Vellappally Natesan, influential leader of the Ezhava community and general secretary of the SNDP Yogam, has been a towering figure in Kerala’s socio-political scene for the past few decades. Never known to mince his words, he has always been a newsmaker. Vellappally spoke to TNIE about the ‘Ezhava pride’, his KSU past, his soft corner for Pinarayi Vijayan and BJP’s future. Excerpts
If we say you are one of the most controversial figures in Kerala, what will you say?
I don't create any controversy deliberately. While many hesitate to speak the truth, I openly say bitter truths. When all claim that secularism exists in the country, I openly contest it. I will tell you that it’s a lie. How can we say we are secular when candidates for elections are selected based on their religion and community? When I openly say these things, it becomes controversial.
You’ve been the general secretary of SNDP Yogam for the past 25 years… What are your contributions to the Ezhava community?
I could help women in my community financially through a micro-finance scheme. More importantly, I feel I gave courage to my community members to boldly say I am an Ezhava.
There were a few failures in your micro-finance scheme. Were you able to solve them?
Don't call them a failure. The micro-finance scheme became big news when V S Achuthanandan filed a case against it. A lot of allegations and false news were spread at that time. None bothered to look into the truth. It’s like the Lavalin case. VS should not have done that. I respect him. But some evil people used him to target me. He gets easily influenced by others.
The High Court had recently issued an order that all members of the Yogam should be given voting rights. Do you think it is a setback?
How can it be a setback? The Kerala High Court has only defined a law. It's our opponents who are interpreting it as a setback. It's not for us alone; all other community organisations have to comply with the ruling.
Though leaders like VS Achuthanandan and VM Sudheeran hail from your community, there is no love lost between them and you…
Yes. That's true and the reason is nothing but jealousy. I was born into a well-to-do family. My father was very rich and hence, I had everything. Also, I was more popular than them in the community.
Many people don’t know about your Congress background. How was that?
I was a staunch KSU activist in school. Vayalar Ravi and A K Antony were my contemporaries. They both used to come to my house regularly.
Then what happened?
It was after my school days that I got attracted to the CPM. There is a reason for that. I protested against Kallu Kudichu Thullal, a superstition-based ritual where a person dances in a temple after consuming liquor. But the Congress wanted the ritual to continue. But the Communist party came to my support to end the superstition.
Are you still a Communist?
I am not a member of any party. But I do carry socialist ideology in my heart. The Communist party today is very different from that of the past. Today, both the Communist party and the Congress are busy appeasing the minorities and forward castes.
Why do you say that?
Some recent incidents have proved this fact. For example, the government cowed down before Muslim organisations in the case of Alappuzha district collector Sreeram Venkitaraman. This has sent a wrong message to the public. It feels like democracy has taken a back seat and the government has bowed down under pressure from religious groups.
You have said that the Vizhinjam agitation is against the nation's interest. What’s the reason?
All agree that Vizhinjam Port will boost the development of the nation and it is being implemented after extensive studies and research. And now when it is nearing completion, a protest broke out suddenly. If the project is stopped at this stage, it will not affect Adani, because the agreement it signed with the government will safeguard its interests. But the Kerala government will have to pay hefty compensation to Adani. It feels like some vested interests are behind the scenes.
Leaders of the Latin Catholic church had contacted me over the phone seeking support. I told them that you can come and meet me but my opinion (regarding the Vizhinjam protest) will not change. Their demand to stop the construction of the port is aimed at helping Adani. If the government announces compensation to Adani, the protest will end. The Latin Church is also trying its hand at a second ‘vimochana samaram’(liberation struggle).
You had recently criticised that the Left government stands weak-kneed before religious organisations…
The government dances to the tunes of minorities and forward communities. The Latin community is only a minority but the Left government is bowing before them in the Vizhinjam case. Around 96 per cent of the employees in the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) are from the forward community. Also, the norms governing recruitment in TDB favour the forward community.
Though forward communities make up only 15 per cent of the total population, 10 per cent of the seats in educational institutions have been reserved for the economically weaker sections in those communities. The CPM had earlier told the Christian community leaders that they have to reject the church to join the party. Now, leaders of the same party are seen waiting to meet bishops, priests and even sextons. Political parties use Ezhava youth to further their cause and want them to become martyrs.
But all 3 major parties have people belonging to the Ezhava community at their helm.
Yes. Pinarayi Vijayan is an Ezhava. But who is there in CPM after him? K Sudhakaran is the only Ezhava leader in Congress but his position in the party is quite shaky. If at all Congress comes to power, either a Nair or a Christian will be made chief minister.
Do you feel BJP is giving better representation to the Ezhava community?
No. Never. Because, if they try to appease us, the Nair community will not vote for them. You just take a look at the election results. While Ezhava voters of the BJP supported their candidates without considering caste equations, members of forward communities did not vote for Ezhava candidates.
You had initiated ‘Nayadi muthal Namboodhiri vare’ (from Nayadi to Namboodhiri) to enforce Hindu unity in Kerala to counter minority politics…
It failed. I have realised that discrimination is deeply entrenched in the social psyche. Those from the forward community still believe in untouchability. They are not ready to accept us. Even after 75 years of Independence, no one from Ezhava community is allowed to perform pooja at Sabarimala. All the temples under the Devaswom Board, even the advisory committees, are controlled by forward communities.
You had said that a change can be brought about if you and (NSS general secretary) Sukumaran Nair made a joint effort. But that didn't happen. Where did things go wrong?
Things would have been better had the alliance worked out. We had decided that a member of the Hindu community should be in a key position in the UDF government led by Oommen Chandy. But Sukumaran Nair took our support and wrested the post for a Nair (referring to Ramesh Chennithala being made home minister). The very next step he took was to get me arrested. A level of trust should be there for two people to stand together.
Any chance of reviving Hindu unity efforts?
No, there is no chance. I have given up.
Ezhavas have been the backbone of the CPM for a very long time. However, the Ezhava vote base of CPM is slowly shifting towards the BJP…
No. I don’t see such a trend.
How do you see the political future of the BJP?
There is no doubt about Narendra Modi’s dominance in national politics. However, when it comes to Kerala, the BJP will not be able to make any gains here.
BJP leaders say you changed your stand after 2014...
I have not changed my stand. It’s they who backtracked from their promises. They didn't fulfill the promises given to BDJS. They never trusted the allies. In the 2021 assembly elections, the BJP took away many seats where the BDJS had performed well in 2016. And the result was a decline in vote share.
What's the future of BDJS?
To be frank, I don't know. You know that I am not a part of the BDJS.
Do you think the BDJS’ decision to join NDA was wrong?
I am not the spokesperson of any political outfit.
Do you think the state BJP leaders are attempting to wreck BDJS?
I won’t say that they are trying to wreck the BDJS, but they are not allowing the party to grow. There is no mutual trust among the allies in the NDA. A majority of district leaders of the BJP belong to a particular community and the backward community members do not have much representation. However, in CPM eight to nine district leaders belong to the backward communities.
So, are you saying that CPM is giving better representation to backward communities?
There are many district-level leaders. But representation in a democracy means representation in administration also. The Ezhava community does not have such representation in the government. The secretariat is the core committee of CPM and the representation there is very low. The number of MLAs is also declining when compared to the past.
So you feel the Ezhava community is being ignored by all fronts?
In Alappuzha district, where the majority of the population is Ezhava, the community got representation only in a single seat — Kayamkulam, where a woman leader was fielded by CPM. The MP belongs to the Muslim community. The Christian community, which has a nominal presence, has three MLAs. In the eastern part of the state, only Christians would get seats. The eastern and western parts have been hijacked. The community has lost all constituencies with Ezhava majority.
What stops the SNDP Yogam from bargaining like others?
The main problem is Ezhavas are political. They vote for symbols, and do not look at the religious identity of the candidate. We are not a vote bank like others.
You were one among the first to call Pinarayi Vijayan ‘Iratta chankan’ (strong willed)…
I respect him. He can take bold decisions and that is why people call him ‘Iratta Chankan’. He is very simple and friendly. However, I feel the graph of the government is declining now. Unlike the ministers in the first cabinet, the ministers in this government are not experienced and they don’t create an impact. They have failed to rise to the occasion. Maybe because of their inexperience.
A majority of the Ezhava community had come out against women's entry at Sabarimala but you had preferred to side with the government. Do you regret the decision?
No, there is no regret. I had termed the Supreme Court verdict disappointing when it was pronounced. I believe that the Ezhava women would not go to Sabarimala. Parties like Congress which had welcomed the verdict backtracked later. Many said LDF performed badly in the 2019 LS elections because of Sabarimala. But the Left garnered 99 seats in the 2021 assembly polls.
Navodhana Samrakshana Samithi, which was constituted by the government to counter the protest, has failed.
It's not a failure. We have decided to constitute district-level committees in all 14 districts. Earlier, it had no base as it was only a crowd.
You kicked up a row with your statements on love jihad and religious conversions. You said contrary to public opinion, Christians are behind most religious conversions, not Muslims. Do you still maintain the same opinion?
A section of the Christian community is behind most religious conversions; not the entire Christian community. They spend crores on religious conversion.
Do you believe Love Jihad is real?
Yes. It is very much there; though isolated. Girls belonging to affluent families pursuing professional courses are brainwashed by classmates to embrace Islam.
Though you claim the Thiyya community in Malabar is part of the Ezhava community, they seem to be keen on asserting a distinct identity…
We are actually a single entity. In Malabar, the community is called Thiyya. Some vested interests are trying to drive a wedge between us.
How do you presume Kerala’s political future to evolve during the next five years?
My hunch is that LDF will be reelected in 2026 too. The fortunes of Congress are diminishing day by day. Factionalism has eroded the vote base of Congress. Christian and Muslim voters are increasingly getting attracted to the CPM. Pinarayi Vijayan is leaving no stone unturned to lure them. The Ezhavas will continue to vote for the CPM, though no government is concerned about their welfare. The Congress is entirely dependent on the Muslim League, but even the IUML is disintegrating. P K Kunhalikutty had good clout but the increasing influence of the hardliners has weakened his position within the party.
You had locked horns with K C Venugopal once. But now he is the most powerful person in the Congress…
You can see the result for yourself. Everyone is leaving that party as this person has become all-powerful. He is responsible for the current plight of the Congress.
What is your opinion about the Bharat Jodo Yatra taken out by Rahul Gandhi?
The Yatra has been attracting a good crowd. But people understand his gimmicks like visiting roadside teashops. People are wise; they can see through all these photo opportunities.
How do you see the comparison between Narendra Modi and Pinarayi Vijayan?
Modi is an ardent devotee but Pinarayi is an atheist. But when it comes to taking bold decisions and enforcing them they are similar. I have respect for both as they have come up the ladder the hard way.