'Can Kerala afford such debt?’ VD Satheesan writes to Yechury on K-Rail project

Hours ahead of the CPI(M) party congress in its stronghold Kannur district, Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan on Tuesday, April 5, launched a broadside against the Left government on the K-Rail issue, alleging that it was adopting "an extreme right-wing" stand on the matter. The Congress leader, who is actively campaigning against the CPI(M)-led government's flagship K-Rail initiative also known as SilverLine, warned the ruling party for undermining the people's protest against the multi-crore semi-high speed railway project, saying it will become the "Waterloo" for the party in Kerala.

He also wrote a letter to CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, saying that the people of the state are eager to hear from him on the project which raises serious ideological concerns. Urging the CPI(M) general secretary to intervene in the matter, Satheesan said it is ironic to note that the Communist party, which is opposed to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed railway, is pushing the semi-high-speed SilverLine project in Kerala.

He alleged that the SilverLine project is a clear case of collusion between corporate interests and state power, at the expense of the common people. "It is evident that the stance taken by the LDF government is a sharp deviation from Left ideology to the extreme right," Satheesan said.

Earlier, interacting with media at his official residence, Satheesan alleged that the CPI(M)-led government is following the same right wing path of the Narendra Modi-led Union government on the SilverLine project.

The BJP government can do this as that party is extreme right," Satheesan said, adding that the Left is only a namesake for the present leadership of the CPI(M) as a policy shift has happened. The Opposition leader said the agitation will grow further as a mass movement and become a "Waterloo" for the CPI(M) in Kerala just as it lost its base in West Bengal after the Nandigram struggle that put an end to the over three-decade old CPI(M) rule in that state.

In 2007, many farmers were killed in police firing during an anti-land acquisition stir in Nandigram. "We support this people's agitation against the SilverLine. Non-bailable cases have been registered against our partymen. The CPI(M) had done the same thing against the people who had protested in Nandigram and Singur. Finally, it became the waterloo for the CPI(M) in West Bengal. SiverLine agitation is going to become waterloo for CPI(M) in Kerala," Satheesan said.

The Paravoor MLA dismissed the CPI(M) allegation that the Congress and the BJP have joined hands to destabilise the Left government in Kerala. "That narrative will not work," he said as top leaders of the CPI(M) landed in Kannur to attend the 23rd party congress of the Left party. The five-day long mega conference of the CPI(M), known as the Party Congress, will begin on Wednesday.