"During the Covid pandemic, wasn't it Pinarayi Vijayan who gave (food) kits? Did you reject them?
Pinarayi Vijayan gives uniforms to schoolchildren. Will you say no to it?
Pension is given by the same Pinarayi Vijayan. Do people reject the money?"

That is Adv Usha A P, President of the CPM-controlled Delampady grama panchayat, trying hard to persuade reluctant Kudumabshree members to attend the LDF government's Nava Kerala Sadas starting in Kasaragod on Saturday, November 18.

"If he (Pinarayi Vijayan) was partisan, he would have given medicines only to Marxists during Covid," Adv Usha said again.

That's when an irate woman in the crowd shot back: "From now on, you do that".

Adv Usha was speaking to a group of Kudumbashree workers, who were not eager to attend the Nava Kerala Sadas, at an anganwadi at Mayyala (ward 16) on Tuesday, November 14.

She came to the anganwadi because Kudumbashree members from ward 16 skipped the Nava Kerala Sadas preparatory meetings held at Adoor and Delampady.

From November 18 to December 24, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his cabinet colleagues would be touring all 140 constituencies to spread the word on what the government has done till now and what it intends to do. The opposition is boycotting the event, calling the event an election campaign of the LDF at taxpayers' expense.

In the November 14 meeting, Adv Usha kept coercing the women to attend the event. "When it comes to attending a programme, Pinarayi Vijayan is a CPM leader. Otherwise, he is the Chief Minister. Why this double standard? Else, give it in writing you Kudumbashree people do not want any benefits from the government because the chief minister is CPM leader Pinarayi Vijayan," she said.

Her fast talk comes days after Kozhikode's Ulliyeri panchayat vice-president N M Balaraman put out a voice message threatening to demuster workers of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) if they do not attend the LDF's Nava Kerala Sadas programme.

His voice message was sent to the WhatsApp group of Kudumbashree's committee in his ward Ulliyeri West (Ward No. 4).

He later backtracked saying the voice message was sent to inform everyone about the importance of the programme and that it was not a threat. Balaraman, who is also a CPM leader, said there was no instruction from the government to take action against those who do not participate in the programme.

But Kasaragod Collector Inbasekar Kalimuthu has already cancelled the Sunday holiday and directed all government employees to attend the Nava Kerala Sadas in their respective assembly constituency.

According to Delampady panchayat's Kudumbashree Community Development Society (CDS) Chairperson Suma Damodaran, the State Mission and the District Mission of Kudumbashree have also put out orders to ensure the full participation of members in Nava Kerala Sadas.

In a voice clip sent to Kudumbashree members in her panchayat, Suma Damodaran said all members should compulsorily attend the Nava Kerala Sadas.

Delampady comes in Udma Assembly constituency and the Sadas will be held at Chattanchal on Sunday, November 19.

In the voice clip, she said every Neighbourhood Group (NHG) of Kudumbashree should contribute Rs 500 each to raise money for the transport to Chattanchal. "So our CDS decided that we will arrange buses from all 16 wards of the panchayat to go to Chattanchal. To meet the expense, the members need not shell out the money," she said.

CDS is the apex body of Kudumbashree in a local body, and NHG is the ward-level committee. Area Development Societies (ADS) come in the middle of the three-tier structure of Kudumbashree.

Suma Damodharan said around 75% of neighbourhood groups were given revolving funds during the pandemic to lend money to their members on interest. "The neighbourhood groups should dip into their interest and contribute Rs 500 each to meet the transport cost. Revolving funds are also given to ADS. So no neighbourhood group will have any difficulty in pitching in with Rs 500," she said.

"We get the maximum benefits and interest subsidy, incentives, and funds from the government through Kudumbashree. So compulsorily, all members should participate and neighbourhood groups should contribute Rs 500 each," she said.

When contacted, Adv Usha said she was not pressurising or threatening Kudumbashree workers. "I did not ask anyone to compulsorily attend the event. I told them that it was a government event and so they should take part in it. I have gone to the houses of the general public and said the same to them. We just want the government's event to be successful," she said.

She said some Kudumbashree members asked her whether Nava Kerala Sadas was a party event and she presented the facts. "There was no threat. There will be people who will not come. There will be people who want to come but will not be able to make it. Can't we understand the people," she said.

The UDF in the panchayat said it would organise a protest in front of the panchayat office at Adoor on Friday. "We will be protesting against the government for threatening and pressuring Kudumbashree members to attend the event," said T K Damodaran, Congress leader and member of Delampady panchayat.

He said the panchayat started spending money for the event but the proposal seeking funds had not been tabled at the board meeting for approval yet.