CPI(M)’s double standards exposed as Vizhinjam port protest continues

It has been over two months since the construction of the Adani Vizhinjam seaport came to a standstill

Despite repeated court orders stating that the ongoing stir should not affect the construction of the Vizhinjam international seaport project, Kerala’s CPI(M) government is maintaining a consensus approach.

This stand of the Kerala government differs from the police action it took against those who protested against the yet-to-be-approved SilverLine semi-high-speed rail project.

The double standard of the Left Front government in its approach towards the two mass movements seems to be due to vote bank interests, rather than concerns over a possible violent reaction of the coastal community to any police action against the Vizhinjam port stir being spearheaded by the Latin Catholic community.

It is over two months since the construction work of the Adani Vizhinjam seaport came to a standstill after the coastal community launched the stir on August 16.

Even as the government accepted most demands, except for stopping the construction work, the stir was only being scaled up.

A roadblock staged as part of the stir the other day even caused much hardship to the people and many missed flights as they
could not reach the airport in time.

Adani group already expressed concerns about the project, which already missed deadlines owing to natural calamities and Covid, and may further miss the 2023 deadline as the work on the breakwater and berth are on a standstill over the last two months. “So far around
70% of the work is over,” they said.

The government sources maintain that the use of force was avoided in view of intelligence inputs that it could lead to widespread tension along the coastal belt of Kerala, but political analysts said that the government could be more concerned over the coastal vote bank as well as trying to avoid the wrath of the Christian community spearheading the stir.

Political analyst Joseph C Mathew said that the CPI(M) government’s consensus approach towards the agitation against Vizhinjam port could not be considered as any sort of sentiment towards the agitators.

“The government was only taking steps in favour of the port like ensuring rock supply. The present consensus approach is due to vote bank interests as the coastal and Christian vote banks play crucial roles in the elections,” he said.

Left Democratic Front convenor and CPI(M) senior leader E P Jayarajan said, “The government is trying to make the agitators aware of the advantages of the port project as they seem to be misled by vested interest groups working against the port project.” The Rs 7,500 crore project initiated in 2015 is expected to attract motherships and to boost Kerala’s economy.