CPI (M)-BJP slugfest in Kannur brings back memories of past bloodshed

Thiruvananthapuram: Though Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of Kerala, the northern district of Kannur has long been hailed as the political capital of the state—and there are reasons too.

Nearly all leading politicians including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI(M) state secretary, M.V. Govindan, Kerala Assembly Speaker A.N. Shamseer, State Congress President, K. Sudhakaran, BJP leader and Union Minister, V. Muraleedharan, LDF convener, E.P. Jayarajan are from this politically volatile district.

The district, however, was notorious for years of bloody duel between the CPI (M) and the RSS-BJP that led to many people losing their lives beginning the later sixties.

Many are bedridden for life and have lost their arms and legs. Some lost their eyes and there are party villages for both the CPI(M) and the RSS-BJP combine in this district.

Recently, Kerala Assembly Speaker, A.N. Shamseer who is the MLA from Thalassery in Kannur district, in a public meeting spoke about the latest developments in science.

In between he pointed at what he said 'concerted effort' by ruling BJP to claim that almost all the inventions had come from India and mentioned plastic surgery.

He said that while plastic surgery was a relatively new invention, the votaries of the Hindutva were of the opinion that Lord Ganesha got his face through plastic surgery.

The Speaker dismissed this as a Myth. He also said that for him Wright Brothers had invented the aeroplane but for Hindutva people, it was Pushpaka Viman ( a chariot used in Ramayana).

The statement of the Kerala Assembly Speaker was not taken lightly by the BJP, RSS and VHP. BJP National Information and Technology Department in-charge, Amit Malavya in a tweet said, “AN Shamseer, Kerala Assembly Speaker, is a religious bigot, who is exploiting his position in public life, to denigrate Hindu faith and beliefs. Hinduphobia is deep rooted in Communists., who have now forged an alliance with the Congress, a self proclaimed Muslim party."

The BJP, RSS and VHP leaders filed several cases against the Kerala Assembly Speaker and charged that he had insulted Hindu religious beliefs and should resign from the constitutional post.

The youth wing of the BJP, Yuvamorcha conducted protest marches across the state and burned the Speaker's effigy in several places. In the home town of Shamseer, Thalassery, Yuvamorcha state general secretary, K. Ganesh in an explosive speech said that Shamseer was making such remarks on Hindu gods and goddesses with the belief that he will not lose his palm like the PFI chopped the palm of a college Professor in the state for allegedly framing a question which was considered insulting to Prophet Mohammed by religious bigots.

The speech of the Yuva Morcha leader brought a sharp retort from CPI(M) and one of its senior leaders and formerKannurdistrict secretary of the party, P. Jayarajan in a public speech said that the space of Yuvamorcha will be in mortuary.

It may be noted that CPI(M) and RSS, BJP have been involved in violent political clashes in Thalassery in which several people lost their lives and many were maimed for life.

The speech of the Yuvamorcha leader and the counter speech by the CPI(M) leader is considered as igniting the violence in Kannur district and several local people fear that this could lead to a trigger for a violence in the district.

Kannurhas always been volatile and senior leaders have lost their lives. The CPI(M) leader ,P. Jayarajan who made the threatening speech was attacked by an alleged group of RSS men in which he faced grievous injuries.

BJP Yuva Morcha state vice president, K.T. Jayakrishnan, who was a teacher in an Upper Primary school, was butchered in the Mokeri East UP school classroom while he was teaching in the class. The incident was considered as a response to the attack on Jayarajan and it was on December 1, 1999.

SFI state joint secretary, K.V. Sudheesh, who was also the district Panchayat member ofKannur,was also butchered allegedly by RSS men on January 26, 1994, at his home in front of his parents. This was a counter to the CPI(M) attacking then RSS Kannur district joint secretary, C. Sadanandan Master on the evening of January 25, 1994, in which he lost both his legs.

Killings and counter killings were the order of the day in Thalassery, Pannor, Kuthuparamba areas of the district since the late sixties and recently the spiritual guru, Shri M. had mediated between the two warring sides, leading to a relative peace since the past few years.

Roy Mathew, social worker and political analyst while speaking to IANS said, “Kannur has spilt blood with killings and counter killings being the order of the day. The recent outbursts by the BJP and the CPI(M) leaders seem to be getting out of hand and if the police don’t act tough against the votaries of these hate speeches, there is a possibility of things getting out of control.”

It may be noted that more than 200 people have lost lives in Kannur district to political conflicts between the CPI(M) and the RSS since the late sixties.

Unless the two sides iron out the differences and take control over public speeches, things can again get out of control and Kannur can return to olden days of killings and counter killings.

IANS with superficial edits