Fresh CPI-M-CPI Friction Over Punnapra-Vayalar History

(MENAFN- IANS) Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 2 (IANS) In a fresh sign of the strains within the Left camp in Kerala, senior CPI-M leader and former Finance Minister T. M. Thomas Isaac has launched a pointed attack on the CPI, the second-largest constituent of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), over the controversy surrounding the Punnapra Vayalar uprising.

In a lengthy Facebook post, Isaac rejected allegations by CPI leader T. J. Anjalose and others that the Punnapra-Vayalar special edition of the CPI-M mouthpiece 'Chintha' had distorted history and failed to give due recognition to veteran CPI leader T. V. Thomas.

Isaac, a two-time Finance Minister and CPI-M Central Committee member, said the allegations were completely contrary to facts.

He argued that a 3,000-word account of a historical event could not be expected to cover every detail and that omissions should not be portrayed as deliberate distortion.

Going point by point, Isaac said the Chintha article had clearly mentioned that the decision to launch the strike was taken by the AITUC council headed by Thomas.

He also recalled that Thomas was the one who challenged Sir C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar at a tripartite meeting at Bhakthivilasam, adding that his presence was specifically highlighted in the caption accompanying a photograph of the meeting.

On the allegation that Thomas was placed below C.K. Kumara Panicker in the directory of the 60-odd struggle leaders, Isaac said the photographs, barring that of P. Krishna Pillai, had been arranged alphabetically.

More significantly, Isaac questioned why the CPI was raising the issue now, when he had personally handed over a directory containing details of around 1,400 freedom fighters to the CPI office two years ago, seeking suggestions and corrections.

Copies of the book were again sent to all CPI local committee offices in the Alappuzha and Cherthala taluks, but no suggestions were received, he said.

The public exchange comes at a time when relations between the two major Left parties are already strained.

The CPI has been pressing for the post of Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, a demand rejected by the CPI-M.

The two parties have had differences even during the decade of Pinarayi Vijayan's rule. In 2017, four CPI ministers boycotted a Cabinet meeting over the Thomas Chandy issue.

In 2025, the CPI strongly opposed the PM-SHRI agreement with the Centre, forcing the government to put its implementation on hold.

Isaac's unusually sharp public response to the CPI's criticism could add another layer to the uneasy relationship between the two allies.

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