THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPI leadership, while maintaining that police excesses towards anti-SilverLine protesters should have been avoided, on Wednesday chose to support the police who used force against agitators.
“Have we ever had a police force that hugged and kissed those who obstruct their official duty?” CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran told reporters during his media briefing of state council decisions on Wednesday.
Kanam said the party does not approve of the police kicking protesters with boots and said they could have removed them from the site using other means. He also said there should not be a situation where people have to rally together to protect the stones laid for SilverLine. Kanam chose to justify the government which is going ahead with the project.
He considered the opposition towards the project by both the UDF and the BJP as merely political. The ongoing survey for social impact assessment is being carried out to fix the alignment. Three public hearings are also scheduled, during which those who are affected by the project can air their opinion. In a clear attempt to change the whole narrative against SilverLine protest, Kanam said that the focus should be on compensation and rehabilitation.
The state government has assured that proper compensation and rehabilitation would be ensured to the affected. Kanam said that the CPI, while opposing the Express Highway project of the UDF government, had come up with an alternative proposal. If the UDF is serious in its opposition towards the SilverLine, it should come up with alternative proposals.
CPI to include marginalised sections in party leadership
In an attempt to strengthen the party, the CPI is bringing in an age-cap in the leadership, said Kanam. The CPI has also decided to bring in more women and marginalised sections of society to the party leadership, he added.
Explanation to be sought from Yuvakala Sahithi gen secy
The CPI leadership has decided to seek an explanation from Yuvakala Sahithi state general secretary E M Satheesan - special invitee to the state council - for his criticism of the SilverLine project.