Ramnarayan Bhayar: Victim of Fascist “Hate Campaign” in Kerala
31-year-old migrant worker Ramnarayan Bhayar, from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, was beaten to death by a group of local residents near Walayar in Kerala’s Palakkad district, on 20 December 2025. Though several local people are reportedly involved in the intentional killing, four of the five arrested are RSS-BJP goons. According to reports, Ramnarayan Bhayar was questioned for his nationality and labelled a “Bangladeshi” and a thief before being lynched.
Mob violence and targeting of vulnerable and marginalised communities and even lynching them are not new in Kerala. In 2018, in Attappady in the same district, a tribal youth Madhu was lynched in a similar manner. However, the present crime, with the direct involvement of Hindutva goons and the stamping of nationality tag before murder, raise serious concerns in view of the surge in Hindutva campaigns and vigilantism sitgmatising migrants and minorities at the pan-Indian level.
As per 2018 Supreme Court Guidelines on mob lynching, which the Court characterised as “horrendous”, the government has to resort to preventive measures, appoint nodal officers, create victim compensation schemes, fast-track trials, and the framing of a specific law for lynching. However, according to available information, the police, which faces many allegations of saffronisation and even notorious for frequent custodial tortures, even leading to murders under depoliticised Pinarayi government in Kerala, has not yet taken such essential procedures in this case too.
In this context, we appeal to the people to come forward compelling the CPM-led government in Kerala to take immediate and appropriate measures to arrest all those who are involved in the horrendous murder of Ramnarayan Bhayar. Taking his body to Chhattisgarh at government expense alone is not sufficient. It is the indispensable duty of the government to refrain from its appeasement policy towards the fascist forces, and take all necessary steps to wipe out the poisonous hate campaign unleashed against minorities and migrant workers by Sangh Parivar centres.
P J James
General Secretary
CPI ( ML) Red Star
New Delhi
20.12.2025
