Alappuzha: A busy paddy harvest which was on in Edathua areas of Kuttanad was stopped midway by the CPM leaders here in order to draft participants for the local reception of the ongoing party rally being led by its State Secretary M V Govindan.
The reception for the State-wide rally, named People’s Resistance March, was at Kuttanad on Sunday afternoon.
The local leaders of the CPM directed six labourers who were helping in the harvest at Kaniyamkadavu paddy collective (padashekharam) to participate in the party programme. With this, the harvest was stopped around 11.30 am. Seven harvest machines too were deployed on the paddy field. Though the machines were being operated by migrant labourers from other States, they were not allowed to continue with the work.
There were complaints that a party leader had warned workers they would be rendered jobless if they did not participate in the programme. Another labourer who had arrived to carry paddy from Rani Kayal was told he would be barred the next day if he did not turn up for the programme.
The CPM leaders were apprehensive of low turnout for party programmes owing to rampant factionalism in the party in Kuttanad. They had taken note of the attendance of the party workers at Govindan's public meeting.
