Fearing controversy, Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM) Kerala State Secretary M. V. Govindan skipped the inauguration of a martyr’s memorial built by the CPM leadership for those who died in the explosion while assembling crude bombs in Kannur’s Panoor Chettakandi. Instead, District Secretary M.V. Jayarajan led several local communist leaders, inaugurated the memorial and justified the bomb-making cadre.

Earlier, it was decided that Govindan would participate in the event. The CPM leadership had also put up boards and banners announcing that Govindan would attend. There was a controversy over declaring those killed in the bomb blast as martyrs. But when the district unit asserted that the deceased were martyrs, the state unit also yielded to it.

On 6 June 2015, CPM workers Shaiju and Subish were killed while assembling crude bombs in a deserted field in Chettakandi. Four Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) workers were also injured. DYFI is CPM’s quasi-militant wing allegedly entrusted with the political outfit’s dirty work, including political killings.

In connection with the incident, the then-party secretary, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, said that the party had nothing to do with it and that CPM had no responsibility to answer. But the then CPM district secretary, P. Jayarajan, claimed that both died defending their political opponents.

Since the memorial’s fundraising campaign got underway in 2016, there has been a lot of public scrutiny. The CPM, however, moved forward with the plan, stating that Shaiju and Subish were the targets of a politically motivated attack rather than being involved in the manufacture of bombs. Former district secretary P. Jayarajan, who views the two as martyrs for their involvement in opposing RSS activities, has backed this position.

The party also discussed the district secretary’s rejection of the state secretary’s decision. The CPM has organised commemorative programs in the area since the first anniversary of their death. Govindan’s absence comes amid allegations that the memorial commemorates individuals who were killed while making bombs.

Since the CPM itself has taken the initiative to build a memorial for those who died during the blast, it is confirmed that bomb construction is going on in the Kannur district with the knowledge and consent of the party leadership. Govindan’s withdrawal will ignite a new controversy in the Kannur district unit.

Jayarajan attacked the former United Democratic Front government for bringing a ‘fake’ case about the incident. He declared that the explosion was not the result of bomb-making.

Regarded as martyrs, Shaiju and Subish lost their lives in battle against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), he claimed. He restated the CPM’s insistence on a thorough investigation into the explosion.

What is stopping the CPM? Who is in power? It remains suspicious. Will the CPM leadership allow a central agency to investigate such blasts?

Earlier this month, HinduPost reported how CPM was testing whether they can make Sherin (26), who was killed in the explosion while handling crude bombs in Muliyanthode near Panoor in Kannur district, also a martyr. The blast that took place on 5 April resulted in the loss of one life and injured three others in the Kunnothparamba area of Panoor in Kannur district.

The police remand report stated that the intention behind the bombs that went off in Panoor was to cause unrest in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections (voting took place on 26 April). However, the communist party denied any involvement in the blast.

While inaugurating the memorial, Jayarajan said the death of Shaiju and Subish could not be compared with the Kunnothaparamba explosion during the Assembly election. The party had condemned it. It was the fallout of a rivalry between two gangs.

Communists assembling bombs that go off are whitewashed as battles against the RSS and inter-gang rivalry in Kerala.

Incidentally, it is not just the RSS but Congress workers and communist rebels who have faced similar violence at the hands of Kerala communists. Will such memorials encourage communist violence and fascism?