The Left Front government’s apathy towards increasing incidents of violence against SC/STs and Dalits because of the involvement of CPM goons has added another dimension to the violence-ridden state
During the campaign of Assembly elections in 2016, the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) had promised on top of their voice that “LDF Varum Ellaam Shariyaakum” meaning “LDF will win, then all will be ok.” But, once it took over, what the state witnesses is the other way around. What the Keralites see is setbacks after setbacks in the government. ‘Murder of the political opponents, censure from courts, corruption, and nepotism’ is what one sees around. On top of everything, attack and atrocities on weaker sections like SCs and STs are an all-time high. The latest is the murder of 27 year old tribal youth A. Madhu in Agali, the hamlet of tribal communities in Palakkad district. He was attacked and brutally beaten by some people alleging that he had stolen some rice from a shop.
Madhu belonged to the tribal hamlet of Attappadi within the Agaly police station limits, in Palakkad district. It is learnt from a local social activist that the allegation of theft was false. But, since he was found carrying a rice bag filled with “something” around 4 pm on Thursday, February 22, the shopkeeper and the people around took it as a pilferage. When they chased him, he ran into the forest. There people got hold of him and beat him severely with sticks after tying his hands. During the ridiculous melee, one attacker went to the extent of shooting a selfie with the ‘victim.’ They accused him of stealing some valuable articles from a local house three days before. Then some people informed Agali Police Station. They took him to the Government Tribal Hospital, but, he collapsed in the jeep and died on the way. Later on, it was found that the rice bag was filled with some waste papers!
The post-mortem reports spoke out that he died of internal injuries and of course, haemorrhage. In other words, the death is construed as a murder. He was picked up from the cave in the forest where he has been living for the last nine years. Even after the brutal assault, he was made to walk to the police station even though he was not even able to move an inch. Sixteen people have been arrested in connection with this lynching under relevant sections including murder and SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act.
It is learnt that Madhu was once injured in a clash while he was studying in a tribal skill development school in Attappadi. During the scuffle, he received a heavy blow in his head. Since then his behaviour was not quite normal. People find him here and there; some allege that he was seen in suspicious circumstances. This is the reason he became a victim of the allegation of theft. His mother, however, says, he never steals.
Madhu’s family members alleged that the forest department staff showed the cave of Madhu to the chasing mob. They said the forest staff was also responsible for the killing.
But despite this blatant torture and a brutal attack on a tribal, the CPM leaders did not take an active role in finding the reason behind the attack, death and booking the culprits. CM Pinarayi Vijayan and AK Balan, Minister for the Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, were “busy” in Thrissur in connection with the CPM state conference. Balan went to the extent of saying that he would look into the matter after the completion of the conference. Later, Vijayan said, the incident was deplorable!
This is the CPM’s stand on the weaker sections of the society. Even though they raise voice against the “ill-treatment of the weaker sections and minorities” in North India in general and in the BJP-ruled states, in particular.
CPM’s Double Standards
When one Junaid died as a result of a clash related to a dispute regarding a train seat, Pinarayi visited his family in Haryana and offered help. He had a ridiculous alibi: Junaid was killed for eating beef! A few days back, a pregnant CPM worker was attacked by her party colleagues, allegedly led by its branch secretary. Her foetus was completely damaged when the CPM leader kicked her in the abdomen. Now, the CPM leaders are pressing her to withdraw the complaint against the branch secretary, but people at the helm keep aloof shutting the eyes on the truth.
The so-called cultural leaders and intellectuals follow the same policy as their CPM bosses. Otherwise, they are always busy in issuing joint statements against the Sangh parivar and the Modi regime for every non-issue. But, they are scared to rub the Left parties the wrong way, thanks to the rewards they get for sticking to sycophancy!
CPM’s MB Rajesh, the local MP, also remained busy in the party conference; it does not make any difference to him even though Attappadi falls in his parliamentary constituency. He is a regular TV debater even for non-issues of North India, but, his first priority is his party conference.
BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan lambasted the CPM leadership and the LDF regime for their double standard regarding burning issues. ABVP state general secretary Shyamraj came down heavily on Minister AK Balan and CPM leadership for their hypocritical attitude towards SCs, STs and weaker sections. The ABVP proposes to start agitations in all districts against state government’s inhuman policies in this respect. Shyamraj said that the ABVP was in touch with the National ST Commission and its chief would visit Attappadi immediately. The ABVP has planned a march from Attappadi to the minister Balan’s home.
After visiting the family members of Madhu, BJP president Kummanam Rajasekhran asked the state government to publish a white paper on the monies spent on the welfare of the Vanvasi tribals in Attppadi over the years as their condition is now worse than before.
Kummanam said the Union Government has spent Rs 500 crores for the tribals in Attappadi this year. Of this amount, Rs 147 crore were for the primitive and vulnerable tribes. But, most of the families still are not fortunate enough to have housing or potable water. Kummanam alleged that Madhu’s body was taken to Thrissur for post-mortem as a result of a conspiracy despite the availability of all facilities in Palakkad. He added that the body was kept outside the mortuary for an hour hence humiliated (observers alleged that the body was taken to another district for facilitating the CPM leaders’ presence as they were enjoying the state conference a stone throw away from the government hospital).
Kummanam was accompanied by Hindu Aikya Vedi president KP Sasikala Teacher and BJP Palakkad district president E Krishnadas.
Unabated Atrocities
A series of atrocities have taken place against Dalits since the LDF government took over in 2016, most of them at the hands of the CPM men. First one was the arrest of Akhila (30) and Anjana (25), two Dalit girls in Kuttimakkool, near Thalasserry, Kannur district. They were arrested on the allegation that both of them had attacked a CM worker and damaged the party’s local office; really a ridiculous argument in a district which CPM men claim as their bastion in the state; the place where they have been killing the Sangh parivar men since 1978. The girls and the baby of Akhila were put in the jail! Later on, Anjana attempted suicide alleging that she was insulted by the CPM representative during a TV debate after she got bail.
Almost the same days, a Dalit girl student of RLV Fine Arts College, Thrippunithrua attempted suicide. It was alleged that the SFI workers had pasted posters in her private hostel and in the campus mentioning relation between her and an SFI leader. It led to a clash between the SFI and the ABVP workers in the campus and a BJP agitation in the town. Police remained reluctant to arrest the guilty, the SFI men.
In MG University, research scholar Deepa M. Mohan was arrested for protesting in front of the office of the SP of Police, Kottayam. Earlier she had moved a petition in the court alleging that a teacher of the university had insulted her by calling her caste name. But the court dismissed the petition hence she protested. The teacher was reported as a CPM fellow traveller.
A few months before CPM killers murdered RSS Sakha Karyavh Rajesh, near Thiruvananthapuram, without any provocation. Apparently, Rajesh was an SC worker. Vishnu was another Dalit RSS worker killed by CPM criminals in Thiruvananthapuram last year.
Dalit Girl Victims
In Nattakam Government College two Dalit girl students were attacked allegedly by SFI workers and they were admitted to the Medical College, Kottayam due to injuries. The incident took place in November 2017. In the Polytechnic of the same area, SFI workers insulted the Dalits by making a hut in the campus and naming it “Pulayakkutil” meaning the hut of the Pulaya, a Dalit caste.
Vivek Kumaran, Dalit M. Phil student of MG University, was attacked by SFI men for allegedly organising students against them. In Government Maharaja’s College, Kochi, SFI workers burned the chair of the Dalit Principal on the road. After several activities and statements by ABVP and various agitations, the SFI and the CPM had to deplore the incident.
Last year, infamous Jishnu Pranoy case did tear the pro-Dalit mask of CPM and Pinayaryi Vijayan. Jishnu’s parents were die-hard CPM loyalists. Jishnu, a hardcore SFI activist in Nehru Engineering College worshipped Pinarayi in his pooja room. One morning he was found dead in the hostel and it was declared as a suicide. But, powerful students’ struggle led by the ABVP and other bodies could prove that it was a murder and it was established that the victim was tortured in the “torture chamber” in the college. But, the CM did not bother to visit and console the bereaved parents. Later on, when Jishnu’s mom tried to see the DG of Police, the force dragged her to the street and beat her.
Last year, CPM workers attacked a Dalit BJP worker Kannan’s house in Chittoor, Palakkad; they set on fire the house burning Kanna’s wife Vimala and his brother Radhakrishnan died. The incident took place in December 2016.
A Dalit Kunjumon died in police custody in Kundara, Kollam, again under the “everything alright” LDF regime. In December 2017, CPM men evicted a Dalit family from their home residing for the last thirty years. The need is simple: They wanted to construct their party office there itself. Dalit men were attacked and tortured by the police presided by the CM Vijayan who is in-charge of the Home Ministry in several places like Kalamasserry, Palarivatrom, Chelakkara, Kassergod, etc.
When the landless tribal community agitated in Chengara for the land held illegally by mammoth plantation groups even after the expiry of the 100 or more years old lease agreement, the then CPM CM VS Achuthanandan went to the extent of telling that the agitators were rubber robbers!
In other words, CPM has proved that it is a political outfit which is not sympathetic towards SCs, STs, women and weaker sections. Their only performance is lip service and spreading lies against RSS, Sangh inspired organisations and nationalistic forces alleging that they are torturing Dalits and minorities.
By T Satisan from Kochi
Courtesy: Organiser
