Political killings remain unabated in Kerala amid blessings of state leadership

There is no surprise why political murders remain unabated in Kerala as prominent leaders of the ruling CPI(M) themselves are found to be involved in the brutal political killings in the state, the latest incident being the CBI arraigning a former CPI(M) MLA in the murder of two Youth Congress activists at Kasargod in Kerala and the efforts made by the CPI(M) government to sabotage a fair probe in the case.

As per available data, around 125 political murders took place in Kerala during the last 15 years and the highest number of victims are from the CPI(M) and the BJP-RSS, with around 50 each. During the term of the first Pinarayi Vijayan government from 2016 to 2021, nearly 30 political killings were reported. North Kerala district Kannur, a strong hold of the CPI(M), witnessed the highest of around ten killings.

One of the most brutal political killings that Kerala witnessed was that of CPI(M) dissident leader T P Chandrasekharan in 2012 at Onchiyam in Kozhikode. He suffered 51 stab injuries and those convicted included CPI(M) local leaders. An in-depth probe by a special police team into the larger conspiracy behind the killings had even pointed fingers at some top leaders of the CPI(M).

But with the CPI(M) government coming to power in 2016, not only did the probe into the conspiracy came to a standstill, those convicted for the murder were enjoying all comforts in prisons and some were even found to be coordinating illegal activities like gold smuggling through the Karipur airport from within the prison cell.

With regard to the double murder of two Youth Congress workers in Kasargod in 2019 February, Kerala witnessed the Pinarayi Vijayan government vehemently opposing the plea for a CBI probe and even spent close to Rs 1 crore to hire senior lawyers to fight the case. Even then the case was lost and the CBI took over probe as per court orders. Vindicating the allegations of the Congress that the CPI(M) government wanted to sabotage the probe, the CBI has arraigned former CPI(M) MLA K V Kunhiraman and several other CPI(M) local leaders.

The CPI(M) and the BJP-RSS are mostly involved in killings and counter killings over the years. The CPI(M) often puts up a defensive by citing that more number of CPI(M) workers were being martyred.

CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that over the years 588 CPI(M) workers were murdered by political opponents of which 215 were murdered by BJP-RSS workers. After the Pinarayi Vijayan government came to power in 2016 so far 20 CPI(M) workers were murdered, of which 15 were by BJP-RSS.

Congress former MLA from Kannur district K C Joseph told DH that over the last few years there was a slight decline in political killings as both the BJP-RSS and the CPI(M) were in power in the centre and the state respectively. The involvement of party senior leaders in the political killings have become evident once again with the CBI arraigning even former MLA K V Kunhiraman, he said.

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