Kerala CPM Internal Tussle and Naxal Shadow

Further to the recent arrest of Peoples’ War Group leader Malla Raja Reddy, Kerala Police has become Hyperactive in the hunt for "Naxal and Maoist" elements in Kerala. A great move. But one wonders why Kerala Police is not showing same enthsiasm to crush Jehadi Elements. As during the same time a suspected Hizbul Mujahideen activist Altaf Ahamad Khan who was wanted in connection with several cases relating to terrorist activities was also captured from Kerala.

The fight in the CPM between VS and Pinnarai Faction is suspected to be one of the reasons behind the police’s hyperactiveness in the name of Naxal hunt. Those who are close to Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan inside and outside the party are upset over the increasing isolation of their leader and his inability to oppose the forces of capitalism which control the party. There are indications that a few in the SFI and the CPM are getting closer to outfits whom the party labels as ‘left extremists’. This link may get stronger if VS is completely marginalised after the Kottayam meet of the party.
Recently, The students union of the Guruvayurappan College here invited CPI-ML central secretary K.N. Ramachandran to inaugurate a seminar recently, shocking the SFI leadership.  The VS loyalists at the Government College, Madappally, openly challenged the official faction of the SFI with the behind-the-curtain support from the Kerala Vidyarthi Sanghatana, the student wing of the CPI-ML.

The official faction of the CPM is aware of the possible danger of the disgruntled elements in the party forming a common platform, joining hands with the ‘left extremists’. There are many common areas between the pro-VS forums like the Adhinivesha Prathirodha Samithi, Padom Prathikarana Vedi andthe ‘left extremists’ who take aggressive stand on issues like ADB loan. In fact, CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan himself had branded the pro-VS group as ‘left adventurists’.

It is suspected that the CPM is using the police to create a terror and to break the possibility of an alignment force against the party.  Such a possibility could be nipped in the bud by branding these forces as Maoists and creating a confusion among those who are willing to co-operate with the group.