Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state secretariat distanced itself from statements made by SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan against Muslim community. In a statement issued on Sunday, the secretariat said, “While anyone may raise community issues, it must not be done in a way that incites religious hatred.” SNDP, founded by Sree Narayana Guru—who upheld the unity of religions—should adopt positions that promote secularism, the statement said. The party stressed that safeguarding minority rights is essential to preserving secularism. Only in a secular society, it said, can people of all faiths and non-believers live and function democratically. The govt, it noted, is committed to hearing the concerns of all communities and addressing them through missions, welfare schemes and poverty alleviation programmes that benefit the poor across all sections. Kerala’s renaissance movements played a major role in advancing social progress. CPM said it has continued that legacy by embracing the social justice values of those movements, while protecting and uplifting marginalized communities. The party pointed out that efforts to communalize society aligns with corporate interests. The state’s secular fabric, it said, can only be preserved by firmly resisting all forms of communalism.
