Senior Congress leader and Defence Minister A.K. Antony has asked members of the Kerala Students Union (KSU) not to emulate the present-day working style of Congress leaders, though they could learn from how these leaders worked when they were student activists.
Inaugurating the State-level 53rd anniversary celebrations of KSU here on Sunday, Mr. Antony said the working style of Congress leaders, including himself, had changed after they “graduated” from the KSU to the Congress.
“This is, perhaps, a natural phenomenon brought about by experiences in life. You can interpret the change in any way you want, but our current working style is not suitable for you to adopt now,” he said.
The student wing, however, had a lot to learn from how former leaders of the KSU, including Vayalar Ravi, Oommen Chandy and himself, worked in the heyday of the KSU, he said, calling upon KSU leaders to work hard to regain the organisation's glory.
The Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy said the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was using the Students Federation of India (SFI) to turn the State's campuses into battlegrounds. There was no opportunity for any democratic practice on campuses now, with the CPI(M)'s approach paving the way for a smooth entry of communal and terrorist organisations into the campus. The CPI(M) would have to think seriously on changing its approach to student politics, he said.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala said KSU leaders would be given deserving posts in the party, adding that the Congress could move forward only with the KSU.
Later in the day, inaugurating the valedictory function, Union Minister for Indian Overseas Affairs Vayalar Ravi said if the factional issues in the Congress were affecting elections within the KSU, it would only lead to the destruction of the student party. Congress leaders would have to respect KSU activists, who, in turn, would have to ensure that they stood united and acquired ideological clarity.
Meenakshi Natarajan, MP; KSU State president Shafi Parambil; NSU national secretary S. Sharath; KSU State general secretary R.B. Nijo; State vice-president Rejil Makutty; Congress leaders Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, M.M. Hassan, G. Karthikeyan; P.T. Thomas, MP; P.C. Vishnunath and M. Murali, MLAs, spoke.
