The never-ending saga of political murders in Kerala

As per rough estimate, over 200 political workers have been killed in Kerala since 2000

The killings of two activists of the CPM ledyouth wing DYFI allegedly by Congress workers in Venjaramoodu in Thiruvananthapuram district was the latest incident in the bloody saga of “murder politics” being witnessed in Kerala for over seven decades.

According to rough estimates, over 200 persons belonging to various parties have become victims of this in Kerala since 2000.

Though the frequency of political murders has come down compared to previous years, these killings after a lull often remind one that the savagery has not ended yet.

Soon after coming to power in 2016, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vjayan had taken personal initiative in convening a meeting of top CPM and RSSBJP leaders to end the political violence in Kannur district which accounts for almost 50 per cent of the political murders in Kerala so far.

It has almost become a ritual that after every political murder there are a few arrests, allegations and counter allegations by rival parties, sporadic incidents of violence and at the end an all-party peace meeting.

But the “no violence” warranty period often expires within months or at the most after a year, only to be followed by another round of brutal killings.

The ruling Left Democratic Front convenor A Vijayaraghavan says the Congress and BJP have always portrayed CPM as a “killer” party, but the truth is otherwise.

“In Kerala, most Congress leaders have criminal gangs which they nurture and use against political opponents. There are gang wars even in groups within the Congress. Three Congress workers were murdered in 2013 and 2015 by rival groups within the party in Thrissur district. But the

Congress always tries to portray itself as messiahs of peace,” he told this newspaper.

The Congress on the other hand points out that in most political murders CPM is always found on one side. What does this mean, asks Kerala’s firebrand PCC vice-president and MLA V.D. Satheeshan.

“The twin murders in Venjaramoodu in Thiruvananthapuram district was the result of a gang war.”

“A similar murder took place Alapuzha in August. Soon CPM leaders accused the Congress of killing their worker. But their own minister G. Sudhakaran clarified it was not a political murder,” he said.

Mr Satheeshan alleged that the CPM tried to stall CBI inquiry into the murder of two youth Congress workers in Kasargod in 2019. The High Court rejected their plea and handed over the probe to the CBI on August 25.

“The LDF government engaged top lawyers from the Supreme Court to block the CBI probe,” he said.

On the other side of the political divide, the CPM –RSS/BJP have been engaged in a bloody battle in Marxist bastion of Kannur for the past seven decades.

With the crucial Assembly elections in the state scheduled to be held in April-May 2021, political observers fear that political violence might escalate. “Congress is afraid that the CPM government might continue after 2021 polls. Moreover the Congress-led UDF is in a shambles. One of the factions of Kerala Congress is on the verge of leaving the Front. We fear that in desperation, the Congress might create law and order problems,” said LDF Covenor Vijayaraghavan.

● THE POLITICAL violence in Kannur district accounts for almost 50 per cent of the political murders in Kerala so far.

● WITH THE elections in the state scheduled to be held next year, experts fear that political violence might escalate.