As the soil of Kannur (Cannanore) city is drenched with the blood of many Sangh karyakartas (workers), the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has asked its workers to remain alert and defend themselves. It has alleged that whenever CPI(M) rules the State, the Kerala Police acts as its cadre and never takes any step to save ABVP, RSS and BJP workers from being murdered.
The RSS and affiliate groups have lost 86 young karyakartas since 1968, who were hacked to death by CPI(M) cadre.
Accusing the left Front Government of escalating political violence, RSS functionary Gopalan Kutty alleged that atrocities against Sangh karyakartas have increased after the CPI(M) Government came to power in Kerala and asked why the CPI(M) is not allowing them to work as an organisation.
“RSS is an organisation and Kerala is a State of a democratic country. As the people of Kerala have elected CPI(M), we will never demand President’s Rule in the State despite political violence against our karyakartas,” he said.
“After the horrific killing of RSS’ Trivandrum karyavah (chief) E Rajesh, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called me twice for peace talks,” the RSS functionary said and questioned the use of such peace initiatives by the State Government as the “CPI(M) continues to attack and murder our karyakartas”.
Kutty said, “BJP worker A Santhosh was killed in January this year in Kannur after two such peace meetings were held between the two sides. Similarly, immediately after the dialogue between both sides in Kannur district, RSS worker Rajesh was murdered in the State capital.”
He alleged that the left cadre have used such process to regroup and launch further attacks on karyakartas.
Saying that they are not against peace, he warned that they won’t remain mute spectators to the killing of RSS workers. “Though retaliation is not good for an organisation, when some incident takes place, retaliation is necessary. We tell our people to remain alert as there can be attack on us at any time,” he added.
Denouncing the Kerala CM as the main culprit, Kutty alleged that Pinarayi Vijayan himself is an accused in murder of V Ramkrishanan in 1968.
The BJP, which has just one member in the 140-member Kerala Assembly, has planned to take up the issue of political killings with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and in ST & SC Commissions.
Talking to a group of journalists, lone BJP MlA from the Nemom seat O Rajagopal said, “Most of our victims are from the SC, ST and OBC communities and repeated attacks on BJP and RSS activists are a desperate attempt by the Marxists, to finish off their rivals at political front.” The BJP influence is growing and they (Marxist) are feeling insecure, he added.
Dismissing “the so-called peace talks offered by the State Government”, Rajagopal said, “Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and State CPI(M) secretary K Balakrishnan are accused in the murder of BJP workers. Now, they are in power. What can we expect from themIJ”
“In public gatherings, they preach peace and tolerance but in reality practice the opposite,” he added.
Meanwhile, RSS has also prepared a roadmap to stop the brutal killings of their workers.
“The BJP-RSS needs to create a strong political base here and a political change can only put a full stop to violence,” Kutty said.
“The morale of our families is high. We are confident that we will emerge as strong party here too,” said Kutty.
“We are expecting that the Centre should send some Commission here to enquire into the matter or the Home Minister can call the Chief Minister and seek report on political killings. This may help to overcome the attacks,” he said. “It could be a statutory commission like the Human Rights Commission or the SC/ST Commission,” he added.
Recalling the brutal attack on RSS worker E Rajesh, Kutty said that P Vijayan feared that the Centre can do something after Governor P Sathasivam spoke to the CM and the DGP after the murder of Rajesh. “After every attack on us, we are getting even stronger,” he added.
“In Kannur alone, we are running 250 shakhas daily; however, there are some pockets in some areas where we cannot go. But things are changing now, some of the CPI(M)’s strongholds with us. But due to fear, they don’t come out in the open,” he said.