ABVP congratulates Minister V Sivankutty following the signing of the PM SHRI scheme. A delegation led by ABVP State Secretary EU Easwaraprasad visited the minister’s office to convey their appreciation for the initiative. The organization also urged the minister to intervene on other pressing issues in the education sector. Earlier, ABVP had described the signing of the scheme as a victory for their protest, which had been staged to demand the implementation of PM SHRI. Despite strong opposition from the CPI, the Education Secretary proceeded to sign the PM SHRI scheme, making Kerala the 34th administrative unit to join the project. Following this, the Central government announced that the funds previously withheld would be released soon, with the first installment of Rs 1,500 crore expected to be transferred to the state in the near future.
Rift within LDF over PM SHRI implementation
The CPI, however, has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the Education Department’s unilateral decision. CPI State Secretary Binoy Viswam told reporters that the signing of the scheme violated the principle of front-line etiquette. The party viewed the decision to proceed with the controversial project without considering its opposition as a serious lapse in consultation. Binoy Viswam had instructed CPI ministers to firmly oppose the PM SHRI scheme if it came up for discussion in the cabinet. However, the party was frustrated that the Chief Minister did not respond to their concerns. Even though Revenue Minister K Rajan raised the issue in the cabinet in line with the party’s stance, neither Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan nor Education Minister V Sivankutty provided any response. Despite these objections, the state proceeded to sign the PM SHRI Memorandum of Understanding, effectively overruling the party’s protests.The CPI State Secretary is expected to address the media later today to outline the party’s next course of action. In addition, an emergency online meeting of the CPI Secretariat has been scheduled to discuss the matter further.
Breaking from its previous position, the CPI-affiliated student organization AISF has intensified its criticism of the Left government over the PM SHRI project. The AISF openly criticized Education Minister V Sivankutty, accusing him of betraying the Left movement in Kerala. In a Facebook post, the AISF State Secretary stated that V Sivankutty, a former leader of the revolutionary student movement, had turned his back on the Left.The CPI remains deeply unhappy with the Education Department’s decision to join the central government’s education scheme despite the party’s opposition. The state secretariat meeting today will discuss the matter in detail. The signing of the MoU was carried out without adhering to the assurance given by CPM General Secretary MA Baby that the LDF would collectively deliberate on the scheme. CPI leaders maintain that proceeding without considering protests amounted to a breach of front-line etiquette.
Following this, CPI leaders plan to meet the Chief Minister to formally express their objections and will also engage in discussions with other constituent parties of the LDF to chart their response. The situation highlights an emerging rift within the Left Democratic Front regarding central government initiatives, with both the CPI and its student wing openly challenging the state government’s approach to the PM SHRI scheme.
