If the timeless political satire 'Sandesham' was written today, party ideologue comrade Kumara Pillai might not have felt the need to cover his head to visit a temple. He has CPM state secretary M V Govindan's approval to endorse his religious beliefs proudly. Govindan made it clear while addressing the media at the AKG Centre in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday that a communist need not be an atheist as popular culture would have you believe.

"A communist is free to choose what he wants to be. There are many believers within our party," Govindan said. "The party doesn't believe a member should be banned from having religious beliefs," the communist leader declared. There is a caveat though: Not every member of the communist party is a Marxist. "We cannot say one must be a Marxist just because he has party membership. Being a Marxist is a process," Govindan said.

To attest his argument, Govindan drew reference to a recent incident in Pathanamthitta. "A few people joined the party from BJP. They cannot say we have become a communist from day one, it will take a few years, just like one doesn't get the party membership right away," said Govindan.

The demonstration was based on the claim that the RSS (Hindu right-wing organisation) had taken control over temples in Kerala and that it was about time the believers (including comrades with faith) acted. "The RSS is trying to take over temples, even those managed by the Devaswom. There are clear instructions against organising shakhas and other activities at temples, but the RSS do the same inside temple compounds. We keep saying that must change. Temples must be handed over to the believers, now communal forces are using the places of worship for their purposes," Govindan said, urging the Devaswom 'to intervene'. CPM leader V N Vasavan is the Minister for Devaswoms.

Govindan went a step further by accusing the RSS 'shakhas' of promoting violence. The RSS defines its 'shakhas' as "the most effective and time-tested instrument for the moulding of men on patriotic lines - outreaching by far its physical dimension". But Govindan claims "Shakha activities are nothing but goonda activities". "They teach where to stab to kill a person faster," Govindan said.

The CPM leader also said his party has never been opposed to the SNDP (Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam), the social organisation representing the Ezhava community. Govindan argued that the CPM was only opposed to "attempts from within the SNDP, made by BDJS and RSS, to saffronise the vision of Sree Narayana Guru".