For generations, it has served as a monument that evocatively celebrates one of the most radical moments seeking social equality. But at a time when the country celebrates the 75th anniversary of Independence, this memorial appears stuck in the middle of a political row.
The Indamthuruthi Mana at Vaikom, Kottayam, which holds a significant place in the historic Vaikom Satyagraha, has been in the cross hairs of a controversy that continues to rage between the Communist Part of India (CPI) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The episode began to unfold with BJP State president K. Surendran ramping up a rhetoric questioning the ownership of the site by the CPI.
The remark drew an instant reaction from the CPI which asked the BJP, and particularly its State president, to at least get some idea on the history of social struggles before commenting on it. Mr. Surendran, however, continued to fashion his narrative in even more inflammatory terms and even accused the Left party of converting the monument as a toddy shop.
