What happened to the choral group of the CPM-affiliated Kerala Secretariat Employees Association (KSEA) that sang the Pinarayi anthem ('Chempadakku kaavalaal/chenkadal poloraal/chenkodi karathilenthi/keralathin kaavalaal') before the Chief Minister on January 16? 

In Congress MLA P Vishnunadh's telling, these government employees-cum-vocalists went backstage after their performance and burst into tears. "We should realise that government employees, a substantial section of them with drawings barely enough to sustain their families, are on an agitation mode in these times of rising prices," Vishnunadh said in the Assembly on Wednesday while moving an adjournment motion on the government's alleged denial of entitlements to government employees. The adjournment motion was moved in the context of the strike called by called by the CPI-backed Joint Council and employees organisations supported by the Opposition parties on January 22. The CPM-backed KSEA has kept out of the strike.

Vishnunath said that the government employees who are part of the KSEA were as much hurt as any other government employee by the LDF government's policies. "On top of the widespread rise in prices is the government move to deprive government employees of their legal entitlements like DA (dearness allowance) and leave surrender. Worse still, benefits like service weightage, house building allowance and city compensatory allowance have been permanently taken away. It is in such a distraught state, and deliberately swallowing pride and pain, that these men and women (KSEA vocalists) sang 'Chempadakku kaavalaal/chenkadal poloraal/chenkodi karathilenthi/keralathin kaavalaal'," Vishnunath said, triggering uproarious laughter in the opposition side. "Will Vayalar write anything like this, Sir," he said in mock admiration. 

"After the song they rushed backstage and, it was said, indulged in mass wailing," he said.

Laying the irony thicker, Vishnunadh said that the lyricist of the song, Poovathoor Chithrasenan, was re-employed; the lyricist was offered a post-retirement job in Secretariat last April. "The lyricist was re-employed but the singers had their benefits like DA and leave surrender withheld," Vishnu said.

Vishunadh, and later Opposition Leader V D Satheesan, said that Rs 65,000 crore that the government was legally obliged to pay employees was kept unpaid. "If benefits like service weightage and house building allowance that were stopped were also taken into consideration, the employees and pensioners would have been deprived of nearly Rs one lakh crore," Satheesan said.

The Opposition Leader, apparently motivated by the general mood of hero worship in the CPM as exemplified by the Pinarayi anthem, had a word of caution for the CM. "In olden times there were sycophants who sang paeans to the ruler. Now, to lull you into a state of complacency, certain people have taken on the role of ancient sycophants. They are making songs to keep you happy. But be careful. These very people will soon sound the beats for your dead march," Satheesan said.