The pamphlet also alleged that some extremist Islamist outfits were spreading pro-Taliban rhetoric in Kerala.
Fresh after the ‘narcotics jihad’ row in Kerala, the ruling CPI(M) has sparked a new controversy by alleging that communal forces are attempting to lure young, college-going girls into extremism. The issue was raised in a political pamphlet issued to CPI(M) cadres during branch and local committee meetings which began on Thursday, September 16. The note made two points, i.e rising support for Taliban among some Islamist extremist outfits and a communal rhetoric emerging in certain sections of Christians. The pamphlet alleged that the activities of the Sangh Parivar had created insecurity among minorities and that some extremist outfits are trying to milk this situation and create trouble in the community. “It should be viewed with seriousness that discussions supporting the Taliban are emerging in Kerala, contrary to the stance adopted by most Muslim countries in the world,” the pamphlet stated. It alleged that the “Jamaat-e-Islami, which works for the Islamic State (IS) was making a conscious effort to lure young people into communalism while spreading its ideological roots in the community”. “There are deliberate attempts to lure the youth to communalism and extremism. There are deliberate attempts surrounding the professional colleges targeting educated women to divert their thoughts to this way,” it alleged. The note asked CPI(M) cadres, students etc, to pay attention to this issue. On the issue of communal rhetoric among Christians, the CPI(M) note said that the Christian community does not fall prey to communal thought. However, the recent trend of communal rhetoric among a certain section of Christians should be viewed seriously. “Attempts are being made to pit Christians against Muslims, and if this happens, the ultimate winner will be majoritarian fundamentalism,” it alleged. Both the Congress and the BJP attacked the CPI(M) over the pamphlet. While the Congress asked the ruling party to offer proof for its “serious allegation, BJP State Chief K Surendran said that “the BJP had been talking the same ‘issue’ i.e. about young women trapped in extremism for at least a decade”. He also asked why the CPI(M) was not openly accepting this. However, CPI(M) state secretary A Vijayaraghavan defended the party stance saying that ‘communalism can operate in many ways’. “Our party will fiercely fight against communalism. It (communalism) does not have any set framework. It can have many disguises and can operate in different places,” he said. The new statement on communalism comes right after the ruling party chose not to initiate legal action against the Bishop of Pala Joseph Kallarangatt's 'narcotic jihad’ speech that sparked a controversy. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that no action would be taken against the Bishop and that the issue had “to be resolved with dialogue”. A Vijayaraghavan said, “We (party) don’t think that the Bishop had any ulterior motives when he made the false claims (on narcotics jihad). At the same time, our stance is very clear. We will not impose the false claims, statements made by individuals or groups on any particular religion”. CPI(M) leader and State Cooperation Minister VN Vasavan visited the Pala Bishop on Friday, September 17, following the controversy. He later told the media that the Bishop’s remarks were ‘a closed chapter’. While the CPI(M) and the Congress had criticised the Bishop’s statement, the BJP supported it, stating that his words on ‘love jihad’ and ‘narcotics jihad’ “were a reality”. Earlier in September, the bishop had said that there are two kinds of jihad in the state: ‘love jihad’ and ‘narcotic jihad’. He claimed that narcotic jihad involved ruining the lives of non-Muslims, particularly young people, by getting them addicted to drugs. While the bishop's comments without any proof have been slammed for hate speech, many questioned why the government did not take legal action against him. ‘Love jihad’ is also a fallacious and Islamophobic term that suggests Muslim men trap and seduce Hindu or Christian women to force them to convert to Islam. Read: No action by Kerala govt against bishop who made 'narcotic jihad' remark sparks row ‘Don’t create communal divide:’ Kerala Bishop’s remark on ‘narco jihad’ draws flak
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