Learn from mistakes, CPI(M) told

Writer and former president of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi M. Mukundan has said that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI-M] has failed to learn from its repeated mistakes, including organising street protests in the State.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Saturday, Mr. Mukundan said it was high time the CPI(M) stopped uncivilised mode of protests. He was referring to an incident in which a woman argued with party leaders and workers who had laid siege to the Cliff House in Thiruvananthapuram, the official residence of the Chief Minister, two days ago.

It seemed that the CPI(M) leadership had not learnt from the recent agitations organised by the party in the State. The woman had done the right thing to protest against the road blockade. There was an ‘‘invisible broom’’ in her hand. Time would not be far off when the ‘‘broom’’ strikes our political leaders, Mr. Mukundan said.

He said it was unfortunate that the CPI(M) leadership had humiliated the lone protesting woman to justify the actions of the party. Left parties had not gained anything by organising hartals and strikes. Political parties evaded issues facing the common man, he said.

The success of the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi Assembly polls was evident of the changing mood of the citizens. The national capital had become a model for such change. Governments which had failed to meet the aspirations of the people would be decimated, said Mr. Mukundan.

Hassan’s stance

Special Correspondent writes from Thiruvananthapuram: KPCC vice-president M.M. Hassan on Saturday said hartals and bandhs would come to an end if people openly express their opposition to such tactics.

Congratulating Sandhya Suresh’s stance against the Left Democratic Front’s embargo on the Cliff House, Chief Minister’s official residence, Mr. Hassan regretted the attempts of certain quarters to see politics behind spontaneous reactions against debilitating agitations.

He said the protest of the Thiruvananthapuram-based homemaker would provide enough encouragement to political parties and others to seek out alternative methods of agitations and give up hartals and bandhs.

He had been holding the view for long that agitations in front of the Secretariat should be put an end to and a fair ground identified for protesters to stage their demonstrations. He urged the State government to locate a suitable area for the people to register their protest.