CPM removed P P Divya on October 17 from the position of the Kannur District Panchayat President. CPM had no other alternative as the party invited the wrath of the people of the entire state. Anger was visible even among the party leaders and ranks.
Later on, Divya issued a statement that she was resigning. Even though she said that she is with the bereaved family, she still maintained that her speech was due to her stand against corruption. It means she does not repent.
Earlier, CPM state secretary M V Govindan told the media that Divya should have avoided the controversial comments during the farewell ceremony. He said that necessary actions would be taken after examining all aspects of the issue.
The aforementioned scenes of drama make one believe that sacking, resignation, and police cases are all face-saving exercises.
The case has been registered against Kannur District Panchayat President P P Divya in connection with the suicide of the Additional District Magistrate, Naveen Babu. The case is charged against Divya with abetment of suicide. It is a crime punishable by ten years imprisonment. Reports suggest that the Kannur Police will submit a report with Divya’s name as accused before the court. It is reported that the Police got the legal opinion for proceeding with registering the case.
Naveen Babu was humiliated by P P Divya during his send-off ceremony on October 14. He was found dead the next morning. It is reported that he committed suicide; he could not bear the humiliation and accusations of corruption by Divya during the farewell. Divya accused Naveen Babu of allegedly delaying NOC issuance for a petrol filling station.
Police had taken the statements of Divya and Naveen Babu’s colleagues. Colleagues said in their statements that Naveen Babu was seen very much happy during the farewell programme. His joy was sans leaps and bounds as he would spend the remaining months of his service at his native place. He was too happy with the thought that he was going to work in an office a stone’s throw away from his home. Accordingly, he had made reservations for his train journey home. The investigation team has got information that Naveen Babu was too upset after the derogatory comments from Divya. Police are expected to take the statements of the relatives and family members of the deceased.
CPM has decided to examine the allegations against Divya. It is due to the heavy pressure from the Party’s Pathanamthitta district committee. Even though the top party brass in Kannur district is soft towards Divya, a section of the leadership reportedly has taken a stand against Divya. The party leadership is meeting one of these days.
Thousands of people, including government servants from all districts where Naveen has worked during his service, have flowed into Pathanamthitta Town Hall and Naveen’s home to pay their last respects. Two former District Collectors of Pathanamthitta, the home district of the deceased, told the media about the sincerity, efficiency and exemplary character of Naveen Babu. One of them said he had enjoyed the privilege of working with Naveen Babu during the fatal floods of 2018 and the tense days in connection with the Sabarimala agitation in late 2018 and early 2019. Sabarimala is situated in the Pathanamthitta district. When the CPM-led Left Democratic Front Government of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan attempted to disrupt the Mandir tradition in Sabarimala by taking ‘undesirable women’ into the shrine, with police escort, the entire state witnessed strong agitations.
LDF Ministers and leaders were seen with heavy hearts when Naveen’s body was laid for public view, as they lost a comrade. They were on the horns of a dilemma as the root cause of the tragedy was the arrogant and mysterious behaviour of their comrade, P P Divya.
The tragic incident has triggered infights in CPM. Pathanamthitta district committee’s pro-Naveen Babu stand and (veiled) anti-Divya stand kicks off an anti-Kannur lobby fight against other district committees. There are rumours that other district committees secretly encouraged the Pathanamthitta committee’s planned move against Divya, which is akin to an anti-Kannur lobby move. Party ranks in Pathanamthitta district are fuming against Divya for her poisonous comments which led to the death of an ardent party man. It is a known fact that Kerala CPM is dominated by Kannur lobby consisting of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, state secretary M V Govindan, CM’s Political Secretary P Sasi, Kannur district secretary M V Jayarajan, etc.
Now, people in Kannur smell a rat in the petrol filling station issue. Still, it is not clear who the real entrepreneur of the station is. They believe that it is a benami business. When the news of the death of Naveen Babu spread like wildfire, a letter was spread as if a copy of the complaint was sent to the CM. It is reported to be fake as Prashanthan, the applicant of the petrol filling station, is said to have no official document regarding the complaint. Keralites believe that more stories will be unfolded in the days to come.
