The CPI has urged the State government to safeguard the secular and public character of Thekkinkadu Maidan and Thrissur Pooram, warning against what it described as attempts by communal forces to appropriate the iconic spaces.
Speaking at a public convention organised by the CPI district council in Thrissur on Monday, K.K. Vatsaraj, MLA called for an immediate all-party meeting to discuss measures to preserve Thekkinkadu Maidan as an open public space.
“Thekkinkadu Maidan and Thrissur Pooram are reflections of Kerala’s secular spirit. They should never be surrendered to communal forces,” Mr. Vatsaraj said.
He said the maidan was much more than a venue for festivals and public events. “It is a living public space where hundreds of people gather every day. In the evenings, local residents meet here to play chess and cards, while the ground has also traditionally served as a vibrant venue for political discussions and public discourse,” he said.
Referring to landmarks such as Students’ Corner, Labour Corner and Nehru Mandapam, the MLA noted that these had long been associated with public meetings and speeches. “Leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, C. Achutha Menon and E.M.S. Namboodiripad have addressed gatherings here. Thekkinkadu Maidan is the heart of Thrissur and its character as a public space must be protected,” he said.
He urged the government to convene an all-party meeting at the earliest to evolve a consensus on preserving the maidan’s democratic and public character.
A message from poet Prof. K.G. Sankara Pillai, read out at the convention echoed similar concerns over what he described as the shrinking of democratic public spaces.
“Thekkinkadu Maidan is a place of solace for the people of Thrissur. At any hour of the day one can find people walking, sitting alone or in groups, reading, playing, resting or listening to public speeches,” the poet said.
He expressed concern over what he described as calling Thekkinkadu Maidan as the Vadakkunnathan Temple ground, arguing that such a shift altered the perception of a space traditionally regarded as belonging to everyone.
“This inclusive public space has now become the centre of a controversy. When the maidan is identified exclusively with the temple, it creates the impression that its ownership belongs only to Hindus, however subtle that may appear. It marks the beginning of a cultural distortion,” he said.
Prof. Sankara Pillai also criticised the move not to permit political programmes at the maidan.
“Cool breezes and devotional songs may remain. Vedic chants and religious recitations may continue to resonate. But if slogans of political awareness and democratic speeches are silenced, it reflects the dangerous assumption that politics is impure while religion alone is sacred,” he said.
Warning against communal politics, he said, “Today, what decays faster than politics itself is communalism. It is communal politics that turns violent and eventually assumes fascist forms. Those who invoke God as a symbol of communal politics are now declaring democratic politics untouchable.”
He called upon democratic forces to resist any attempt to convert a shared public space into an exclusive domain. This fascist agenda must be opposed through legal, political and cultural means, he said.
CPI district secretary K.G. Shivanandan presided over the convention.
Published - July 20, 2026 08:08 pm IST