Unable to answer the people’s questions on the 140-day roadblock stir the left is conducting in Thiruvananthapuram over the infamous solar scam, lDF constituents CPI and RSP are putting pressure on their Big Brother CPI(M) to change the methods of agitation the front is following in Kerala.
The CPI and RSP are holding the CPI(M), front leader, responsible for making them agree to the methods of agitation the front is following, especially over the solar scam issue. The two parties will bring up the issue of the need for a change in the style of the leftist agitations in the lDF meeting to be held on Thursday.
“There should not be agitations that put common people into hardships. Also, agitations that continue for months are not practical,” said RSP general secretary TJ Chandrachoodan in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. “Parties should be able to bring in changes to their agitations as per the change in times,” he said.
A meeting of the State secretariat of the CPI, second biggest constituent of the lDF, had the other day decided to ask the CPI(M) to change the style of the left’s agitations. According to the CPI, the objective of the roadblock stir in the capital demanding Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s resignation over the solar scam was being sabotaged by the wrong style of the stir.
A section in the CPI(M) itself has already demanded a rethink of the methods of agitation the party is following. The left parties began to consider a review of the style of its stirs after a woman, Sandhya, openly questioned the CPI(M) leaders on the political morality of their struggles which led to blockade of roads denying the people their right to travel.
The roadblock agitation in Thiruvananthapuram is being held near Cliff House, the official residence of the Chief Minister, since December 9 and is scheduled to continue for 140 days. However, the protestors (and the police who had barricaded the road) were forced to keep one side of the road open following public demand after Sandhya questioned the leaders.
“There should be new ways to stage protests in the changed times. We should devise new methods for reaching our messages to the people. We should be able to use the avenues thrown open by the information technology for this,” Chandrachoodan said. This was the second time Chandrachoodan was making a similar demand in the past one week.