'Vedan is being targeted because he is Dalit, root of current issues surrounding Vedan began with event held at Nishagandhi Auditorium'

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dr. Vineetha Vijayan, a college professor and the State Secretary of the Kerala Navodhana Samithi, stated that popular rapper Vedan (Hirandas Murali) is being targeted because he is a Dalit. She made the remarks during an appearance on Kaumudy TV’s Straight Line program.

“Vedan is being targeted because he is a Dalit. There is caste politics at play here. State-sponsored cultural platforms often feature the same set of performers. While I’m not naming anyone, the discontent began when Vedan was given an opportunity in place of those usual faces. In my understanding, the root of the current issues surrounding Vedan began with the event held at the Nishagandhi Auditorium.”

“Those who thought Vedan wouldn’t draw crowds in Thiruvananthapuram were taken aback by the turnout at that event. The gathering at Nishagandhi wasn’t just a crowd— it was a diverse gathering of the new generation of Kerala’s youth, united beyond caste, religion, and gender. They came saying, ‘We just want to see and hear Vedan once.’ The fact that he was able to connect so powerfully with this diverse audience through his lyrics has upset the dominant upper-caste music lobby. They are the ones orchestrating the backlash he’s now facing,” she said.