Thiruvananthapuram: The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), organised a massive human chain from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram at 5 pm on Saturday.
The chain was in protest against the alleged negligence of the BJP-led Central government towards Kerala.
AA Rahim, MP and all-India president of DYFI, initiated the human chain from Kasaragod, while senior CPM leader EP Jayarajan concluded it in front of Raj Bhavan, becoming the last link.
Several political, cultural and social leaders participated in the protest, which was also attended by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's wife and daughter. The chains were formed along both national and state highways, with notable writers and poets like T Padmanabhan and Balachandran Chullikkad taking part in it.
The DYFI state leadership claimed that the 651-km human chain witnessed the active participation of lakhs of people.
Addressing a public meeting organised outside the Raj Bhavan, CPM state secretary M V Govindan said that Kerala had once again etched its name in the annals of history with this monumental public protest. Govindan said that the BJP-led Central government could not ignore the widespread discontent expressed through the human chain, emphasising that it comprised not only youth cadres of DYFI but citizens of all ages.
The protest aimed at the Centre's alleged "discriminatory politics, anti-people economic policies, mounting unemployment," and an alleged "step-motherly attitude of the Railways" towards Kerala.
CPI(M) politburo member MA Baby highlighted the broader participation, recalling such protests organised by the outfit a few decades ago. "We had done this earlier and this time, it is not just the party workers but the common people of Kerala who have come forward. On the previous occasion, prominent personalities like Vaikom Muhammed Basheer and Justice V R Krishna Iyer participated in our human chain protest.
"This time, noted Malayalam short story writer T Padmanabhan is taking part in the protest in Kannur, and famous poet Balachandran Chullikkad is becoming a part of the chain at Kollam," Baby told PTI.
Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas also alleged conspiracy by the Centre to stall the development of Kerala. "The Centre is violating all federal principles of the Constitution and this protest is from the people of Kerala," he said.
Allegations by KSU
The Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student wing of Congress, said that DYFI had used buses of public educational institutions extensively to transport people to the human chain protest, which it termed as unacceptable.
KSU also pointed out the circular issued by the Department of Education that prohibits using vehicles meant for educational purposes for other objectives.
The school buses were used under the pressure of CPM leaders, KSU alleged. As said by Arjun Katayat, the Congress' student body will go ahead with a strong form of strike if no action is taken against the CPM leaders who made the buses available for the programme.
(With PTI inputs)
