K K Rema is not just an MLA. She is a symbol of the fight against violent politics. As the widow of Communist leader T P Chandrasekharan, who broke away from the CPM and was later murdered, her presence in the state assembly is certainly something Kerala’s ruling front would have loved to avoid at all costs. As a representative of RMPI, which vouches for “pure” Left positions, she does face certain contradictions as she won with the support of the Congress-led UDF. Rema talks to TNIE about the murder of her husband in 2012, her struggles, and her party’s political position. Edited excerpts:
We are meeting on March 8, Women’s Day. How do you view the presence of women MLAs in the assembly?
The number of women MLAs of the UDF is pathetically low. It is not because there are no capable women but because parties in UDF do not give opportunities to women. UDF is very patriarchal when compared to the LDF. That is quite problematic.
How does the ruling front treat you in the assembly?
Initially, I used to feel lonely. Women MLAs from the ruling front used to ignore me as if they were scared to talk to me. But now they have become friendly. Ministers are also very supportive when it comes to Vadakara, my constituency. There is no discrimination against me now.
You were very active in SFI. Many of your then teammates are now ministers. Do they still maintain that personal warmth?
P Rajeeve, K N Balagopal, M B Rajesh, we all were together in the SFI. We still maintain that personal warmth though we are on opposite sides of the political divide.
You were SFI vice-president at one point in time. But you decided to leave politics and become a homemaker after marriage. Was it a conscious decision?
In my case, it was my decision alone and Chandrettan (T P Chandrasekharan) used to quarrel with me over this. He was totally against me leaving politics. But I was in the mood to enjoy life then (chuckles).
You were born into a typical “party family”. Your life has changed drastically — both politically and personally — in the past two decades. How did you adapt?
I don’t know really. It is circumstances that made us stronger. When I see an injustice, I react and that is the way my Communist family brought me up.
How different was Rema before 2012?
Now when I look back, that Rema was a totally different person. I was completely dependent on Chandrettan. I couldn’t imagine a life without him. But now my life is devoted to upholding the alternative Left politics that he had stood for.
TP did not leave CPM because of violence in politics but because of certain other issues in the party. He was also part of politics which had engaged in violence... Wasn’t it more of a rebel politics rather than alternative politics?
He believed Left politics was getting diluted. He felt the politics put forward by VS (Achuthanandan) was correct. TP strongly believed that alternative Left politics was possible.
What exactly is the alternative politics put forward by RMPI?
RMPI focuses on the welfare of Dalits and the downtrodden. Our president is from a Dalit community. RMPI’s politics is to practice what it preaches, unlike the CPM.
TP, as long as he was alive, was steadfast against Congress and UDF. He had refused to join hands with UDF despite being invited when RMP was formed in 2008. But you won with UDF support...
We would not have survived without the support of other parties. Survival is of utmost importance. But we are still not part of UDF and we have not diluted our political philosophy. We believe in alternative Left politics.
There is a contradiction in this... You say you are upholding extreme left politics but at the same time, you say survival is more important...
To practise our politics, we need to survive. Congress may have its own motive in supporting us but that support was very important for us to survive today. Some may see it as opportunism (chuckles).
Do you see UDF as a rightist front?
I see it as a democratic and secular front. But we will still oppose UDF whenever it takes any wrong policies.
If UDF comes to power, will RMPI be part of it?
We will never be part of UDF. I have lived as a communist and will die as a communist. UDF will never have an RMPI minister.
Whenever you try to speak in the assembly, there have been some targeted attacks
against you. Is CPM scared of K K Rema, MLA?
I won’t say CPM is scared of me, but CPM still gets flustered whenever I speak. If UDF criticises LDF, they take it lightly as UDF also may have committed
similar mistakes. But when I criticise, I don’t have such baggage as RMPI has a clean track record.
How was TP’s equation with Pinarayi Vijayan when he was in the CPM?
They had a good rapport. It got strained when TP decided to side with VS.
A photo where you and CM had come face to face had gone viral recently. Have you ever met him personally?
Never, except once when we shared a stage recently.
Did he look at your face then?
He just had a passing glance.
How is your equation with other CPM leaders?
The majority of leaders in the party are against TP’s murder. I still share very close ties with many in the CPM, including M M Mani.
What exactly was the reason behind TP’s exit from CPM?
It was mainly because TP was with VS during the heydays of groupism in the CPM. If TP had not stood solidly with VS, all these would not have happened.
Many leaders had stood behind VS. But this kind of a tragic end happened with only TP. So, there could be other reasons too...
Yes... Because only Chandrasekharan formed a political party and challenged CPM.
Did you expect that VS would come out of CPM and join you?
People like me used to believe that VS would leave CPM and join us. But when I asked TP, he told me that he did not expect VS to leave CPM.
What would have happened if VS had joined you?
If VS had taken a political position and left CPM, the state’s political history would have been different.
But wasn’t VS right in deciding to stay in the party and trying to correct it? TP also could have done the same...
TP would not have been able to do what VS did. VS was part of top leadership.
But VS failed to stop the murder...
VS may not have expected this. He was very much disturbed when it happened. He used to call me up to pacify me.
Was it because of his guilt that VS visited your house on the day of the Neyyattinkara byelection?
I don’t think it was because of guilt. But he may have wanted to give a political blow to the CPM by choosing the day of the byelection to visit me. It was his way of protesting, I think.
Did you meet VS before contesting in the election?
No. It’s been a long time since we talked. As VS decided to stay put in CPM, there was no point in talking.
There was an occasion when RMPI denounced VS. What had happened?
VS once said RMPI is just a political party associated with UDF. That was quite shocking. VS knew everything about RMPI and TP. Still, VS denounced us. That’s why I said VS inflicted the 52nd wound on TP when he denounced RMPI.
Have heard that you were against forming RMPI. What was the reason?
I was scared for TP’s life as I knew CPM very well. I was okay with him leaving the party. But founding another party was unthinkable for me. I had even threatened to leave him if he formed a new party.
It’s said the CPM had sent some mediators and that TP had thought of going back at some point.
P Jayarajan had sent a few friends to talk to TP. Then TP said issues can be settled only through open discussions and not within a closed room. Had there been serious discussions, TP may have gone back. I don’t know... But that did not happen. So all these could be just rumours.
Did VS take any initiative to bring TP back to CPM?
No. He did not make any such move.
You are the victim of a political murder... Are you scared for your life?
I am not scared at all. But anything can happen...But I don’t think CPM would dare to do such a foolish thing again. TP’s murder shocked the collective
consciousness of Kerala society.
The general impression is that the CPM is the chief perpetrator of political killings in the state... While in reality it has bore the brunt in terms of number of activists lost...
I am against all political killings. Whether it is done by CPM, Congress, or BJP, it is wrong. I still remember the pain when comrade K V Sudheesh was killed in the presence of his parents. Same when Jayakrishnan Master was killed. Nobody should be killed in the name of politics.
TP’s murder investigation did not go beyond mid-level political leaders though UDF was in power. What happened?
There have been lapses in the investigation at several levels. But, I believe that at least some were convicted only because the UDF was in power. At least it has been proven that CPM was behind the murder. That happened only because the UDF was in power.
But it was a golden opportunity for UDF to corner CPM. Wonder why it didn’t.
What can I say... (chuckles). There have been some adjustments somewhere... Why UDF
refused to hand over the case to CBI is still a question.
Former state Congress president Mullappally Ramachandran has said the investigation was derailed as per the understanding between UDF and LDF...
He was the Union Minister of State for Home at the time. He should explain why Congress agreed to compromise as his party was in power. But I am happy that at least CPM area committee member Kunjananthan got convicted.
Are you satisfied with that?
No... I’m not saying that. We are still fighting in court demanding a CBI inquiry.
Now you are close to the Congress leadership. Have you ever probed Congress leaders why the investigation was derailed?
Of course, I did. They gave me some technical reasons.
It’s been 11 years since TP was murdered. Do you think justice has been delivered?
To a certain extent, when people gave the befitting reply to the CPM in the election. But TP will get justice only when the persons who planned the murder are convicted.
Who are they?
P Jayarajan, Pinarayi Vijayan and Elamaram Kareem were all part of the conspiracy. P Mohanan was as culpable as Kunjananthan, who was convicted. Don’t know why the court let him go.
Doesn’t Kunjananthan’s role prove the role of the Kannur party unit in the murder?
Of course. Otherwise, why should Kunjananthan who stays in Kannur be part of the
conspiracy? Without the approval of state leadership, two district committees will not join hands to kill a man.
Do you think Pinarayi had a role?
Yes. He had called T P “Kulamkuthi” (traitor to one’s own clan) before the murder. Even two days after the murder, he repeated the same words. How much hatred he may have in his mind to say that even after the murder? Normally, nobody
would say that about a murdered man... That is enough for me to believe that he had a hand in this.
You have gone through a lot. How did you survive all these... Are you a believer?
No. I am not a believer. I am surviving somehow. I still have the pain that the real culprits have not been punished. I have sleepless nights thinking about all these. (Turns emotional)
How has your son taken in all these?
He was in Plus-I in 2012. His mind was full of revenge. That was my biggest worry.
Does he still feel that way?
No. I could bring him out of that mindset. But he too has the pain that the real culprits have not been convicted.
A very unusual wedding has happened in Kerala today. A Muslim couple has got remarried as per the Special Marriage Act to ensure equal property rights for their daughters. What is your take on that?
RMPI is all for equal rights. There is no doubt that daughters should have equal rights to property as sons. That women have no equal rights as per Muslim law is a reality though community leaders will not accept it.
But IUML is against it...
So what? Just because they supported me in elections, I will not stop taking the correct political positions. RMPI has a strong disagreement with many political positions that IUML takes though it is a secular party. There is no confusion regarding that. Hope IUML will become more progressive in the coming days.
M K Muneer had said Karl Marx and Engels were amoral. What is RMPI’s reaction?
We completely disagree with that statement. I told him myself that he was wrong.
What is your position on the entry of women at Sabarimala?
Should we get into that? (Chuckles). I believe everybody who wants to go should be able to go to the temple.
Who is your biggest enemy? CPM or BJP?
It is the BJP.
Do you think the Opposition is strong outside the assembly?
Congress is very weak outside. There is lots of infighting happening in Congress. Everybody wants to be at the top. If Congress does not mend its ways, then LDF may come back to power again.
How do you assess V D Satheesan’s performance as an opposition leader?
He is very good in the assembly. He is one of the best I have seen.
Is there groupism in CPM now?
Of course. There are many groups now. There is a strong anti-Pinarayi sentiment in Kannur.
How is your equation with the current CPM state secretary M V Govindan?
We have a good rapport. We watched an entire world cup football match on my phone while coming to Thiruvananthapuram on the train. I was also actually surprised by his friendliness. I wondered what would have been the scene if it was Pinarayi (chuckles).
Is Pinarayi Vijayan your biggest enemy?
(Chuckles) I have not thought about him like that.
If CPM leaders apologise, will you forgive them?
Will they give me Chandrasekharan back?