NSS ends pact with Congress

Putting an end to its special relation to Congress, a leadership meeting of Nair Service Society held at its headquarters Perunna decided to end its soft pro-Congress policy. NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair said Congress has ditched NSS and subsequently the organisation has decided to withdraw from the pact with Congress.

Nair said NSS would not enter into any discussion with any Congress leader including Sonia Gandhi hereafter. This decision is likely to have huge impact on prospects of different political parties in the next Lok Sabha elections in Kerala

Recently Sukumaran Nair had revealed NSS had entered into a confidential agreement with Congress high command before the last elections to Kerala assembly. But KPCC had denied knowledge of such a pact. However some Congress leaders including Deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha P.J Kurien, Kerala power minister Aryadan Muhammad and INTUC leader Chandrasekharan opined that NSS leadership’s statement about the pact seems to be true. Union minister Vayalar Ravi said leaderships of NSS and Congress had met before elections. However he added that he did not know about a pact.

Nair at Thiruvananthapuram taluk NSS meeting had said that NSS leadership would send a delegation to Delhi if needed to discuss with Congress high command about violation of the pact. It seems that at the NSS leadership meet on Saturday at Perunna, top leaders of Nair community have developed a feeling that the denial of the pact by Congress Kerala leadership was with the tacit support of Congress high command which backed out from the pact unilaterally.

At NSS leadership meeting, Nair said Congress leadership in Kerala had subverted the pact reached between NSS and Congress High Command. KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala and chief minister Oommen Chandy have ditched NSS. If there was no such agreement, Congress president Sonia Gandhi should publicly deny it, Nair added. NSS general secretary said from now onwards NSS’ stand towards Congress will be the same as its stand towards other political parties including the CPI (M). NSS would support political parties based on issues only, he said.

Nair said by unilaterally backing out of the pact which was aimed at ensuring communal balance and social justice in Kerala, Congress has defamed Nair Service Society. He said Congress leaders should remember that Congress had ruled Kerala only when NSS supported it. Those Congress leaders like P.C Chacko, or PP Thankachan are not competent to comment on NSS-Congress high command pact, Nair said.

Nair  community has a strong presence in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Alappuzha, and Kannur (6/14)districts in Kerala. It has considerable influence in other two districts of Thrissur and Palakkad. Nair community members are present in all other districts. If NSS sincerely takes a strong anti-Congress stand Congress is unlikely to win coming Lok Sabha elections in Kerala.

Nair Service Society had traditionally taken a pro-Congress stand from 1960 onwards. Its founder leader Mannath Padmanabhan lead the liberation struggle in Kerala against the first elected government in Kerala which was incidentally lead by EMS Namboothiripad of CPM.

NSS had floated a political party NDP in 1980s. It was a coalition partner of Congress lead United Democratic Front. However by the end of 1990 NDP was disbanded by NSS. Though it publicly declared an equidistant policy called Samadoora Sidhantham, From hereafter NSS leadership directly made agreements with Congress and openly supported a few Congress leaders acting like their God father. Some of the Congress leaders who received open support of NSS include Ramesh Chennithala and K.C Veugopal.

If NSS firmly continues its anti-Congress stand it would change the power equations in Congress and in Kerala. There is also a possibility that a good numberof pro Congress NSS workers may vote for BJP and BJP could benefit out of Congress-NSS rift.