Kerala - Kannur   

KPCC to conduct peace campaign

KANNUR: The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) will organise a three-day ‘padayatra’ from Payyannur to Thalassery from December 10 as part of a peace campaign against attempts to revive political violence in the district and ‘denial’ of democratic rights to other parties by the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Announcing this here on Friday, KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala said that the Shanthi Yatra, as the foot march was named, would be led by leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy and himself. All State-level leaders of the party would participate in the march that would conclude at Thalassery on December 13, he said. Photographs of victims of the CPI (M)-instigated violence would be displayed by the marchers, he said, and added that the party was also planning to introduce a scheme for helping families of Congress workers who had fallen victim to the violence by the CPI(M).

Mr. Chennithala said that the Home Department had totally failed to ensure law and order in the district and other parts of the State. Instead of bringing violence under control, the Home Ministry and the police were encouraging its perpetrators, he said, and added that the Home Department had already received strictures from the High Court on issues relating to release of prisoners on parole and ensuring peace in prisons. Incidents of political killings were on the increase due to the inefficiency of the Home Ministry as the police were made a mute witness to the violence, he said.

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of being equally responsible for the incidents of violence, the KPCC chief said that people could not expect justice in the State where Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had been received with red shawls in a jail by party prisoners.

Kerala Students Union (KSU) State general secretary K. Binoj had been stabbed, its district president Rijil Makutty brutally beaten up, and Congress offices attacked by the CPI(M) workers, he said.

Mr. Chennithala also said that civic and democratic rights of United Democratic Front workers in the district were repeatedly denied by the CPI(M). Urging the CPI(M) to shed its ‘fascist style,’ Mr. Chennithala said that the party would resist attempts to turn Kannur into a Nandigram. The Shanthi Yatra would be the culmination of a month-long campaign by the Congress to trigger public conscience against the denial of rights, he added.

KPCC general secretary K. Sudhakaran, MLA, and district Congress president P. Ramakrishnan were among those present at the press conference.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

KPCC to conduct peace campaign

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu