CPM changes tack, to step up attack on Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: By putting his foot down on the liquor policy, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury has given out a clear signal to the state leadership against getting strung along with Oommen Chandy’s ‘dubious’ agenda.

The central leadership believes that the current atmosphere in the state is favourable for LDF and under these circumstances it should bring Chandy government’s failures, corruption and dubious orders issued at the fag end of its tenure to the central stage of election campaign.

The state CPM which had all along opposed prohibition and supported abstinence, was forced to do a turn around especially on the issue of closure of bars. Leaders like Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had favoured a policy on the lines of smoking ban which emphasised on awareness.

“Smoking incidence has come down significantly after ban in public places. A similar route should have been taken in liquor policy. We are for abstinence and not prohibition,” he had stated.

Till recently the CPM leaders were even quoting A. K. Antony to criticize the UDF Government’s liquor policy. The veteran Congress leader had reportedly stated that 30 per cent households in the state had turned into bars following closure of bars.

But CPM politburo member M. A. Baby maintained there was no disparity in central and state leadership’s stand on liquor policy. The CPM policy emphasized on abstinence and Kodiyeri had stated that there was no question of reopening shut bars.

However, the fact is that CPM leaders including Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had remained non committal on altering UDF’s liquor policy. Even on the question of reopening of shut bars, the CPM leaders were forced to react only when an audio clip of Biju Ramesh in which he claimed to have got an assurance from Marxist leadership on reopening of bars, surfaced in February. At that time Kodiyeri had stated that the CPM leaders had not given any assurance on reopening of bars.