Following a disastrous electoral performance in Kerala during the Lok Sabha polls, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is now eyeing to infiltrate temple committees and gain control of temple management in the State, reported The New Indian Express.
During the course of its recent 3-day leadership summit in Thiruvananthapuram, CPM told its cadre to visit temples, practice religious rituals and most importantly, take control of temple management.
The party is desperately trying to reverse some of the resolutions, which it had passed during the infamous Palakkad plenum of 2013. At that time, CPM had barred its comrades from visiting temples, performing religious rituals and being part of temple committees.
It even went to the extent of stopping cadres from conducting rituals such as ‘Ganapathi homam’ during housewarming ceremonies.
The sudden change of heart appears to be a part of its strategy to reach out to the majority Hindu community in Kerala and seize control of temple administration in the State.
“TNIE had, on June 21, reported that the CPM would take a more liberal stance on matters of faith and beliefs.vThe 2024 Lok Sabha election debacle had a catalytic effect on the CPM’s major policy shift,” reported The New Indian Express.
After its review of its electoral performance, CPM concluded that Hindu votes swung to the BJP even in its bastion of Malabar. The party has now claimed to corner the ‘communalists’ by gaining control of temples from Sangh Parivar and its believers.
“The RSS’ influence on matters of faith, temple rituals and believers is the main reason for the right-wing leanings in society, the party state committee felt. And it has decided to work among the devotees, aiming to “corner the communalists from true faithful”, the report added.
