New Delhi: Four days into assuming the post of Kerala chief minister, Congress leader VD Satheesan has found himself at the center of a political storm not over policy or governance, but over his name.Congress leaders have now criticized their own Chief Minister for the name he chose to use publicly while taking the constitutional oath.A controversy erupted after Satheesan used his full legal name ‘Vadassery Damodar Menon Satheesan’ while taking oath as Chief Minister on May 18 and again as an MLA of the 16th Kerala Legislative Assembly on Thursday.

what’s in a name?

This controversy largely arose from the contradiction with Satheesan’s earlier public political identity.When he took oath as MLA in 2021, he identified himself only as ‘VD Satheesan’. However, this time, he chose to use the extended version of his name at two high-profile constitutional ceremonies. The surname ‘Menon’ is from the upper caste Nair community in Kerala.Satheesan was chosen by the Congress high command for the top post after the party won the recent assembly elections and took over power from the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government after 10 years. Following Satheesan’s move, critics from within his own party argued that bringing up the caste title was at odds with the party’s secular and inclusive image.According to PTI, some Congress insiders also felt there was a political “message” in the move, especially amid criticism from the BJP and CPM over the Congress-led UDF’s partnership with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Jamaat-e-Islami.Some within the Congress interpret the use of the Menon surname as an attempt to signal outreach to a section of Hindu voters at a time when identity politics is intensifying in Kerala.Congress leader Jinto John said in a post on Facebook that the Congress party which does not use caste nicknames is more inclusive. He wrote that he would use ‘Jinto John’ instead of ‘Thekkamaktil John Roman Catholic Jinto’, referring to the name of the community he comes from. “My politics is also shaped by my commitment, a slightly left-leaning Congress consciousness,” he said.Similarly, another Congress leader VR Anup in a social media posting suggested that CM Satheesan should devote more time to reading Ambedkar. He argued that caste continued to function as “social capital and social power” in Kerala.Referring to Satheesan’s public image as a serious reader, Anup wrote on social media: “Even amidst the pressure of official responsibilities, when you find time to read, you should also find more time to read Ambedkar.”The issue gained further attention as two influential Hindu community organisations, Nair Service Society (NSS) and SNDP Yogam, were reportedly not enthusiastic about Satheesan being made the chief minister, PTI reported.

Satheesan asks what is wrong in this?

Amid criticism from his own party leaders, Satheesan defended his decision and asked, “Why is it wrong if I mention my father’s name?”However, Satheesan strongly rejected suggestions that the move conveyed a caste or political message.Addressing reporters after the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the CM said he had deliberately used his full name as a mark of respect to his late parents.“Why is it wrong if I take my father’s name? Shouldn’t I remember him?” Satheesan asked, according to ANI.He said, “This is my father’s name. I am sad that I could not even take my mother’s name. Both of them passed away before I became an MLA. I took my father’s name. It is common to do so.”He further said, “Even the passport has it written like this. Since there was no option to tell my mother’s name, I remembered her in my mind. It is a matter of pride to tell the names of your parents.”

‘Vande Mataram’ controversy

Amid the controversy over the use of the surname, Satheesan’s swearing-in ceremony as CM had also triggered a separate political debate after the full version of ‘Vande Mataram’ was presented during the swearing-in of the new UDF cabinet.Satheesan later clarified that the government had no prior notice that the full version of the song would be played.“We did not know that Vande Mataram would be sung in full. The instructions came from Lok Bhavan. We realized it when we were standing there when it started being sung in full,” he said on Wednesday, according to ANI.“It was not possible to stop it midway. Usually only the national anthem is sung till the end of the programme.” Now this has also been included in it. We had no prior information,” he said.Meanwhile, the CPM criticized the move, saying it was “a wrong and unfair move” to present the parts excluded by the Congress Working Committee in 1937.“The Congress Working Committee itself had taken the stand that presenting all parts of Vande Mataram is not appropriate for a pluralistic society,” the CPM said in a statement.The party further said, “Any action that weakens the plural society should not be taken from the government. At a time when efforts to divide people on communal lines are becoming more active, any action that harms secularism should not be taken from any side.”