There were neither surprises nor any voices of dissent as the four-day State conference of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) drew to a close here on Wednesday. The dominance of the CPI(M) on the biggest Leftist youth organisation in the State was evident and complete as those close to the party leadership were chosen for the top posts in the State committee.
A.A. Raheem, currently a member of the DYFI central committee from Thiruvananthapuram, has been chosen the new State secretary, while S. Sathish, State secretariat member from Ernakulam, is the new president. S.K. Sajeesh, right now a member of the State centre from Kozhikode, is the new treasurer. The 52 existing State committee members were not included in the new committee for various reasons.
Though the DYFI leadership maintained that it was “an independent organisation” and not “affiliated” to any political party, the proceedings at the conference were ample proof of its allegiance to the CPI(M).
M.V. Govindan, senior CPI(M) leader who is in charge of the DYFI, oversaw the meeting which “unanimously” chose the new functionaries. There was a deliberate strategy not to issue any public statement that might embarrass the Left Democratic Front government during the course of the conference.
Not critical of govt
The discussions at the delegate sessions too were careful enough and not too much critical of the government though some of the State leaders were reportedly singled out for their public and political postures.
Both the outgoing and newly elected leadership also expressed their complete support to the government, which they claimed, was battling a “communal campaign” of the Sangh Parivar ably supported by the Congress.
Addressing the media, Mr. Raheem alleged that the RSS and the BJP had devised a political conspiracy to turn Kerala into a “communal cauldron” citing the Sabarimala verdict. “The DYFI will not let that happen. We will organise a campaign against communalism on November 25 in all block centres to mark the anniversary of the police firing at DYFI activists Koothuparambu in Kannur. We will reach out to the people and expose the communal agenda of the RSS,” he pointed out.