Now an investigator with curiosity will be able to recover the fossils of communism from Kerala only. For coming generations, the story of the rise and fall of communism may be another ‘utopia’ (from Sir Thomas More’s 1516 book, Utopia). However, Kerala as a bastion of the communists is almost sure to perish. At present, the Communist parties of Kerala are striving for survival, like drowning men clutching at straws. For survival, they are courting the Islamic terrorist groups in the state.

In the early 1940s, the Communists of Kerala found solace in humiliating Hindu Acharyas, Vedas, epics, and national leaders. As a result, our national prides like Adi Sankara, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Subhas Chandra Bose, Sri Aurobindo, Rabindranath Tagore, and others were humiliated and openly insulted in our streets. Much water had flown under the bridge since, and times have changed. The socio-political situation of contemporary Bharat had changed considerably and in the newly environment, no movement or party can survive without the ideological and moral support of our national prides. So the communist parties of Kerala at present try to win the national prides of the nation.  

Earlier, the chief enemy of communism in Kerala was Adi Sankara. Comrade E.M.S. Namboodiripad alias Comrade EMS (a Brahmin who carried the caste label Namboodiripad to the last breath) was the most vibrant communist Guru of Kerala. He was the chief opponent of Adi Sankara and Vivekananda. Sarcastically, Kerala addressed Comrade EMS as Last Sankara (Anthya Sankara).

EMS was the Chief Minister of Kerala when work began on the Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari. Eknath Ranade, the man behind the idea of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, had approached almost all Chief Ministers of India for financial support to the endeavour and the only one who declined to help was Kerala Chief Minister EMS.

On the occasion of the 1200th birth anniversary celebration of Adi Sankara at the Shankaracharya Sanskrit University, Kalady, Kochi, on 23 April 1989, EMS completely negated Sankara’s philosophy and exposed the futility of teaching and learning Sanskrit. He cited his personal experience of studying Sanskrit and the days that he had devoted for it as a spoiled time in his life. Thereafter, he said that the Shankaracharya is the main hindrance (specifically Sankara’s Doctrine of Maya) to the physical development of India. This attitude continued in subsequent years and the Shankaracharya Sanskrit University began to function as a centre intended to destroy the Sanskrit language and promote Arabic, Urdu, etc.

Twenty-seven years later, on 12 December 2017, EMS’ successor and current Chief Minister of Kerala, Comrade Pinarayi Vijayan, while inaugurating the silver jubilee celebrations of Shankaracharya Sanskrit University, Kalady, was compelled to correct the mistakes of his predecessor Comrade.

As reported in the Deccan Chronicle, Kochi, on 12 December, “the Chief Minister also said that the number of Sanskrit scholars is dwindling. The need of the hour is to translate Sanskrit works into Malayalam. There is a tendency among foreign scholars to understand the knowledge in Sanskrit and then present it here as their own. It is for the universities to correct this and ensure that it is our knowledge. He also reminded the progressive forces that they need not reject Sanskrit language as a whole. There is no need to identify Sanskrit with Brahminism. Vyasa and Valmiki, who wrote epics in Sanskrit, were not Brahmins. Sanskrit language and works are part of common culture and society and everyone has a right over it. If we denounce that knowledge then we will be promoting the interests of communalists”.

Communist forces have spoiled Kerala’s youth for the last seven decades. Now, we get belated wisdom and deathbed confessions. Right now, Communism is an endangered species alive only in the isle of Kerala. And to survive, the comrades have been forced to eat what they once vomited. 

Hence, some positive changes were evident in the CPM’s approaches towards ideological Hinduism. Possibly, this may be a mask, an exercise in opportunism. Or are they on the path of penance-cum-pilgrimage?

On the occasion of the 125th anniversary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda’s visit to Kerala, at Thiruvananthapuram, on 30 November 2017, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was called upon to garland the Swami’s statue. Ironically, it had been installed by RSS organisations. Speaking on the occasion, Pinarayi Vijayan quoted Vivekananda, “bring light to poor, more light to rich” and explained its contemporary relevance to the audience.

The proverb ‘rain wets the leopard’s spots but does not wash them off,’ may be true. Let us wait for white smoke.