HVK Archives: Marxists=27_=27manifesto=27_is_terror_and_intim? idation?Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1999 13:12:44 -0000
Marxists=27_=27manifesto=27_is_terror_and_intim? idation?Date: Tue, 9 Feb 1999 13:12:44 -0000 - The Observer
T K Devasia
()
February 6, 1999
Title: Marxists' 'manifesto' is terror and intimidation
Author: T K Devasia
Publication: The Observer
Date: February 6, 1999
The Marxists, who control power in Kerala, have made life hell
for a man who came from Karl Marx's own country and has settled
down in a village in the State's northern district of Wayanad
with his Malayalee wife and child.
Life became a nightmare for the German national Dieter Grosskopf
and his family when they refused to contribute to the EMS
Namboodiripad Memorial Fund when a group of Communist Party of
India-Marxist (CPM) workers and its trade union wing, the Centre
for Indian Trade Unions (Citu), approached them in September.
Offended by it, the local CPM and Citu workers have been hounding
the Grosskopfs by using both their muscle and political power.
They manhandled the family, and their workers and have called for
a social boycott of them.
They have warned the traders not to sell any goods to the family
and threatened anybody who help them, to face ostracism.
The family consisting of Grosskopf, his wife Anitha, three-year-
old son and his father-in-law Jogindar Singh, is apparently
living in constant threat of attacks from the party workers.
The trouble for Grosskopfs started in September, when some CPM
and Citu workers led by local secretary Vasudevan had approached
the family for donation to the EMS fund. Seeing the picture of
late EMS on the bucket they carried, Grosskopf politely told them
that he could not give any money as it was against his resolve
not to donate funds to political parties. When coercion failed
to work, the group left the place with a warning that he will
have to face the consequences.
It manifested in the form of revival of an old labour dispute
involving Grosskopfs and a Citu contractor, which in fact was
settled long time ago in the presence of the police.
The police had allowed him to engage a new contractor after the
Citu man, who was entrusted with the work earlier, left without
any notice halfway through the work. The Citu men, challenged
their decision to replace the Citu contractor with a new person.
A group of Citu and CPM workers led by Mr Mohan Kumar and Mr
Rajan attacked the workers engaged by the new contractor while
they were coming out of the farmhouse on January 26. The
Grosskopfs, who tried to intervene were beaten up.
The Ambalavayal police reached the spot and took into custody
all, except some CPM and Citu men, who escaped. Subsequently,
the police registered four cases. Interestingly, one case was
against the victims.
While the victims were coming out of the police station, they
were again attacked in front of the police station by a group led
by Mr Rajan. One of the Grosskopf workers, Mr Rasheed, sustained
injury in the attack and was admitted to the hospital.
The Grosskopfs alleged that the police were aiding the party
goondas. A person said to be from the Special Branch reached
their farmhouse subsequently and threatened to terminate the
residence visa of Mr Grosskopf. Later some policemen from the
Circle Inspector's Office mounted pressure on them to sign some
papers related to the labour dispute they had with the Citu man,
which was settled at the police station.
The Grosskopfs told newsmen that they were surprised that the
district and state-level authorities to which they complained
against the attack had not even bothered to investigate the
matter. Ironically, they were trying to harass them, Ms Anitha
told a local newspaper.
When contacted, the Chief Minister's Office here said that they
were unaware of the incident and added that they would look into
it if a complaint was made. The CPM and Citu leaderships also
denied knowledge about the incidents.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and various social and human rights
organisations have come out in support of the German family. BJP
State General Secretary P S Sreedharan Pillai has sent messages
to the Prime Minister and Human Rights Commission urging their
immediate intervention to stop the persecution of the innocent
foreigner and his Indian family.
Mr Pillai said that the incident in Wayanad was a shame to India.
He said that the attack was prompted by the family's refusal to
donate to the EMS fund and accused the CPM of violating the
fundamental and human rights and rule of law. An individual has
the right to refuse to give donations to any party or
organisation, Mr Pillai maintained.
Representatives of the World Malayalee Council, Wayanad Prakruthi
Samrakshana Samithi and Karshaka Congress, visited the Grosskopfs
and extended their full support in their fight for justice. They
said that they would take up the issue with the HRC.
Meanwhile, there are allegations regarding the collection of
funds by the CPM not only towards the EMS fund, but also for
other purposes and their utilisation.
The construction of a highly luxurious state-of-the-art
auditorium at the AKG Centre, the party's state headquarters, at
a cost of nearly Rs 4.5 crore recently has given room for several
complaints.
Opposition leader A K Antony has alleged large-scale corruption
in the mobilisation of funds. He also demanded a probe into the
construction of the AKG Centre auditorium. He wondered how the
CPM coffers appeared to be jingling at a time when the people of
Kerala were reeling under economic crisis. He said that the
party's coffers became rich only when the party was in power.
The EMS fund launched in September achieved its target within
less than a week, with the party collecting over Rs 4 crore.
Many had complained of coercion and extortion by the Communist
Party of India-Marxist in collecting the fund by Misusing the
official machinery under their command.
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