

Many district and local level leaders of BJP don’t have much experience and one cannot find many BJP leaders who have worked in student and youth wings. Coopt into BJP leaders from different sections who have a sizeable support of their own.

Lesson 5. Many BJP candidates in elections get votes of party workers and sympathisers but they themselves cannot bring many outside votes to BJP. BJP needs to have influential people as their candidates in election who can bring votes to the party. But LDF and UDF candidates in elections are influential people who attract votes on their own apart from party votes. Eg. Film actor Innocent won from Chalakkudy to Lok Sabha this time.

The final and most important reason for BJP’s failure to win in Kerala is their inability to garner votes of all groups of sympathisers. Sangh Parivar in total is more powerful than Congress in many parts of Kerala. Perhaps only CPM can match the strength of Sangh Parivar if all parties contest individually in Kerala. But it seems different sangh organisations often have ego clashes and they never coordinate during elections.

These are views of a layman. It is sure that Shah knows more about BJP and he has already started administering panancea.

One Hundred Days of Modi Government; India Modyfied or unmodified

It is not just coincidental that leading English media in India have published reviews on the performance of BJP lead NDA government titled as 100 days of Modi government rather than 100 days of NDA govt or 100 days of BJP government. Such is the influence of Narendra Damodardas Modi Prime Minister of the largest democracy in the world at present, who is believed to have brought BJP into power almost single handedly. He wields enormous powers now and it is right to term NDA govt as Modi government. But along with power comes responsibility too. The expectations of the public who decisively voted him to power are also very high.

                                                                                                               

As a general Modi forced his enemies flee from the battlefield and captured the post of Prime Minister of India emerging as the most powerful leader India has seen in the recent times after Indira Gandhi. He has a clear majority in India’s lower house which will make decision making his own prerogative. That also means he won’t be able to blame allies for his government’s failures.

Right from the beginning, after assuming power, Modi has been demanding time before assessing him. It is true that any government in India needs time to set things right, especially after the chaos which marked the rule of former UPA government. But it is unlikely that the public are such magnanimous.  They are fed up with the lame excuses of politicians and even a fair request is unlikely to be entertained.

In this situation it is clear. 100 days are enough for the preliminary review of Modi government’s performance. Let us check the government’s performance on different fronts like 1. Political Front 2.Administration 3. External Relations. It is also important to review whether parameters used by his opponents to review Modi have changed after he became PM and its impact.

 Modi’s persona now and then

Perhaps Narendra Modi, as Gujarat chief minister was a politician who was attacked the most in India ever. Modi was made a synonym of Hindutva by his opponents who relentlessly and unethically attacked him. It was this attack that made him familiar to crores of Hindus across India from Kerala to Kashmir who identified themselves with him. This won him their sympathy and perhaps they felt Modi’s opponents where in fact attacking them and their values. Opponents of Modi made him an icon of Hindu resistance unknowingly and result is Hindus rallied behind him.

Now after Modi became Prime Minister, he is no more the subject of attack of anti-Hindu groups who have now turned their focus to new groups and people. So now Modi will be judged as an administrator not a leader of Hindutva groups. This means Modi will have to perform to win admiration.

Political Front

The by-elections to assembly seats in different states across the country was the first political test faced by BJP after it came to power. Unfortunately Narendra Modi has failed to deliver BJP any success this time. From Uttarkhand, Bihar and Punjab in the north to Karnataka in the south, BJP’s performance is at the best average which means it has not been able to sustain the advantage it gained during Lok Sabha elections held only a few months ago.

Even after its worst ever defeat the Congress party seems to be confident and Congress which is known for its inner party fights is relatively united now. The party leadership communicates well, still hit media headlines and has influence in the top bureaucracy at the centre. This is really amazing. This means BJP has failed to attack Congress politically after election and disperse its cadres away from Sonia-Rahul leadership. Coordination of state units of BJP with the union government is poor and there is not strategy to provide advantage to state units using the influence and decisions of union government.

The political, religious, media, business, social and bureaucratic coteries which support Congress are still adamantly and successfully opposing BJP and Hindu groups which means Modi has been unable to take meaningful steps to tame them.

Administration

Going by media reports it seems Narendra Modi has succeeded in disciplining government offices and lower bureaucracy to a great extent. They arrive at office on time and take decisions quickly. Offices and premises are now cleaner. It also seems bribery has not increased. These are good steps and evoke an image of Corporate Culture.

But the real question is have the people begun to feel the change? Are the prices falling or at least stable. Are the charges for government services stable. Or will an improvement in quality of service is felt when charges are hiked.? For eg hike in price of petroleum products or railway fares or hike in toll by National Highway authority. 

People don’t bother about nuances in policy changes, they judge by its impact on their lives. Sadly BJP government has not been able to do much on this.

It seems the influence of Congress on top bureaucracy and some business and media houses still continue and they will upset BJP’s applecart.

Communication or information dissemination

The success of a government or political party depends not only on the sincerity of their acts but also on their ability to convince the public. Whatever social media enthusiasts say, Mainsteam Media continues to play a key role in building public opinion in India. Of course the new media including social media platforms are now a significant force.

BJP’s use of mainstream media continues to be weak and good acts of the government are often unreported or under reported. It seems government does not have a strategy to influence media positively. Overcautious ministers distance themselves from media and the result is disastrous.

For example India’s bold stand for the poor and destitute at WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement has not been communicated to the public. The bold stand of government should have won the admiration of even opponents. Why the govt failed to communicate? Perhaps Modi knows.....or his media adviser (Sorry forgot the fact that he doesn’t have one yet). Apart from some over enthusiastic followers on twitter, Modi needs to have real time journalists and communication experts who can help him communicate better. The government has been unable to get full mileage of its rescue of Keralite nurses from the war torn Iraq. This should not happen again.

Foreign front

Perhaps the only area where government rose to expectations is here. Modi’s initiatives at building better relations with SAARC countries and other Asian countries including China mark a remarkable shift from the attitude of lethargic UPA government. Hope Modi would maintain the tempo and help India emerge as a world leader.

Conclusion

BJP should not take by-poll results likely. Strategies that once helped to win may not be just enough to sustain the momentum. Keep reinventing. Communicate effectively. Make people feel the change. This is a great chance for Hindutva groups. Please don’t squander it.

Prohibition in Kerala and its impact on Nairs

Kerala government has recently taken an unprecedented decision to wind up nearly 420 bars in hotels across the state which are of different classifications.  The government has also announced a bold decision to phase out the sale of liquor in the state within a time frame. Almost all caste  and religious groups in the state have welcomed the decision except SNDP Yogam leader Vellappally Natesan. While NSS (Nair Service Society) used to side with prohibitionists earlier, this time NSS general secretary Sukumaran Nair seemed to be not much enthused by the government decision.

In fact media reports say Sukumaran Nair opined that the decision to shut down bar hotels was impractical. He further noted that the decision of govt was a result of ego clash among Congress leaders who wanted to enhance their image by closing down bar hotels. According to newspaper reports, Nair wanted a practical approach to enlighten people to abstain liquor instead of banning its sale suddenly.  Nair’s opinion on prohibition seems to support Vellappally’s stand. It seems NSS and SNDP who in the recent past called off their unity moves have joined together again in the liquor issue.

The current stand of NSS on prohibition is actually against the age old stand of NSS. M.P Manmadhan who was once registrar and general secretary of NSS was the leader of anti-liquor movement in Kerala. K Kelappan, noted freedom fighter and prohibition activist was the founder president of NSS. If one checked leaders of Kerala Madya Nirodhana Samithi (roughly translated as Kerala Probhibition Council) one would find a large number of eminent Nairs, many of whom were also associated with NSS. They included Lakshmi N Menon, Prof. G Kumara Pillai and Sugatha Kumari. Till the end of 1980’s anti-liquor movements  were strong in Kerala though no government took a concrete step to ban all types of liquor in the state.

The leading light of NSS Mannath Padmanabhan had always stood to save Nair community from the menace of liquor. It is a fact that several thousands of Nair families in the state have lost their wealth and health because of liquor. From 1950s to 1980s a large number of Nair families in Kerala had experienced the ills of excessive drinking. One could find many reputed Nair families losing all wealth because of the excessive drinking habits of men. Fortunately Nair youth of present have moved away from the habit and the

While there were a large number of Nairs in Kerala who were addicted to liquor earlier few of them were in the liquor business. During that period the liquor trade of Kerala was almost entirely controlled by a backward community. Ban on brewing and selling cheap country liquor made locally implemented by former Kerala CM A K Antony in 1996 might have affected the prosperity of some communities in Kerala but NSS need not worry about that. Moreover they could have diversified into other businesses.

Though at present Nairs and Christians own a significant number of bar attached hotels in Kerala NSS need not support liquor trade. Liquor has cost our community wealth and health. Nairs who were traditionally warriors and farmers need not worry much about prohibition. Instead we should use the ban to save our youth.

Apprehensions on the practicality of prohibition are irrelevant in the present situation in Kerala where liquor flows like water. Lack of easy access may prevent many from drinking. Only addicts will go all out to get a drink. Moreover because of fear of law not many will come out in the public after drinking. Kerala consumes the highest quantity of liquor in India. This is the cause of violence and road accidents. Many families break up because of liquor menace. Nair community will benefit eventually from the ban. So NSS needs to welcome prohibition.

Meeting of Nairs of North America

A meeting of Nairs living in North America is being organised by Nair Service Society of North America from August 8 to 10 at Hilton Hotel, 5000 Seminary Road, Alexandria VA 22311. Several distinguished leaders of Nair Community from all walks of life will be participating in the meeting, said organisers.

It is extremely pleasing to know that at the meeting NSS of North America is giving equal importance to programs based on cultural and spiritual heritage of Nair community as well as those aimed at the temporal development of community members.

Nairs have a great cultural and spiritual tradition and have contributed immensely to India, Hinduism and the world. However by 1970s the prosperity of community members started fading in Kerala which is their homeland because of the social and political changes in India and the failure of Nairs to realize and assess it and adapt to it.

However of late, young Nairs everywhere seem to be scripting new success stories by their hard work and entrepreneurship. We are back as leaders everywhere. Nair bureaucrats, politicians, businessmen and social workers are setting new examples. North America, especially the United States is undoubtedly the most developed part of the world in many senses. Nairs working and living there will have a lot to give to their brethren in the rest of the world. Hope this meet will be able to inspire Nair youth and push them to action. travancorenairs.blogspot.in wishes  the meeting an unparalleled success.

Analysing Relations between NSS and BJP/Sangh Parivar (Part I)

BJP which is trying to get a firm foothold in South India is finding the prospects of a tie up with NSS, organization of upper caste Hindu Nairs tantalizing; It is so near yet too distant. In fact it is natural for centre-right Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to tie up with NSS which supports interests of middle class forward caste Nairs who have always been flag bearers of Hinduism in Kerala. But NSS is found to be reluctant to openly support BJP.

Possible benefits for both NSS and BJP

The benefits of such a tie up are many for both to dismiss. It will definitely give more acceptability to BJP and pave way for BJP to Kerala assembly. It may even result in a formation of a new political coalition in Kerala with a prominent role to BJP, and Perhaps lead by BJP. For NSS which currently finds itself neglected by traditional ally Congress, a tie up with BJP will help a great deal. Congress is becoming more dominated by minorities and so NSS needs to find an alternative political ally. It may help NSS to bargain more benefits for Nairs in the state and at national level. Yet it is unlikely that NSS may come out with open support to BJP in any near future.

Let us examine this complex relationship. To begin with let us examine the role of Nairs in BJP. It is generally accepted in Kerala that Nairs form the backbone of Sangh Parivar organizations in Kerala at present. The work of RSS in Kerala was initially confined to urban areas and migrant communities like Goud Saraswat Brahmins, Tulu Brahmins and other groups lead it. It was confined to Migrant communities, especially business communities. RSS did not have much influence in the society then.

RSS gains foothold in rural Kerala

It was in the early eighties that Sangh Parivar , especially the RSS, began to gain a foothold in rural Kerala and Nair youths were in the forefront to give strength to RSS. A section of middle class Nairs, especially farmers who worked with the Congress found that at many places Congress has become unable to protect their interests. It was their clash with CPM that inspired many middle class Nairs to align with a cadre based RSS rather than clash with minorities.

During the period, groupism in the Congress had intensified and the party had split into opposing groups lead by A.K Antony (current union defense minister and former CM K Karunakaran) Helpless and disgruntled Congressmen, mainly from Nair community, found a new hope in RSS with its discipline and committed cadres. 1980s saw RSS sakhas mushrooming in all parts of rural Kerala. The period also saw violent fights between RSS/Sangh Parivar cadres and CPM. Scores of youth were killed on both sides. In several places in central Kerala, like Kottayam, Idukki and Parts of Alappuzha district, a small section of upper caste Syrian Christians who were friendly with Nairs also covertly and overtly supported RSS.

But even as Nair youths began to join RSS, NSS (organization of Nairs) during the period remained firmly allied with Congress. In fact, NDP the political party of NSS had been an ally of Congress lead United Democratic Front (UDF). Many Congress and UDF leaders were leaders of NSS also.

Thus it is clear that the spread of RSS/BJP in Kerala  in 1980s was linked to anti-CPM feeling. This was evident in the fact that during the period votes won by BJP in assembly/Lok Sabha elections do not reflect the strength of Sangh in Kerala then. It had been alleged by CPM at that period that many RSS workers used to vote for Congress in the elections. There were reports that many BJP leaders used to sell votes to Congress, especially K Karunakaran. There might have been some truth in it as some RSS/BJP leaders might have been forced to offer support to Congress in order to save its workers who were charged with cases following RSS-CPM clashes. The former Congress sympathizers who newly joined Sangh Parivar were not averse to voting for Nair Congress candidates.

Three things are to be noted about this complex political situation. 1. RSS/BJP grew in Kerala and their mass base was constituted by middle class Nair youths who were formerly Congress sympathizers/workers. 2. Though these Nair youths joined RSS they did not completely sever ties with Congress. 3. Even as some of the Sangh Parivar leaders managed to rise to leadership of NSS they either did not try to take control of NSS or failed to get the control because of the complex situation.  Thus NSS generally remained with Congress till recently.

Congress stranglehold on NSS

When NDP (political party of NSS which was powerful in 80s and disbanded by 90s) was disbanded by NSS, NDP leaders were rehabilitated in Congress. NDP MLAs later contested as Congress candidates. At this point NSS leaders became mentors of Nair leaders in Congress and thus a new relationship was formed.  Congress made certain such leaders ministers in Kerala and union cabinet and this ensured that NSS-Congress relations is entrenched at many levels. Thus it is clear that Congress has strangled NSS in many ways and it is not easy to break out. Nair leaders of congress used to ensure that NSS supported Congress.

NSS has many educational and other institutions and need to interact closely with the governments. It gets influence in ministries through certain ministers belonging to the community. Heads of different corporations, universities etc are appointed by different fronts that rule Kerala taking into consideration views of NSS also. Thus it is clear that ruling governments in Kerala always take care to protect the interests of NSS to some extent. So it is difficult for NSS leaderships to come out with open support for BJP which does not have any chance of forming government in Kerala in near future.

However despite all these, NSS is being forced to change its age old political stand because of changing socio-political conditions in Kerala. It had formally severed ties with Congress recently. Now how will this redefine relationship of NSS with BJP? We will discuss it in another article.