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Kerala leftists feud over food security
Unease between the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) and the Communist Party of India (CPI), the two leading partners of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) coalition in Kerala, continues to tell on key initiatives even as the government celebrates its second anniversary this week.
- By Akhel Mathew, Correspondent
- Published: 00:08 May 22, 2008
Thiruvananthapuram: Unease between the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) and the Communist Party of India (CPI), the two leading partners of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) coalition in Kerala, continues to tell on key initiatives even as the government celebrates its second anniversary this week.
The latest stand-off has at its centre the integrated food security scheme that the government proposes. While Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has constantly stressed the need for the scheme to be launched at the earliest, particularly in view of rising food prices, the CPI feels he is undermining the scheme.
CPI state secretary Veliyam Bhargavan and Achuthanandan openly disagreed on the issue earlier this week, resulting in an LDF committee meeting ending rather abruptly.
Now Food Minister C. Divakaran has gone ahead and told a local television channel that no minister in the cabinet could be sidelined, taking an obvious pot-shot at the chief minister.
The key point of contention between the two communist parties is apparently the chairmanship of the committee to tackle the food security issue. While the chief minister is attempting to form a committee under his leadership to tackle the issue, the CPI sees the move as an attempt to meddle in issues involving a portfolio that comes under its ambit.
Continuing tirade
The misunderstanding between the two communist parties has been an on-going affair.
At a press conference last week to list out the LDF government's achievements, the chief minister said he was ignoring the comments against him by CPI leader Bhargavan, when mediapersons clamoured for comment. Achuthanandan said CPI leaders had earlier criticised him only to withdraw such statements.
He also referred to CPI parliamentarian Panniyan Ravindran as a man with a beard at the back.
At the LDF meeting to discuss the food scarcity issue, Bhargavan reportedly sought to remind those present that "this is not a cattle market" when tempers rose on both sides.
The opposition United Democratic Front has lost no time in accusing the government of being forgetful about people's issues as it tried to sort out internal battles of the LDF.
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