Can there be a bigger political farce than Kerala’s Communist government choosing to play host to the Global Ayyappa Sangamam at Pampa? A party that once criminalised and brutalised Ayyappa devotees now wants to preside over their summit — if this is not hypocrisy, what is? Adding insult to injury, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan even invited Tamil Nadu’s M.K. Stalin, another serial Hindu-baiter, to the event. Stalin politely declined, but the very gesture exposes the opportunism of India’s political class.
This is the heart of Indian politics today: those who ridicule Hindu traditions in courtrooms, on television studios, and campaign stages suddenly rediscover temples when elections approach. It is not just the Communists and the DMK. The entire Opposition — from Congress to the INDIA bloc — has mastered the art of weaponising Hindu identity while masquerading as champions of “secularism.” Temple-hopping politicians, flaunting a janeu or chanting aarti lines, claim to be the “real” protectors of Hindu culture, even as they mock and dilute it behind the scenes.
The irony is stark. India, the world’s largest democracy, is also the land of Sanatana Dharma, the oldest civilisational ethos, which teaches honesty, integrity, and respect for all faiths. As Dr. S. Radhakrishnan famously said, Hinduism is not a religion in the narrow sense but a way of life. It neither seeks conversions nor preaches hatred. Compare this to faiths that emerged later, often built on exclusivity and expansionism, where proselytisation was central to their survival. Sanatana never needed such insecurity.
Which makes the Communist-DMK embrace of Ayyappa all the more bizarre. The same Kerala government that in 2018 tried to bulldoze Sabarimala traditions under the cover of a Supreme Court order is now parading itself as a patron of bhakti. The same government that unleashed police violence on devotees, jailed them, and filed cases against thousands of Ayyappa bhakts, now wants their blessings.
The hypocrisy is not lost on anyone. BJP state president Rajiv Chandrasekhar minced no words. In a sharp post on X, he accused Vijayan and Stalin of “insulting” Hindu faith and warned them against underestimating the will of Hindus in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. He demanded that both leaders apologise, withdraw cases against devotees, and seek forgiveness from Lord Ayyappa before setting foot at Pampa. Anything else, he said, would be sheer provocation.
Chandrasekhar reminded people of the Save Sabarimala campaign in 2018, when devotees and Hindu groups resisted the LDF government’s crackdown. What began as a faith movement spiralled into violent clashes, destruction of property, and police-protester confrontations. The scars remain fresh, especially among those who were jailed or beaten simply for defending their traditions.
He also pointed to Stalin’s past comments — his son even termed Hindu belief a “virus” — arguing that such insults cannot be whitewashed by a token presence at a Hindu gathering. “These are wounds etched into Hindu memory and will never be forgotten or forgiven,” he said.
The parallels Chandrasekhar drew were harsh but telling: the idea of Communists and DMK leaders celebrating Ayyappa, he wrote, is as absurd as “Hitler celebrating Jews” or “Rahul Gandhi speaking the truth.” Crude? Perhaps. But it captured the depth of mistrust many Hindus feel towards politicians who remember temples only in poll season.
For the BJP, the controversy is political ammunition. The 2018 Sabarimala agitation already reconfigured Kerala’s political discourse, giving the BJP a foothold in a state where it has long struggled. For the Congress, too, the episode was a campaign plank in 2020 and 2021. That the Left is now attempting a makeover through events like the Global Ayyappa Sangamam only proves one thing — faith is no longer something politicians can dismiss as “opium of the masses.” It is a force, deeply rooted, and electorally consequential.
In the end, the question is simple: if leaders like Pinarayi Vijayan and M.K. Stalin truly respect Ayyappa bhakti, will they admit to their past misdeeds, withdraw cases, and apologise to devotees? Or will they continue this cynical theatre of faith, hoping short public memory will let them get away with it?
Either way, Indian voters are watching. And this time, Hindus may not forgive so easily.
