Time for party to come to aid of Lavalin accused

While there is no formal direction in this regard from the CPM,which is resigned to long-drawn-out court proceedings in the scam,party units have seized the opportunity to beef up the newly formed special coffer to fight the case.

As CPM faithfuls contribute their sparse earnings,no one is questioning the reasoning for such a kitty by a party that has grown into a multi-crore business empire,with ventures spread over tourism,heath,media,rubber,toddy and several other verticals — with Pinarayi himself holding the status virtually of a chief executive officer of a corporate house.

“There is no quota fixed for any party unit in the state. However,several party sympathisers have voluntarily come forward to give financial assistance. Such spontaneous support would be welcomed,” CPM state secretariat member V V Dakshinamoorthy told The Indian Express,denying rumours that the Kottayam district committee’s “quota” for the Lavalin cause was Rs 50 lakh.

Apart from the money that will come in handy,the drive involving sympathisers and prominent Communist families also helps the CPM convey the impression of a united party passionately rallied behind Vijayan to fight the “politically-motivated” case.

Among the “spontaneous” supporters parting with their monthly pensions are Sarada,widow of former chief minister E K Nayanar; Meenakshi,whose husband and prominent CPM leader Azhikkodan Raghavan was killed in 1972; and Laila,daughter of the late A K Gopalan.

The others include old CPM loyalists like Fathima,wife of the late party leader E K Imbichibava,who paid money from her pension earned working as a teacher to the Lavalin fund. Imbichibava had represented the Ponnani constituency in the Assembly. Incidentally,his brother E K Aboobacker,also a Communist,died in penury two weeks ago.

A young comrade left disabled in an RSS attack in Kannur and the family of a slain Democratic Youth Federation of India leader in Kochi have pitched in,while Simon Britto,an MLA who has been languishing in a wheelchair since he was critically injured in a student clash in 1983,has promised to give Rs 10,000.

The latest contribution celebrated by the party was that of V K Bhadramma,wife of party Alappuzha district secretary P K Chandranandan. The teacher is donating a month’s pension.

Decrying the exercise,M R Murali,the convenor of an outfit comprising CPM rebels purged from the party,the Left Coordination Panel,feels that the CPM’s bid to convert the Lavalin case into a source for fund generation is “a challenge to the people of the state”.