Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has done a U-turn on celebrating Ramayana month in the state.

Earlier, KPCC had announced that they will observe Ramayana Masam, which starts tomorrow (17 July). This was after LDF’s decision to celebrate the same.

Now, KPCC president MM Hassan has announced that the party has dropped the plans for Ramayana month. He has urged KPCC Vichar Vibhag to cancel the programmes planned in connection with Ramayana month.

The official inauguration of various programmes to observe Ramayana month in Kerala was scheduled on 17July, the first day of Karkkadakam month. Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala was to inaugurate the function. But now it stands cancelled.

Earlier, Vichar Vibhag had justified the campaign by saying that they intended to promote the concept of Rama Rajyam as suggested by Mahatma Gandhi as a model form of governance.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) in Kerala has decided to celebrate Ramayana Masam as its new game plan against the growing might of the BJP and the RSS in the state.

The party, known for its deep ideological antipathy towards religion, now plans to hold a month-long festival of speeches, seminars and classes on the epic. A cultural wing of the party, the Sanskrit Sangh, will organise these programmes.

The CPM has traditionally enjoyed the support of the state’s Hindus, but now that section of votes has come under severe pull from the growing saffron forces.

The CPM party is organising a state seminar on 25 July and holding discussions and classes in all districts.