The Secular Façade

How Mamata, Stalin and Vijayan betray India’s pluralistic ethos

In a nation that prides itself on its pluralistic ethos, the continuing actions and rhetoric of certain political leaders have cast a long shadow over India’s commitment to secularism. Leading the charge in their overt disdain for Hinduism are Chief Ministers Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal, M.K. Stalin of Tamil Nadu and Pinarayi Vijayan of Kerala.

These three leaders particularly, under the guise of promoting harmony, have long engaged in a brand of politics that not only undermines the Hindu community but also threatens the very fabric of India’s diverse society.

Recently, West Bengal, especially Muslim-dominated Murshidabad was rocked by communal violence after Banerjee’s openly defied the Central government by announcing she would not implement the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, passed by Parliament.

The Waqf (Amendment) Act, signed into law earlier this month, removes several exemptions historically granted to Waqf Boards, brings them under tighter central oversight, and mandates new transparency norms. However, this means queering the pitch for Mamata’s minority appeasement calculus, given that a fiercely contested Assembly poll is in the offing in 2026.

This is hardly the first time Mamata’s defiance has set dangerous precedents. In January 2024, during the ‘Sarv Dharm Sambhav’ rally, she made a controversial remark: “Jo Kafir hain, woh darte hain, Jo ladte hain, woh jeet te hain” (Those who are infidels are afraid; those who fight, win). Given the demeaning and pejorative meaning of ‘kafir,’ Banerjee’s jibes, directed at the BJP, heated the political temperature to boiling point.

Her approach to religious festivals has also been contentious. An instance being the Ram Navami celebrations in April 2023 when she accused Hindu devotees of deliberately inciting violence in Muslim-majority areas, urging the minority community to “pray to Allah to finish off these rioters.”

Furthermore, Banerjee’s criticism of revered Hindu organizations like ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha has drawn sharp rebuke, suggesting they were attempts to appease her vote bank.

Meanwhile, in Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan defended Vellappally Natesan, the powerful general secretary of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, over his remarks targeting Malappuram, a Muslim-majority district in north Kerala.

At a public reception on April 11, commemorating Natesan’s 30-year reign over the Ezhava caste organisation, Vijayan incidentally brushed aside growing outrage over Natesan’s controversial comment made some time ago when the latter had dubbed Malappuram as a place “where even fresh breath is hard to find” for backward Ezhavas.

Given the CPI (M)’s known appeasement of minorities, Vijayan’s volte-face, describing Natesan as a consistent torchbearer of secularism, smacks of political opportunism. More so, as Vijayan, a decade ago, had heaped vitriol on Natesan. So, is this newfound praise on Vijayan’s part a stratagem for Hindu outreach?

In 2016, Vijayan had insouciantly dismissed concerns about Keralites joining the Islamic State, suggesting that highlighting such issues would create an ‘anti-Muslim feeling.’ Last month, Vijayan’s enthusiastic endorsement of L2: Empuraan - a film that has sparked national outrage for its alleged anti-Hindu overtones – was yet another instance of his shameless opportunism. But when The Kerala Story - a film critical of radicalization in the state - was released, Vijayan and the CPI(M) has joined the chorus calling for a ban, dismissing it as “propaganda.”

In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s administration has often been at odds with Hindu traditions. In October last year, his son, Udhayanidhi Stalin, sparked outrage by likening Sanatana Dharma to diseases like dengue and malaria, calling for its eradication.

Recall that in 2021, Stalin’s DMK-led administration oversaw the demolition of several temples in Coimbatore, some over a century old, citing development projects. Critics argued that the demolitions were carried out without adequate consultation or transparency, sparking allegations of targeting Hindu places of worship.

Stalin has repeatedly failed to act against his DMK MPs who unceasingly insult Hindu sentiments and rituals, while remaining silent about those who offend the Hindu faith and rewarding them, instead, with plum appointments. Ezhil Naganathan, a DMK MLA, had previously made derogatory comments about Hindu deities. Despite public outrage, he was granted a party ticket and elected to the legislative assembly.

During a DMK-organized Christmas celebration in 2020, preacher Kalaiarasi Natarajan declared that “there is no religion called Hinduism,” asserting that Tamils are inherently Shaivites. These comments were made in the presence of M.K. Stalin, who reportedly applauded the speech.

True secularism requires impartiality and equal respect for all religions – be it Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism. But the actions of these leaders have long underscored the unscrupulous use of ‘secularism’ as a political tool rather than a guiding principle. It is high time the electorate rejects such leaders who fail to rise above vote-bank politics and foster genuine harmony.