Kerala Rocked By Twin Political Murders Within 12 Hours
By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2021-12-23 00:49:34
About the Author
For the last few months, Kerala has been rocked by political murders. These were out of intense rivalry between the BJP and the CPM on one hand and the SDPI (the political wing of the Popular Front of India (PFI)) and the BJP/RSS on the other. Sometimes, the SDPI and the CPM were also involved in such rivalries which resulted in the death of political workers. But with the death of two state level political leaders, matters have escalated.
Last week, a state secretary of the SDPI was hacked to death in Alappuzha district. In a swift retaliatory action, the state secretary of the BJP OBC Morcha was also hacked to death in the same district within 12 hours. The two murders point to the fact that matters have reached such a point that instead of local level rivalry that resulted in the deaths of party workers, now state level leaders are being targeted.
Both the SDPI, backed by the PFI and the BJP, backed by the RSS and other Hindutva organization are intensely mobilizing support from the Muslim and Hindu communities respectively. This has led to both organizations adopting extreme stances and making inflammatory speeches spewing venom on each other. This has started to have a disastrous effect on the social fabric of the state and communal harmony.
Although workers from both sides have been arrested by the administration, it will not work if the state government tackles it purely as a law and order issue. It has to be tackled politically. The state government has already convened an all party meeting to try and cool tempers. The onus is on the ruling LDF and the UDF to use their vast infrastructure and support to prevent the SDPI and the BJP/RSS from polarizing the state along communal lines. Kerala has always known to be a progressive state. That reputation cannot be allowed to be torn apart by parties who are bent on using religion to further their political aims.
