Even as the Lok Sabha elections are fast approaching,the internecine war between CPIM politburo members V S Achuthanandan and Pinarayi Vijayan shows no sign of respite.
Even as the Lok Sabha elections are fast approaching,the internecine war between CPIM politburo members V S Achuthanandan and Pinarayi Vijayan shows no sign of respite.
On Saturday,Achuthanandan gave a fitting reply to Vijayan by indirectly comparing him with Mikhail Gorbachev,who solemnised the fall of Soviet Union.
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Vijayan,during the valedictory function of the Nava Kerala Yatra,had said,Outside the party,a leader is nothing. To buttress his point,Vijayan culled out lines from an Urdu anecdote. He cited the example of a boy who tried to collect the roaring sea into his bucket. When the water in the bucket did not generate waves,the crestfallen child was told that the water attained its full strength only when it was in the bosom of the sea. Similarly,Vijayan said,a leader gained support when he remained within a party.
Achuthanandan,borrowing the lines from his rival,said at a function in Thrissur,The storm named Gorbachev that emerged from the great sea,Soviet Union,finally destroyed the sea itself. Now,that same storm is hitting Kerala. The progressive forces in the state should guard against attempts to dry up our seas. Otherwise,the water in the bucket would have an altogether different story to tell, he said.
Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India.
Expertise, Experience, and Authority
Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment.
Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes:
Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration.
Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules.
Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More
