Communist Party of India MLA, Shornur PK Sasi, is accused of sexually assaulting a woman and the party is trying level best to downplay the crime. The woman is a member of the Palakkad district committee of the CPM’s youth wing, Democratic Youth Federation of India. The CPM politburo received the complaint about the matter, two weeks ago. She officially complained about the matter to CPM Politburo member Brinda Karat, a well-known champion of women’s rights. But no quick action was initiated to ensure justice to the victim. Instead, according to a Sunday Guardian report, local leaders have tried to buy silence of the victim, they even tried to convince the victim to withdraw the complaint, and went to the extent of offering huge sums of money and position. However, woman refused to entertain such offers and continued her fight for justice.
On the other hand, Kerala State Women’s Commission Chairperson MC Josephine and also a member of the party’s central committee took a different stand altogether. When asked about the allegations of sexual allegations against CPM MLA, she said, “We are all human beings, mistakes do happen. People inside the party may also have committed such mistakes.” She also said, “The Marxist party will have their own system of dealing with these complaints; it’s not a new thing. Since its inception the party has handled such complaints. Party will have their own system of handling such complaints and they handle it in their way.” The CPM state secretary, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said, “The complaint was received by the party and it will be handled in its own way.” According to a Sunday Guardian report, the state committee has said that unlike “bourgeois parties” the CPM does not believe in giving reception to the accused. “The party will act against Sasi as per its Constitution and moral values.”
Now, such statements are quite shocking, nauseating and abhorring at all levels. First of all, a serious crime like sexual assault does not take place by mistake. Secondly, charges of sexual assault are not an internal issue of the party. There are police, IPC and courts to solve such cases. A party office is not the place to solve the cases of molestation/rapes and sexual assault. Thirdly, it looks like the CPM believes in its own Constitution more than the Indian constitution and if it believes so then it is directly challenging the law of the land. And lastly, what does MC Josephine meant by the statement, “it’s not a new thing. Since its inception, the party has handled such complaints.” The statement gives an impression that CPM, since its inception, is full of potential sexual assaulters who pressurize victims for settlement and try their level best to ensure that the case does not come into public light.
Mainstream media is completely silent on the issue. It shows the influence of communists in the Media industry. They outraged a lot when UP BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar was accused of rape. They continued with their propaganda and rant against the BJP even after the MLA was thrown behind the bars and the case was handed over to CBI. On the other hand, the media has maintained a stoic silence on CPM MLA Shornur PK Sasi. It shows that media and its outrage is never for the rape victims, it is always against a community, a party, an ideology, a religion and a community.