A few Sanghparivar influenced media persons and politicians in Kerala have initiated widespread hate campaign against the Kerala Education minister P K Abdu Rabb, as he expressed his unwillingness to light Nilavilakku [Hindu traditional lamp, which is considered a symbol of Shiva Linga] in the inaugural conference of the 28th Kerala Educational ministerial staff union programmes, held at Alapuzha.

On finishing his inaugural address organisers invited Abdu Rabb of Muslim League to light the Bhadra Deepam [Nilavilakku] and he thankfully rejected the offer. Then the Alapuzha Municipal Chairperson Mercy Diana along with other guests lighted the lamp.

Lighting Nilavilakku on any occasion is considered auspicious according to the Hindu religious belief. In Hindu households, by around evening time, it is a ritual that the young girls should light it and keep it in the veranda of the house after which the whole family will offer their evening prayers being seated adjacent to the lamp by chanting hymns and holy verses. Most Hindu art forms are performed after lighting Nilavilakku.

Like most other Hindu religious symbols later turning out to become identities of patriotism and Indian culture, Nilavilakku too has now become an integral part of most governmental, formal and informal ceremonies in Kerala and elswhere.

As Islam forbids taking up other religious rituals, symbols and considers those haram for believers, Muslims are often put under scrutiny of proving their affinity towards the Nation and its culture, as most Hindu religious symbols and rituals are now misrepresented as that of the Nation’s.

The other incident which made the so called ‘secularists’, raise sword against Abdu Rabb is that he renamed his official residence as ‘Grace’ from ‘Ganga’. Congress leader V T Balram, MLA, led a campaign on this issue against Abdu Rabb in social networking sites saying that there is nothing ‘disgraceful’ about Ganga and he quoted Jawahar Lal Nehru, who once said, “Ganga is the liquid history of India”. Based on these accusations there were attempts to portray Abdu Rabb as one who is intolerant towards symbols of Indian civilisation and culture.

But the fact was that the name of his residence at Parappanangadi, Malappuram is ‘Grace’ and obviously he preferred this name for his official residence as well. But nobody seemed keen on taking Abdu Rabb’s explanation on this regard and baselessly attacked him, his party and the community members who supported him by portraying them as fanatics and hardliners. The irony was that, though IUML is a major ally of the Congress led UDF govt in Kerala, it was Congress legislators like VT Balram, who seemed keen on attacking the Education minister without even asking his explanation on this issue.

Defending the hate campaign and calling the allegations baseless, Abdu Rabb today said, “It is Muslim League’s party policy to not take part in lighting Nilavilakku at public programmes. There is nothing religious in my decision to choose a fresh name for the official residence; my residence at Parappanangadi is ‘Grace’ and I thought the very same name is apt for my official residence as well”.

- twocircles.net