What The Communists In Kerala Said About PFI Ban

After the Union government banned Popular Front of India (PFI) under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) on 28 September, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) in Kerala has come up with a variety of reactions. 

Knowing the communist response to the ban is significant since a CPI(M)-led alliance is in power in Kerala, and the state was the hub of the PFI. 

State Secretary And The Chief Minister

While state secretary M V Govindan has said that there is no use in banning PFI, as its ideology cannot be eliminated by a ban, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has only focused on the administrative aspects of it. 

In a meeting of government officials at Thiruvananthapuram, he said that there should be no undue haste in acting against PFI, and that all action must be legal.

As per reports, he gave strict instructions to government officials regarding implementing the ban and directed them to ensure that there wouldn't be any lapses or communal conflicts. 

Politburo Contradicts Itself

On one hand, the politburo says that the UAPA ban is not a solution to the issue of communalism, while on the other hand it says that it was always opposed to the communalism of the PFI.

Opposing PFI’s Communalism But Electoral Alliance With Them?

Notwithstanding this, there are cases where the CPI(M) has taken support of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), (which is the political arm of the PFI) in panchayat bodies.

Party Mouthpiece Deshabhimani Questions Why SDPI Was Kept Out Of Ban

The party mouthpiece Deshabhimani, while highlighting all the violence committed by PFI asked the question as to how the political arm — SDPI did not get banned.

It asks if it was due to some tacit understanding with the Centre?