Even Gandhi’s Memories Threaten Sangh Parivar; Martyrdom Inspires Anti-Communal Struggle: CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday commemorated 78 years since the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, describing it as one of the most brutal political murders in India’s history.

In a Facebook post, Vijayan recalled that Gandhi’s assassination by Nathuram Godse shocked the world. He emphasised that Godse was not merely an individual killer, but a representation of the hate-driven, communal ideology promoted by the Sangh Parivar. The Chief Minister stated that the extremist, divisive agenda that views diversity and secularism as enemies was laid bare through Gandhi’s murder, and warned that such forces continue to attack India’s Constitution and democratic values even today.

"Gandhi’s life and philosophy remain in direct opposition to the politics of hatred and polarisation,' Vijayan wrote. He said the Sangh Parivar aims to impose a ‘one nation, one culture’ agenda, whereas Gandhi stood for an India that embraces diversity and dissent. The Chief Minister noted that Gandhi was assassinated because of his steadfast commitment to secularism, a fear that persists among extremists to this day.

Pinarayi Vijayan also criticised attempts to remove Gandhi’s name from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, calling it part of an effort to erase his connection with ordinary people. He asserted that Kerala’s resistance to central government moves to dilute the scheme and cut its allocation is a continuation of Gandhi’s vision for decentralised, people-centred development.

Highlighting the threat posed by those building "temples of communalism' while undermining India’s secular heritage, the Chief Minister warned that laws targeting dissent and minorities serve majoritarian, authoritarian agendas. He stressed that defending India’s pluralism and secular foundations is crucial in the face of communal fascism targeting religious minorities and Dalits. "Gandhi’s martyrdom is a continuous call for anti-communal struggle. Let us unite and advance for a democratic, secular India,” Vijayan concluded.