KOCHI: CPM Ernakulam district secretary C N Mohanan was among the three leaders who were inducted into the 17-member state secretariat in the just-concluded state conference in Kollam. In an interaction with TNIE, Mohanan says factionalism and internal dissent have been completely wiped out from the district. Edited excerpts:
As a state secretariat member, will you be shifting your focus entirely to Thiruvananthapuram?
Absolutely. I will step down as (Ernakulam) district secretary and fully shift my activities to the AKG Centre soon.
With the local body and assembly elections approaching, how will your absence impact Ernakulam?
Elections are not dependent on just a person. I was just leading the district committee, but all systematic work is carried out collectively by the committee. The district committee will continue functioning smoothly. Our organisational structure is strong, and our achievements are the result of combined efforts of the state secretariat, district secretariat, and district committee.
Looking back at your tenure as district secretary, how do you feel?
I feel one of the greatest achievements in Ernakulam is the absence of factionalism. Before my nearly eight-year tenure, the district unit was mired in internal conflicts and factionalism. We united the party without any strong-arm measures. The party now stands purely on political and ideological grounds.
The committee has also undertaken welfare and humanitarian initiatives. Can you elaborate?
The CPM Ernakulam district committee has launched 20 physiotherapy centres since 2019, with three more on the way. These centres provide free public healthcare. Recognising that there are over 13,000 bedridden patients in the district, we ensure medical aid reach their doorsteps. The effort was recognised by the Asia Book of Records in 2024.
What other initiatives were launched under your leadership?
The Abhimanyu Memorial Distance Education Centre, named after our SFI martyr Abhimanyu, provides certification courses from foreign institutions, like Johns Hopkins University in the US, under the leadership of Dr Poornima Narayanan. We also have a hostel for SC/ST students, the T K Ramakrishnan Cultural Centre, and the EMS Study and Research Centre.
Will CN continue as district secretary until the local body elections?
No. A new secretary will be elected soon. It may be delayed until the CPM party congress (April 10-15).
What are CPM’s preparations for the local body polls?
After the party congress, we will begin groundwork at the panchayat, municipal, and corporation levels. In the assembly elections, our goal is to increase our present tally of five seats in the district. Everything will proceed as per the state committee directives. For the Left, the upcoming elections are crucial. Our opposition is not just BJP or Congress, but also certain media groups with vested interests acting like political hit squads.
There is criticism that the Left government is moving toward right-wing ideologies. Your response?
It is an absolutely wrong interpretation. We have never compromised on pure communist ideologies in Kerala or India. In the case of PPP (public private partnership) model, which was mentioned in the Nava Kerala document, the attempt is to bring private participation but the ownership of land and assets remains with the state. Kerala has a population of 2.76 crore, yet the Union government fails to allocate adequate funds at least as per the percentage of population. The recent Union Budget did not even mention Kerala once. As Finance Minister K N Balagopal pointed out, the Centre owes us Rs 58,400 crore in various forms, including loans and grants. If that were provided, Kerala’s finances would be stable.
Is the LDF focusing primarily on infrastructure development to secure a third term?
Infrastructure development is just one part of our agenda. Our priority is to complete all announced projects on time, and most of them are on track. The visible transformation in roads and public infrastructure reflects the government’s commitment and sincerity to the people.