Two women fighting for justice to take on CPM in Malabar
KOCHI: Two women who are fighting for justice will be posing a challenge to the mighty CPM in Malabar in the assembly elections. The mother of the Walayar victims will take on CPM stalwart and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Dharmadom while KK Rema, wife of the slain communist rebel TP Chandrasekharan, will be the UDF-supported RMPI candidate in Vadakara. Though no one expects miracle in Dharmadom, the presence of the mother will again trigger a debate on the death of the two girls and the machinations resorted to cover up the case.
“I don’t think the candidature of the woman will upset the LDF’s apple cart in the CPM stronghold. But, we will succeed if Pinarayi is forced to spend more time in the constituency,” said Jalaja Madhavan, who was the special prosecutor in the Walayar case.Jalaja was abruptly removed from the post, the reason for which is best known to the government.
“The LDF government has many things to hide in the case. Otherwise they would not have played such dirty tricks. Those behind the case might have thought that they could easily get away with it, but we will make everyone accountable for what they did,” said Jalaja, who staged a hunger strike for five days expressing solidarity with the mother.
“We think that character assassination of the woman will be the major plank of the campaign in the election. Stories were woven around her in the past and such attempts may continue during the campaign too,” she said. Jalaja said she is sure of two things. “Both the incidents are not suicides and there are more culprits. Many questions are unanswered in the case and we will raise them again during the campaign,” said Jalaja, who will join the campaign in Dharmadom in the coming days.
K K Rema, the former SFI leader, has already established herself as a crusader against the politics of violence unleashed by CPM in its strongholds. Upholding the legacy of Chandrasekharan, who revolted against the party, she contested the 2016 assembly elections and came third. “Rema should be present in the assembly as the representative of hundreds of women who are the victims of political violence throughout the state,” said social activist Sreeja Neyyattinkara.
“CPM is notorious for eliminating political enemies in the most organised way. Rema is the living victim of such organised killings and she should be the voice of similar hapless persons in the assembly,” she said. Sreeja said it is regrettable that the victims had to stage protests to get justice under a government that came to power ensuring safety for women. “The mother of Walayar victims had to tonsure her head demanding justice. The government promoted the police officer who sabotaged the Palathayi sexual abuse case. This was not what we expected from a Left government. The candidature of these two women should force the LDF to review its stand on many issues,” she said.
‘A’ GROUP FIRM, TO FIELD REBEL IN IRIKKUR
Kannur: Congress’ ‘A’ group leaders in Irikkur, firm on their demand to field their leader Sony Sebastian in the seat, have decided to seek the intervention of the party’s central leadership to rethink about the candidate in the constituency. On Tuesday, the parallel convention convened by the group in Irikkur decided to step up the heat to put pressure on the central leadership.
They formed a 15-member panel with DCC vice-president Muhammad Blathur as convenor to coordinate the activities in connection with the struggle in the party. “The candidate decided by the leadership is not acceptable to workers here”, said Blathur. The leaders who attended the meeting have decided to put up a rebel contestant if the central leadership does not take a favourable attitude towards their demand within two days.