Kerala Assembly Speaker Shamseer Courts Controversy Once Again, Says Azaan Is A Reminder For Hindus To Light Evening Lamps

Kerala Assembly Speaker AN Shamseer of the ruling CPI-M is once again in the news for another set of controversial comments he made. This time, it was at the inauguration of a new building at RMHSS Melattur in Malappuram, Kerala.

While addressing students and discussing education, Shamseer expressed concern about the latest NCERT syllabus in which history textbooks do not include significant historical figures. He criticised the distortion of history by focusing on individuals who made little or no contribution to history or the freedom struggle. He said that this deliberate manipulation aims to influence the younger generation’s thinking and push forward a hidden agenda and warned that this strategy sought to capture the minds of students and shape the way an entire generation perceives historical events.

He said, “Our generation is very well aware of Mahatma Gandhi but whether the next generation will even know him because they are trying to remove lessons about Gandhi from textbooks. We know that he was murdered but they are establishing that he was killed. In this way, they are distorting history and hence it is time now for us to really read the right history.”

He also said in his speech, “Children must be taught the Constitution. India is a secular country and it means that the country does not have a religion but the citizens can have a religion. You can practice and preach your religion. India is not a religious country but there is a concerted attempt to make it one.”

The Constitution begins with the words “We the people of India” and this was written by Dr BR Ambedkar who was chairman of the drafting committee. But HV Kamath brought in an amendment saying that it should not begin with “We the people of India” but rather should be “In the name of the Lord..”. There were heated debates on this and it was finally decided to go with “We the people of India”

He pointed out to the student crowd and said, “Everyone must be able to live harmoniously just like this and share their opinions with each other. That is India, that is Kerala.”

He added, “Onam is just around the corner, Ramzan just got over. When a Muslim wants to break his fast, he invites all his non-muslim friends. When Onam arrives, even though the entire state celebrates the festival, it is a Hindu festival. This is Kerala.”

“When you hear the Azaan from the mosque, it serves as a reminder for Hindus to chant their evening prayers and light the Sandhya vilakku (evening lamp). That is Kerala. We should not allow any forces to break this unity. Whatever anyone says or does, this secularism must never be let go.”, Shamseer said.

He also said that the news coming from Manipur was distressing and asked whether Kerala should become like Manipur and Haryana. He said, “Kerala is a state that is humanist in nature and we will not let any power break us or our secular culture. “

Shamseer spoke about the importance of empathy among students and urges them to understand and support their peers instead of being preoccupied with their mobile phones. They stress the need for teachers and students to know each other well to create a safe environment. The speaker also highlights the vulnerability of teenagers to online influences that are waiting to get hold of them and said that the teacher’s role in guiding them during this critical phase to prevent them from going astray. 

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