The political landscape of Kerala recently witnessed a classic standoff, with pro-Hindutva forces pitted against the rest of the state. It was in the commercial city of Kochi in central Kerala that serial bomb blasts rocked the community gathering of Jehovah's Witnesses, resulting in four fatalities and over 40 injuries.
However, the divide was evident in the aftermath. While the rest of the political entities, including the principal Opposition parties, community organisations, and mainstream media (with a few exceptions) rallied behind the government to maintain peace and unity, pro-Hindutva outfits and the BJP seemed to diverge from this unified approach, with many resorting to misinformation.
An all-party meeting was convened, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, which resulted in a unanimous resolution to protect the state's secular and democratic values from attempts to cause societal disunity, raising concerns about potential efforts to create division among different faiths through the spread of hate and disinformation.