‘Spring Thunder’ of 1970s has takers in this generation too
KOZHIKODE: The new generation is thought to be apolitical, hooked to career and mobile phones, unaware of the political happenings going around. ‘Spring Thunder’ (Vasanthathinte Idimuzhakkam), the famed analogy of 1970s which denotes the heralding of a just society proposed through extreme leftist ideologies has died, it was believed.
But the events surrounding Alan Shuhaib, 20, and Thwaha Fasal, 24, remind one that there are still socially committed young people vying for the romantic world. But, unfortunately, the present sociopolitical setup is too decayed to accommodate them, hence they slip to extremism.
Socially conscious
Police say that a host of issues, ranging from the unrest in Kashmir to oppression suffered by Kurds in Turkey and encounter in Nilambur forest had influenced both journalism student Alan and law student Thwaha towards left extremism. Thwaha struck a close link to Maoist ideology after the killing of Maoist leaders Kuppu Devarajan and Ajitha in Nilambur forest last year, police say.
When Maoist leaders Rupesh and Shyna were arrested in 2015, a similar kind of solidarity appeared in the Facebook timeline of many a disturbed youth.The police had pulled up many of them and warned of dire consequences. If that was the case, the recent killing of four Maoists at Manjikandi in Attappadi would have a big flare-up which is a real concern.
“Look at these youth. They are brilliant and socially committed. Simmering anger towards the existing system drives them. Their social concern should have been channelled democratically but we utterly fail in that. ‘If those in power itself don’t believe in the Constitution, why should we?’ is the logic driving extremists. The shootout at Manjikandi is such an activity which would push more youth into extremism,” warns M M Somasekharan, former Naxalite leader.
Oppression counterproductive
According to Ijas, his brother Thwaha was very active in the flood relief camps reaching out to the people in distress. This humanitarian concern in others’ well-being paves way for a kind of anguish once they come to know that the system is unable to provide justice. “Freedom is the uncompromising urge of a human being. If you trample on it, the urge to retort by any means will only grow. Oppressing rebellion through force will only boomerang,” says political observer K C Umesh Babu.
He asks why Maoist leaders; a 56--year-old Manivasakam, who earned a Physics degree decades back, and Kuppu Devarajan, a BTech graduate, preferred a gun-toting life in forest and to be killed rather than securing a government job and settle in life. “Unless the social situation which gives birth to gross inequality and discontent changes, this will recur,” Umesh Babu says.
‘Porattam’ convener Shinto Lal agrees that unilateral killings by the government will have an impact on every right-thinking individual who are socially concerned. “The state suppresses not only Maoists but also tries to build a kind of regime where everyone should be subservient to it,” he says, and adds that there is a lack of space for youngsters who are tired with the mainstream left politics.
Activist C R Neelakantan says the attempt to stifle their youth by mainstream political parties is a major issue. “A Communist party in power stops to be revolutionary, which disappoints its youth,” he said. He says the killings at Manjikandi would have far-reaching consequences among the youth. But social thinker Hameed Chennamangallur feels that only a few youth are responding in theextreme way now-a-days unlike in the 1970s.