Great leaders from time immemorial have been anticipated to be good-hearted, righteous and truthful. What's less obvious is that demonstrating these virtues is as important as possessing them. Present day political leaders are of such ‘great’ stature that they fail to convince even their own party members of their integrity. Look at the south Indian state of Kerala, the God’s Own Country and you will find no dearth for leaders who are born hypocrites. We will talk about a very flamboyant politician in the history of Kerala, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Supremo E M Sankaran Namboodiripad (better known as EMS).
Contrary to popular definitions, Indian communists are quite ‘religious’ often making them standing jokes. They regularly visit temples and participate in religious activities (in private) and talk against the same rituals in public. Just for an instance, EMS, long time general secretary of the CPI(M), used to visit the famous Pazhani Murukan temple in the adjacent state of Tamil Nadu. The communists usually defend this with the excuse that EMS was taking his wife for darshan; he never entered the temple, nor did he pray. If it's so, the question is couldn’t Mr EMS convince his own wife of his ideology? Then how come he asks the public to ‘follow’ him? Heights of hypocrisy!
But the truth is far from that, according to Dr. Narayanan Gopalakrishnan. As per his version of the story, Shri Krishnankutty (former Dy. Editor at Mathrubhumi Daily) on a visit to the temple once had witnessed EMS doing pradakshinas (circumambulation) around the temple and praying with utmost devotion. EMS is said to have asked him not to report this incident in the newspapers. As evident, the same person who talked scornfully about the ‘unscientific’ and ‘illogical’ idea of devotion or bhakti, goes on pilgrimage to holy sites. Moreover, EMS being a pious Brahmin at heart, married off all his children strictly following the Brahmanic customs. It was this man who couldn’t free himself from the customs of his caste, who preached and apparently ‘fought’ to abolish casteism and conservatism.
Another incident was when Shripad Amrit Dange, also an aristocratic Brahmin and one of the founding members of the Communist Party of India, once decided to visit the holy Ganga. He was threatened by the party that he should refrain from his religious practices. The CPI further asked him to stop considering the river Ganga divine, else the party would term him a Sanghi [RSS supporter].
A pertinent verse from Srimad Bhagawad Gita comes to my mind:
In the bigger picture, this clearly describes the hypocritical and opportunistic nature of the Communist Party of India. In the history of independent India, there hasn’t been another group in the political or religious domains who attacked the Hindu ideals and virtues with such atrocity. In a constant battle with its ideological foe, the nationalistic Sangh Parivar, the Communist Party has attacked, offended and abused the Hindu dharma and culture and has entertained nothing but utmost contempt for the Vedic traditions, all the while following the same Hindu beliefs and practices.
With such hypocritical leaders and a fake ideology, the very foundation of the Communist Party is rotting. The leaders are digging their own graves.
Thanks: Swami Sivananda, Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan
Contrary to popular definitions, Indian communists are quite ‘religious’ often making them standing jokes. They regularly visit temples and participate in religious activities (in private) and talk against the same rituals in public. Just for an instance, EMS, long time general secretary of the CPI(M), used to visit the famous Pazhani Murukan temple in the adjacent state of Tamil Nadu. The communists usually defend this with the excuse that EMS was taking his wife for darshan; he never entered the temple, nor did he pray. If it's so, the question is couldn’t Mr EMS convince his own wife of his ideology? Then how come he asks the public to ‘follow’ him? Heights of hypocrisy!
But the truth is far from that, according to Dr. Narayanan Gopalakrishnan. As per his version of the story, Shri Krishnankutty (former Dy. Editor at Mathrubhumi Daily) on a visit to the temple once had witnessed EMS doing pradakshinas (circumambulation) around the temple and praying with utmost devotion. EMS is said to have asked him not to report this incident in the newspapers. As evident, the same person who talked scornfully about the ‘unscientific’ and ‘illogical’ idea of devotion or bhakti, goes on pilgrimage to holy sites. Moreover, EMS being a pious Brahmin at heart, married off all his children strictly following the Brahmanic customs. It was this man who couldn’t free himself from the customs of his caste, who preached and apparently ‘fought’ to abolish casteism and conservatism.
Another incident was when Shripad Amrit Dange, also an aristocratic Brahmin and one of the founding members of the Communist Party of India, once decided to visit the holy Ganga. He was threatened by the party that he should refrain from his religious practices. The CPI further asked him to stop considering the river Ganga divine, else the party would term him a Sanghi [RSS supporter].
A pertinent verse from Srimad Bhagawad Gita comes to my mind:
यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः।
स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते।।3.21।।
[Whatsoever a great man does, that the other men also do; whatever he sets up as the standard, that the world (mankind) follows. // Man is a social animal. He is an imitating animal too. He takes his ideas of right and wrong from those whom he regards as his moral superior. Whatever a great man follows, the same is considered as an authority by his followers. They try to follow him. They endeavor to walk in his footsteps.]
In the bigger picture, this clearly describes the hypocritical and opportunistic nature of the Communist Party of India. In the history of independent India, there hasn’t been another group in the political or religious domains who attacked the Hindu ideals and virtues with such atrocity. In a constant battle with its ideological foe, the nationalistic Sangh Parivar, the Communist Party has attacked, offended and abused the Hindu dharma and culture and has entertained nothing but utmost contempt for the Vedic traditions, all the while following the same Hindu beliefs and practices.
With such hypocritical leaders and a fake ideology, the very foundation of the Communist Party is rotting. The leaders are digging their own graves.
Thanks: Swami Sivananda, Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan
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