After pinarayi vijayan, govindan takes heat at cpm district conference

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was the receiving end of the annoyance of delegates on the first day of the CPM Thiruvananthapuram district conference, on Sunday, it

was the turn of party state secretary M V Govindan. While participating in a discussion on the work report, a woman delegate reportedly poked fun at Govindan’s oration, saying that anyone

keen to know the meaning of the dialectical materialism in the speeches of the state secretary should visit the police station. “Justice is being denied to victims in police stations across

the state. Talking isn’t doing. Women are not given enough representation in party posts. The state secretary has talked about the representation of women. That is good. Does the leadership

have the guts to issue a circular about the number of posts given to women cadres?” she reportedly asked. Delegates severely criticised the ‘reception’ party cadres receive at police

stations. “Justice is denied to CPM workers in police stations. Officers don’t treat party cadres with dignity, which is not the case, however, with BJP or SDPI activists,” they reportedly

said. There was also criticism of the health department. Delegates said that there is a shortage of medicines in government hospitals, besides the lack of night-duty doctors. Some even

criticised the general education department, headed by V Sivankutty. “All decisions are taken by the educational director. Though there is a strong minister, the decisions are being taken by

bureaucrats,” they alleged. Though the work report commended the activities of the Thiruvananthapuram mayor, delegates took a dig at Arya Rajendran’s style of functioning. Coming down

heavily on her, they alleged that national and international awards don’t really matter. “What she needs is the people’s mandate. She is a big failure on that front.