Veiled invite: Oommen Chandy proposes, Kanam Rajendran disposes

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Taking a cue from A. K. Antony, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy came out in support of the CPI, saying its leaders’ utterances reflect people’s sentiments. CPM, though it led the ministry, seemed out of touch, he said. Chandy referred to the Munnar encroachment to show how CPI and CPM were at loggerheads. Chandy harked back to the good old times (1969-77) when the CPI was part of the Congress-led coalition. Chandy’s veiled invite comes in the wake of increasing friction between the two Communist parties and the CPM’s move to induct Kerala Congress (M), ex-UDF ally, into the LDF.  It is a clever move to make inroads into pro-Catholic constituencies and at the same time clip the wings of the CPI.

Chandy said that it was the CPI that was voicing the public’s opinion with regards to the Munnar issue. “It is also Congress’ and UDF’s opinion that encroachment and migration have to be seen as two different things. People still remember those good old days when the Congress, CPI and the Muslim League worked together”, said Chandy. He also added that the CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan only needed to be concerned with parties leaving their front, and did not need to say things like parties would leave the UDF. “Let the CPM first deal with the concerns of the parties in the LDF”, cautioned Chandy.

Antony has been reiterating that the unity of left parties in the State was akin to their partnership at the national level. During the recent visit of Antony to Kerala, he had traveled across the State attending party programmes where he repeatedly urged that secular parties unite in their fight against the saffron brigade. “It was the Kerala unit of the CPM which sabotaged the efforts to create a united opposition at the national level. The regional leaders of the CPM lacked the right perspective to understand the nuances of national politics. The CPM has been trying to undermine it”, said Antony at a meeting in New Delhi.

But immediately, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan retaliated that a Congress-Left alliance was not possible. However, CPI State secretary Kanam Rajendran told DC that there was no use of Congress leaders clamouring for left unity. He said the CPI’s stand was firm and their rival in Kerala would always be the Congress and the BJP was no way their opponent. “Kerala’s context is different compared to what’s happening at the national level. There, in New Delhi, the left parties are together with the Congress. It should be recalled that we had come out with a party resolution that secular and democratic left forces should come on a single platform which saw us joining hands with the Congress”, said Kanam.