CITU withdraws claim  of extremists being behind Munnar agitation

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), the trade union wing of the CPM, Monday alleged that Tamil extremist groups were behind the estate workers’ agitation in Munnar. However, the CITU withdrew the allegation after CPM failed to acknowledge it.

CITU state general secretary K P Sahadevan said that the union has information that extremist groups from Tamil Nadu were the behind the agitation. However, refuting the allegation, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said trade union leaders should not make statements which could create misunderstanding. He said: “Instead, the trade unions introspect against the backdrop of the estate workers’ agitation.” After the CPM rejected the CITU stand, Sahadevan withdrew his statement.

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Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the agitation was a spontaneous reaction from estate workers and that police did not have any information suggesting hand of extremist elements behind it. “We don’t know how CITU arrived at such a conclusion,” said Chennithala.

Sahadevan, speaking in Munnar, had said the agitation was well-coordinated and pre-planned and the agitators were given directions from some quarters. “The estate workers’ links with Tamil extremist groups should be probed,” said Sahadevan.