Opposing Communal Forces Is Key to Defending Constitution: M V Govindan

Thiruvananthapuram: M V Govindan, State Secretary of the CPI M in Kerala, has called on citizens to resist all communal forces to safeguard the Constitution and India’s secular democracy.

Addressing a press conference, Govindan criticised the central government for promoting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) centenary celebrations across the country. He said public resources are being used to propagate a Hindutva agenda, a move that goes against constitutional principles. “Efforts to spread extremist ideologies must be firmly opposed,” he added.

Govindan alleged that the RSS has been conducting widespread communal campaigns, using even official currency notes, coins, and stamps to promote the vision of a Hindu Rashtra. He highlighted the historical irony of the RSS glorifying Mahatma Gandhi, noting that extremist forces within the organisation were responsible for his assassination.

“The RSS’s activities aim to make India vulnerable to communal unrest, and this time, the government itself is amplifying the campaign,” he said. He emphasised that secularism can only be preserved by opposing all forms of communalism.

M V Govindan further criticised the UDF and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), accusing them of forming alliances with Jamaat-e-Islami. While opposition leader V D Satheesh claimed that Jamaat-e-Islami had abandoned religious nationalism, Govindan countered that the party continues to propagate the ideas of leaders such as Syed Maududi and Sheikh Girdhavi through its youth wing, Solidarity, and other organisational structures.

Govindan called for a clear and open examination of efforts to promote an Islamic state ideology. “Like the Sangh Parivar, Jamaat-e-Islami represents religious nationalism and rejects secularism, federalism, and democratic principles as envisioned by the Constitution. These forces must be actively resisted,” he said.