P Jayarajan, veteran CPM leader and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s former blue-eyed boy, has told the media that IS recruitment is widespread in Kerala these days. Most of the youths are from Kannur. He said that Jamaat-e-Islami and Popular Front are proponents of theocratic state. He also said that youths are deviating from Political Islam. He disclosed this in an interview telecast by a local TV channel in Kannur. He was answering a question of the anchor in connection with a book he is the author of.
Jayarajan told that Islamic fundamentalism spreads throughout the world. And, youths from Kannur and Kasaragod join IS in large numbers. This should be viewed seriously. He reportedly presented the statistics in this regard. He also told about four youths from Kannur who were killed in Kupwara, Kashmir, in an encounter with our forces.
The book which is expected to be released in October is said to be speaking out the powerful influence the Islamic terrorist groups wield in Kannur youths. He said that he is aware that his book would invite strong criticism; but, he is not scared. He said, democratic criticism is warm welcome. He maintained that the society needs changes.
It was Sangh-inspired Janam TV which carried the news of IS recruitment first. But, at that time CPM leaders, including chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, brushed aside it. And, CPM rejected “Kerala Story”, a movie produced highlighting the IS recruitment. CPM alleged that the movie was an RSS agenda. Now, Jayarajan revealed what CPM has been hushing up, thanks to the minority vote bank politics. There is widespread argument that CPM supports Islamic fundamentalism. There are allegations that SDPI-linked candidates enter the electoral arena and CPM wins there. It is considered as an ‘understanding’. As CPM branch meetings are in progress which are going to pave the way for Area-District-State (and ultimately Party Congress on national level) meetings, observers believe that Jayarajan’s revelations will lead to heated discussions.
There is a strong belief among the CPM ranks that PV Anwar-KT Jaleel combination brings Islamic fundamentalist politics in the party. Jayaraja’s revelations should be viewed in this context.
Jayarajan is a state committee member of CPM. He is a former Kannur district secretary of CPM. He is also a former state secretariat member of the party. He was the leader of Kannur CPM during the heights of CPM murder politics against RSS, BJP and Sangh-inspired organisations. When Pinarayi Vijayan moved to Thiruvananthapuram to take over as a minister in chief minister EK Nayanar-led Left Democratic Front (CPM-led LDF) government in 1996, P Jayarajan-E.P. Jayarajan-MV Jayarajan trio took over the party leadership in Kannur district. MV Jayarajan is the Kannur district secretary now. P Jayarajan does not appear to be in Pinarayi’s good books since the last few years. EP Jayaran, who was the LDF Convener until recently, was shown the door couple of weeks ago. Since then he is seen as a discontented comrade.
