SFI – Kerala Student Union – Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) – CPI(M) – INC – Christians
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Refugee Review Tribunal AUSTRALIA RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE Research Response Number: IND31446 Country: India Date: 19 March 2007 Keywords: India – Kerala – SFI – Kerala Student Union – Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) – CPI(M) – INC – Christians This response was prepared by the Country Research Section of the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT) after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RRT within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Questions 1. Please provide some background as to the politics of the State of Kerala, particularly clashes between the CPIM and INC or DIC or their student arms. 2. Is there any information of Simon Britto and whether he is a legislative assembly member? 3. Which party was in power in Kerala State Assembly from the early 1980s? 4. Please provide some background on the Democratic Indira Congress and Mr. Karunakaran in Kerala. 5. Please provide background or any detail on RSS attacks on Christians particularly in Chitoor, Kerala. RESPONSE Note: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is usually abbreviated to CPI(M), CPIM, or CPM. The Communist Party of India is usually abbreviated to CPI. The India National Congress is also known as the Congress Party, Congress, or Congress (I), abbreviated INC. 1. Please provide some background as to the politics of the State of Kerala, particularly clashes between the CPIM and INC or DIC or their student arms. An Indian news article on the 2006 state elections describes Keralan politics as a “political jigsaw”. Politics in Kerala is characterised by continually shifting alliances, party mergers and splits, factionalism within the coalitions and within political parties, and numerous splinter groups. The two largest political parties in Kerala are the India National Congress (INC) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The Student Federation of India (SFI) is the powerful student arm of the CPI(M), while the Kerala Student Union (KSU) is a pioneer of the students’ movement of the INC. As detailed in this response, the two major parties and their student wings have a long history of enmity in Kerala (‘Kerala’s political jigsaw, unravelled’ 2006, Rediff website, 10 April http://in.rediff.com/election/2006/apr/10pkerala.htm – Accessed 19 January 2007 – Attachment 1). An article in Wikipedia1 on Kerala’s political system states: Like other Indian states and Commonwealth countries, Kerala is governed through a parliamentary system of representative democracy; universal suffrage is granted to residents. There are three branches of government. The legislature, or the legislative assembly, consists of elected members and special office bearers (the Speaker and Deputy Speaker) elected by assemblymen. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker (or the Deputy Speaker if the Speaker is absent). The judiciary comprises the Kerala High Court (including a Chief Justice combined with 26 permanent and two additional (pro tempore) justices) and a system of lower courts. The executive authority—comprising the Governor of Kerala (the de jure head of state appointed by the President of India), the Chief Minister of Kerala (the de facto head of state: the Legislative Assembly’s majority party leader is appointed to this position by the Governor), and the Council of Ministers (appointed by the Governor, with input from the Chief Minister). The Council of Ministers answers to the Legislative Assembly. Auxiliary authorities known as panchayats, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs (‘Kerala’ 2007, Wikipedia, updated 4 March http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala – Accessed 5 March 2007 – Attachment 2). Kerala hosts two major political alliances: the United Democratic Front (UDF) – led by the INC; and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) – led by the CPI(M). Most of the major political parties in Kerala, except for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), belong to one or the other of these two alliances, often shifting allegiances a number of times. An article dated 19 March 2006 states that “[i]t is difficult for a single party to contest and win even a single seat, because the voter perception is towards voting for a front. The BJP…has not been able to register its presence in the assembly. This in spite of the fact that BJP is the third largest party in Kerala after Congress and CPM” (Chandrasekhar, S. 2006, ‘BJP and Karunakaran can tilt the balance’, Organiser website, 19 March http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=122&p age=11 – Accessed 8 March 2007 – Attachment 3; also see ‘Kerala’ 2007, Wikipedia2, updated 4 March http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala – Accessed 5 March 2007 – Attachment 2). At present LDF is the ruling coalition, after winning the May 2006 state elections. V.S. Achuthanandan of the CPI(M) became the Chief Minister. State elections are held in Kerala usually every five years. Since the early 1980s control of the government has alternated every election between the UDF and the LDF. Clashes between supporters of the two coalitions have occurred periodically. Both the INC and the 1 Users should be aware that Wikipedia is a Web-based free-content encylopaedia which is written collaboratively by volunteers. Country Research recommends that users of Wikipedia familiarise themselves with the regulatory practices which Wikipedia employs as a preventative measure against vandalism, bias and inaccuracy. 2 Users should be aware that Wikipedia is a Web-based free-content encylopaedia which is written collaboratively by volunteers. Country Research recommends that users of Wikipedia familiarise themselves with the regulatory practices which Wikipedia employs as a preventative measure against vandalism, bias and inaccuracy. CPI(M) have accused the other of corruption, promoting or condoning political violence, and “the general breakdown of law and order” during their periods in government (see: ‘Storm gathers under Red sky’ 2006, Indian Express, 2 May – Attachment 4; ‘Pinarayi spreading violence’ 2005, The Hindu, 9 November – Attachment 5; Krishnakumar, R. 2005, ‘Kerala’s choice ‘, Frontline, Volume 22, Issue 21, 8 October, http://www.flonnet.com/fl2221/stories/20051021003603700.htm – Accessed 11 April 2006 – Attachment 6; ‘Opposition boycotts Governor’s address in Kerala Assembly’ 2000, Press Trust of India, 18 February – Attachment 7; ‘UDF Hartal on Feb 16’ 2000, Press Trust of India, 11 February – Attachment 8; ‘LDF sending team to Kasaragod, Kannur’ 1999, The Hindu, 17 September – Attachment 9). Political Violence Past RRT Research Responses address the issue of political violence in Kerala. They indicate that the state “has experienced a long history of political violence” and that “clashes have involved all political parties”. Specifically, they also indicate that members of the Congress party have been targeted by the Communist Party (RRT Country Research 1995, Research Response IND10903, 16 November (includes reports on political violence in the late 1980s and early 1990s) – Attachment 10; RRT Country Research 2002, Research Response IND15162, 21 May (details political violence and law enforcement) – Attachment 11; RRT Country Research 2004, Research Response IND16666, 29 April (details violence between CPI(M) and INC) – Attachment 12). A 2001 article in the Gulf News details the rising political violence in Kerala where, in addition to State police, 30 companies of Central paramilitary forces and 14,000 special police officers had been deployed to ensure security for the coming elections. The article also mentions a recent “chain of reprisal killings” as well as widespread property destruction, mainly in the Kannur district, with the BJP, the CPI(M), and the Congress party being the main rivals. According to the article over 2,000 political clashes and 150 political murders had occurred in the district in the past 20 years (Mathew, A. 2001, ‘Elaborate security for Kerala elections’, Gulf News, 8 May – Attachment 13). An article dated 6 November 2005 reports allegations by the President of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) that the CPI(M) had created a “terror situation” in the Kannur district through violating democratic rights, rigging elections, intimidation, and political violence and killings. An article dated 9 November 2005 details allegations that the CPI(M) was spreading this type of political violence and intimidation to other parts of the State. The KPCC leader also alleged that the CPI(M) was unleashing violence in order to suppress its political adversaries, and that the CPI(M) and the BJP were equally responsible for promoting violence (‘KPCC to submit memo to Central Government, CEC’ 2005, The Hindu, 6 November – Attachment 14; ‘Pinarayi spreading violence’ 2005, The Hindu, 9 November – Attachment 5). See also: ‘CPM under attack from allies’ 2006, Organiser website, 10 December http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=160&p age=19 – Accessed 7 March 2007 – Attachment 15; ‘Violence claims four lives, several injured killed in Kerala’ 2000, Press Trust of India, 4 December – Attachment 7; ‘LDF sending team to Kasaragod, Kannur’ 1999, The Hindu, 17 September – Attachment 9; ‘Fight in Kannur is over violence S Sanandakumar’ 1999, The Economic Times, 8 September – Attachment 7; ‘BJP demands judicial inquiry into CPM violence in Kerala’ 1996, Business Standard, 12 December – Attachment 16. Clashes between the SFI & KSU A number of reports referring to conflict between the KSU and the SFI were found in the available information. These often-violent clashes have been occurring over the last few decades up to the present time. An article in The Hindu refers to the “violent campus politics of the 1980s”, and details the 1983 student union clash between the SFI and the KSU in which Simon Britto was stabbed. With student political activism continuing to result in sometimes violent confrontations, the article reports that there is a “middle-class clamour for a ban on campus politics” (Basheer, K.P.M.