The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Sangh Parivar in the district have locked horns over the ‘training camps’ being organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on school grounds, with the former alleging that participants of the camps are being trained in use of weapons and the latter accusing the CPI(M) of attempts to mislead the public and instigate violence.
CPI(M) district secretary P. Jayarajan had alleged that the RSS is organising weapons training programme under the pretext of its ‘prathamik siksha varg’ (primary training camp) in three school grounds in the district. The RSS and the BJP responded that the CPI(M) leader is trying to tarnish ‘siksha vargs’ the RSS has been conducting for decades as an open programme accessible to the public.
Mr. Jayarajan has urged the Director General of Police to take legal action against the ‘weapons training’ at the camps being held at the schools. He identified the schools as Naduvil Higher Secondary School, Tagore Vidyanikethan at Thalassery, and Nithyananda English Medium School at Valapattanam.
“Children and youngsters are being trained in the camps to be murderers,” Mr. Jayarajan said adding that it was an exercise to terrify the people and an offence under Section 73 of the Kerala Police Act. The managements of the schools had given permission for the camps despite the Education Department’s circular that such camps would not be allowed, he added.
Accusing the CPI(M) of spreading lies about the camps, the Sangh Parivar said the RSS had been organising ‘prathamik siksha vargs’ as personality development programmes across the country.
‘Not in closed rooms’
“The camps are not being held in closed rooms but on open grounds,” said RSS leader P. Gopalankutty in a press statement. At present the camps are being held in 43 centres, he said, adding that the CPI(M) is deliberately trying to instigate violence and unrest.
BJP district president P. Sathyaprakashan said in a statement here that the ‘siksha vargs’ were being organised by the RSS over the past nine decades. Describing the RSS as the ‘world’s largest national movement,’ he said the RSS did not require the ‘certificate’ of the CPI(M). He accused the CPI(M) of organising a ‘defence force’ in places including Pappinissery and conducting weapons training.
