Kozhikode: The Kozhikode District Congress Committee (DCC) seems to be the ‘latest winner’ in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. After an initial denial, the district collector granted permission to the DCC to organise its pro-Palestine rally at Freedom Square on November 23.
However, the organisers will have to set up their stage 100 metres away from the main venue on Kozhikode beach. It looks like the initial dashing of hopes is turning out to be a ‘100-m dash’ to expressing solidarity with the people of Palestine.
The tussle for the venue ended in a win-win for all after district collector Snehil Kumar Jain visited the place and granted permission.
“That's not an issue. We got what we have requested,” DCC president Praveen Kumar said about the new spot which is around 100 metres away from the main venue. The district administration had denied permission for the DCC event at Freedom Square stating that it had been booked for the state government's ‘Nava Kerala Sadas' on November 25.
Earlier, matters got worse as KPCC president K Sudhakaran said in Thiruvananthapuram that the party would organise the event at the same venue in spite of the denial of permission.
Praveen Kumar said no other venue was viable as the party expected a turnout of around 50,000 people. To buttress their claims, the Congress said massive back-to-back events on the same day were not uncommon at Freedom Square.
“The district administration’s reason was amusing because Kozhikode beach often hosts two massive events in a day, one in the morning and one in the evening. Here, there is a gap of 48 hours, before the Nava Kerala Sadas,” Praveen Kumar had stated earlier.
Delicate field
It is a delicate tread for the ruling CPM and the Congress as the IUML and other Muslim organisations have been taking out rallies in support of the pro-Palestine cause. The CPM found itself on quicksand as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan unequivocally denied any connection with Israel during the CPM’s pro-Palestine event in Kozhikode on November 11. He went on to say that the Left parties in India had only interacted with Palestine. Countering this, Onmanorama had written about the long history of the Left’s association with Israel, including the February 2023 visit of a state delegation to the country.
Obvious political decision
On October 26, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor delivered a stirring speech at the IUML’s rally on the beach. The Congress’s choice of Freedom Square was an obvious political decision, ensuring they wouldn't be left behind.
Congress version
The DCC president said the denial of permission for their rally is proof that the CPM's love for Palestine is just a strategy to garner votes. It has no sincerity, he said.
The DCC president said he contacted the Port Officer a day before the KPCC president announced the Congress rally. “He asked us to contact the DTPC (District Tourism Promotion Council) secretary. I spoke with him over the phone and he said come over, there is no problem,” Praveen Kumar told Onmanorama. But when the Congress leaders went to his office to deposit the requisite fee (which comes to around Rs 30,000) on Thursday, the DTPC secretary expressed doubts.
“The officer said there was some problem and he would have to ask the collector. I told him that the KPCC president announced the event after you gave the consent over the phone,” he said.
