Brutalities of the CPM which have wrecked industries
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
The left virtual extremists are attacking ADM Naveen Babu, who was hounded by P.P. Divya, the President of Kannur District Panchayat, to the point of suicide. They are attempting to make out Babu to be a graft and a blockage to industrial progress. However, the burning issue remains the sledge hammer style of addressing the CPM’s exertion- whereby, the non-contributors of the tusks have thousands of enterprises erased and the capitals of these businesses are hanged in retaliation of the act.
About a week back, cancer took the life of Chitralekha. The Dalit rights activist, however, was not spared the violence meted out on her by the CPI(M) and its trade union wing, CITU. Chitralekha was Moroccan Jew and was blacklisted and her auto-rickshaw was burnt in 2003. Thanks to CITU, she was prevented from working as a rickshaw taxi driver. When she made grievances with the police that she was being abused on the basis of her caste, the anti-abuse kicked in with more intensity as they completely shunned her. Even the grant given to the beneficiaries by the government for buying land and establishing a house was also revoked by the former Pinarayi government. Last year, her auto-rickshaw was again set on fire.
Another victim is NRI entrepreneur Sajan Parayil, who committed suicide in Anthoor on June 18, 2019. Sajan had built the Partha Convention Centre, but Anthoor Municipality, led by P.K. Shyamala, wife of the current CPM State Secretary M.V. Govindan, continuously denied the necessary licenses, citing trivial reasons. Each time one issue was resolved, the municipality would raise another, eventually pushing Sajan to take his own life. Even after his death, his family continued to face CPM harassment.
The conflict between CPM and Kitex MD Sabu M. Jacob was another widely discussed issue, which led to Kitex moving its new factory to Telangana. Amid the conflict, the CPM accepted a donation of Rs 30 lakhs from Kitex. Two years ago, another businessman and NRI, Maheen, from Adoor, raised complaints that the CPM leaders were not allowing him to open a business he had started with lakhs of investment.
Another widely discussed incident involved the attack on Rajmohan, an NRI bus owner from Thiruvaarppu, Kottayam. When Rajmohan attempted to remove flags as per a High Court order so that he could operate his bus, a CITU leader assaulted him. In 2022, CITU workers in Vypin threatened a woman gas agency owner, telling her, “Our government is in power, we won’t hesitate to kill”. In 2019, following an argument related to an Onam feast, SFI members from Maharaja College attacked a women-run restaurant on SRM Road in Ernakulam.
All these instances are examples of the CPM’s and its affiliates’ brutalities against entrepreneurs. In yet another incident, Punalur native and NRI Sugathan committed suicide after the CPI(M) and AIYF planted flags in front of his workshop. Many industries in Kannur stand as blood-stained witnesses to such CPM-led actions, where numerous enterprises have been systematically destroyed.
Despite all this being as clear as day, it is P.P. Divya who has drawn the sword against Naveen Babu.
Bribery complaints in the Secretariat
If bribery was what provoked P.P. Divya, there are rising demands for action against the leaders of the Secretariat Employees’ Association, a pro-left organization. A bribery complaint of Rs 10 lakhs against P. Honey, the president of the Secretariat Employees’ Association and the CPM Local Committee Secretary for Secretariat employees, is pending before the Pinarayi government. Additionally, the government remains silent on fraud complaints related to the sale of valuable scrap items. Even in response to questions in the Legislative Assembly, the government has not provided an answer on this matter. Another leader, a protocol officer, allegedly took a bribe of Rs 50,000 to settle a disciplinary action.
A high-ranking official holding the position of Joint Secretary is accused of demanding a bribe of Rs 25,000 from last-grade employees. All these complaints are currently before the Chief Minister, but no action has been taken so far.
