Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday started returning to normal after two days of tension triggered by incidents of violence involving activists of the CPI(M) and the BJP, which included a shocking attack on the State committee office of the latter by the Marxists, even as the developments have cast a shadow of uncertainty over the future of the peace efforts especially in Kannur, known for its history of political violence.
The police have registered 34 cases in connection with the violent incidents that occurred in the Capital on Thursday and Friday. About 15 persons, including leaders and workers of CPI(M) and BJP, have been arrested or taken into custody. Five men belonging to the CPI(M) and its feeder outfits SFI and DYFI, have been arrested and remanded for the attack on the BJP office.
State Director General of Police loknath Behera said on Saturday that every step had been taken to ensure peace in the capital city. “There will be no compromises. We will take strong and impartial action in all the cases. We have no pressure from anywhere and we are determined not to permit acts of hooliganism,” Behera said.
A gang of six persons led by CPI(M)’s corporation councilor IP Binu and district SFI secretary Prathin Saj had attacked the office of the BJP in Thiruvananthapuram early Friday morning when State president Kummanam Rajasekharan was in the office. The gang had vandalised the office, damaged six cars parked in the compound and allegedly hurled bricks at Kummanam’s office.
The BJP has alleged that the attack on its State office was actually an attempt on Kummanam’s life but the CPI(M) has taken a position that it could have been an act of retaliation for an attack on the house of Binu late Thursday evening, allegedly by RSS-BJP activists. The CPI(M) has suspended Binu and Prathin from the primary membership of the party.
Five policemen were present near the BJP office when the attack took place but only one of them tried to stop the attackers. On Saturday, the Kerala Police gave a reward of Rs 5,000 to this civil police officer, Prathyunjaya Kumar. Inspector General of Police Manoj Abraham handed over the reward to the CPO at the hospital where Kumar had been admitted after the incident.
Though the city remained largely peaceful after Friday evening, some minor developments forced the police to further step up security in vulnerable areas. The party offices – of both CPI(M) and BJP – in the capital remained under tight police guard and ban imposed on Friday on processions continued through Saturday.
As per the claims of the CPI(M) and the BJP, a total of nearly 50 houses and trade and work establishments had come under attack in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday and Friday. Apart from this, there were also complaints of attacks on party workers and their innocent relatives. The DGP said all cases would be looked into without bias.
The developments in Thiruvananthapuram, especially the attack on the BJP office, have pushed the ongoing process intended at establishing peace in areas hit by political violence, especially Kannur where scores of people belonging to BJP and CPI(M) have lost lives over the years in political violence over, into uncertainty.
The RSS has already said that there is no point in going ahead with the peace process, initiated by Marxist chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in the new circumstance. According to P Gopalankutty Master, RSS Pranth Karyavah, Pinarayi is unable to control the activists of his own party and a section in the CPI(M) is not ready to end violence even after peace talks.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former Union minister AK Antony accused both the CPI(M) and the BJP of trying to turn Kerala into a land of unrest. “Both of them are nurturing goonda gangs. They have the same goal and that is to share Kerala politically between them,” Antony said.