Amidst reports of consolidation of minority communities in favor of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) as witnessed during the recent local body elections, the political chessboard of Kerala is witnessing a cautious rapprochement between the two dominant organizations of the Hindu community in the state, the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam (NSS) and the Yogam Service (NSS).
Both SNDP general secretary Vellappally Natesan and NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair signaled on Sunday that old rivalries may be giving way to strategic alignment. The thaw in relations that gradually took shape from the Global Ayyappa Sangamam in September last year spilled over into the public sphere, driven by their shared opposition to Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan. As the UDF, led by Mr. Satheesan, prepares for the assembly polls, buoyed by its performance in the local body elections, the stance taken by the two community leaders also assumes substantial political significance.
In separate interactions with the media, Mr Natesan derided Mr Satheesan as an upstart while Mr Nair questioned the opposition leader’s secular credentials, citing his visit to the Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church and alluding to political overreach. “Congress has let Mr Satheesan run unchecked. What authority does he have to decide political matters? Is the KPCC president incompetent?” asked Mr. Nair, warning that the Congress could face electoral setbacks if it failed to rein in Mr. Satheesan.
“Conditional Unity”
Responding to Mr. Natesan’s call for unity of the Nair and Ezhava communities, Mr. Nair said that the NSS would consider the proposal and discuss it in its organizational forums. “The NSS will explore the possibility of a conditional unity with the SNDP, although this is not about Hindu unity,” he explained.
“Both organizations share some core values. We are open to unity that preserves the core principles of the NSS, namely maintaining ‘equal distance’ in politics and treating all castes and communities equally. We also remain committed to intervening in social issues. We will consider cooperation that does not compromise these values,” he said.
However, Mr Nair dismissed Mr Natesan’s claim that the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) had sabotaged the proposed SNDP-NSS alliance. He argued that earlier the only obstacle was caste reservation differences and these no longer exist. He reiterated that the NSS will continue to maintain a principled, non-political stance, even though strategic cooperation with the SNDP is gaining momentum.
Criticism of BJP
On the occasion, Mr Nair also reiterated his criticism of the BJP for its inaction on the Sabarimala issue and trained his guns on leaders like Suresh Gopi, MP and West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose for their clashes with the NSS leadership.
These developments represent the most serious signs of rapprochement among the Hindu community in a decade. The SNDP-NSS thaw follows years of acrimony dating back to the failed Hindu Grand Alliance of 2012-14, which collapsed over disagreements over caste reservations and the proposed Devaswom recruitment board. In 2014, the NSS also opposed the SNDP’s call for a pan-Hindu coalition including “Nayadi to Namboothiri” (Dalit to Brahmin), and this tension continued until last year.
Published – 18 Jan 2026 20:43 IST
