KANNUR: Communist leaders and their families lead different lives in the state. While one section has an appetite for wealth and power, the other prefers to remain low-key. The children of CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and Kannur district secretary P. Jayarajan are poles apart in their lifestyles and temperament. This is the topic of many social media comments which highlight the multi-crore deals of Binoy Kodiyeri and the plight of two sons of P. Jayarajan.
It may be recalled that he has been elected as the CPM district secretary for a third term though the state leadership had censured him for self- promotion. An audio visual WhatsApp message doing the rounds among comrades says that Jayarajan, the son of Patyam, is a true communist leader who never promoted his sons, Ashish Raj and Jain Raj, and family members. Ashish Raj is employed in a firm in Bangalore while Jain Raj is a party worker. But the families of some politburo members are leading a luxurious life bringing shame to the party, it adds.
The simple life led by Jayarajan in tune with the communist ideologies has made him an icon of communism. He has remained among party workers and therefore the party rallied behind him when the state secretariat criticized him for not preventing cadres from portraying him as a hero. "Jayarajan is for Kannur what Manik Sarkar is for Tripura," said the message. There was an attempt to replace him as Kannur district secretary when the state committee censured him for 'self-promotion'. The failure of Jayarajan to ensure peace in Kannur had led to friction between him and chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Though Mr Vijayan openly criticised him for the militancy against RSS and the recurring killings in Kannur, Jayarajan did not fall in line.
