Despite strong opposition from the local Panchayat and key constituents of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is pushing ahead with granting permission for a controversial brewery in Elappully Panchayat, Palakkad district. The decision, taken during the LDF meeting on February 19 in Thiruvananthapuram, has sparked political friction, particularly due to the unexpected U-turn by the Communist Party of India (CPI).
The LDF meeting, held in Thiruvananthapuram on February 19, reportedly witnessed opposition from the CPI, the second-largest LDF constituent (after the CPM), and the RJD against the launch of the brewery. The primary concern raised by opponents of the brewery is groundwater exploitation. However, despite these objections, the LDF meeting approved the project.
LDF meetings are typically held at the AKG Centre, the state CPM headquarters. However, this time, the venue was MN Mandiram, the CPI state headquarters. Despite this, CPI’s objections were overruled, as were those of the RJD. The CM reportedly assured that groundwater would not be used for the brewery and that the project would not adversely affect agriculture in the area.
However, CPI and RJD maintained that this was a policy matter and that proceeding with the project without prior discussion in LDF meetings would create problems in the future. Despite their concerns, it is alleged that the Chief Minister Vijayan unequivocally stated that the government would move forward with the project.
CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam reportedly cited the Kerala Land Reforms Act and the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act to oppose the decision, but the Chief Minister refused to relent.
Reports suggest that the Chief Minister lost his temper while attempting to explain that, in his official capacity, he had stated that no groundwater would be used for the brewery; hence, there was no cause for concern.
The opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the BJP have been opposing the brewery project. However, over time, the UDF has become less active in the anti-brewery agitation.
There are concerns that the brewery will adversely affect farming and water availability, and that effluents will be discharged into the Korayar River. The Panchayat Governing Board, led by the UDF, continues to oppose the project.
പാലക്കാടിനെ മരുഭൂമിയാക്കാൻ മദ്യ കമ്പനിക്ക് അനുമതി നൽകിയസംസ്ഥാന സർക്കാരിനെതിരെ
സമര പ്രചരണ യാത്ര
ഫെബ്രുവരി 20 മുതൽ 25 വരെ@BJP4Keralam @surendranbjp pic.twitter.com/6vPgNYkXvv— Prasanth Sivan (@PrasanthSbjp) February 19, 2025
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has accused the government of “guilefully” amending the Kerala Panchayat Raj (Issue of Licence to Factories, Trades, Entrepreneurship Activities, and Other Services) Rules, 1996, to favour the liquor company’s Elappully project.
However, the BJP remains steadfast in its opposition, organising Panchayat-wide marches and protests. BJP state president K. Surendran ridiculed the CPI while addressing a protest march against the brewery in Elappully, stating that the party lacks the audacity to tell Pinarayi that granting permission for the brewery is wrong and should not proceed. Referring to CPI’s earlier staunch opposition and its eventual surrender to Pinarayi’s pressure, Surendran sarcastically remarked that “a barking dog seldom bites.”
One thing remains clear—since CPI rejoined the CPM-led front in 1980, its fate has been to play second fiddle to the CPM leadership. Though the party occasionally takes ‘idealistic’ stands, it invariably yields once the ‘Big Brother’ glares in anger, acquiescing to the ‘order.’
Critics argue that though CPM and CPI are technically separate entities in Kerala, they unite when their political interests take precedence over public welfare. The Elappully brewery controversy is a prime example—what began as CPI’s staunch opposition mysteriously transformed into full endorsement, without any clear justification. This abrupt shift raises suspicions that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, playing the role of an authoritative “Big Brother,” ensured compliance through sheer political dominance.
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