HC disqualification of SNDP Yogam director board a test of Kerala govt.’s mettle

With the Kerala High Court disqualifying the director board of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, including its general secretary Vellappally Natesan, the spotlight now falls squarely on the State government. Yet, decades of entrenched power suggests that meaningful change is far from guaranteed. 

According to S. Chandrasenan, chairman of the SNDP Samrakshana Samiti and one of the petitioners, the High Court order stipulates the State government to temporarily take charge of the Yogam. A provisional board of up to 15 members is to oversee affairs until formal elections can be held. 

Implementing this, however, is easier said than done. “For such an election to take place, membership rolls are most required. Unfortunately, the SNDP Yogam has no membership registers, let alone identity cards for the members,”says Mr. Chandrasenan. 

Questions also loom over how the government will respond, given Mr. Natesan’s close ties to the ruling establishment. “The only thing we can do is to take the government in good faith to act on the High Court order. The Samiti is also planning to approach the government with a request to expedite its action on the court order,” he adds. 

Mr. Natesan, who has led the organisation for over three decades, has long faced internal dissent. He has also been embroiled in legal controversies, particularly over the SNDP’s microfinance operations. The case that triggered the High Court’s intervention, registered in 2016, alleges that loans obtained from the Kerala State Backward Classes Development Corporation at low interest rates were re-lent at higher rates, resulting in an alleged misappropriation of around ₹15 crore. His role has also been examined in connection with the alleged suicide of K.K. Mahesan, former secretary of the SNDP Kanichukulangara union. 

Despite these controversies, the State government has often been accused of dragging its feet, casting doubt on how swiftly the court’s ruling will be enforced. 

With Assembly elections approaching, the High Court order carries immense political weight. Mr. Natesan has cultivated ties across party lines, aligning with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan lately. While it was the late V.S. Achuthanandan who first brought the alleged microfinance irregularities to light a decade ago, this never prevented the subsequent CPI(M)-led governments from building a close rapport with the SNDP general secretary. Last year, the High Court rejected a petition by the State government seeking to replace the investigation officer in the Vigilance case against him. 

Meanwhile, the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), founded by Mr. Natesan in 2015, is allied with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and earlier this year, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan by the Union government. 

A vocal advocate of ‘Hindu consolidation in Kerala’, Mr. Natesan has attempted, although unsuccessfully, to forge alliances among Hindu community organisations. And while his rhetoric sometimes leans towards communal, he has maintained a careful distance from Sangh Parivar forces, even as his party remains aligned with the BJP.