KOCHI: The recent standoff between two leaders of the CPM and CPI in the Ernakulam district was generally shrugged off as a mere shouting match.
However, indicating that the sibling rivalry is shaping up to be a full-blown war in the southern region, an local leader of the CPI in Kayamkulam was admitted to hospital with serious injuries the other day after being attacked by CPM men.
CPI leader A Shiji, 34, a former councillor of the Kayamkualm municipality and an advocate by profession was hacked on his head by a group of men while he was on his way home on Thursday night. Shiji is a member of the Kayamkulam Mandalam committee of the CPI.
Though leaders of the Alappuzha district unit of the CPM were quick to initiate steps to mend fences, the incident has left a deep scar on the relationship between the two parties. “There has been no bad blood between the two parties. We have two grievances with regard to the unfortunate incident - firstly, the CPM has not disowned the criminals who attacked Shiji, and secondly, though a murder attempt case was filed in connection with the incident, no one has been arrested yet,” said CPI district secretary T J Anjalose.
While agreeing with the CPI allegation partially, the CPM district leaders said they had already initiated action. “Though the party leadership had no knowledge about the incident, which was unfortunate, initial information indicate that some of the party members are involved in it. Hence, the area committee meeting of the party, which I also attended, expelled one member in connection with the incident. Also, a committee of the DYFI was disbanded as its activities were under a cloud of suspicion. In addition, we have deputed a commission to study the circumstances that led to the attack,” said CPM Alappuzha district secretary Saji Cherian.
He further pointed out that the skirmish was the fallout of an attack on two SFI members by CPI activists, which the party would probe in detail.
According to Saji, if any CPI worker is found to be involved in the attack, that person would be expelled from the party. “It is true that there was a dispute between the SFI and the AISF following the election to polytechnic. While it is natural to have such tensions during election, Shiji was not involved in it,” said Anjalose MLA, who was once a firebrand youth leader.