By Shankar Raj*
Thiruvananthapuram: The Left Democratic Front faces an implosion in Kerala where the Communist Party of India (CPI), the second major constituent of the Front, stated that what is happening in Kannur, a Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPI-M) bastion, is an insult to the flag and the left ideologies and movement.
The CPI, which has been known to play second fiddle in the ruling Front, openly came out and flayed the links of CPI-M party leaders with the underworld and gold smuggling gang and its failure to explore the reasons behind the debacle in the recent Lok Sabha polls.
The unusual political confrontation by the CPI on June 30, 2024, has put the Kannur CPI-M and the party on a sticky wicket and surprised many in the Left.
“The news emerging from Kannur pains us fellow beings of the communist movement. It’s a land that lays claim to a history of sacrifices. Stories of underworld links and gold smuggling emanating from Kannur are an insult to the red flag,” reminded CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam.
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The reference was to the open fight between Kannur strongman P Jayarajan and ousted Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) leader Manu Thomas who raised serious charges against Jayarajan and his son Jain Raj. He indicated that the Kannur leader had links with gold smuggling mafias and quotation gangs.
“The fact that those who play the role of Left protectors on social media have underworld links cannot go down well with genuine Left supporters. They are the people who played a key role in the recent setbacks faced by the Left movement in the state,” a CPI statement said.
The CPI reminded the CPI-M that the communist party has an obligation to lakhs of people who have deposed their faith in this movement. “Their trust and loyalty are crucial for communists. Those who prefer the underworld are the ones who betray the Left. It’s time to make it clear that these people deserve no forgiveness,” Binoy said. The CPI will always stand by the masses, their beliefs and sentiments, he added.
*Shankar Raj is a former editor of The New Indian Express, Karnataka and Kerala, and writes regularly on current affairs.
