Kozhikode: News of cracking down on statues and memorials of leaders are increasing and the perpetrators are drawing flak for their fascist attitude to power. Kerala is no stranger to such attacks. In fact, while the CPM was at the receiving end in Tripura where a bust of Lenin in Tripura was toppled allegedly by saffron forces, it is the same CPM which is in the dock for allegedly attacking the memorial of slain RMPI leader T.P. Chandrasekharan in Onchiyam. TP’s memorial column at Vallikad, where he was hacked to death, was attacked five times since its inception in 2012. Now, the memorial is under round-the-clock police vigil since two years and even closed circuit TVs were installed at the spot.
The latest attack was when the Pinarayi Vijayan government assumed power. “The round-the-clock police protection is an indicator of the CPM’s unending vengeance towards Chandrasekharan and RMPI even after they hacked him to death,” said RMPI state secretary N. Venu. He wondered if there was any memorial in the country which needed constant police presence. Though the memorial was attacked five times, no arrest has been made in any case. After the two attacks, the memorial was rebuilt using concrete, but to no avail.
Vallikad near Vadakara.
The police has now parked its van in front of the memorial, covering it from the view of the road. But CPM Onjiyam Area Secretary T.P Bineesh brushed aside his party’s role in the attacks. “These was not attempts to demolish precisely. It seems only small cracks were made on the memorial as a trigger to make news. The CPM doesn’t believe in destroying the memorial of any leader,” he explained.
