J NANDAKUMAR
The gruesome killing of Swayamsevak Remith by Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) goons on October 12, 2016, near his home at Pinarayi, was a severe shock to all karyakartas and Swayamsevaks of our District. He was killed while he was going to buy medicines for his niece. Remith was attacked by a member of the trained CPI(M) goon squad, who initially hit him with iron rods and thereafter with daggers and swords. He was declared dead at the hospital. Remith was the backbone of his family consisting of his mother and sister, and was just 26 years old. Remith’s house belongs to Pinarayi panchayat area, the home village of the Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan.
Attempts to kill Remith had been made earlier too. On May 19, 2016, immediately after the Assembly election result, his house was attacked and his mother was threatened and warned that her son would be killed. Prior to that, on two occasions, wreaths were laid in front of his house, in order to threaten him with dire consequences in the event of his association with our activities. The entire family was socially boycotted by CPIM leaders who openly declared that the family of Uthaman (Remith’s late father) will not be allowed a decent living at Pinarayi. Shop owners were instructed to keep away from the family of Remith. It is not a tit for tat, as painted now by the media, but a pre-planned, cold blooded murder carried out under the instruction of the CPI(M) leadership.
Remith’s father Uthaman happened to be one of our strong workers who was instrumental in nurturing and building nationalist organisations in his surrounding area, namely Chavassery near Mattanur, which was once a communist stronghold. He was in the forefront of questioning the atrocities committed by the CPI(M) and acted as a pillar of our activities till his last breath. His steady and inspired work saw hordes of communist workers flock towards the RSS. This had created great consternation among the CPI(M) leadership, which contemplated revenge.
Uthaman who was a bus driver, was killed on May 21, 2002, in broad daylight after he had halted his bus because bombs were hurled at it while the bus was heading to Iritty in Kannur district. Uthaman was attacked with swords and died on spot.
Just like the threats to Remith, Uthaman had also been threatened by the district leaders of CPI(M). In a number of public meetings, it was openly declared that Uthaman would be killed. Selected goons were brought together and interestingly some Islamic lumpens were also involved in his killing. On the next day, on May 22, 2002, after attending his cremation, while his family members and others were returning a jeep was attacked with bombs on it and an aged mother, Ammu Amma was thrown out of the vehicle and even on witnessing an aged mother begging for her life, folding her hands, bombs were thrown on the chest of Ammu Amma. The driver of jeep, Shihab, and Ammu Amma were seriously injured in the attack and succumbed to their injuries on the same day.
In the killing of Uthaman, the jihadi angle was also evident. As the names of assailants in the killing of Remith is getting known, here too the role of jihadi elements is possible. They have succeeded in penetrating the centres dominated by the CPI(M). It is reliably learnt that one Raheem, a dreaded criminal with a jihadi background, was the one who was instrumental in the killing of Remith. Earlier also, Raheem had intimidated Remith while he had gone to buy provisions. Raheem and his younger brother were instrumental in the attacks made on several homes of RSS workers on in May. In Kerala the deadly cocktail of the Marxist-jihadi nexus is crystal clear, and has to be taken tackled with utmost determination.
(The writer is All India Sah-Prachar Pramukh of the RSS)