K-Rail:An open letter to Com. Kanam Rajendran

Respected Com. Kanam Rajendran

All of us, the signatories of this open letter, are well-wishers of Kerala and activists involved in the social, political, cultural, educational and environmental fields in the state.  By tradition, we belong to Communist families, and take pride in that lineage too.

What provokes us to write this letter is our anxiety over the present condition of the CPI, a great political movement, which we view as an heir of the undivided Communist Party, and still look upon with high expectations.  During the time of the previous Pinarayi government and the beginning of the present one, the CPI leadership was ready to voice its opposition on various crucial issues, whenever the occasion warranted it.  From our point of view, the recent stand the CPI took against the amendment to the Lokayukta Act was one of the instances where it aligned itself with the right cause.  As a part of the government, the CPI has not turned a blind eye to the values of truth and justice, the greater common good, and consensus of popular opinion; or refused to take honest and appropriate stands in matters concerning the fundamental problems of the people.  In fact, the vibrant legacy of the Indian Communist Party demands it.  However, we have not been able to understand the attitude of the party regarding the K-Rail issue.

When the party split in 1964, all the comrades who stayed on with the CPI had a very firm stand on public issues.    It was of paramount importance that decisions be taken only after subjecting vital issues to close scrutiny, and keeping in mind the interests of the people.    The members of the 1957 ministry and those who stood firmly with the CPI, after the split, epitomized such a spirit.  C. Achutha Menon, M. N. Govindan Nair, K. C. George, T. V. Thomas and others are only a few among them.  In the 1970s, during the time of the C. Achutha Menon government, when environmental issues associated with the Silent Valley Project began to peak, the party’s standpoint on the impact of the project on the state’s natural environment was very clear.  Party leaders and thinkers like K. V. Surendranath, Subramania Sharma (Sharmajee), C. Unniraja and others were at the forefront in raising the issue.

As mentioned earlier, the argument we wish to bring to your notice concerns the K-Rail.  The project carries the possibility of adversely affecting the lives of the majority of common people in our state, and we cannot agree with the stand the Communist Party has taken without conducting a comprehensive discussion on it.  Our belief is that the CPI is under no duress to agree with the CPM when the latter chooses to go ahead with it, ignoring the sentiments of the pe0ple.

The time we live in is already fraught with challenges.   Therefore, even while remaining an indisputable part of the present administrative system, when the CPI sees that certain decisions taken in the name of development are against the interests of the people, it should be able to say that openly, as in the past, regarding the case of the K-Rail too.  We feel that the CPI’s surrender of its individuality in this matter is unnecessary, especially when the experience of Bengal is still fresh in our minds.

We have absolutely no doubt that a movement with such a rich political legacy as the CPI – that tens of thousands of people including our parents sacrificed their lives for, in order to build brick by brick – should be at the vanguard in a more effective manner than before.  We humbly request that the CPI leadership of today be prepared to show it has the capacity to demonstrate its strong will in the matter concerning the K-Rail too.

Instead of continuing to support the K-Rail project, shouldn’t everyone be prepared to undertake a careful examination of all the documents associated with it (DPR, EIA and others)?  As far as we understand it, the project appears to be one that  will destroy the future interests of Kerala in more ways than one.  We request you to conduct a comprehensive discussion with prominent economic, sociological and environment experts, who are capable of openly analyzing and articulating all the problems associated with the project, before the party leadership waves the green flag for its implementation.

Further, we humbly appeal to the state leadership of the Indian Communist Party to stand steadfast on the side of justice, and give a satisfactory reply to the question raised by the people of Kerala as to whether we really require a project like SilverLine which will not only inflict additional financial liability on our state, that is already reeling under a public loan of three-and-a-half lakh crore rupees, but also adversely affect the life of people, destroy their livelihoods, precipitate rehabilitation problems, and cause environmental catastrophes.

It gives us great pride to say that we, the signatories of this letter, are the children of comrades who have served the Indian Communist Party, from its very inception.   We write this letter jointly in a bid to maintain the magnificent and memorable legacy our parents have left behind.  Among us is the son of a comrade who served as the Kasaragod taluk Communist Party Secretary during the time of the Kayyoor struggle, a member of the family of a Kayyoor martyr, and the son of an indomitable Communist leader who served as the Chief Minister of Kerala.  Among us are the children of the comrades who participated in the Parappuram meeting, convened for the formation of the Communist Party. And among us are the children of leaders and thinkers who sacrificed their lives for the growth of the Communist movement in Kerala.

Warm regards