Standing up for Kerala's liberal traditions

One of our commenters “Peerless Pundit” wrote us a strong, smart comment, to the article titled - Hands off the treasures that belong to Vishnu - which we have now published as a separate post. As is our policy, we have edited out a few sentences that were directed at the author. By Peerless Pundit Dear FP Editors, I am highly disappointed by this article. I was among the first converts to First Post. I perceived it as a place where PLUs can congregate and share thoughts and views in an intelligent manner. As any educated Indian would tell, most online news sources in India are a load of S***. The comments/views that you see on them are enough to make one bilious. Against this FP appeared as a whiff of fresh air. But of late, I am afraid this paper has become a sounding board for a particular section of society. The fact that this has to with the demographic make-up of FP is also quite disturbing. FP has got quality but please don’t destroy it’s neutrality. This article shows how least concerned he is about the actual “ownership” of the treasures discovered from Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Instead he has used it as a sounding board to spew venom against the “minority-dominated” polity of the state and the Marxists. In short every political formation in the state with the exception of the BJP. Neat. Sir, Kerala is a model for this country. True, there are communal elements within the minority community but such communal elements have not yet been able to create a situation wherein Jehadi elements thrive. This is because of the truly INCLUSIVE nature of “Dayavathinde Sontham Naadu”. Please don’t let obscurantists and revisionists such as the author destroy that fabric through their incendiary articles. Why would any Muslim/Christian covet the treasures of the temple? After all, the saying “Siva Sothu Koola Nasham” applies to all irrespective of one’s faith. Oomen Chandy has made it amply clear that his government is not interested in taking over the affairs of the temple and has already mandated more security for the shrine. The author pours scorn on that by mocking pot-bellied policemen. Who does he want to guard the temple? The efficient policemen from “The Laboratory”, those upright men who obeyed the dictates of a fascist while thousands were murdered and raped? Kerala has not witnessed any major riots and THIS IS PRECISELY because minorities have been allowed to come into their own by a succession of progressive administrations. In fact despite being a Muslim, I don’t feel any antipathy towards the Padmanbhaswamy shrine. In fact, I am proud in the way the cultural heritage of my state has been enhanced. A fellow co-religionist might not echo the same feeling were he from the Westernmost state a.k.a LAB of India. This is truly due to the greatness that is Keralam. I am no SECULAR lunatic and most SECULARISTS strike me as demented zombies but I do have every right in standing up for my state’s liberal traditions.