Shaju Philip: Kerala CPM leaders give hero’s farewell to party leader convicted of murder

By Dilip -
NB: The brutal murder of a Marxist dissident in 2012 by members of the CPI (M) was compounded by the lenient treatment accorded the convicts in jail and now this hero's funeral given to the chief accused. This shameless behaviour will pervert the ongoing struggle for the preservation of Indian democracy and demean the socialist movement. 

In July 2012 the SFI unit of JNU rightly condemned the murder and was thereafter dissolved. At the time I made the following comments, and I stand by them today:  The SFI members who decided to uphold their political judgement & conscience by condemning the murder of T. P. Chandrasekharan deserve the support & appreciation of all democrats. It shows they understand that the culture of brutality is destructive of the most basic principles of socialism. This news comes alongside the condemnation of the 'annihilation line' by Sabyasachi Panda, a senior Maoist leader in Odisha. See Extracts from Sabyasachi Panda's letter to Maoist leadership 

For decades the relation between socialism & democracy - and the parallel issue of violence - has remained the most crucial issue in  Left politics. I hope the younger generation of socialist activists will reach across partisan barriers, & evolve more humane, inclusive & democratic practices in their work. Readers may kindly peruse the excellent essay by Paul Zacharia Conduct of a Perfect Murder and my EPW article, A Hard Rain Falling - as contributions to a dialogue on the corrosive problem of vigilantism in Indian politics: Dilip

Shaju Philip: Kerala CPM leaders give hero’s farewell to party leader convicted of murder
The CPI(M) leaders in Kerala have given a hero’s farewell on the death of a local leader from Kannur district, who was in 2014 convicted in a political murder case and sentenced to life imprisonment. P K Kunjananthan, 72, member of CPI(M) area committee at Panur, Kannur, died of an intestinal infection at Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, Thursday night. He was on bail on health grounds at the time of death. Kunjananthan, along with 11 others, was held guilty in the murder of CPI (M) rebel leader T P Chandrasekharan in 2012 in Kozhikode district.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan led party leaders in condoling Kunjananthan’s death. Vijayan hailed the deceased leader as “a comrade who had selflessly loved the party and exhibited concern towards society. As a social worker, he had won the acceptance and love of all sections of people in Panur”.

After Kunjananthan’s death, several leaders, including CPI(M) central committee members A Vijayaraghavan and M V Govindan, went to the hospital, where slogan-shouting cadres dubbed the deceased as a “martyr who will never die”. State minister and CPI(M) central committee member E P Jayarajan said, “Defending the attacks of rivals, Kunjananthan had played a crucial role in building up CPI(M) at Panur region. He had deep love towards party.’’ At Panur, scores of CPI(M) leaders and workers paid tribute and observed a hartal to pay obeisance to Kunjananthan. He and the others were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014 by a Kozhikode court.

In the long history of political murders in north Kerala, conviction of a party leader had until then been unprecedented. After CPI(M) led the LDF back to power in 2016, Kunjananthan was granted parole frequently, which had drawn flak from the High Court after Chandrasekharan’s widow K K Rama questioned the government’s decisions. On March 14 this year, when the High Court allowed Kunjananthan bail for three months for treatment, he had already enjoyed 400 days of parole. The 11 other convicted, mainly the killer gang, also allegedly got special treatment in jail. During his parole days, Kunjananthan had attended party events and conferences and eventually got elected to the CPI(M) area committee despite his conviction in a murder case....
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/kerala/pinarayi-kerala-cpm-leaders-give-heros-farewell-to-party-leader-convicted-of-murder-6456267/

 see also
Disgusted and scared to live in Kerala, land of killers: Mohanlal
We have plotted and killed people, admits CPM leader
Dead TP Chandrasekharan more lethal to CPM
All 7 assailants & 3 CPM leaders among 12 convicted for T P Chandrasekharan'smurder
A brutal side to God's own country
On 'revolution': Closing the Circle (FrontierVol 45, No. 7)
A Hard Rain Falling: on the death of T P Chandrasekharan and related matters
JNU SFI unit condemns murder of T PChandrasekharan
T P Chandrashekharan murder: Key accused arrested
Conduct of a Perfect Murder
SFI dissolves JNU unit that attacked CPI(M) on Pranab
Cult of violence: Will it take Kerala off CPM’s grip?
Marxist-rebel murdered in Kerala: finger of suspicion troubles CPM
Will Achuthanandan-Vijayan feud split Kerala CPM?
Top CPM leadership helpless as Kerala CPM heads for potential split
G Pramod Kumar - Kerala, CPM's Hypocrisy & BJP's Intolerance
Hindu Outfit Is Upset With Sunburn Music Festival Being Held In Pune
VHP Activists Oppose Marriage Of Hindu Couple Because Groom 'Played Guitar At Church'
K.Balagopal: Political violence & human rights: Naxalism in A.P.
Jairus Banaji: Fascism,Maoism and the Democratic Left
Dilip Simeon: The Other side of Maoism
Maoism and the philosophy of insurrection
TheFutility of Common Sense: An Essay on Ahimsa

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