Nefarious political model

The main culprits of the political murders of Venjaramoodu on Onam day shocking entire Kerala, have been arrested. What culminated in the loss of lives of Mithilaj and Haq Muhammad was a long-standing political spite. The police is affirming the inference that as per CCTV footage and circumstantial evidence, it is Congress workers who were behind the murder. The police also say that the murder was a sequel to the confrontations during the last general election. The chief minister has declared that there is a clear political conspiracy behind the killing and assured those behind the murders will be brought before law. Therefore, even after the arrest of the main suspects, the probe will be taken forward which may also lead to virulent political arguments. The CPM leaders including minister EP Jayarajan allege in one voice that Adoor Prakash MP is involved in the act. But the stand of Congress's Kerala chief (KPCC president) is that the murder is a CPM plot and a CBI enquiry is essential. The Congress accuses the government of conducting a prejudiced probe.

One thing that can be stated without doubt is that the chief architects of the despicable and unforgivable double murder of Venjaramoodu are those who seek a short cut to power through a muscular brand of politics. No political party of Kerala has until now shown any qualms in shedding the blood of political foes; on the contrary they have only justified them explicitly and implicitly. After all the din of political murders, there is usually a farce by the assailants and victims jointly denouncing murderous politics. There will also be a swearing that now on, no life will be hacked in the name of politics in Kerala and no family will have to make a heart-rending cry of losing its members. Even after that, political murders will continue to punctuate public life at regular intervals. The reason is simple: under the cover of democracy, mafia politics rules the roost.

In current times, the bosom friends of parties and leaders are goons, drug dealers, fraudsters and smugglers. With the political drama prevailing now in Kerala, if any one dreams that political assassinations will cease, he is living in a fools' paradise. An attempt to decode the statements from political leaders after the Venjaramoodu double murder, will give a ringing tone of gathering fuel for the next murder and the sound of sharpening the knife. The leaders of the Congress and CPM had known quite well ever since the last election that in the area of the latest crime, the situation was such that blood could spill any time. Enough number of cases have been registered in police stations against the assailants and victims alike on continuing incidents of violence. Such individuals have always straddled the streets with weapons either to kill or for self-defence. The police and CCTV images corroborate all this. Still why didn't the leaders of two sides, who talk about revenge and conspiracies, come to the picture? And why did they not take any initiative to solve the matter? The answer again is plain: leaderships need political conflicts and the youth to keep them happening.

For this very reason, both were creating the opportunities to combat each other in the location of the incident. The political picture in Venjaramoodu is a thumbnail of the feudal democracy that exist in many regions of Kerala. The Congress is as much responsible for the Venjaramoodu double murder as the CPM in the Periye double murder. In spectrum of political parties, all players who foster mercenaries to kill and get killed, are equally armed in the arena of deadly politics. Without bringing an end to the goon-run model of political activity, we cannot even dream of political murders ending in Kerala. As of now, it is the fate of a section of youth to fall martyrs at regular intervals, leaving no fresh light for democracy or political awakening, spreading more darkness around, leaving homes deserted at unforeseen moments, and falling dead causing perennial tragedy to women and children. The process of shedding fake tears when mercenaries of democracy lay down their lives , is bound to continue in Kerala – which boasts of political enlightenment - until its youth swear aloud that their lives are not open to be ended as living monuments of political farces.