Protests against Nair Service Society (NSS) General Secretary G. Sukumaran Nair over his support for the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government on the Sabarimala issue are intensifying within the organization. Banners, posters, and flex boards condemning him were widely displayed in various parts of the state on Saturday.
Banners and posters accusing Sukumaran Nair of “stabbing the Nair community in the back” appeared in Pathanamthitta, Poonjar in Kottayam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, and other places.
A poster found in front of Neyyattinkara’s Kalanjoor Karayogam (local unit) demanded Sukumaran Nair’s resignation. The poster read: “Sukumara, you stabbed the chest of Ayyappa devotees from behind. Sukumaran has stabbed the Hindu community from behind.” A flex board against him was also put up in Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram, while another was found in front of the Kuttiyayanikkadu NSS Karayogam.
In Sasthamkotta, Kollam, a banner declared that “the leadership that tried to betray the community is a shame to the Nair community.” A resolution was passed at Karikkode in Kollam, stating that the General Secretary’s decision to support the LDF government’s stance on Sabarimala was unilateral. Protest banners were also raised at Aryanad in Thiruvananthapuram.
A banner in Kottayam, put up by members of the Poonjar Chennad Devi Vilasam Karayogam, stated that G. Sukumaran Nair, “who is serving Pinarayi Vijayan, should resign.”
Earlier, on Thursday, a banner had been placed in front of the Vettipram NSS Karayogam building in Pathanamthitta. The sarcastic message read: “Sukumaran Nair has turned Kattappa.” It further accused him of betraying Ayyappa devotees for personal reasons and described him as “a shame for the community.”
On Wednesday, Sukumaran Nair had openly declared his faith in the LDF government and supported Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s stand on the Sabarimala issue. Applauding the government for steps to safeguard Sabarimala traditions, he said the LDF had assured the issue would be resolved. He also strongly criticized the Congress and the BJP.
It is said that the rift between Opposition Leader V. D. Satheesan and the NSS leadership is the reason behind the shift in the organization’s stance favouring the CPI(M)-led LDF.