The Hindu : IUML not the only route to Muslims: Pinarayi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 26, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

IUML not the only route to Muslims: Pinarayi

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM June 25. The CPI(M) State secretary, Pinarayi Vijayan, has said that his party did not think that a tie-up with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) was the only route to reach out to Muslims.

At a Press conference here today, Mr. Vijayan said the CPI(M) firmly believed that a tie-up with the IUML or any other party would not help it overcome the poor presence it has among the minorities. If the party had not succeeded in reaching out to the Muslims, it would have to tackle the problem on its own and not through any tie-up, he added.

Mr. Vijayan, who was responding to questions on the litterateur and senior State committee member, P. Govinda Pillai's observation that the CPI(M) should tie-up with the IUML, said no clarification was called for in the matter as PG himself had stated that the statement attributed to him did not reflect what he actually had in mind.

There was a time when minorities looked upon CPI(M) with suspicion and opposed it fiercely, but experience had taught them a lot about the party and there was now a perceptible change in their attitude.

They were now willing to listen to what the CPI(M) had to say on various issues. The IUML had unleashed a vilification campaign against the CPI(M) in connection with the Nadapuram incidents and even went to the extent of accusing its cadres of having raped a Muslim woman. Truth had prevailed and the IUML leaders now find it difficult to even face the woman, he pointed out.The CPI(M) State secretary brushed aside the National Development Front (NDF) chairman's charge that he was repeatedly attacking the NDF as he worked for certain agencies. ``Yes, he is right. I work for the CPI(M) and what I articulate are the views of the party,'' Mr. Vijayan said.

Asked to comment on the contradiction in the politburo member, S. Ramachandran Pillai's reported statement that PG's observations on party matters did not amount to breach of party discipline and the party State committee's subsequent finding that PG had indeed violated party discipline, Mr. Vijayan said Mr. Ramachandran Pillai's attempt apparently was to distinguish between violation of party discipline and anti-party activity. When M.V. Raghavan was thrown out of the party, the action was taken for having indulged in anti-party activities. The same was not the case with PG. The party did make an attempt to correct Mr. Raghavan, but in vain. At the time, he was the Kannur district secretary. He and the then party State secretary, V.S. Achuthanandan, had tried to reason with Mr. Raghavan at the Kannur party office. But he was so adamant that he would not even accept the tea offered to him.

When he (Mr. Vijayan) asked him why he was not having the tea, Mr. Raghavan replied, ``How can I be sure that you have not poisoned it. I then offered him the tea served for me. He would not have even that. But please don't write that action was taken against him because he did not have tea with us,'' Mr. Vijayan said.

The CPI(M) leader said his party did not consider the former CITU leader, V.B. Cherian's activities as something serious. The party was fully prepared to take him on. Propaganda against certain CPI(M) leaders over the issue were totally unfounded, he said. Mr. Vijayan said the CPI(M) State committee had decided to take out vehicle jathas at the panchayat-level from August 17 to August 20 and hold rallies at all the districts between August 25 and August 28 as part of the ongoing campaign against the policies of the Antony Government.

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