In Kerala, left and Right must end bloodshed
The murder of yet another worker of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Kerala is a gruesome reminder of the State's bloody political culture, as perpetuated by left parties that have alternately been at helm in recent years. On Tuesday, 27-year-old PV Sujith was hacked to death in front of his parents, at home in Kannur. A day later, a crude bomb was hurled at the BJP's office in the same city. In between, the house of a Kannur district panchayat member was attacked. While Kannur is considered to be the home turf of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), where the RSS-BJP combine has long sought a foothold, the gory tale of political rivalry between the two groups extends across the State and goes back three decades. In fact, in 2012, senior CPI(M) leader MM Mani had proudly claimed during a public rally that his party “had systematically eliminated political rivals in the 1980s”. Since then, scores of activists have lost their lives worse still, there has been an upswing in violence in recent years.
last year in August, for example, there were two murders within 24 hours, that rocked the State: In Thrissur, BJP worker Abhilash was hacked to death, while in Kasaragod, CPI(M) activist C Narayanan was fatally stabbed. In both cases, two workers each from the rival parties were booked. Afterwards, two other RSS workers were stabbed, but they survived. Party offices and activists’ residences of the RSS and the CPI(M) also came under attack in Thodupuzha, Idukki and Azhikode, Kannur respectively. The year before, RSS functionary Elanthottathil Manoj was murdered, also in Kannur and allegedly by CPI(M) workers.
There is an interesting link between E Manoj's murder in 2014 and PV Sujith's killing this year CPI(M)'s Kannur district secretary P Jayarajan. In 1999, Mr Jayarajan was stabbed during Onam allegedly by BJP-RSS workers. E Manoj was one of the accused in that case, which was followed by the retaliatory killing of school teacher KT Jayakrishnan, a leader of the Bharatiya Jana Yuva Morcha, in front of his students. Fifteen years later, E Manoj was killed, also during Onam and days before BJP president Amit Shah and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat made a high-profile visit to the State. On January 22 this year, the Central Bureau of Investigation listed Mr Jayarajan as an accused in E Manoj's murder. On February 12, a day after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the Kerala High Court, Mr Jayarajan surrendered to the police and has since been remanded to judicial custody. Irrespective of how this case plays out, it remains highly sensitive. Any incident can lead to a flare-up. It is said that PV Sujith's murder was sparked by an eve-teasing case. This is bound to worsen the situation. Party leaders on both sides will have to take the initiative to end this decades-long turf battle. The RSS chief has called for talks; others must follow suit. No level of political rivalry is worth shedding blood for.