The RSS's attempt to rewrite the tale of Onam

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11 highlights

  • Nearly everyone considers Onam a secular, harvest festival today, which is celebrated by people of every religion in Kerala.

  • Recently, the Kesari Weekly, the Kerala mouthpiece of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, ran an Onam Special issue. Its cover story, written by Unnikrishnan Namboothiri, proclaims Onam as the birth anniversary of Vamana.

  • Many have criticised the article as the RSS’s attempt to communalise what is considered a secular festival, as well as an effort to “Brahminise” Onam and impose “Varna principles” on it. Mahabali is considered an icon by many in the Dalit community, and the piece was criticised for twisting his story.

  • After the article was published, KP Sasikala, the president of the Hindu Aikya Vedi or Hindu United Front, reportedly said that Vamana was “a freedom fighter” that liberated Kerala from the “imperialistic rule.”

  • While many dominant festivals that are based in Hindu mythology celebrate the victory of “good” Vaishnavaite avatars over “evil,” Onam has always stood out.

  • He considers the attempt similar to patterns elsewhere in the country where indigenous-Dravidian and dark-skinned gods are projected as demons, and Hindu god as saviours.

  • Gurukkal questioned how, Parasurama, the mythological sixth incarnation of Vishnu who is purported to have created Kerala, could have preceded the fifth incarnation, Vamana—a point raised by Namboothiri in his cover story as well.

  • Narayanan said that during the Vamana Jayanti feast, members of the oppressed castes were expected to submit large quantities of paddy to their Brahmin landlords. Due to this practice, Narayanan said, “Vamana, who was celebrated as hero of Brahmins, was acknowledged to be a villain.”1

  • “I agree that Onam is a festival of all religious groups. But in how many houses in Kerala, will they make in clay the image of Thrikkakkara Appan?”—the Malayalam term for Vamana. Surendran continued, “Christmas is celebrated by all groups. In many houses, including Hindu groups they hang stars at home. But only Christians go to church and pray.

  • Many believe that attempt that an attempt to reconstruct the Onam myth falls in pattern with the renewed role of the BJP and Sangh Parivar role in Kerala’s cultural arena, and that will allow the organisations to gain political mileage. “Ganesha Festival is a case in point. Kerala never had a culture of celebrating it. Now BJP is making efforts to promote the festival in the state,” Rajeev said.

  • “From the earlier attempts such as making Mahabali wear poonool”—a sacred thread worn by Brahmins—“and the current issue of projecting a Brahmin over Mahabali with regards to Onam, all substantiate the Sangh Parivar’s interests,”

Footnotes

  1. On what scripture/reference are these arguments based? Is it pure speculation? ↩

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