Kerala: MV Govindan's Jatha to conclude today

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: The Janakeeya Prathiroda Jatha, led by CPM state secretary MV Govindan, will conclude here on Saturday. CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury will inaugurate the public rally in connection with the concluding ceremony.
The march that started with a proclaimed objective of rallying people in Kerala against the BJP government in the Centre ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election got reduced to a firefighting tour to justify the LDF government under fire. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who inaugurated the Jatha at Kumbala in Kasaragod on February 20, could create quite a flutter in the Muslim-dominated areas when he tore into Jamaat-e-Islami for the talks it held with RSS top leaders and accused UDF of having 'special chemistry' with Jamaat-e-Islami.
But as the journey progressed, Govindan was forced to spend his time and energy to defend the party against various allegations and controversies, ranging from the revelations from criminal gang leaders who were once close to the party to gold smuggling accused Swapna Suresh. On top of it, the Brahmapuram fire incident gave Govindan little room to highlight political issues that the Jatha wanted to rake up ahead of the LS elections.
In between, Govindan's Jatha hit headlines for the wrong reasons when he openly admonished a mike operator, and the party local leaders allegedly asked labourers to halt work and compulsorily attend the public meeting in connection with the Jatha. His claims that K-Rail would help Kudumbashree workers sell food products in markets far away became food for trolls. He was also forced to swallow his own words that CM would file a defamation case against Swapna.
"Govindan has failed to make any palpable impact by taking out this Jatha. People would have appreciated him if he halted the Jatha and went to Brahmapuram when the fire and smoke engulfed Kochi for days. Instead, he used his time and energy to justify the government throughout the Jatha," said political analyst J Prabhash.