NSS Withdraws from Unity Talks with SNDP Hours After Vellappally Natesan Receives Padma Bhushan

CHANGANASSERY: The Nair Service Society (NSS) has officially withdrawn from its much-publicized unity efforts with the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP), just five days after an initial declaration of rapprochement. This significant decision comes merely hours after SNDP General Secretary Vellappally Natesan was awarded the Padma Bhushan.

The NSS Director Board, in a recent meeting, concluded that such a unity would not be practical in the current political landscape. The board observed that moving forward with unity attempts would likely lead to failure.

General Secretary G. Sukumaran Nair had, on January 21st in Kottayam, initially welcomed Vellappally Natesan’s call for both community organizations to work together. This statement followed an announcement by Vellappally that the SNDP leadership had approved working in unity with the NSS on various issues.

This marks the third time that efforts to foster unity between the two prominent community organizations have been initiated and subsequently failed.

The NSS communicated its Director Board’s decision to abandon the unity efforts through a press release issued on Monday.

In the press release, General Secretary G. Sukumaran Nair reiterated that there would be no change in the organization’s political stance. He affirmed that the NSS would continue to adhere to its ‘equidistance’ policy, maintaining an equal stance towards all political parties.

The press release elaborated: “Given that unity between the NSS and SNDP has failed multiple times for various reasons, another attempt at unity is clearly impractical in the current political climate. The fundamental values of the NSS cannot be deviated from. Therefore, renewed unity is not practical, especially as the NSS maintains an equidistance policy with all political parties. The NSS desires to maintain friendly relations with the SNDP, just as it does with all other communities. This meeting has decided not to proceed with the NSS-SNDP unity.”