Welcome Criticism From All Quarters; Will Take Corrective Action Where Required: CPI(M)

On Sunday, the CPI(M), which is currently in power in Kerala, declared that it accepts criticism from all sides and acts appropriately when necessary.

CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan was responding to reporters’ queries regarding the recently pointed critique of authoritarianism in politics by Malayalam literary doyen and Jnanpith laureate M T Vasudevan Nair.

According to Govindan, Nair read aloud a piece he had written in 2003, during the UDF government led by A K Antony. The writer asked the media how they could be certain that the writer was referring to Pinarayi Vijayan and the Left government.

In front of Chief Minister Vijayan, MT poked fun at politicians on Thursday when he gave the keynote speech at a literary festival in Kozhikode. He said that sometimes, power gives way to dominance or authoritarianism.

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When he made the statement, he was remembering the legacy of EMS Namboothiripad, the first chief minister of the state and a well-respected legendary Marxist from Kerala.

MT also claimed in his speech that politics was sinking to ever-lower levels and that engaging in politics was now a legitimate means of gaining power.

Sometimes, dominance or even authoritarianism replaces power. These days, being a member of the Assembly, Cabinet, or Parliament offers the chance to rule over others. The idea that seeing power as a better way to help people has been abandoned, MT had claimed.

His speech quickly gained widespread attention on social media as some internet users and the opposition Congress-led UDF linked his scathing allusions to Vijayan. In contrast, the ruling CPI(M) and pro-Left writers and cultural leaders categorically denied the idea.

Sunday saw the release of a critique of politicians by novelist M Mukundan, who claimed that “we are living in a time where crowns rule”.

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Speaking at the ongoing literary festival in Kozhikode, Mukundan said that while he believes a drop of blood is more important than any crown, “unfortunately, it is the crown which is getting more powerful each day.”

“We must demonstrate that the heads wearing the crowns are capable of being blown away. Ours is a democracy.

Therefore, we must demonstrate the worth of blood and demonstrate the insignificance of the crown with our votes. The elections will soon take place. We can recall this conversation come polling day,” he said.

Source: PTI