Justice K Chandru inagurating the padayatra
Kanhangad: UDF leaders will also lead the Sasthra Sahithya Parishad rally. CPM leaders are also part of the rally even as the Parishad stands firm on its opinion that K-Rail is harmful to the state. The ‘padayatra’ began from Kakkanad on Friday morning with the message ‘Sasthram janananmakk, sasthram nava Keralathinu' (Science for the good of people, science for new Kerala).
The aim of the rally is to interact with the people, putting forward issues of the social, cultural, environmental and economic sector.
The rally will last for 34 days. The rally will be led by different leaders each day. CPM central committee member Thomas Isaac will lead the rally on day one. On February 21, Congress leader M Liju will lead the rally in Alappuzha and on February 26, NK Premachandran MP will be the rally leader in Kollam.
There are concerns in CPM that the rally might upset the government. In a press conference the other day, the rally convenor and parishad state leader, M Divakaran, alleged that suicides were increasing in the state. The leaders also claimed that even though Kerala is said to have made progress in the field of health, the state sells more medicines in comparison to other states. Several statements were made criticising the government.
CPM Kanhangad area committee member M Raghavan was the chairman of the inauguration organising committee of the rally. Several leaders, including Raghavan, were present at the press conference.
Former Madras High Court judge justice K Chandru inaugurated the rally at Manthoppu ground on Thursday evening. The rally will conclude on February 26 at Thiruvananthapuram.
Meanwhile, state leaders have come forward claiming that the parishad does not involve itself in party politics. Parishad state general secretary Joji Kuttummel said that even though most people involved in the parishad are aligned with the Left ideology, the outfit has no objection towards any political parties.