KASARAGOD: The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth organisation of the CPM, disrupted the rural games organised "only for Hindus" and filed a police complaint against the organiser, Veera Kesari club, a rightwing-controlled youth club at Bayar in Paivalike gram panchayat.
"This is the third time, the youths of Sangh Parivar are organising sports events only for Hindus here. We will not allow sports to be used to divide Kerala society," said Vinay Kumar, DYFI Manjeshwar block president.
A poster for the event organised by Veera Kesari read: 'A warm welcome to Hindus'.
On Sunday, he led a group of DYFI activists to Beripadavu in Pervodi ward, where Veera Kesari club organised sprints, tug of war and kabaddi on the waterlogged paddy fields. "We stopped the events and spoke to the organisers. We ensured the games are open to all," said Vinay Kumar.
As a registered youth club, Veera Kesari should not have organised sporting events only for one community, he said. "We should use sports to bring people together, not divide them," he said.
DYFI state secretary V K Sanoj said the organisation would organise bigger games on the same paddy fields for all communities on July 20.
A club member refused to comment on the development. BJP controls Pervody and Beripadav wards and the neighbouring wards in Paivalike panchayat. The party with eight members is tied with the LDF, which got to control the panchayat after winning a toss for the president's post.
The BJP's Pushpalakshmi of Cheral ward won the toss for the vice-president's post. The UDF's IUML has only two members and Congress has one member.
Speaking for the club, a BJP panchayat member said Veera Kesari club organises these games on paddy field every year. "Only Hindus attend the club's events. The youths must have written welcome to Hindus because a lot of women participate in the games," said the female panchayat member, who requested anonymity.
She said the temples in the area also organise sporting events only for Hindus. Recently, the Bunts community organised similar events only for its community. "Later, the same venue was used by Kudumbashree," she said, and added at least Veera Kesari's event was open to all Hindus.
Sporting events are routinely organised in paddy fields ahead of the sowing season in Kasaragod district. The pioneer of such events is Pulari Club of Aravath in Pallikkara panchayat. This year the Pulari festival held on June 26, a Sunday, saw the participation of 17 schools and thousands of residents, from across religions, said Jayaprakash, secretary of Pulari club.
The games had events such as sprints, volleyball, badminton, three-legged race, spoon race, sack race, and tug-of-war, all held in water-logged paddy fields. "We rounded off the games with sowing of paddy," he said.
Jayaprakash said similar events were held at Panayal, Udma, Aramangam, and Perumbala and nowhere religion came into the picture.
DYFI's Vinay Kumar said rightwing clubs affiliated to the RSS-BJP had earlier tried to organise a kabadi tournament only for Hindus at Bayar in Paivalike panchayat, and a cricket tournament only for Hindus at Bekkur in neighbouring Mangalpady panchayat. "The DYFI opposed and stopped both the events," he said.