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Kerala's Nairs bristle at CPM 'arrogance'
The Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM), which leads the Left Democratic Front coalition in power in Kerala, has fallen foul of the influential Nair community in the state with just months to go for the Lok Sabha polls across the country.
- By Akhel Mathew, Correspondent
- Published: 23:35 January 5, 2009
Thiruvananthapuram: The Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM), which leads the Left Democratic Front coalition in power in Kerala, has fallen foul of the influential Nair community in the state with just months to go for the Lok Sabha polls across the country.
Political observers here say that the development may have serious implications for the party, considering that it comes at a time when the CPM is facing serious intra-party problems.
The most recent evidence of that came in the form of the CPM state committee cancelling the elections to the Thiruvananthapuram district committee of the party, a move that created distinct unease.
CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan has reiterated that the party would not tolerate factionalism, but there seems to be no capping mini revolts within the party. Vijayan himself is seen to be the leader of the official faction of the party while Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan is linked to the other prominent faction, though the latter is seen slipping in terms of clout within the party framework.
The clash with the Nair Service Society (NSS), the organisation of the powerful Nair community in the state, is expected to pose fresh problems for the CPM. In response to Vijayan's criticism of community organisations, NSS general secretary P.K. Narayana Panicker said the CPM secretary's statement was a sign of arrogance.
Ready for rethink
In response to Vijayan's suggestion that community organisations should not think that they can get the government to act in their favour, Panicker said the statement only reflected the government's inability or unwillingness to find solutions to problems facing various sections of society.
The NSS leadership has also gone another step forward, stating that the organisation is willing to review its strategy of maintaining a policy of equi-distance from the main political coalitions in the state, which in other words means that it may warm up to the right wing parties.
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