KOZHIKODE: “In Kerala, India, a state of 34 million people, the Communists have been returned to government with a resounding victory off the back of the party’s supreme handling of the Covid crisis. It gives hope that one day we also can fight our way out of this neo-liberal stranglehold,” wrote Eilis Ryan in her Facebook page on May 2 after the LDF retained power here.
Ryan is the leader of The Workers’ Party in Ireland and an elected member of Dublin City Council, besides a socialist and feminist. “Thank you to all Malayalee (sic) comrades for keeping the reality of an alternative to capitalism alive for us all,” she continued.
Soon after Ryan posting this, Malayali comrades across the globe flocked to her profile and showered with likes, comments, shares and greeted her with a ‘red salute’.
An enthusiastic cyber comrade didn’t forget to post the picture of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the discussion took place even in Malayalam. Unlike Ryan’s usual posts which didn’t go beyond 100, this one got more than 2,100 likes till Thursday, thanks to the Malayali exuberance on FB.
Beyond cheers of Malayali comrades, the post also kickstarted discussion on whether it is Communism or moderate socialism existing in Kerala, a poser raised by an Irish woman. She also asked what aspects of BJP made it fascist rather than right-wing conservative. And a helpful Malayali explained about the presence of a robust cooperative movement and omnipresent self-help groups in Kerala as response.