Madness on the roads of Kerala; Police helpless

The state government is openly challenging law-abiding and peace-loving Malayalees by allowing the youth wing of the ruling party, CPI(M), to unleash hooliganism on the roads, with the police being passive observers. On Friday, a few SFI-DYFI workers damaged a police vehicle in Chalakkudy, Thrissur district. Nidhin Pullan, a local youth leader, climbed onto the vehicle's bonnet, smashed the windshield while the cops inside watched helplessly. Although he was taken into police custody, the party's area secretary forcefully took him away. This incident is reportedly linked to police instructions to remove a banner from the ITI premises in Chalakkudy ahead of the institutional election on Friday. Despite the SFI winning the election, Nidhin Pullan could not tolerate what he perceived as 'insolence' towards the youth wing of the ruling party. Chief Minister Pinarai Vijayan's response to the open vandalism by his party's youth wing encourages public vandalism and hooliganism. Even staunch party members are deeply frustrated by the atrocities and the chief minister's apparent endorsement of such behavior. In Thiruvananthapuram, where the Nava Keralasadas is in session, youth congress DYFI workers are fighting each other on the streets. This street fight escalated following the opposition leader's exhortive response, leading to retaliatory attacks by the DYFI.