‘I, Vadasseri Damodara Menon Satheesan’: Why Kerala Congress leaders are not happy with their own CM | India News
New Delhi: Within four days of securing the post of Kerala chief minister, Congress leader VD Sathisan has found himself at the center of a political storm not over policy or governance, but over his name.Congress leaders have now criticized the name it chose to use publicly while taking the constitutional oath of its own chief minister.The row started after Satisan used his full legal name, ‘Vadaseri Damodara Menon Satisan’, while taking oath as Chief Minister on May 18 and as MLA of the 16th Kerala Assembly on Thursday.
What’s in the name?
The controversy arose mainly from the contradictions in the political identity of the earlier masses of satisans.When he took oath as an MLA in 2021, he identified himself simply as ‘VD Satisan’. This time, however, he chose to use the expanded version of his name at two high-profile constitutional events. The surname ‘Menon’ belongs to the upper caste Nair community of Kerala.Satisan was chosen for the top post in the Congress high command after the party won the recent assembly elections, wresting power from the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government after 10 years. After Satisan’s move, critics within his own party argued that a caste title sat uncomfortably with the party’s secular and inclusive image.According to PTI, some Congress insiders also felt that the move had a political “message”, especially amid criticism from the BJP and CPM over the Congress-led UDF’s association with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Jamaat-e-Islami.Some within the Congress interpret Menon’s use of the title as an attempt to signal outreach to a section of the Hindu electorate at a time when identity politics are intensifying in Kerala.Congress leader Jinto John said in a post on Facebook that a Congress party that does not carry the caste designation is more inclusive. He wrote that he would use ‘Jinto John’ instead of ‘Thekkumkatil John Roman Catholic Jinto’, the name of the denomination he belonged to. “My politics is also shaped by my strong convictions, slightly left-leaning Congress spirit,” he added.Similarly, another Congress leader, VR Anup suggested in a social media posting that CM Satisan should take more time to read Ambedkar. He argued that caste continued to function as “social capital and social power” in Kerala.Referring to Satisan’s public image as a serious reader, Anoop wrote on social media: “Even under pressure of government duties, since you find time to read, you should find more time to read Ambedkar.”The issue gained further attention as two influential Hindu community organisations, the Nair Service Society (NSS) and the SNDP Yogam, were not keen on the elevation of Satisan as chief minister, PTI reported.
Satishan asked what is wrong with it?
Amid criticism from his own party leaders, Satisan defended his decision and asked, “Why is it wrong if I mention my father’s name?”Satisans, however, strongly rejected the suggestion that the move carried a caste or political message.Addressing reporters after the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said that he deliberately used his full name to honor his late parents.“Why is it wrong to say my father’s name? Shouldn’t I remember him?” Satisan asked, according to ANI reports.“It’s my father’s name. I’m sorry I couldn’t take my mother’s name as well. They both passed before I became an MLA. I took my father’s name. It’s a common thing to do,” he said.He added: “Even in the passport it says so. Since there was no option to say my mother’s name, I remembered her in my heart. It is a matter of pride to say my parents’ names.”
‘Vande Mataram’ controversy
Amid the controversy over the use of the title, Satisan’s swearing-in ceremony as chief minister also sparked a separate political controversy after the full version of ‘Bande Mataram’ was presented during the swearing-in of the new UDF cabinet.Satisan later clarified that the government had no prior information that the full version of the song would be played.“We didn’t know that Vande Mataram would be sung in full. The instructions came from Lok Bhavan. We realized it only when it started singing in full when we were standing there,” he said on Wednesday, according to ANI.“It was not possible to interrupt midway. Usually only the national anthem is sung at the end of the ceremony. Now this is also included. We did not have any prior information,” he added.The CPM, meanwhile, criticized the move, saying that the parts omitted by the Congress Working Committee in 1937 were “a wrong and inappropriate step”.The CPM said in a statement, “The Congress Working Committee itself took the position that presenting all parts of the Vande Mataram is not suitable for a pluralistic society.”The party also said: “No move that undermines a pluralistic society should come from the government. At a time when efforts to divide people on communal lines are becoming more active, no move that harms secularism should come from any side.”
