CPM Party Secretary can Hug a Terrorist, A Mayor cannot attend a Nationalistic Function

Driven by its hallmark intolerance towards ideological adversaries, the CPI(M) is contemplating “disciplinary action” against Kollam Mayor N Padmalochanan, also a member of the party’s Kollam district secretariat, for participating in an RSS function. Padmalochanan, as City Mayor, had the other day inaugurated the office of the reception committee for the RSS Prant Sanghik meet to be held on Wednesday, by lighting the traditional lamp in front of the portraits of Golwalkar and Hedgewar.

Sources in the CPI(M) confirmed that there would be action against Padmalochanan for participating in the programme organized by “adversaries”. “The party district secretariat and district committee are meeting on Wednesday and Thursday and a decision on this would be taken in those meetings,” said a CPI(M) State committee member from Kollam. He also said that the State committee meeting currently on in Thiruvananthapuram could discuss the issue.

However, Padmalochanan said he had taken part in the function as City Mayor and not as a CPI(M) leader and that it was not imperative on him to get prior clearance from the party for such things. According to the organizers of the programme, two astrological examinations had established the need of the Mayor to light the lamp, he said, adding he had participated in it due to the warm compulsions from the organizers.

But the party State committee member said CPI(M) men could not participate in programmes as they liked just because they were holding elected parliamentary positions. “The party cannot approve the action of an activist – that too a person like Padmalochanan, a former State committee member – to participate in programmes of RSS on the excuse that he is a Mayor or panchayath president,” said the leader.

The party could not accept what Padmalochanan had done, said K Rajagopal, said CPI(M)’s Kollam district secretary. The district committee would refer the issue to the State leadership as Padmalochanan was a senior leader, said Rajagopal. Leaders also indicated that the “action” against the Mayor could not be avoided.

A senior RSS functionary said the Sangh did not want to see this as an issue at all as it was an internal problem of the CPI(M), which had never been tolerant to the Sangh or the BJP. “What they (the Marxists) don’t understand is that Padmalochanan as Mayor of Kollam is not their private property but the guardian of the city. We are happy that he was very warm with us and the programme,” he said.

Speaking after inaugurating the reception committee office, Mayor Padmalochanan said he was happy that the massive programme was being held at the Asramam Grounds in his city. Expressing his gratitude to the Sangh for inviting him to the programme, the Mayor felicitated the organization for its conference.

According to the organizers of the Prant Sanghik, a total of 100,000 uniformed RSS volunteers would participate in the conference to be held at the Asramam Grounds on Wednesday. The conference is being organized as part of the visit of RSS chief Mohan Bhagavat to Kerala.

According to RSS Prant Karyavah P Gopalankutty Master, this is the first time the Sangh is holding a meet of more than 100,000 volunteers in uniform at one place at a particular time. The volunteers are selected from more than 5,000 centres of the State. About half-a-lakh RSS sympathizers from Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts will also participate in the Prant Sanghik.

The Prant Sanghik will start with the ceremony of flag-hoisting (Dhwajarohan), which will be followed by a mass drill of the RSS volunteers. The Sangh chief will address the meet at 5.30 pm.

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