CPM stalls dalit empowerment fearing exodus

KOZHIKODE: A dalit empowerment programme  launched by a youth  at a dalit colony at Kongapadam village in Palakkad has been stalled by the CPM which  feared that the community would desert the party. The programme is the brainchild of Mr C.D.  Sajith Kumar of Kozhikode who had  come  to Kongapadam to do BTech at the nearby NSS Engineering College during the 90s.  Moved by the  pathetic condition of the colony people, he decided to sow the seeds of learning  among them and commenced a  special tuition programme  in  the colony five years back. 

As a result of his efforts,  the children of the colony passed SSLC, Plus-Two, degree and BEd courses whereas previously none had passed even SSLC. But the programme worried the CPM as the colony residents realised the party’s anti-dalit stance and started distancing from it. Kongapadam is a red bastion and the dalit people are its  traditional vote banks.

“The dalits began to question the party and refused to attend party functions. They also participated in the ‘Nilppu samaram’ organised by C.K.  Janu during the previous UDF rule.  All these are identity politics which are ultimately against the CPM,” said a CPM leader, who preferred anonymity. Mr Sajith Kumar said that  the classes have been stopped for over six months now following the CPM’s campaign against the programme.  “The tuition class was labelled as immoral trafficking and spreading  extremist ideology,” he alleged.

“We had sown the seeds of learning  in the minds of the colony dwellers. But it is now stalled by a few local people, apparently at the behest of CPM local leadership,” he said. At first,  the CPM did not allow the local Anganwadi  to conduct  the classes. “Then, I rented out a house and the deed was signed. But at the last moment, the owner backtracked and tore off  the deed,” said Mr Sajith. 

CPM Mundur area committee member T. Ramanujan denied the allegation  and told DC that CPM is for dalit empowerment and is open for discussion. “I had invited Sajith for talks  to clear the air, but he didn’t come,” he said.      Mr D. Sadashivan, president of the CPM-ruled Akethethara grama panchayat,  said that the Anganwadi was not allowed to conduct classes as the localites complained against the noise from the classes. “An alternative set up was offered at a local reading room. But they didn’t accept,” he added.