Saffron flags fluttered along a narrow lane about 300 metres off Edappally’s busy main road as the chenda melam drew people toward the Anjumana Devi temple ground on February 28. What appeared to be a festive evening featuring a mega Thiruvathira soon transformed into a Hindu Ekta Sammelanam organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), where calls to “forget caste” and rally behind Hindu unity formed the core message.

The organisers told TNM that the objective was to unite diverse segments of the Hindu society by transcending caste, linguistic, and regional differences. Though they claimed that the event was apolitical and did not aim to influence the upcoming Assembly elections, a participant of a similar event held in Palakkad on March 1 said that one of the speakers mentioned the election as an opportunity to demonstrate "Hindu strength".

Such events are part of a nationwide initiative marking the RSS's centenary year, which began on October 2, 2025. In Kerala, though, these gatherings, organised by the RSS and its affiliates, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Hindu Aikya Vedi, are part of a broader mobilisation that coincides with the run-up to the state’s Assembly elections in April.

Often held on temple premises and promoted with saffron flags and hoardings carrying the slogan “we are one,” these events typically blend cultural performances with political messaging centred on Hindu consolidation. Alongside speeches by RSS, VHP or Hindu Aikya Vedi workers and spiritual leaders, some gatherings also have speeches by children. 

The messaging is a careful mix of the "Hindus are in danger” narrative, fortified by claims of how “Hindus cannot even sing bhajans or attend bhajan gatherings freely in Kerala”. Speakers also raise allegations of “politicians not being concerned about Hindus”, stressing “Hindu unity” and proposing “marrying on time, focusing on childbirth" as solutions.

According to reports, the RSS plans to hold over a lakh such conferences across India in 2026. In Kerala, over 1,000 Ekta Sammelanam events are reportedly scheduled to be held between February and March. The events aim to reach people at the grassroots level, spreading across panchayats, municipalities, and corporations. 

Several leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) have openly expressed their disagreement with such events. Responding to a similar gathering held on March 8 in the Kozhikode district, party leaders stated that they view these events as the RSS’s covert plan to gain control over temples by misleading attendees into believing they are attending a harmless spiritual gathering.The BJP is seeking to expand its footprint in the state after modest gains in the recent local body elections. Temple events are increasingly emerging as a vehicle for this push, cloaked in the language of spirituality while advancing a political project.

Poster announcing Hindu Ekta Sammelanam

1000 Hindu Ekta events across Kerala 

The event at Edappaly Anjumana temple, which TNM attended, began with a chenda melam, followed by a mega Thiruvathira dance performance–a traditional group dance performed by women– followed by a bhajan. Later, the sammelanam officially began in a nearby auditorium, with the lighting of the lamp by Swami Anghamrithapuri, from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, and a speech by RV Babu, the state president of Hindu Aikyavedi.

“All Hindu communities are participating in these events, including people from tribal to fishing communities, cutting across political parties and caste,” Babu said. According to the organisers, the Hindu community lacks organisational strength, and neither politicians nor others are willing to stand with Hindus when problems arise. Through these events, they seek to build a strong sense of........

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