God’s Own Communists: The Religious Engagements of the Communist Party in Kerala, India

Kerala, a multicultural region in south west India, is lauded as an example of inclusive development and tolerant pluralism since the last century. For about a century now, a left (or centre-left) ideology has dominated the political, social and economic culture in the state, creating a public culture rooted in scientific temper, secularism, and inclusive development. Paradoxically, Kerala is also among the most socially conservative state in India where religious rituals and practices continue to penetrate everyday lives of citizenry, making the engagement of religion and politics inevitable. From the first government’s dissolution led by anti-communist movementsof religious organisations to the current government’s fight against the Hindu nationalists, communists in Kerala have constantly had to respond to communal political and social forces. This paper engages with the discourse of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) with Hinduism in contemporary Kerala. Religiosity is returning to the public domain over the last three decades, and stands as an ideological and social challenge to the milieu, creating an ideological and political challenge to the left in Kerala. This paper uses archival data and interviews to engage with the left wing’s response to this challenge, arguing that it has been marred with contradictions and ideological corruption.