THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vikasana Munnetta Yatra led by senior CPI leader Binoy Viswam is set to culminate in the state capital on Friday. Speaking to TNIE on the eve, the CPI central secretariat member says that the LDF rallies have been garnering massive response from people across the state.
Q. How will the recent political developments surrounding rank-holders’ strike and the EMCC deal affect the Left in the coming polls?
A. Such allegations by the Opposition will be as transient as soap bubbles. The EMCC row is, in fact, over a non-issue. No deal or contract has been signed with them. It was just an MoU signed by a bureaucrat. If the government is convinced that any corrective measure is required, that will be done. This has always been an innate characteristic of the Left government.
As far as the rank-holders’ strike is concerned, the government has created maximum posts. It has exercised adequate caution while regularising deserving temporary staff who have served for 10 years. The government has also taken into account the people’s response. It’s a novel experience for the state to have a government which is receptive to the masses. The Left is not at all adamant about its stance. If there’s any truth in what the people say, the same will addressed. That’s why cases related to Sabarimala protests and anti-CAA protests were withdrawn. Both matters are related to faith. When there’s an agitation in the name of faith, the government does not adopt a vengeful stance.
Q. There’s an impression that the government has been constantly committing mistakes and then backing out.
A. When there are a thousand ‘right’ happenings, there could be a few lapses. These are rectified sooner or later. A government should not be assessed by the few lapses, but rather by its major achievements.
Q. There have been allegations that of late that the Left front has been indulging in communal campaigning?
A. The Left never indulges in any such campaigning. Left politics is very clear in this aspect. The majority communalism indulged in by Hindu fundamentalists is the biggest threat. The Left compromises with neither majority communalism nor minority communalism. Not only that, in our fight against communalism, our biggest allies are the faithful and believers.
Q. What are the factors that would contribute to a Left victory?
A. Obviously, the Left government’s achievements in the last five years. The food kits and welfare pensions have actually reached the poor and downtrodden. The UDF and BJP mock at these initiatives, as they are worried. Of course, there’s an ideological backbone for these schemes. In this case, the Left is guided by not only Marx, but also Mohammed Nabi, Swami Vivekanandan and Jesus Christ. All of them have spoken about supporting the poor and downtrodden.
The response from the people is beyond expectations. There’s a pro-LDF wave in the state. The Left would come to power with more than 100 seats.
Q. It has been pointed out that if UDF is defeated, BJP will occupy that space. The UDF has been campaigning that there’s a hidden understanding between the Left and BJP?
A. No one will believe such a baseless allegation. We have the Vadakara-Beypore model in front of us. The UDF-BJP alliance has always been there. The Left has never even thought about any such alliance. On the other hand, the Congress has been the BJP’s pal for long. In Puducherry and Madhya Pradesh, the Congress surrendered their governments before the BJP. The real Congressmen will stand with the Left.
Q. Many seniors are not contesting from CPI this time. You haven’t completed three tenures. Will you be contesting?
A. No way. I won’t be contesting this time. You can be sure about it. There are many who are more eligible than me in the party.