Antigod’s Own Country: A Short History of Brahminical Colonisation of Kerala

AV Shaktidharan debunks the idea of a ‘Hindu’ identity of Kerala and seeks to invoke the forgotten tribal/Buddhist identity which were always opposed to Brahmanism. The book goes into how Brahmanism co-opted indigenous and Buddhist elements of Kerala history and culture and homogenised the very rich, vibrant cultural landscape into the Hindu mould through the advent of Brahmin culture and the accompanying vile practice of caste system. Kerala’s fierce resistance to the Sangh Parivar and the repeated attempts of the BJP to stir up a communal rhetoric in order to enter Kerala’s politics fails miserably because of this heritage, which includes that of the most revered mythological character : Maveli. While going into the manifold theories of what led to the myth, one fact remains : Maveli remains an Asura character, an anti-God who was the most just and fair ruler, loved by all. This is juxtaposed on the popular right vs wrong, good vs evil, deva vs asura narrative that prevails in the North India, which has also been used to vilify and demonise any figure and outfit that the caste Hindu deems a threat to their hegemony. Of course, such a demonisation is hard to float in Kerala, the Antigod’s Own Country.

Shakthidharan ends the book with a very potent line : “At a time when the people of Kerala are emerging from the impact of the worst deluge of the century there should be a collective effort to guard against modern-day Vamanas and Parasuramas turning this Mavelinadu, warts and all, into a neocolonial Hindu rashtra and gifting it to greedy corporate brahmins.”