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Christians and Muslims not hostile to CPI(M), says Pinarayi

Staff Reporter

Kerala March given a rousing reception in Kozhikode district

MARCH FOR DEVELOPMENT: Pinarayi Vijayan, Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary, leading a Kerala March, being received by party workers at Adivaram, border of Kozhikode district, on Thursday. — Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

Kozhikode: Rousing receptions were accorded to the Kerala March, led by Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, at various places in Kozhikode district on Thursday.

Senior party leaders received Mr. Vijayan and others at Adivaram, bordering Wayanad district, in the morning. The party State secretariat member V.V. Dakshinamoorthy; control commission convener C.P. Balan Vaidyar; district secretary T.P. Ramakrishnan; Centre of Indian Trade Unions district secretary T. Dasan; and office-bearers of other party affiliates were among them.

A band troupe playing tunes befitting a celebration accompanied the decorated motorcade of vehicles carrying the leaders. Young party workers were seen on motorcycles moving along with these vehicles.

Party flags and festoons were displayed along roadsides, such as those of Wayanad road or the 9-km Thamarassery-Balussery route. Mr. Vijayan also made a brief halt to accept felicitations by local leaders at major junctions.

Hundreds of people, including women and children, gathered in Thamarassery town where Mr. Vijayan addressed his first public meeting in the district. Earlier, party workers took out processions from various places and all of them converged at Thamarassery private bus station. There were traditional folk music and Panchavadyam. Women were dressed in traditional Kerala saris with blouses in red colour to match the occasion. An ardent party worker painted his car red and another had several flags all over his autorickshaw.

Cadres were sporting red headgears and caps. Some were seen selling compact discs and cassettes containing songs and visuals aimed at boosting the image of the party.

Local leaders garlanded Mr. Vijayan. Many cadres queued up in front of his car parked at venues, especially at Balussery, to shake hands with him.

Mr. Vijayan spoke about issues ranging from the `collapsing' state of affairs of Kerala to corruption charges against Ministers. The slogans of the march were social justice and comprehensive development.

Mr. Vijayan clarified the motive behind organising such a march: the party had organised an international conference on Kerala studies attended by experts from all fields; they had suggested measures to rejuvenate the State, and the party decided to gather suggestions from the masses to draft proposals for the development of the State.

At all meetings, Mr. Vijayan minced no words to criticise the United Democratic Front (UDF) Government. It had failed in all spheres of activity during its rule for over four and a half years. It had commercialised the education sector. The agriculture sector was in the doldrums. Over 500 debt-ridden farmers had committed suicide in Wayanad district, he added.

He said the age of anti-communist sentiments had ended. Christians and Muslims were no more hostile to the party.

The presence of district-level leaders of Indian National League (INL) and the Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) was another salient feature at the receptions.

Receptions were held at Perambra, Nadapuram, Ayyancherry and Vadakara on Thursday. It will continue in the district on Friday.

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