In the wake of a controversy that broke out over his statement on science and myths, Kerala Speaker AN Shamseer has said that his statement was not intended to hurt any believer. “There is a hate campaign in India. Kerala has been able to prevent it to an extent. There is an attempt to start it here in Kerala. The Kerala society, the believers in Kerala will oppose it. Believers have come to me expressing solidarity,” Shamseer said. Citing Article 25 of the Indian Constitution that guarantees religious rights along with Article 51A(h) for the promotion of scientific temper, he asked how saying that scientific temper should be promoted hurts religious sentiments.
Commenting on the controversy, Shamseer said that such discussions are unfortunate in a state like Kerala. “I am not someone who hurts any religious sentiments. I entered politics through student politics and youth political organisations, I was not airdropped here as Speaker. No one can question my secular credentials,” he said. He was addressing the media ahead of the upcoming Legislative Assembly session on Wednesday, August 2.
Earlier in the day, Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary MV Govindan said that by misinterpreting parts of Speaker AN Shamseer’s allegedly controversial speech, there have been attempts to polarise people. He also warned that there should be caution against such attempts. “We cannot go forward by sidelining science in the name of faith. If any person criticises it, saying that the critic is against all Hindus is not right,” he said.
“Not acknowledging science is not the right stand. History should be seen as history, science as science and myths as myths. But linking myths with contemporary times and dubbing them as science cannot be accepted by anyone,” Govindan said.
Speaker Shamseer made the statement at the inauguration of Vidya Jyothi programme in Ernakulam district’s Kunnathunad on July 21. Addressing students at the Government Higher Secondary School there, the Speaker said, “We should promote science in our education system. The solution to all the problems we see today will be reached by promoting science. … Medical science has progressed through the years and plastic surgery was developed. Sometimes when people get injuries and there are marks on the body, they are asked if they need plastic surgery. It is a big discovery of medical science. But they teach that plastic surgery was there much earlier – that the first plastic surgery baby had the body of a human and the head of an elephant (referring to Ganapathy, a Hindu deity). Like this, they promote myths in place of science.”
Explaining the context for Shamseer’s statement, Govindan said, “At the inauguration of the Reliance Hospital in Mumbai on October 25, 2014, Prime Minister Modi said Ganapathy was the result of plastic surgery. … An attempt to turn this into a part of history is being made. That is wrong.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party and Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders had come out strongly against the Speaker, accusing him of hurting Hindu religious sentiments. The BJP also submitted a police complaint against Shamseer. The party’s state president said on Wednesday that organisations representing people from all walks of life have objected to Shamseer’s statement and that the Speaker and the government are facing an opposition similar to what they faced during the Sabarimala protests. “Shamseer should immediately apologise to the Hindus in Kerala. There is an attempt to polarise the people by the CPIM. These are all part of the CPIM’s attempt to consolidate the Muslim population using AN Shamseer and Mohammed Riyas,” he alleged.
Reacting to Shamseer’s speech, Nair Service Society (NSS) president Sukumaran Nair said, “Faith is more important than science.” He also gave a call for special ‘archanas’ in Ganapathy temples as a mark of protest. The NSS also observed a ‘faith protection day’ on Wednesday.
Congress leaders in the state also criticised the Speaker's speech. Opposition leader VD Satheeshan said that the Speaker opened an opportunity for communal forces and that it is better to correct his statement. Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala went a step ahead to say that there is nothing wrong with Congress workers participating in the NSS’s ‘faith protection march’. “The UDF and Congress are with the believers,” he said.
Govindan took a dig at the Congress leaders, saying, “The Congress has come forward with statements. I suggest they read Jawahar Lal Nehru’s India and the World and The Discovery of India. These are two books based on historical materialism.”
“The Prime Minister, at the site of the demolished Babri Masjid, performed the function of a priest while foundation for the Sri Ram temple was being laid. In a secular country like India, is such a stand democratic?” he asked. Govindan also said there are people who say that Mahatma Gandhi’s role in history or his assassination should not be studied, and the history of Mughal empire and Darwin’s theory of evolution should not be taught. “This is saffronisation,” Govindan said.
“The CPIM, as has already been clarified, is not a party that takes a stand against any religion or religious beliefs. The party is of the correct stand that all religions should have the democratic right to practise their faith,” Govindan said. He also said that both believers and non-believers have the democratic and constitutional rights to act in their own ways. “Maintaining an atmosphere of tolerance that listens to what each has to say is the right way forward,” he added.