By Shankar Raj*
Thiruvananthapuram: The Communist Marxist Party (CMP) in Kerala was left red-faced following widespread criticism for constructing a memorial for two of its bomb-makers who died while making the explosives at East Chettakandi in Kannur in 2015.
The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party hauled the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) over the memorial alleging that bomb-making was the Left party’s political activity.
The memorial was built in honour of Shaju and Subeesh, who lost their lives while manufacturing tiffin bombs.
Soon after the incident, the then CPI-M general secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had publicly disowned the two saying that they were not party workers. But nine years later, the party seems to have done a U-turn in honouring them.
According to the plans, party state secretary MV Govindan was to inaugurate the memorial at a public function on May 22, 2024. A public rally and procession by party members and leaders were also planned as part of the event, according to the poster circulated by the party’s local committee.
However, Govindan ducked a question by the media on honouring bomb-makers and washed his hands off saying that the question should be addressed to the Kannur district unit of the party. When asked if he would inaugurate the memorial, he said it was up to the party to decide.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K Sudhakaran said the incident exposed the CPI-M’s stand on terrorism. “The party had distanced itself from the deceased when the blast occurred in 2015. But later, the party observed their death anniversary as martyr’s day. Now, a memorial has been set up for those involved in the criminal activity,” Sudhakaran said.
“What message is CPI-M sending to the people of Kerala by setting up a memorial to comrades who were killed while making bombs? CPI-M is doing the same things in Kerala that terrorist organisations are doing the world over. The fact that the memorial is going to be inaugurated by the CPI-M state secretary is proof of how much CPI-M condones terrorism,” Sudhakaran added.
Opposition leader V D Satheesan said CPI-M is nothing but a mafia organization that endorses bomb culture and political killings. It has openly challenged the peace-loving people of the state.
BJP state secretary K Sreekanth said: “With this incident, CPI-M has formally announced that bomb-making and violent politics are part of their political activity. The party trains youths to make bombs and provides financial support if anyone dies while making bombs.”
However, party district secretary P Jayarajan justified the move by claiming that the youths lost their lives while attempting to defend against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
*Shankar Raj is a former editor of The New Indian Express, Karnataka and Kerala, and writes regularly on current affairs.
