Thiruvananthapuram: Gokul Gopinath and Jobin Jose, the secretary and president respectively of the Thiruvananthapuram district unit of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), have been finally removed from their posts. One month ago, a video clip appeared on social media showing these two SFI leaders drinking and dancing after an anti-drugs campaign event.
The visuals went viral and damaged the image of the SFI and its parent organisation CPM. Subsequently, M V Govindan, state secretary of CPM, directed the party’s district leadership to disband the SFI’s Thiruvananthapuram district committee. However, the CPM’s district leadership had so far protected the SFI leaders.
Recently, the CPM state committee had announced severe measures against erring leaders and cadres. Subsequently, the CPM district secretariat recommended action against the SFI leaders. After Gokul and Jobin were removed, their charge was given to the joint secretary and vice-president.
In the video, the SFI leaders were seen dancing at Government Sanskrit College in Thiruvananthapuram. Soon afterwards, Gokul was expelled from the Peroorkada block committee of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of CPM.
Another damaging clip
Meanwhile, the CPM is also on the defensive side over a voice clip in which J J Abhijith, a former district secretary of the SFI, reveals that he had fudged age records to remain in the post based on the instructions of CPM district secretary Anavoor Nagappan. Abhijith was on Saturday expelled from the CPM over charges of public drinking and based on a complaint from a woman party member.
In the audio clip, Abhijith says that even though 26 years is the age limit in SFI, he still remained a leader at the age of 30 years. “I was born in 1992. However, I have certificates for the years 1992, 1994, 1995 and 1996. Comrade Nagappan asked me to reveal my age as 26 years to everyone,” he says.
“Pradeep Sir also told me the same thing,” he adds.
Abhijith also says that he had to remain in the SFI even if the others left as there were few people willing to fight. “In some ways, life is comfortable. But, with no fighting, it is also boring,” he quips.
Reacting to the voice clip, Nagappan said that he was unaware of the development. “Abhijith’s age was not verified when he became SFI district secretary as he was not elected at a conference. During the next conference, the secretary was changed,” the CPM leader said.
