Kerala CPI leadership still a divided lot

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state unit of the CPI continues to be a divided house after the selection of Pannian Raveendran as secretary despite repeated statements by the state and national leaderships that ‘’the selection was unanimous.’’ The mood in the state secretariat meeting here on Monday was in no way different.
National executive member K E Ismail fired the first salvo in the meeting  by terming the discussions which preceded the selection of the state secretary as one which negated the decision of the state executive.
It may be recalled that the discussions on April 9 to find the successor to C K Chandrappan proved an embarrassment to the CPI after they turned into a slug fest between two sections in the party state council. Though the executive had selected C Divakaran for the secretary’s post, the state council, which met later in the day, backed Kanam Rajendran by a huge majority. Unable to make a choice between the two, the national leadership suggested the name of Pannian Raveendran, who is the member of the national secretariat, to the post.
But the whole episode has brought out the division within the party as most of the leaders emerged bruised after the process.
In the Monday’s meeting, Ismail termed the discussions for the selection of the secretary which, according to him, went beyond the levels of decency as "unhealthy’’ and wanted not to repeat the situation.
But at this juncture, three secretariat members supporting Kanam Rajendran intervened and demanded that the discussions should cover the intervention of the national leadership as well. When K R Chandramohan, Sathyan Mokeri and T Purushothaman demanded a detailed discussion, the majority in the secretariat agreed to it. C Divakaran, who came late by nearly an hour for the meeting which began at 10 a.m., gave vent to his feelings on the verbal attack he had to face in the state council meeting. He termed the way he was treated in the state council as ‘‘painful.’’ He said it was sad that the decision of the executive was "sabotaged’’ and the members did not stand as united.
Kanam Rajendran, in his speech, retorted that it was equally painful that the decision of the state council was also neglected. The meeting also entrusted the charge of the state council office to K Prakashbabu, one of the two assistant secretaries, replacing C N Chandran.