A mammoth public meeting organized and addressed by rebel CPM MLA P.V. Anvar on Sunday, September 29, sent shock waves through the CPM rank and file. Held at Chanthakkunnu in Nilambur, Malappuram district, Kerala, the event attracted several thousand people. Anvar addressed the enthusiastic crowd for two and a half hours but did not reveal any new information. Nevertheless, thousands followed the event closely, both in person and through electronic and social media, eager to witness the spectacle. Anvar’s departure from the CPM and the powerful ruling apparatus further fueled the curiosity of Keralites, as the turnout defied expectations. The crowd was proof that many were waiting to see whether the event would be a success.
The CPM initially believed Anvar’s public meeting would be a failure, but the overwhelming turnout proved otherwise. The massive crowd posed a challenge for MLA Anvar as he struggled to reach the makeshift dais. The venue, located near the bus stand, had to be expanded by clearing vegetation and bushes from a nearby ground with a bulldozer to accommodate the large gathering.
People started pouring in by noon, even though the program was scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. By around 6 p.m., the local area was extremely packed with thousands of people. Many occupied the roads, while others took positions in nearby buildings. TV channel cameras lined up and began live coverage. Anvar’s enthusiastic followers shouted slogans. Workers from the CPM, Congress, and the Indian Union Muslim League, the second-largest partner of the Congress-led opposition United Democratic Front (UDF), had reportedly gathered to hear Anvar.
He emotionally connected with the crowd, addressing people from all walks of life, such as auto drivers, farmers, expatriates, students, and young people by name. Anvar also raised the slogan ‘Laal Salaam,’ the typical expression of communist comrades. He detailed his secular family background and began his speech with expressions like “Om Shanti,” “Allahu Akbar,” and “Lord of the Heavens.”
Anvar sharply criticized M.R. Ajitkumar IPS, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), and P. Sasi, the Chief Minister’s Political Secretary, accusing the CM of protecting both. He reiterated the evidence he had collected and recalled how he had issued warnings and complaints to both Pinarayi Vijayan and CPM State Secretary M.V. Govindan several times.
However, rebel MLA did not raise any new allegations in his speech but repeated the old ones. He sought clarity from his comrades, asking whom he should wait for. He was referring to E.N. Mohandas, the CPM Malappuram District Secretary, who had humiliated him and labeled him a “buffoon.” While concluding his speech, Anvar asserted that he had never attacked the party or its workers. He maintained that his demands were consistent with those raised by the Communist Party of India (CPI), the CPM’s major partner. He also questioned whether it was wrong to express his views.
Apparently, a case has been registered against Anvar based on a complaint the police received three weeks earlier, on charges of phone snooping. Political Kerala was abuzz with excitement over Anvar’s public rally in Nilambur, which several thousand people attended. Now, Anvar is trying to woo certain factions within the CPM, while the party is doing its best to prevent defections. As a result, the relationship between the Nilambur MLA and the party is likely to worsen. There’s no doubt Anvar will face increased animosity from the party, especially after he has already taken several shots at the Chief Minister, once even alleging that Pinarayi Vijayan is incapable of overseeing the Home Ministry.
The FIR against Anvar states that he attempted to incite a riot by snooping on the phones of top officials and spreading the extracted information through the media. Police hastily registered the case on September 28, following a complaint lodged by a former Congressman from Kottayam on September 5. The rebel leader has been charged with a crime punishable by up to life imprisonment, accused of hacking and leaking information from the phones of senior police officials in a manner that could jeopardize public security. An immediate arrest is likely, given the current political climate.
The CPM is now focused on ensuring that Anvar does not create waves among its rank and file, and the party will portray him as an anti-party figure.
Anvar has stated that he would not start a new party but will decide on his future political life. He repeatedly raised the allegation that ADGP Ajitkumar is involved in gold smuggling. He also reiterated his claim that Mami, a merchant from Kozhikode, has been missing for the last year due to his anti-drug mafia stance, and he had approached even the ADGP Crime to investigate the matter. Anvar accused the ADGP Law & Order and the Chief Minister’s Political Secretary of aiding gold smugglers. He also alleged that the police are helping MDMA traffickers.
Anvar now seems ready for open war. He has the support of Muslims with extreme views, and even comrades from such groups are likely to back him. This is why his public meeting on September 29 drew such a huge crowd, signaling that Pinarayi Vijayan is no longer all-powerful.
