A protest over a cup of tea against Kerala CM

A meeting over a cup of tea was held at Kozhikode district in Kerala on Wednesday not only to express solidarity with two youths booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) but also as a symbolic protest against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Kozhikode natives Alan Shuhaib and Thwaha Fazal were held in 2019 by Kerala police under charges of UAPA accusing them of getting involved in Maoist activities. Despite mounting protest from various rights activists, opposition political parties and even from with in the ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front, the Chief Minister justified the police action. Vijayan had then stated that the two were held not for going out to have tea.

For this reason various rights forums organised a protest meeting over a cup of tea at Kozhikode to express solidarity with the youths who got bail in the case. Both Shuhaib and Fazal also attended the meeting and had tea together. The two shared the hardships they had faced while in the prison and also lamented over the plight of others in similar circumstances in Kerala prisons, including their co-accused.

Even CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury had openly raised concerns over invoking UAPA against the youths, who were CPM workers. Hence the Vijayan government's justification of invoking UAPA against the youths had triggered a political row. The CPM was accused of taking a double standards on UAPA. Hence the stand of CPM on UAPA could come up for discussion in the upcoming party congress to be held in Kerala, sources close to the party said.