UDF Aligns with RSS Agenda to Reinstate Caste System: M V Govindan

Kasaragod / Alappuzha: CPI M state secretary M V Govindan has strongly criticised the growing attempts to revive casteist practices under the guise of tradition, pointing to the recent incidents of students washing teachers’ feet in schools.

“These so-called ‘Guru Pooja’ rituals are nothing but a brazen attempt by the RSS to reintroduce the long-discarded Chaturvarnya system,” said Govindan. “Respecting teachers is important, but reviving feudal, casteist customs in the name of respect is nothing short of cultural regression,” he added.

Govindan noted that the foot-washing practices are deliberately designed to condition children into submissive, hierarchical thinking. “This is not culture, it’s indoctrination. These rituals aim to glorify servitude and embed casteist obedience in young minds,” he warned. He also pointed out that the UDF, in its desperation to fight the Left, has aligned with both Jamaat-e-Islami and the RSS, showing no concern for the damage such alliances do to Kerala’s progressive fabric.

Rajendra Arlekar

Governor Defends Regressive Rituals in the Name of Culture

Meanwhile, Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar sparked outrage by defending the foot-washing ceremonies. Justifying the ritual as part of Indian tradition, the Governor criticised those opposing it, claiming they fail to understand its "cultural value." But critics say the Governor’s statements are a blatant whitewashing of casteist practices.

By portraying opposition to such rituals as ignorance of culture, the Governor not only dismisses the voices of progressive, secular, and democratic forces but also openly aligns himself with a Hindutva narrative that seeks to re-establish caste hierarchies in education. “Those who forget their culture forget who they are,” Arlekar declared, words that appear less like a cultural assertion and more like a veiled endorsement of Brahminical orthodoxy.

His intervention is especially alarming because it comes from a constitutional head, expected to uphold secularism and equality. Instead, he chose to legitimise rituals that are rooted in inequality and subjugation. This is not the first time the Governor has waded into ideological controversies, but defending casteist practices in the name of tradition marks a new low, critics argue.

Widespread Protests Planned

The controversy ignited when a BJP leader participated in a foot-washing ceremony at Vivekananda Vidyapeetham in Attuva, Alappuzha. In response, youth and student organisations are gearing up for protest. DYFI and AISF will hold marches to Vivekananda Vidyapeetham and Vidyadhiraja Central School in Mavelikkara tomorrow. “We will not allow feudal rituals to be normalised in Kerala’s classrooms,” declared student leaders, calling the Governor’s remarks “dangerous and shameful.”