Bishop's remark not applicable to Gandhi and communists, it was about RSS: MV Jayarajan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM Kannur District Secretary MV Jayarajan on Sunday said that the 'martyrdom' remark of Thalassery Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplani is not applicable to Gandhiji and communists. "Gandhiji was not shot dead by the police after he had a fight with someone, but was shot dead by a communal fanatic RSS man. Godse did not come to the Birla Mandir to pray but to kill Gandhiji. When Gandhiji raised his hand to bless him, the communal madman shot him dead. Gandhiji can be considered as the first political martyr of independent India.", MV Jayarajan said.

"So the bishop's remark does not apply to Gandhiji. Gandhiji was not a person who was killed in a fight. RSS is behind that murder. RSS leader Savarkar is the seventh accused. RSS was banned from February 4, 1948 to July 10, 1949 because of Gandhiji's assassination. If he died in a fight and then shot dead, there is no need to ban the RSS," said MV Jayarajan.

"As far as the communist revolutionaries are concerned, the first communist martyrs of Kerala were Ambu and Chathukutty. On September 15, 1940, the Malabar Special Police appointed by the British to hunt down communists shot dead those who took part in the anti-British struggle. They were not killed because of a fight with the police. Then it does not apply to communists either."

"Moreover, more than seven hundred people in Kerala who had to die as communist martyrs sacrificed their lives for the country and its people. They sacrificed their lives not for their own comfort, but for the happiness of others. Therefore, just as Jesus was crucified for the oppressed, the communists fought for the oppressed people. The revolutionaries of Kaiyyur who were hanged were also killed not for harming anyone. All these are political martyrs."

"Politics is not party politics. Rather, it is a narrow nationalism. All of them were killed for the society and the people. If examined on this basis, there are no Gandhiji or communists among those who say that they sacrificed their lives by fighting and causing some trouble. Bishop might have intended RSS or BJP members. Because these are the ones who prey on the minorities. These are the ones who fight and use guns to harm the minority beliefs of others. Contemporary social events make it clear that the BJP are the aggressors.," MV Jayarajan commented.