NSS may not play ball

The unity between the Nair Service Society (NSS) and the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam on a Hindutva platform had always been the dream launch pad envisioned by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strategists in the State for long. Interestingly, the two had joined hands more than twice during the past half a century (only to part ways after short honeymoons). One of the direct impact of these short-lived alliances was that the State’s highly assertive minority community leaders suddenly became cautious.

However, another important outcome, though less perceptible, was that the Hindutva forces too became weary since formation of such an alliance amounted to a direct assault on their prospective constituency.

Even a cursory look into the past could spread light on this extraordinary behaviour on the part of these two power Hindu organisations which have many things in common. For one thing, both have been products of the progressive movements that played a great role in the reformation of Kerala society in the last century.

While the Nair community found all its wealth bases being usurped by other communities in the great churning that has taken place, the Ezhava community found, for the first time, a great opportunity. In short both these communities had to accomplish the same objective in ensuring their social status — widening their wealth base through organisational build up, social reforms, education, and institution building.

This they achieved, along with other communities, by influencing the power structure through powerful lobbies within the political parties.

Even now the upper class Hindu community in the State feel they have been placed at a disadvantage on the reservation issue. All other major communities enjoy the favour of reservation, either of minority status or backwardness or both.

That may be why NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair, during an earlier media interaction, said the unity of the majority community could be achieved only after removing the disparities created by the reservation system.

In other words, rather than focussing on the Hidutva ideology for unity, a more effective route to the heart of the NSS leadership could be by meeting the demands they had been making for the betterment of their community interests.