Kochi: The controversies over the Nava Kerala Sadas, the massive public outreach programme of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala, should have been avoided, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam has said.
He expressed his opinion at Onmanorama’s “What’s Your Point” interview in the wake of his elevation as the CPI state secretary following the demise of Kanam Rajendran. Viswam made his criticism – in a careful manner – even as hailing the Nava Kerala Sadas as a massive and effective political campaign.
Asked if he found proper the manner in which the CPM cadre handled the protests against the event, Viswam – a former state minister and the CPI’s national executive member – said he did not believe that the CPM as a party did it.
The pan-Kerala outreach programme witnessed a series of incidents where CPM cadre assaulted Congress activists who waved ck flags at the cabinet convoy. The party men were evidently encouraged by the chief minister who defended the assaults as “exemplary life saving act”. Members of the chief minister’s security detail were also involved in the attacks.
“The most important lesson from Nava Kerala Sadas is the people's approach to it. Undoubtedly, it's the most massive political campaign the state has ever seen. In all 140 constituencies thousands upon thousands of people gathered to listen to the chief minister and his colleagues. It was also (an exercise of) political education. The state is facing serious financial difficulties. Many of the development projects are not going on as per expectations. Even the food and civil supplies department is facing a crisis due to the financial arrogance of the central government. They are trying to see that the Kerala government is financially getting pushed more and more to the wall. The government has a duty to tell the people what’s happening. It was such a great political campaign with political content. in that massive campaign, it would have been better if those kind of controversial actions were avoided,” he said. “We believe that nobody has the right to take law into hands,” he added.
Asked if CPM cadre took law into their hands, the CPI leader said: “I don’t think the CPM as a party did it. Some elements, over-enthusiasts, might have done it. I don’t believe that the CPM took a decision and asked everyone to do like that. Democracy is democracy and it has a space for protest also.”
On chief minister's defence of the action against the protesters, Viswam said: “He defended it in his own way. He was telling that people should be protected.”
Viswam also reiterated his party’s criticism of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi possibly seeking re-election from Wayanad LS seat. He questioned the political wisdom of such a move. “Rahul Gandhi is trying to give a new light to Congress. He is trying hard for that. The way in which he raised Adani related issues showed that he is not a slave of corporates. Rahul is trying to imbibe the Nehruvian spirit of Congress which many don’t know. He has the right to contest from anywhere, but the political correctness of such a contest is what we are talking about. In the political battle of 2024, which is the main battlefield? Who is your main enemy? For us it's clear; it ought to have been clear for Congress too. The RSS and BJP are the main enemies. The battle is to defeat them. In that battle is Kerala the focal point? In Kerala the BJP can’t win even a seat.
“The battle is mainly fought in the heartland, that is North India. The man who leads the Congress side leaving the main battlefield and running to south where the BJP is nothing - what's the political message it conveys. The message is that the Congress is afraid of the BJP and it cannot fight the BJP. The Congress should think about the political wisdom of such a move and will it be good for the INDIA alliance.”
Viswam said his party would raise the issue in the INDIA bloc meet “if required”.
