KOZHIKODE: Three days after they disappeared and local residents took out police station marches raising ‘love jihad’ allegations, a DYFI leader and his lover appeared before a court here on Tuesday and expressed their desire to live together.
It was on Saturday that Shejin M S, a DYFI block committee member and CPM local committee member in Kodenchery panchayat, and Joisna Joseph, a Theyyapara resident working as a nurse abroad, went missing.
Both belong to different religions. Following the disappearance, the woman’s parents and local residents, including the parish priest and nuns, organised protest marches to the Kodenchery police station on Sunday and Monday.
Adding to the drama, former Thiruvambady MLA and CPM district secretariat member George M Thomas said the DYFI leader should not have run away with the woman and gone into hiding. “The party doesn’t encourage this kind of marriage and the youth wing leader is likely to face action,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shejin and Joisna said their elopement had nothing to do with ‘love jihad’. They have fallen in love and want to live together. The couple is thinking of leaving the place for a while due to the threat from some quarters.
George M Thomas told TNIE that CPM has no role in this marriage. “Though the party supports interfaith marriages, being a local party leader, he could have informed the party leadership about the marriage. We are trying to arrange a meeting between the woman and her parents. Shejin will be answerable to the party for his conduct,” George said.
According to him, though it is not a ‘love jihad’, it can derail the religious harmony in the society. “The allegation of love jihad is being propagated by political opponents. This has come at a time when Christian population including the Church are coming closer to CPM,” he said. The family of Joisna blamed the CPM for supporting Shejin to keep their daughter away.
“Our 26-year-old daughter was engaged with another youth and we were about to hold their engagement soon. On Saturday evening, she went to town and didn’t return. The police also delayed the investigation,” said Joisna’s father Joseph.
Meanwhile, DYFI Kozhikode district secretary V Vaseef dismissed George’s comments. “The party has nothing to do with the marriage of Shejin. As a progressive society, we should support interfaith marriages. Many leaders in the party are married to persons from different faiths,” said Vaseef. The CPM’s explanatory meeting on the issue will be held at Kodenchery town at 5pm on Wednesday.