THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, CPM state secretary accused the fascist of eliminating independent voices in the country in order to further their political agenda. He was speaking at a function organised by Kerala Media Academy in memory of slain journalist Gauri Lankesh at Press Club on Tuesday.
Kodiyeri said Gauri’s death silenced a strong and bold voice. “The incident has shocked the nation. But it is not an isolated incident,” he said.
According to Kodiyeri, the people who were behind the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi are the ones who murdered rationalist M M Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh. “Investigations into these killings have not reached anywhere. This gives the killers courage to carry out more such acts with impunity,” said Kodiyeri.
The CPM leader likened the situation prevailing in the country to that of Hitler’s rule in Germany. “Hitler started by killing Jews and Communists and later turned to writers, intellectuals. Many had to flee the country. Are we also going the same way?” he said.
Kodiyeri released the latest issue of ‘Medium’ dedicated to the slain journalist by handing over a copy to former state secretary of CPI, Pannian Raveendran. Chairman of the academy R S Babu presided over the function.
Solidarity for Rohingya
Rohingya refugees received solidarity from a select gathering in the city. Chairman of Administrative Reforms Commission and former Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, who threw his weight behind the cause, criticised the Central government’s decision to deport Rohingya refugees. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a mockery of India’s long-established tradition by not allowing refugees in the country. “Modi’s rule is similar to that of Adolf Hitler and Donald Trump. He is doing what Hitler had done and what is being followed by Trump. The RSS is carrying out its anti-people agenda.” said Achuthanandan.
The veteran CPM leader also criticised Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi for not supporting the cause of the Rohingyas. According to him, it was unbecoming of a Nobel peace prize laureate to abandon a section of Myanmarese. Achuthanandan later participated in a pledge declaring solidarity with the Rohingyan refugees along with Gandhian P Gopinathan Nair, Kayikkara Babu and former minister Pandalam Sudhakaran. The number of Rohingya refugees in India is estimated to be 40,000.