M.V. Govindan skips Chettakandi memorial inauguration

Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretary M.V. Govindan skipped the inauguration of the Chettakandi Martyr Memorial

Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretary M.V. Govindan skipped the inauguration of the Chettakandi Martyr Memorial, near here, on Wednesday. Instead, CPI(M) Kannur district secretary M.V. Jayarajan officially opened the memorial dedicated to Shaiju and Subish who were killed in an explosion in 2015.

Mr. Govindan’s absence comes amid allegations that the memorial commemorates individuals who were killed while making bombs.

Mr. Jayarajan said the explosion was not due to bomb-making and criticised the previous United Democratic Front government for filing a fake case in connection with the incident. Shaiju and Subish are regarded as martyrs who died fighting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He reiterated the party’s demand for a comprehensive inquiry into the explosion.

Mr. 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.

The fundraising for the memorial began in 2016 and it has faced significant public scrutiny since then. However, the CPI(M) has gone ahead with the proposal insisting that Shaiju and Subish were not involved in bomb-making but were victims of a politically motivated attack. This stance has been supported by former district secretary P. Jayarajan, who sees the duo as martyrs for their role in combating RSS activities.