Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s observations about the Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s stand on the Kasturirangan committee report represented another example of his tendency to distort facts to suit his purpose, the party’s State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
Reacting to Mr. Chandy’s comments on the subject earlier in the day, Mr. Vijayan, in a statement on Monday, said the Chief Minister had sent letters to political parties seeking their views on the Kasturirangan committee report.
The CPI(M), in reply, had given its views in writing very clearly. It was this letter that the Chief Minister was interpreting differently to argue that the both the CPI(M) and the Congress had the same views on the subject, Mr. Vijayan said.
“In that letter the CPI(M) had made it clear that it could not accept the Kasturirangan committee report being implemented as it is, although it had attended to some of the flaws of the Gadgil committee report.
Mr. Chandy is trying to mislead the public by hiding this clear statement [in our letter],” Mr. Vijayan said.
He said his party had told the government that the concerns of the people should be addressed and the conservation of the Western Ghats should be ensured by involving the people.
It was also stated in the letter that the Union government was rushing with the implementation of the recommendations.
The letter went on to state: “This could not be accepted. It should be possible to go forward by discussing the issue with farmers’ organisations and other sections of the people, bringing in the required amendments in the report and taking everyone into confidence.”
