Saffron flags fluttered along a narrow lane about 300 metres off Edappally’s busy main road as the chenda melam drew people toward the Anjumana Devi temple ground on February 28. What appeared to be a festive evening featuring a mega Thiruvathira soon transformed into a Hindu Ekta Sammelanam organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), where calls to “forget caste” and rally behind Hindu unity formed the core message.
The organisers told TNM that the objective was to unite diverse segments of the Hindu society by transcending caste, linguistic, and regional differences. Though they claimed that the event was apolitical and did not aim to influence the upcoming Assembly elections, a participant of a similar event held in Palakkad on March 1 said that one of the speakers mentioned the election as an opportunity to demonstrate “Hindu strength”.
Such events are part of a nationwide initiative marking the RSS’s centenary year, which began on October 2, 2025. In Kerala, though, these gatherings, organised by the RSS and its affiliates, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Hindu Aikya Vedi, are part of a broader mobilisation that coincides with the run-up to the state’s Assembly elections in April.
Often held on temple premises and promoted with saffron flags and hoardings carrying the slogan “we are one,” these events typically blend cultural performances with political messaging centred on Hindu consolidation. Alongside speeches by RSS, VHP or Hindu Aikya Vedi workers and spiritual leaders, some gatherings also have speeches by children.
The messaging is a careful mix of the “Hindus are in danger” narrative, fortified by claims of how “Hindus cannot even sing bhajans or attend bhajan gatherings freely in Kerala”. Speakers also raise allegations of “politicians not being concerned about Hindus”, stressing “Hindu unity” and proposing “marrying on time, focusing on childbirth” as solutions.
This story was originally published in newslaundry.com. Read the full story here.