ALAPUZHA : Obliquely admitting that Jnanpith laureate M T Vasudevan Nair was targeting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in his criticism of personality cults, former minister G Sudhakaran has said the writer need not teach the CPM about Marxism and its principles.
“The Left parties took a historical stance on people’s issues. If the Left stays in power or remains in the opposition, it will take up protests to protect people’s rights. EMS had come out with the famous statement ‘rule and struggle’, but most people seem to have forgotten it. People’s issues may not end even if the party is in power. That was the gist of what EMS said, and that is Marxism,” Sudhakaran said.
While inaugurating a dharna organised by the Private School Management Association in Alappuzha on Tuesday, Sudhakaran said that MT need not remind the CPM about the ‘rule and struggle’ policy.
MT made the remarks while delivering a speech at the Kerala Literature Festival venue in Kozhikode on Thursday. MT’s remarks kicked up a controversy as CM Pinarayi Vijayan was present on the dais during the speech.
Sudhakaran also criticised the writers who sought to interpret MT’s speech.
Close on the heels of senior CPM leader Sudhakaran criticising M T Vasudevan Nair for his remarks on ritualistic worship of political leaders, party secretariat member and Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian tried to play it down. Speaking to the media, Saji Cherian said MT has every right to air such an opinion. “Everyone has the right to come out with their own opinion. We need not make a controversy over the same,” said Saji Cherian.