S V Venugopalan
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HEAT waves were forecasted a few days earlier in Chennai and other parts of the state of Tamil Nadu, and the summer heat has already begun. The election-related heat and intense campaigning culminated with the state going to polls in the first phase on April 19. However, given the socio-political and cultural landscape of the state, characterised by a rich heritage of social reforms, class struggles, and the self-respect movement, it is unsurprising to witness strong echoes, responses, and reactions in the state to political discussions on sensitive issues happening elsewhere in the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's atrocious remarks targeting the minority community, especially Muslims, and his audacity to distort, discredit, and demonise the deliberations made by Manmohan Singh, the then prime minister, and the Congress manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, during his election speech at Banswara in Rajasthan on April 21, 2024, has sparked severe backlash and criticism across the state among the general public.
At the call of the Chennai Central district committee of the CPI(M), there was a spirited assembly of over 300 activists near Valluvar Kottam, Nungambakkam, at 9 am on April 24 to vehemently protest against Modi's hate speech. The protest, comprising a significant presence of women and youth, condemned the Election Commission of India (ECI) for its failure to act on the complaints received from the opposition and the Left Parties against Modi. The frustration and anger of the protesters was palpable through resounding slogans amidst the rising temperature.
Presiding over the protest meeting, G Selva, secretary of the Chennai Central district committee, strongly criticised Prime Minister Modi's vitriolic speech targeting minorities, and intentionally propagating falsehoods. Selva rebuked the PM for stooping to new lows on a public platform, and said that he aimed to deceive poor voters by claiming that their hard-earned savings, wealth, and even mangalsutra would be seized and given to Muslim minorities if the opposition were to come to power. Drawing extensively from the Oxfam report, which highlighted the widening inequality between the top 1 per cent of the population and the remaining 99 per cent, Selva asserted that Modi was resorting to age-old polarisation tactics to deflect attention from the economic failures during the decade-long BJP rule. Selva condemned the rising unemployment and increasing crimes against humanity under the BJP-led NDA government, and said that their anti-people attitude is unforgivable. He also criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI) for silently witnessing the blatant violation of the code of conduct by the PM and others in power.
In his special address, K Kanakaraj, CPI(M) state secretariat member pointed out that the word 'redistribution' is not present in the Congress manifesto, and the word 'distribution' appears twice, but in a different context which is completely unrelated to the transfer of wealth from Hindus to minority Muslims. Kanakaraj accused the PM of perpetuating multiple falsehoods, stating that it seemed to be ingrained in his DNA. He condemned the shameless inclusion of half-truths and untruths in Modi's speeches. Kanakaraj highlighted the disturbing statistics indicating the widening gap between the rich and the poor in the country, emphasizing the urgent need for a scientific and equitable redistribution of wealth to be the focal point of discussion.
Emphasizing the remarkable role played by the CPI(M) in initiating legal action against electoral bonds, which exposed the corporate connections of those in power, Kanakaraj underscored the relentless struggles undertaken by the Party to defend the people of the country against all odds. He challenged the BJP to uphold principles of social justice and economic equality. He warned the people to be vigilant against attempts by the Sangh Parivar to undermine the foundations of the Indian Constitution and jeopardise the secular democratic republic. Kanakaraj asserted that the fight against Modi's ongoing deceitful tactics would persist until the Election Commission of India intervenes and takes decisive action to hold him accountable.
The protest demonstrations commenced with powerful poetry recitations by N V Arul and S V Venugopalan from the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association, condemning Modi's divisive politics. V Rajasekar, CPI(M) State Committee member, also addressed the gathering, while Ravindra Bharathi, secretary of the Thousand Lights area committee, gave the vote of thanks.
Subsequently, a rally proceeded from Valluvar Kottam to the Nungambakkam Police Station to file a complaint against Modi. Intense discussions unfolded between the police administration and the team led by K Kanakaraj and G Selva, with the latter demanding the registration of an FIR or the issuance of a CSR due to the serious threat posed to the unity of the country. The police authorities were unrelenting even as their attention was drawn to a host of cases registered at various police stations across the country on the minister Udayanidhi Stalin's speech on sanatana dharma.
With unwavering determination, the Party leaders insisted on taking action, eventually receiving a numbered acknowledgment for the lodged complaint. Speaking to the press later, both Kanakaraj and Selva reiterated that the struggle would persist until justice prevails, and the Party would continue to expose the poisonous campaign propagated by the Sangh Parivar to the wider public.
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