The Hindu : Kerala News : KC factions for joint agitation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 12, 2007
ePaper

Kerala

Kerala

KC factions for joint agitation

Staff Reporter

Mani rolls out list of charges against the State government

K.M. Mani says State is passing through a critical period.

KOTTAYAM: The four Kerala Congress factions working together under the newly formed Unity Forum will launch their first joint agitation against the Left Democratic Front government on January 5.

Speaking to presspersons after a meeting of the 12-member panel which heads the forum here on Tuesday, the Kerala Congress (M) leader K.M. Mani said the forum would take out a farmers’ march and stage a sit-in at the gates of the Kottayam District Collectorate. The agitation would focus on the government’s failure to rein in the unprecedented rise in prices of essential goods and “anti-farmer” policies and the steep fall in the price of farm produce other than rubber.

He said similar agitations would be held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode after the one scheduled for January 22 by the United Democratic Front (UDF). The stir by the forum would strengthen the front in its fight against the government’s policies.

Mr. Mani said the State was passing through a critical period and rolled out a list of accusations against the government. This included conduct lacking political decency by the authorities, use of offensive language by Ministers, ridiculing God and believers and failure to ensure facilities to Sabarimala pilgrims. The pilgrims to the Sabarimala temple were facing an unprecedented situation, as after trekking all the way to Sannidhanam from a period of rigorous penance, they were forced to return without darshan. The rule of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) had created two types of citizens enjoying two types of justice, Mr. Mani alleged. The next meeting of the forum scheduled here for January 5 will decide on the further course of action, he said.

Reacting to a question, the Kerala Congress (B) leader R. Balakrishna Pillai said the forum was not for political bargain with the UDF in the coming Lok Sabha elections. Their joining hands was the result of a realisation among the various Kerala Congress factions that their permanent interest was the prosperity of the people of Kerala and to attain that, they had to stand together.

To another question, he said the Kerala Congress faction under P.J. Joseph too would have to join them in the near future, especially on account of the political differences that might crop up during the Lok Sabha elections.

Mr. Mani said the occasion was not one for a post-mortem of earlier actions and statements of various factions. It was the coming together of political parties and as such, the issues relating to specific personalities did not matter. Even as the forum would go ahead with its programmes, each of the constituent members would keep their respective identity and would have the freedom to move ahead with own programmes, he said.

The KC (Jacob) leader T.M. Jacob, the KC (Secular) leader P.C. George and others were present.

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

Kerala