KL This Week: KPCC Confused Over Ram Temple Consecration Invitation

Among important developments across Kerala last week were the reshuffle in the Kerala cabinet, the difference of opinion in the Congress leadership on the invitation to the party for the consecration of the Ram Temple, awarding of Rs 5,000 grant by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government for disabled students, the Palestine solidarity gathering organised by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] in Kasargod district, and the Communist Party of India (CPI) state council electing Binoy Viswam as the state secretary. 

2 NEW MINISTERS SWORN IN

Kadanapally Ramachandran and K B Ganesh Kumar were sworn in on December 29 as the new ministers in the cabinet as per the arrangement of dividing the berths among the allies of the Left Democratic Front. They replaced Ahamed Devarkoil and Antony Raju, who were ministers for the first two and a half years.

Ramachandran, a leader of the Congress (S), representing the Kannur constituency, has been allotted the responsibilities of registration, archaeology and museum departments. The ports portfolio held by outgoing minister Ahamed Devarkovil has been allocated to V N Vasavan, who was in-charge of the registration department till now. 

KB Ganesh Kumar from Pathanapuram constituency in Kollam district has been handed over the road transport, motor vehicle and water transport departments held by Antony Raju. 

Except the minister for forests A K Saseendran and the newly sworn-in two ministers, all other ministers, including the Chief Minister boycotted, the high tea hosted by the Governor after the swearing in ceremony. The United Democratic Front (UDF) parties, too, announced boycott of the swearing in ceremony. 

KPCC DIVIDED OVER RAM TEMPLE INVITATION

The invitation to the national leadership of the Congress for the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has put the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) in a fix. The public statements of KPCC president K Sudhakaran, members of Parliament, including Shashi Tharoor, K Muraleedharan and other senior leaders, exposed the confusion prevailing in the party state leadership. 

K Muraleedharan claimed that KPCC had urged the national leadership to refrain from participating in the consecration on January 22 for which its president reacted by saying that he was not aware of such a demand. 

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second biggest party in United Democratic front or UDF has left the option to the Congress on the invitation.

Meanwhile, various Muslim organisations cited the stand of the CPI(M) on boycotting the consecration and called for a similar decision from the Congress. 

The CPI(M) Kerala State committee has been highly critical of the position of the Congress and accused it of pursuing ‘soft Hindutva’ politics, only to the benefit of sangh parivar organisations. M V Govindan Master, the party’s state secretary, claimed that the indecision of the Congress was exposing its ideological bankruptcy.  

RS 5,000 AWARDED FOR 731 DISABLED STUDENTS

The LDF government has awarded Rs 5,000 as a ‘New Year gift’ to 731 disabled students. The award money was credited to the bank accounts of students who excelled in the public examinations for SSLC and higher secondary exams of state, CBSE and ICSE boards held during March 2023. 

A total sum of Rs 36.55 lakh was transferred to 167 students in the HSC general category, 146 students with intellectual disability while 176 students with common disability and 242 students with intellectual disability from the SSLC category.  

PALESTINE SOLIDARITY MEET IN KASARGOD

The CPI(M) Kasaragod district committee held a massive solidarity meeting, demanding that Israel should abort the genocidal attack on Palestine people in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

The general secretary of the CPI(M), Sitaram Yechury, accused Israel of unleashing violent attacks on the innocent children, women and civilians living in Palestinian territories. 

“The attack against the Palestinians is a barbarity against humanity which has universal condemnation. The ancient cities and towns in Palestine territories are under attack, including Hebron where the tomb of Abraham is located is being divided, not by Palestinians and Arabs but by the Jews”, he said. 

Yechury accused Israel of resettling Jews from other countries in the West Bank while they want to drive out all the Palestine people by taking over their properties. “They are driving out the people from Gaza through barbaric attacks and from the West Bank through occupation. They want the entire Palestine people to be stateless people, wandering as refugees in various parts of the world. This is the biggest crime against humanity”, he added. 

Leaders of the CPI(M), LDF parties, social, democratic and Islamic organisations addressed the massive public meeting and called upon the Union government to stand in solidarity with Palestine and condemn the inhuman attacks by Israel. 

BINOY VISWAM ELECTED CPI SECRETARY

The state council of the Communist party of India (CPI), on December 28, ratified the appointment of Binoy Viswam as the state secretary after the sudden demise of Kanam Rajendran recently. Viswam was appointed as the secretary in-charge immediately after the death of Rajendran. Elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2018 from Kerala, Viswam is currently the leader of the CPI in the Upper House. 

Viswam was the minister for forests and housing during the LDF regime between 2006 and 2011 when V S Achuthanandan was the Chief Minister. He won the Assembly elections twice, in 2001 and 2006.