Ahead of the crucial local-body elections in Kerala, former ISRO chief Madhavan Nair has voiced his support for the Sree Narayana Guru Dharma Paripalana Yogam’s political moves in the state. Nair has said that Kerala should learn from the BJP’s development in Gujarat. His intentions are to foster ‘Hindu Unity’ in the state, he told The News Minute.
The SNDP’s general secretary Vellapally Natesan is pitching for a political front of various Hindu communities. He is all set to go on a ‘Samastha Munnetra Yatra’ across Kerala as a precursor to the announcement of a possible political formation.
We have to work towards Hindu unity. Several communities have been left behind due to the politics of the state in the past few decades. There is great potential for development if the communities come together.
— Vellapally Natesan, General Secretary, SNDP
Nair has also supported Natesan’s political moves in the past few days and said he will coordinate with the SNDP in their upcoming yatra to organise support from Hindus.
“What SNDP and Velappally Natesan are doing is the right thing and I support it,” he said, adding that his role in the yatra will be of an advisor and chief patron, but he will make himself available whenever he is required to meet community leaders.
There are communities like the Nairs, Namboodris and Brahmins which are economically backward and are not well off.
— Madhavan Nair, Former Chief, ISRO
But not all Hindu communities in Kerala are known to see eye to eye. For instance, the Ezhavas and Nairs do not get along too well. “The main difference of opinion between them is over reservations. And most agree that economically backward people need reservations, but we can have a dialogue over this and sort out the differences,” says Nair.
Nair sees himself more as a facilitator for Hindu unity and the political moves of the SNDP and BJP in the state, and makes it clear he has no political ambitions.
I am doing it only on ideological grounds and for the good of the society.
— Madhavan Nair, Former Chief, ISRO
Nair adds that he has always had an inclination towards development activities and that the BJP had done a good job in states like Gujarat.
Following his statements supporting the emerging Hindu front in the state and the BJP, questions have been raised as to whether this is a reaction to him being unfairly targeted in the ISRO-Devas scam under the Congress-led UPA regime.
It was an unfortunate incident, all allegations against me were wrong and I am sad about it. But this has nothing to do with it. I have been thinking for a while that I must work for the society.
— Madhavan Nair, Former Chief, ISRO
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)