Kannur: ‘Kavu’ places board barring Muslims’ entry
KANNUR: A board erected on the premises of Malliyottu ‘kavu’ at Kunhimangalam literally ridicules Kerala’s claims of being one of the most progressive states in the country. Interestingly, the kavu — where the board reading “Muslims are not allowed into the kavu premises during festival time” has come up — is in Kunhimangalam panchayat which has been ruled for years by LDF. The board exposes the hollowness of the claims by CPM, which takes pride in being the leaders of social progress in modern Kerala.
Even as a picture of the board went viral on social media, and people came out criticising the ‘kavu’ committee for having placed such a notice in the 21st century, the committee members stuck to their stand. They said the controversy is unnecessary and alleged that it is part of a conspiracy to tarnish the image of a particular community.
“It isn’t right to portray this issue as Hindu-Muslim rivalry. It has nothing to do with Hindus,” said Nishanth Pariyaram, a social activist.“Malliyottu kavu is controlled by a particular community and nobody outside it is involved in the issue. The saddest part is that CPM doesn’t have the guts to intervene as it fears the wrath of the community on whom they depend in the elections.”
P P Rajan, a resident, said he has been seeing the board for decades. “It was there in the previous festival too. Somehow, it became a controversy this year,” he said. But he refuses to buy the argument of the ‘kavu’ committee members that Muslims should be denied entry into the kavu premises.
“What’s the point of this argument? They have been erecting this board for years, citing a clash between some Muslims and devotees that had happened some 60 years ago,” Rajan said. “I can’t remember an incident of violence between the two groups over the past 30 years,” he said. CPM has maintained a studied silence in the issue.