Smt. Vimala died today after battling burn injuries as a result of her house being set on fire on December 28th 2016 by CPM workers. Her tragic death is yet another entry to a growing list of atrocities that are being perpetuated by CPM cadre, emboldened by the return of their party to political power in the 2016 Kerala assembly elections. Since CM Pinarayi has taken office there has been an alarming trend of CPM cadre attacks on women and children.
Smt Vimala is the latest victim of this organized savagery. In the absence of any decisive action by the state government and law enforcement agencies, the political violence has intensified and been emboldened, by the dual strategies of strategic silence and open encouragement (reported in media reports) by party leaders. Today, this strategy has cost a young, vibrant woman her life under the most barbaric circumstances, where her existence was reduced to a mound of burnt flesh. She died not wishing to live anymore.
Words of condemnation are inadequate when faced with a state facilitated politicide, which is organized and relentless in its targeting of not only political and ideological opponents, but also their families and children. This brutal suppression of the principles of democracy, constitutional and human rights as well as free expression, has no place in democratic India.
