Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan has once again made headlines by standing firm on his use of the full name “Vadassery Damodaran Menon Satheesan” during his oath-taking ceremony. The move, which critics labeled as a display of caste pride, was actually a calculated response to attacks from two different quarters.

When Satheesan took oath as Chief Minister using his full name including the caste marker “Menon,” many accused him of asserting Nair supremacy. However, the CM remained unshaken and repeated the same full name during the subsequent MLA oath-taking ceremony three days later, sending a clear and unambiguous message.

The first group targeting Satheesan were caste purists within his own Nair community. NSS leader Sukumaran Nair had questioned Satheesan’s Nair identity, even suggesting he should not visit the NSS headquarters. Satheesan’s response was a declaration of war not against other communities, but against the arrogance of the upper-caste elites within his own community who tried to dictate terms.

The second group comprised those who attempted to label Satheesan as a Muslim appeaser, Sudappi, or Islamist, simply because the Muslim League and other parties supported his Chief Ministerial candidacy. By prominently using his Nair surname, Satheesan effectively dismantled the narrative that he was anti-Hindu or a minority appeaser.

Through his unwavering stance, Satheesan has shown that he will not be intimidated by either caste supremacists within the Nair community or by those spreading communal propaganda against him. His message is clear: his principles stand rock solid, and those who try to corner him will find themselves outmaneuvered.