The CPI(M) leaders wax eloquent about women’s rights. Recently, the party organised a women’s wall across the state to highlight Kerala’s renaissance credentials and gender justice.
However, the party leaders are the worst offenders when it comes to violation of women’s rights and dignity. CPI(M) MLA PK Sasi raped a party worker but managed to get away with a small punishment of six-month suspension from party posts after a probe committee constituted by the party found that the rape was of “low-intensity”. The state women commission chief said the rape of a woman party worker “was an internal matter of the party” and the panel has no right to interfere in this.
Motor-mouth minister Sudhakaran slut-shamed a woman party worker while MM Mani talked disparagingly about women protesters. An upright and young woman IPS officer, Chaithra Teresa John, was transferred by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan after she raided a CPI(M) office for arresting a group of goons who pelted stones on the police station which had lodged a POCSO accused CPI(M) leader. More than two dozen office-bearers of the CPI(M) at various levels were either languishing in jails or facing allegations of rape or molestation.
The latest entrant to the hall of shame is Devikulam CPI(M) MLA S Rajendran. He insulted the Deputy Collector Dr. Renu Raj, IAS, and said she has “no brains”. “She studied only to become a collector.. such people will have only so much brains,” he added.
What irked the MLA was the young, dynamic officer had served ‘stop memo’ to an illegal construction which was coming up on an encroached land.
Although the CPI(M) wanted to play it down, its ally CPI has come out strongly against the MLA. The state women’s commission also had to reluctantly register a case under pressure.
Dr. Renu Raj joined the elite service with a glorious academic background. Born to an ordinary employee of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), she passed MBBS scoring the first rank hence was a gold medalist. She bagged second rank in civil service examinations. She always proved her mettle as a sincere officer. She was bold to shut illegal quarries.
Dr Renu is the not the first civil service officer to be insulted by the LDF government. Young and dynamic sub collector Sreeram Venkataraman, 4th rank holder in civil service examinaitons, was transferred for strictly implementing anti-encroachment rules in Munnar. Another officer was criticised by the CM Pinarayi Vijayan for removing the cross from a land of hundred of acres encroached by the Church in Munnar. Even though the high priests of the Church did not dare to protest, Pinarayi told a press conference that the officer should have consulted him before removing the cross; because, the action did hurt the religious feelings of Christians. VR Premkumar, another officer, was transferred for a similar action.
Last week woman IPS officer was transferred for raiding the CPM Thiruvananthapuram district office after getting the Intelligence reports that the culprits who attacked a police station in the city were hiding there. CPM leders said that their party offices should not be raided.
This is a typical example of the style of treating sincere bureaucrats under the Pinarayi regime.
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