KANNUR: In Kannur, politics is woven into the fabric of daily life. From neighbourhood disputes to temple festivals, political affiliations influence everything, often blurring the lines between tradition and ideology. The district, home to the most number of CPM cadre in the country, has long been a stronghold of the left.
The district’s political dynamics are, however, being reshaped. The Marxist party, known for its atheistic ideology, is now taking a leap of faith. What began as a resistance against RSS influence in Hindu places of worship has now evolved into a scenario where temple festivals themselves are part of the party agenda.
“There are many believers among the cadre in Kannur. We do not bar them from pursuing their faith. These party members may also be involved in running many of the temples. It is not the party agenda to hijack places of worship. Several years back, all the kavus and temples were controlled by the RSS and the Sangh parivar.
They were trying to spread hatred and communalism. Ensuring our presence in these temples was part of our resistance against communalism,” CPM state secretariat member M V Jayarajan told TNIE.
In certain parts of the district, temples are controlled by the dominant political party in the area – be it the CPM, BJP or Congress. During religious processions, these political fronts compete with each other for a show of strength, often leading to clashes. Political skirmishes during temple festivals is now a common occurrence in Kannur.
Even just five years ago, these processions were largely marked with party flags and symbols. However, things changed after an all-party meeting called by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in 2017 to end the spate of violence rocking the district.
Over the last few days, there have been reports of CPM-BJP clashes at the Sree Kurumba Bhagavathi and Sree Andalurkavu temples and those in Muzhappilangad, Thalassery, Manolikkavu, and Poyiloor kavu.
“Temple festivals are a celebration of local communities. The CPM believes in the equality of all religions. It is true that we have believers within the party. In Kannur, most temples are theyyam kavus, where we worship subaltern deities. Our ‘Muthappan’ represents the common man--one who eats meat and drinks alcohol,” said local CPM worker Prabhakaran Elempilayi.
Meanwhile, the BJP has accused the CPM of disrupting religious traditions.
“Temples are meant for believers. In Kannur, the CPM is deliberately creating unrest. For the past five years, there have been no major political clashes here. Some temples are under our control, while others are managed by the CPM. We do not wish to create conflict, but we will defend ourselves when necessary,” said BJP district president N Haridasan.
