Fascists are cowards; those who fight against them are brave: Chief Minister

KOZHIKODE Stating that authoritarian rulers reminiscent of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin were coming to power in several countries, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has urged people, especially youngsters, to join the fight against fascist forces, protect democracy and secularism, and defend fundamental rights. Inaugurating the valedictory session of the State conference of the Mujahid Students Movement (MSM), the students’ wing of the Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen (KNM), at the Kozhikode beach on Sunday (November 15), Mr.

Satheesan said the world was witnessing a disturbing recurrence of developments that had marked the first half of the 20th century. “People had believed that the fight against fascism had ended with World War II, which was followed by a strong resurgence of democracy across the world. However, authoritarianism is once again gaining ground, not just in India but in several other countries,” he said.

The Chief Minister said people joining the fight against fascism should recognise that dictators and fascists had historically been “cowards”. Quoting German poet and playwright Bertolt Brecht, he recalled a poem in which the poet, who had been forced into exile from Nazi Germany, asks a fellow German whether fear still ruled the country. The question was not whether Hitler continued to rule Germany, but whether fear had become its ruler, Mr.

Satheesan said. “Dictators and fascists are cowards. The atrocities they commit create a sense of insecurity in their own minds. They are the cowards, while those who fight against them are the brave,” the Chief Minister said. He urged students and young people to extend their support to the fight against fascism and join the broader struggle against such forces across the country.

Praising the KNM and its student wing, Mr. Satheesan said the MSM represented a movement with progressive ideas and a strong intellectual legacy. He said the KNM had upheld patriotism since the freedom struggle and worked towards bringing together people belonging to different sections of society. The Chief Minister also commended the organisation for its efforts to address the educational backwardness of the Muslim community and bring it to the forefront of education.