CPM ends campaign in Kerala

The 10-day 'Fill the Jails' campaign in Kerala, sponsored by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) ended yesterday, with widespread picketing of government offices in the state and party leaders warning the state government to desist from implementing "anti-people policies".

The state government had faced the strike by refusing to arrest the protesters or take them to jail.

Former chief minister E.K. Nayanar led the opposition tirade against the government, inaugurating a protest sit-in at the state capital and stating that the government had no reason to be proud of its decision to allow government departments to recruit candidates to fill up to 50 per cent of existing vacancies.

"Does the chief minister think it is because of his mercy that candidates chosen by the Public Service Commission (PSC) are appointed in government service? Those whom the PSC chooses will have to be employed, and it is not out of the chief minister's gratitude that they are being employed," Nayanar said.

Nayanar ridiculed the government by pointing out that the Congress party had two leaders speaking in contradicting terms, and adding that it was only a matter of time before the Left Democratic Front (LDF) came back to power.