On T.P. Chandrasekharan’s Murder

 

The Communist movement in Kannur and in Kerala grew by fighting imperialism and feudal landlordism. By consistently championing the people’s interests. It grew by building the working class and peasant movements.

 

All this was possible due to the superior ideology and correct politics of the Communist Party. We have seen how our movement was subject to physical attacks and violence by the reactionary forces. Here in Kannur district in the 1970s employers and capitalists imported goondas belonging to the RSS to attack beedi workers and their unions. This was the origin of the RSS violence against the communists. The Congress and the RSS have resorted to such methods time and again to suppress the CPI(M).

 

But we have rebuffed all such attacks with the support of the people. This was possible because our ideology and politics was supported by the people.

 

Our Party believes in fighting politically and ideologically the parties of the ruling classes. That is what AKG, EMS, E K Nayanar and other leaders stood for.

 

We do not believe in using weapons to kill political opponents and those who disagree with us. Our greatest weapon is the Marxist ideology and the politics of the working class.

 

A few days ago, T P Chandrasekharan, a former member of the Party and the leader of a political group in Kozhikode district was brutally murdered. We condemn this heinous killing unreservedly.

 

Utilising this murder, the Congress and the UDF and a section of the media have launched a vicious campaign to defame the CPI(M) and to portray the Party as a Party of killers and those who indulge in the politics of murder.

 

There has to be a full investigation into this crime and to identify those responsible and to bring them to justice. But the manner in which the police investigation is being influenced and interfered with by the UDF government is a glaring example of political vendetta. Even the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Mulapally Ramachandran has brazenly sought to influence the investigation by declaring from the outset that the CPI(M) is responsible for the murder and continues in this vein by stating that the CPI(M) leaders have to be held responsible.

 

The Congress leadership including their ministers are out in force to reap some political benefit out of this tragic murder.

 

The CPI(M) rejects this slanderous campaign. It will mobilise the people to rebuff this brazen effort to defame and malign the Party.

 

It is necessary to reiterate once again that the CPI(M) will firmly defend the interests of the working people and our movement. But we do not subscribe to individual killings of political opponents or those opposed to our Party and its politics.

 

There has to be a fair and impartial investigation by the police of the crime committed. If there is any truth in the allegations about the involvement of any member of our Party in this crime, we shall take it seriously. If any person belonging to our Party is associated with this murder then that is an act that goes against the interests of our Party and the movement. Such an act would not be tolerated by the Party and firm action will be taken. If there is any wrong trend, it will be stopped and corrected.

 

There has been a concerted and motivated campaign to defame our Party in Kannur. There have been countless comrades in this district who have laid down their lives defending the working class and peasant movements. Many have fallen victim to the politics of violence and assassinations by the reactionary forces. All this is brushed aside to portray a one-sided picture of violence and killings by the Marxists. Those who cannot isolate and defeat us on the basis of politics and ideology, are attempting to mislead and confuse people by presenting a distorted picture of the communist movement here.