Won’t Bow To Religious Orthodoxy Even If It Costs Votes: Kerala Minister Sivankutty

Kerala General Education Minister Sivankutty on Sunday said a modern state cannot be governed by bowing to orthodoxy from any religion, asserting that if standing by progressive values costs the ruling LDF some votes in the short term, it is a price worth paying.

The senior CPI(M) leader made the remarks in an interview with PTI while responding to questions on the factors behind the party-led LDF’s poor performance in the recent local body elections.

Asked whether the government’s stand on the hijab row involving a Christian-managed school in Kochi, and its decision to introduce Zumba dance programmes in schools despite opposition from sections of Muslim clerics, had contributed to the Left’s setback in its traditional strongholds, Sivankutty said "these are distinct issues that were blown out of proportion".

"On the hijab issue at St Rita's School in Kochi, the government stood firmly for the student's constitutional right to education and religious expression. We intervened to ensure she was not denied entry. That proves our commitment to minority rights," he said, referring to the case of a Muslim student who was initially denied entry for wearing a hijab before government intervention.

On the Zumba controversy, the minister said, "Let me be clear: opposition to physical fitness and anti-drug campaigns in schools under the guise of morality is regression." He added that the programme was introduced purely in the interest of children’s health and that resistance from conservative sections was “unfortunate and misplaced”.

"We cannot govern a modern state by bowing to orthodoxy from any religion.
"If standing for progressive values costs us some votes temporarily, so be it. We will convince the communities that our decisions were taken for their children’s future," Sivankutty said.

Responding to a question on whether the Sabarimala gold loss case had affected the LDF’s electoral performance, he said devotees continue to repose faith in the Left government and that the SIT probe was progressing effectively.

He accused the Congress-led UDF and the BJP of "committing treachery" against believers by attempting to politicise the Sabarimala gold loss issue.

"Anyone who stole Lord Ayyappa’s gold will not be let off. We have already demonstrated that no matter how powerful a person is, the law will catch up with them," Sivankutty said, referring to the arrest of two CPI(M) leaders who had served as presidents of the Travancore Devaswom Board by the SIT appointed by the Kerala High Court.

The minister said the government would proceed only after addressing all concerns related to the case.

He dismissed the local body poll setback as temporary, saying its scale was not as severe as portrayed in the media.

"Local body elections should not be viewed solely through the prism of Assembly polls. We have seen this before—in 2019, the UDF swept the Lok Sabha elections, but in 2021, the people of Kerala gave Pinarayi Vijayan a historic second term," he said.

Noting that local body polls are often influenced by hyper-local issues, individual candidates and ward-level dynamics, Sivankutty said the LDF has the resilience to course-correct ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

"While we accept that the results are not what we expected and we respect the people’s verdict, this is a wake-up call, not a death knell," he asserted.

Rejecting opposition claims of a wave of anti-incumbency, Sivankutty accused the UDF and the BJP of "thriving on a smokescreen of negativity".

"We will examine whether we have been successful in effectively communicating the Centre’s anti-people policies to the public. People are the true strength of the Left, and we will take all necessary measures to retain their support," he said.

Addressing allegations that the LDF had failed to retain the confidence of the Muslim minority despite Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan organising pro-Palestine rallies, Sivankutty said the Left does not organise rallies to win votes or target any specific community.

"We stand for principles. Our support for Palestine continues India's historic anti-imperialist stance. Similarly, our cooperation with the Global Ayyappa Sangamam organised by the TDB is to ensure convenience for devotees," he said.

He alleged that the BJP’s communal polarisation and the UDF’s “opportunistic alliance” with extremist groups such as Jamaat-e-Islami had temporarily misled a section of voters, but insisted this did not indicate a permanent shift.

Sivankutty also claimed there was malicious propaganda during the local body election campaign over the state’s stand on PM SHRI and the Centre’s Labour Codes.

"We are entitled to central funds--it is our tax money. We agreed to sign the MoU to secure the release of pending funds for our schools, but we made it clear that we will not implement the communal or toxic elements of the National Education Policy." Referring to the Labour Codes, he said that as a trade unionist, he firmly believes the Central Codes strip workers of their hard-won rights.