Hushing Up Sex Scandals in Kerala

Kerala once again hangs her head with shame, thanks to a female DYFI leader’s complaint against a CPM MLA (both are from the same District i.e. Palakkad) that he tried to sexually abuse her. She says that she has even recorded the obscene sort of telephone calls she received from the Shornnur MLA and CPM leader PK Shashi. She complained to the CPM Polit Bureau member and self-styled saviour of women’s interests Brinda Karat, but in vain. Then she mailed to the party supremo Sitaram Yechurry; he ignored the complaint he received even though it is reported that she had also attached the voice clipping of MLA’s phone conversation.

There are reports that Yechurry received the complaint on August 14, 2018. He had admitted the receipt of it in the beginning. But later on the available Polit Bureau stated that no instructions had been given to the state unit for taking action against the MLA. The press release said that it is the duty of the Kerala unit to consider the actions against the MLA. Yechurry says that he handed over the complaint to the state unit. He reacted to the letter he received on August 14. When the media persons asked him about the date of receipt of the complaint, he brushed aside saying that he did not know those things. He said he got it on September 3 and the same day he passed it on to Kerala unit.

Now both the CPM Polit Bureau and Kerala state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan have confirmed that there is a complaint against the MLA. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan says that his party’s state committee had received such a complaint three weeks ago and the appropriate action is being taken. The same time CPM Polit Bureau came out to deny the media reports that it has intervened in the matter. It said that such reports are baseless. According to the party’s normal practice such sorts of complaints are handled by the concerned state committee.

In the mean time, PK Shashi told media persons that the allegations do not carry any truth, but part of a conspiracy against him. Shashi, CPM’s Palakkad district secretariat member, is ready to face any investigation. Later on party leaders said that the issue was not discussed in the secretariat meeting as it has not received any complaint from any one! Meanwhile, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told the media persons that the issue did not require any police investigation, because, the party has its own method to handle such complaints. Incidentally, DYFI state leadership and CPM district leadership maintain that they have not received any complaint.

BJP state president Adv. PS Sreedharan Pillai blamed that CPM tries to hush up the issue. Under existing law, CPM should have referred the matter to the police immediately after receiving the girl’s complaint. The complainant did not get justice even from her PB member Brinda Karat who is always shouting on top of her voice for the justice for women. CPM state leadership opted to keep mum until the girl e-mailed the complaint to party chief Sitaram Yechurry. Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha state general secretary RS Rajeev submitted a memorandum to the state DG of Police demanding an investigation into the girl’s complaint.

Legal experts opine that CPM dishonours the rule by opting not to refer the complaint to the police. Some believe that it is equal to abetment. Now, there are reports that the DYFI leadership is tying to appease the girl and has offered Rs 1 crore and promised a berth in the state committee of the CPM’s youth wing.

People of Kerala do not expect any concrete action from the CPM leadership in this regard. Their past experiences do not give them any ray of hope. When such complaints were raised senior leaders of CPM had followed the practice of party inquiry. That means temporary camouflage of actions and then taking them back to the party with all ‘honours’. This is what happened in the case of party’s powerful Kannur district secretary P. Shashi and later on Ernakulam district secretary Gopi Kottamurickal whose alleged ‘misconduct’ was reported to have caught by rivals within the party in a sting operation.

Shashi episode underlines the fact that CPM always plays double standard in handling similar issues. Several months back, a similar allegation was raised against Congress MLA M Vincent. He was arrested and jailed immediately. But, when the LDF Minister PK Shasheendran was trapped in a similar issue, there was no arrest. And, he was reinstated in the cabinet even before the case was over. But, in PK Shashi’s case, Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat herself did her best to hush up the matter. Similarly, even though the nun has raised clear cut allegations against Jallandar Bishop Franco Mulakkal with valid evidences, no arrest even after several months.

While Palakkad issue is getting hotter in the media, there is another report from Irinjalakkuda, Thrissur district. There, a female DYFI leader has complained to the police against the male leader who sexually harassed her. By the time this story goes to print, she might have given her statement to the police.