Police use water cannons to disperse AIYF and AISF activists who marched to Education Minister V Sivankutty’s office in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday to protest against the government signing an MoU for Prime Minister SHRI. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Communist Party of India (CPI) appeared to balk at attempts by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) to placate an “exasperated ally” disgusted by the government’s “unnatural rush” to sign the central government’s politically controversial SHRI (school education system), without consulting the Left Democrat the Cabinet.
General Education Minister V Sivankutty, who approved the disputed Central State Agreement, called on CPI State Secretary Binoy Viswam at the party headquarters at MN Smarakam in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday to clarify matters. He later told reporters that the talks were cordial and helped clear the air.
However, CPI leader and Civil Supplies Minister GR Anil, who accompanied Mr. Sivankutty to the meeting, seemed to strike a different note.
“Mr. Sivankutty owed the public an explanation as to why he signed the agreement which the cabinet postponed twice due to its political and policy implications. The minister has yet to explain why the government signed the agreement in haste without extensive consultation within the LDF and the cabinet,” he said.
Mr Anil said the meeting was cordial, with the rider that personal bonhomie between leaders has little bearing on governance, politics and policy.
On Wednesday, Mr Vishwam ignited a difficult phase in coalition relations by publicly chastising the government for “secretly” signing the deal, which he said undermined the left’s national opposition to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) insidious drive to scramble school attendance.
Mr. Viswam said Kerala took the Centre’s bait, which linked PM SHRI’s release of funds with adherence to the “RSS-inspired” New Education Policy (NEP).
An emergency meeting of the CPI state secretariat on Wednesday reportedly said the government should seek legal redress against the imposition of unfair terms by the Center for the release of statutory rations rather than “jumping the gun” on a “politically compromising” deal.
He also noted that the state should sign any MoU with the Center only on behalf of the Kerala Governor and not a bureaucrat. In addition, the cabinet should have the final say on policy and fiscal matters that required the nod of the finance department.
Mr. Vishwam withdrew the protest letter addressed to LDF convener TP Ramakrishnan and other allies expressing the CPI’s deep anguish over the “violation of coalition decency and collective responsibility of the Cabinet”.
Mr. Ramakrishnan said that the LDF will review the MoU of PM SHRI. He said the coalition would address the CPI’s concerns about the central scheme. However, Mr. Ramakrishnan did not set a date for the meeting.
Published – 25 Oct 2025 20:07 IST
