Kerala is witnessing the horrors of an undeclared Emergency under Pinarayi Vijayan regime. Freedom of all kinds is being compromised and crushed. The Communist Party has shown its real Fascist mannerism
Pinarayi and his party CPM and LDF and the fellow travellers, may be writers or so-called intellectuals or film personalities, keep on blaming Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and PM Modi for the Fascist rule and for denying freedom of expression, freedom of eating habits, freedom of dressing, etc. But, what his Government executes is the other way around.
Undeclared Emergency
Recently, an anti-Modi Facebook post called for shooting 31 per cent of the population. It was an indirect reference to the people who voted BJP to power since BJP’s voting share in the last Lok Sabha election was 31 per cent. Immediately a pro CPM college teacher in Thrissur shared the post. Naturally, several BJP supporters posted their difference of opinion against her. Immediately, six BJP workers were arrested. But, the lady teacher who called for massacre of 31 per cent of the voters still remains untouched by the law and or legal apparatuses.
Some time back, a well known TV personality misused his Facebook account to “invite” a Bharatiya Mahila Morcha leader to his bed room stating that ‘four wives are permissible’ for him. He was obviously referring to his religion that is Islam. His post was obscene and unprintable. After the lady complained to the police, a case has been registered, but, no arrest has been made even after 20 days.
Couple of weeks ago, a man posted his video footage in his Facebook account blaming Pinarayi as the man behind the killings of RSS and BJP men in the State. And, he is now arrested after he came to Bharat. Several people are arrested for posting their comments against Pinarayi in Facebook. However, several derogative and obscene posts against PM Modi, Kummanam Rajasekharan (now the Hon Governor of Mizoram) and RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat are met with no action and silence. Even anti-national posts are ignored. Recently a fabricated picture of Kummanam and a third rate comment against him was posted in Facebook by the editor of Deshabhimani Malayalam morning daily, the mouthpiece of CPM. No action was taken against him. Obviously, it was posted after Kummanm took over as Mizoram Governor.
Pinarayi and his party always shout from the rooftops about the freedom of speech and the freedom for the media. But, here is a CM who even does not like the post-cabinet press briefings. The scribes of the State found a Fascist in him on July 31, 2017 when he shouted against their presence in the venue of Government-CPM-RSS/BJP talks held to allay the physical confrontation and murders in different parts of the State. He shouted in Malayalam – “katakkoo purathu” meaning ‘Get out’.
On November 17, 2017, he repeated the same in Ernakulam when he came to his party office for a party meeting. When the media persons asked him about the strains in the CPM-CPI relations in the LDF, he shouted in Malayalam – “maari nilkku” meaning ‘Keep away’.
CM Pinarayi leaves no stone unturned and makes it clear in his words and deeds that he supports police personnel and officers when they unleash all sorts of anti-people measures. Recently, when he inaugurated the State conference of the police officers’ association in April, 2018, a band of officers was in red shirt. The delegates raised the slogan “inquilab zindabad, martyrs zindabad” in front of the martyrs’ column. Initially, they had painted it in red. Later on in the wake of the intelligence report about the excessive politicisation of the police force in Kerala and the stiff opposition aired by BJP and Congress, they changed it to red and blue. And, they changed the description from “martyrs’ column to “police martyrs’ column”. The intelligence report said that the politicisation was seen in the district conferences. The report says about the tendency of party leaders addressing the police association conferences despite holding no government positions. This reminds one what was happening during Emergency. This is the blatant example of committed police a la the idea of committed judiciary during Emergency.
Youth is Being Butchered
When engineering student Jishnu Pranoy, a Student Federation of India (SFI) worker, died an ‘unnatural death’ in his college hostel in Thrissur district, in January, 2017, the Government got cold feet in taking swift action against the accused-the management of the College. His mother Mahija had expressed that the boy used to have the darshan of the picture of Pinarayi, instead of Krishna, as part of the traditional ‘Vishukkani” on the Vishu day, the new year of the Malayalam calendar around mid-April. She keeps on telling that she is a CPM worker. Still Pinarayi did not bother to visit the bereaved family. Since there was no sign of the arrest of the culprits in the vicinity, Mahija came to the capital on April 5, 2017 to stage a dharna in front of the DGP’s office demanding the arrest of the culprits. But, police dragged her along the street and arrested her. After the arrest she had to be admitted to the hospital due to the harassment by the police. At last, CBI agreed to take up the case after inviting the wrath of the Supreme Court.
Almost in the same period, when Thiruvananthapuram Law Academy Law College students were on strike for the removal of their controversial Principal, Pinarayi supported the management, thanks to the nexus between the management and the CPM and her (Principal) and the party channel. Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) was the leader of the students’ agitation. BJP, VS Achuthanandan, Pinarayi’s bête noir in the party, CPI and Congress supported the students. SFI withdrew from the agitation at the crucial movement in support of the management. Even after that betrayal other student bodies including AISF of CPI remained with ABVP. At last, CPI leadership intervened and ensured the removal the principal paving way for the reopening of the college. The Law Academy strike showed the fascist face of Pinarayi and it proved once again that his loyalty is not to the people who voted him to power but to the rich groups.
Above two college incidents are akin to the happenings in Kerala during Emergency. Those days, the Government was always with the rich and upper classes. The nexus was complementary and contributory. Jishnu case is a personal tragedy to all Keralites. It is like the Rajan case, the case of an engineering student taken into the police custody during Emergency, and reported missing. Afterwards it was proved that he was killed during police torture and his body had been “disposed” immediately. Therefore, no habeas corpus order could bring Rajan back home.
The honour killing of Kevin P. Joseph (23) is another clear cut evidence of the fascist policy of the LDF regime. The angry family of his wife Neenu allegedly organised the abduction of Kevin and tortured him and later his dead body was found in a water body. Even though his father and Neenu went to the police station to lodge a complaint, the police refused to register the man missing case, both allege. They allege that a police patrol car crossed the abductors’ car and the former let the latter go, obviously due to a bribe. The accused, including Neenu’s father and brother, were arrested only after popular upsurge in the area against the alleged slow pedalling on the part of the police. There are allegations that some of them are DYFI workers. Here, Kevin belongs to a lower middle class family where as Neenu belongs to a rich family. Once again the CPM proved that they are always with the rich just like Congress did during Emergency.
The latest incident is reported from Anchal of Kollam district where LDF MLA and former minister KB Ganeshkumar and his driver allegedly thrashed Anathakrishnan (22) for not giving way to his car. Now the youth is hospitalised. His mother alleges that the MLA shouted dirty words against both. And, again the police have taken a step typical for the Pinarayi regime. The Confidential Informant (CI) of Police, who was very much present there and threw away the mobile phone of a passerby who took the photograph of the incident, is now the officer-in-charge of the investigation! He did not take any step to pacify the situation and remained a mute spectator when the incident took place. The mother of the youth is afraid; her son’s life is in danger.
Dictator in the Making
When an RSS man and a CPM man were killed near Thalsserry last month, Pinarayi visited the family of his party man. Even though the slain RSS man lived nearby, he could not imagine beyond his party politics. In other words, he still believes that he is the CM of CPM; not of the whole state and the people there.
How many times Kerala high court slammed Pinarayi regime is a one million dollar question. The number is enormous.
Suppression of democracy, misuse of police force, oppression of the opposition parties, antipathy towards the media, police torture of the innocents, etc. were the major features of Smt Gandhi’s Emergency. Pinarayi regime demonstrates the same attitudes. That is why the right thinking observers maintain that Kerala undergoes an Emergency-like situation under LDF regime. n
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