Renaissance panel awaits clarity on govt\'s stand
Various arguments had come up during the meetings of CPM and other LDF partners on the factors that led to the electoral debacle.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Renaissance Values Protection Committee is waiting for clarity from the ruling LDF Government's side on the future course of panel's campaign especially in the wake of electoral setback suffered by the Left parties in Lok Sabha polls.
Various arguments had come up during the meetings of CPM and other LDF partners on the factors that led to the electoral debacle. While CPM state secretariat and state committee had pointed out there was nothing wrong government's stand on Sabarimala, the LDF meeting on Tuesday had concluded that the temple issue was one of the major factors behind the defeat. The LDF also decided to initiate measures to bring back `misguided' believers back is fold.
"The reports about LDF stand has created confusion. Can the measures to be taken by LDF to bring back believers to its fold and committee's campaign to promote renaissance values go together ? Clearly the government and ruling front will have to bring some clarity on the issue," said Punnala Sreekumar, convenor of Rennaissance Protection Committee and general secretary of Kerala Pulayar Mahasabha (KPMS).
The forthcoming by-elections to six Assembly constituencies may be one of the big concerns for the ruling front. "We don't know whether they will soften their stand," he added.
He said if Sabarimala was major factor in elections then BJP should have been the biggest beneficiary. Even BJP core committee concluded that Sabarimala had not benefited them which was evident from the results in Thiruvananthapuram and Pathanamthitta. "Veena George led by over 1000 votes in Seethathode panchayat where Sabarimala is located," he added.
Meanwhile, LDF convenor A Vijayaraghavan said the government had already stated that the activities of renaissance committee will continue. "The LDF has extended full support to the government to go ahead with the campaign of navothana samrakshna samithi . There is a need to strengthen such campaigns especially when Hindutva forces are trying vigorously to spread communal, casteist and reactionary ideas.