Minister Saji Cherian alleges spike in 'divisive politics' in Kerala
He cited recent protests against Zumba dance, demands to rename the Suresh Gopi-starrer Janaki vs The State of Kerala and a communal campaign run by a newly formed Christian outfit which is spreading "anti-Islam" sentiments, with RSS backing, to create "political divisions among minorities", as reasons for his claim.
Speaking at an event, Cherian alleged that certain vested interests were deliberately spreading "contempt and animosity in society".
"Divisive politics is rising on a large scale in Kerala," he asserted.
The state government led by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had introduced the Zumba, a fitness program that involves cardio and Latin-inspired dance, to help reduce stress among school children and discourage drug abuse. However, Muslim outfits and clerics argued that Zumba was against the Islamic precepts while a right-wing cultural outfit accused the government of promoting Zumba at the cost of Yoga and other traditional art forms.
Cherian pointed out while one group opposes Zumba in schools, another is targeting the film 'Janaki', claiming its title disrespects a goddess. Sources said the film, directed by Pravin Narayanan, was denied screening clearance because 'Janaki' another name for Goddess Sita cannot be used for such a character.
Cherian criticised the Congress-led UDF for supporting demands to review the government's decision to introduce Zumba in schools.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Make J&K dry like Gujarat: Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz
SRINAGAR: Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq called Friday for J&K to be made a 'dry state like Gujarat' as he opposed authorities' move to open more liquor shops, claiming such steps were 'a deliberate attempt to push our youths further into addiction'. 'J&K is a Muslim-majority region and sale and consumption of liquor is against Islam's tenets,' Mirwaiz said during Friday prayers at Srinagar's Jamia Masjid. The trigger was a protest the previous day by locals in Srinagar's Batmaloo against the opening of a liquor shop in the area that had not seen such outlets for decades. 'If Gujarat can be declared a dry state, there is no reason why J&K should be exempted,' Mirwaiz said. This was the first call to protest in recent months on any issue from Mirwaiz, who is also chief cleric of Kashmir and has been put in home detention ahead of Friday prayers on many occasions in the past few months. Mirwaiz urged the state's Omar Abdullah-led National Conference govt and lieutenant-governor Manoj Sinha to check the trend. 'If govt does not act, we will be forced to protest. This isn't a minor issue,' Mirwaiz said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo Authorities have linked the new liquor licences and shops to a spurt in tourism since the 2019 abrogation of J&K's special status under Article 370. In the case of Batmaloo, excise officials claimed the shop, now shut after the agitation, was not a new one and had been only relocated from another area. Despite such opposition, J&K's alcohol sales are on the rise. The Omar-led govt's economic survey earlier this year estimated excise revenues at Rs 2,000 crore in 2024-25, up 4% over the previous year. Mirwaiz rejected the argument that liquor sales were necessary for tourism, pointing out that J&K had welcomed visitors for centuries without promoting alcohol. 'Has J&K become a tourist spot only after 2019 (Article 370 abrogation)? For hundreds of years, tourists have visited us but liquor was never promoted on this scale in every locality,' Mirwaiz said. Drawing a comparison with Gujarat, Mirwaiz stressed that alcohol was banned there due to its impact on society and asked why similar concerns were not valid for J&K. 'Don't we have a society? Don't we have to live here, too,' Mirwaiz said. According to him, over 1 lakh people in J&K are already affected by drug addiction and govt's fillip to alcohol sales will only aggravate the crisis. Some local Kashmiri Pandits led by an activist, Sandeep Mawa, had recently demanded a ban on liquor sales in the Valley. In March this year, PDP MLA Fayaz Ahmad Mir had introduced a private member's bill seeking such a ban across J&K. But the bill was not taken up for discussion or voting in the assembly. BJP, too, has expressed support for the ban, with former J&K party chief Ravinder Raina having led protests on the issue earlier.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Settled semantics: on the Preamble and divisive debates
The call for the removal of the words 'secular' and 'socialist' from the Preamble to the Constitution of India is no longer a fringe fantasy. With someone as senior and influential as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale making a public statement in support of the idea, it has now acquired a new urgency and prominence in national politics. The words 'secular' and 'socialist' were introduced through the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution, during the Emergency under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1976. And the Janata Party government, which included RSS-affiliated leaders, that replaced Indira Gandhi and reversed a lot of the changes made in the Constitution during the Emergency let these words stay. These concepts were so central to the Constitution of the new Republic that its original authors did not think it was even necessary to use these words in the Preamble. When a conflict over India's national identity began to emerge during the 1970s, Indira Gandhi thought it would be appropriate and also politically rewarding to make these amendments. The Hindutva camp never really opposed these concepts historically. Gandhian Socialism was a part of the core tenets of the Jan Sangh, the earlier avatar of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Hindutva proponents accused their rivals of following 'pseudo secularism,' and by implication, claimed to be genuine secularists. The words 'secular' and 'socialist' have attained meanings specific to the Indian context over the years. Secularism is not a rejection of Indian civilisational heritage or any religion, but a commitment to equal treatment of all faiths by the state. Indira Gandhi had been viewed as someone pandering to Hindu sentiments. Socialism is not about hostility to private property or enterprise, but a pragmatic appreciation of the fact that the state must take proactive measures to tackle poverty and expand opportunities for the deprived sections of society. The words 'secularism' and 'socialism' reflect a broad consensus in Indian politics that has held for decades. There is nothing to be achieved by raking up a meaningless debate on these words. Perhaps the debate itself is the objective: to push a divisive agenda without providing any ideological, legal or practical reasoning for this demand. India's challenge is not about these two words, but its continuing struggle to tackle discrimination, poverty and underdevelopment, which are often influenced by the caste and religious origins of its citizens. The Sangh Parivar, and the BJP, could serve the country better by focusing on these challenges rather than wasting energy on divisive debates on settled semantics.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘Never heard that': Donald Trump says he's unaware ‘shylock' is considered anti-Semitic; faces backlash
US President Donald Trump said early Friday that he didn't realize the term 'Shylock' is considered antisemitic by some people. He had used the word during a rally to criticize certain bankers while discussing his newly passed tax cut and spending legislation, a comment that drew widespread criticism. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'I've never heard it that way. To me, Shylock is somebody that's a money lender at high rates,' Trump spoke to reporters after stepping off Air Force One. 'I've never heard it that way, you view it differently than me. I've never heard that.' T rump was heading back to Washington after the event in Iowa that marked the start of nationwide celebrations for the country's 250th anniversary, which will take place next year. In his speech, he used the word while highlighting parts of the major domestic policy bill that Congress had passed just a few hours earlier. "Think of that: No death tax. No estate tax. No going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker - and in some cases, Shylocks and bad people,' he said during remarks at an Iowa rally. The term 'Shylock' comes from the character in William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice. In the play, Shylock is a Jewish moneylender known for being harsh and demanding, famously insisting on a 'pound of flesh' from a merchant named Antonio if a loan wasn't repaid. "The term 'Shylock' evokes a centuries-old antisemitic trope about Jews and greed that is extremely offensive and dangerous. President Trump's use of the term is very troubling and irresponsible," the Anti-Defamation League said in a post on X. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'It underscores how lies and conspiracies about Jews remain deeply entrenched in our country. Words from our leaders matter and we expect more from the President of the United States,' the organisation added. US Representative Dan Goldman, a Jewish Democrat, said, "This is blatant and vile antisemitism, and Trump knows exactly what he's doing." Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said in a post on social media, 'Shylock is among the most quintessential antisemitic stereotypes. This is not an accident. It follows years in which Trump has normalized antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories - and it's deeply dangerous.'
