New Delhi: The BJP’s surprise ministerial pick from Kerala, George Kurien, in the third Modi government is a dyed-in-the-wool BJP man, unwaveringly sticking to his party and its ideology since his student days, at a time when most of his fellow Christians in Kerala had been indifferent to the saffron party. He worked for advancing the BJP in the state by swimming against the Congress and Left tides. While the BJP’s emergence as a powerhouse at the Centre and subsequent resolve to tap the social segments in the southern state have, of late, made many more politicians from his community to move closer to the party, Kurien’s pick as a minister is seen as the leadership’s recognition of an original faithful.
In fact, Kurien had reached Delhi on the eve of the swearing-in function, to be part of the audience to watch the beginning of the record third Modi government only to be told that he was chosen to be on the podium with the ministerial designates.
“I treat this as a recognition for a BJP worker and also as a new responsibility,” Kurien (63), told ET when asked about his entry into the ministry. The ministerial decoration of Kurian, who belongs to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, is also being seen in the backdrop of the BJP’s publicly demonstrated outreach to woo the Christian community in Kerala. Asked about it, Kurien said: “The oath I took as minister has clearly stated that I shall discharge my responsibilities impartially with all. I, therefore, will work for the good of all sections of society, including the Christian community”.
As a minister of state, Kurien is given the charge of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, in addition to the Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
Kurien is a devout Church-going Christian who is also totally committed to his political faith and work, starting his student politics during the Janata Party phase with closer affiliation with the Jan Sangh (previous avatar of BJP).
“I started with the Vidyarthi Parishad and then with Yuva Morcha (where he became a national officer-bearer) before starting working with the BJP,” he said, recollecting his political journey.
He never had a stint with the RSS but has many friends among the RSS activists. A soft-spoken politician-lawyer, currently a general secretary of the BJP Kerala Party and its regular spokesman in Malayalee TV news debates, Kurien has also in between fought some tough elections for his party and lost, including once against Congress stalwart Oommen Chandy from the latter’s Puthuppally fortress. But the leadership’s eye for him and his work was also evident when he was made vice-chairman of the National Commission for Minorities by the previous Modi government.
