Thiruvananthapuram: The CPI(M)’s Kerala unit’s hypocrisy with regards to dealing with the rights of the women has been exposed in the case of the stand that the party has taken for two prominent women in the state.
On the one hand is the youngest mayor in the country — Arya Rajendran, who is presently caught in the appointment controversy — and on the other hand is Dr Ciza Thomas, the newly appointed in-charge vice-chancellor of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University.
Rajendran has the full backing of her party. Even though the protests against her have been mounting by the day demanding her resignation, the party remains unmoved. She now moves around with the police in tow and also is followed by the various cadres of her party right from the students to the youth wings to the CPI(M) leaders.
The BJP and the Congress are engaged in massive protests, and the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation for the past few days resembles a battle ground.
Thomas, the newly appointed in-charge vice-chancellor of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, having a tough time to perform her duties as the CPI(M) backed student, youth and the party backed staff unions are against her for the reason that she has been appointed by the biggest bete noire of the CPI(M) — Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.
Ciza was appointed by Khan, last week ignoring the two names given by the Vijayan government after the apex court asked incumbent V-C, M.S. Rajasree to quit as her appointment was not in order.
Khan had directed the chief secretary and the state police chief to provide her adequate security, the police intelligence claimed that she might come under attack. As a result of this, on Wednesday she was unable to reach her office of the V-C at the Technological University and had to sit at her office of the director of technical education.
A media critic on condition of anonymity said, “None should forget that Vijayan after his latest European jaunt highlighted that Kerala will soon be turned into an education hub and with the present hiccups between the chancellor (in Kerala it’s the Governor) and the government has got huge media attention. Now a V-C is unable to perform her duties. This doesn’t augur well for Vijayan. She is not even allowed to reach her office and how the so-called education hub will become a reality in such an atmosphere,” said the critic.
The Vijayan government approached the Kerala High Court demanding a stay on the appointment of Ciza, but the court refused it and asked her to continue with her job till the case was heard on Friday.
So with the battle for supremacy between Khan and Vijayan continuing, the sad fact is the woman appointed by the former is being given a hard time while the other woman, who has the blessings of the latter, is able to move around freely with the support from the police and the CPI(M).
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