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Thiruvananthapuram: The crisis within Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) worsened as the CPI toughened its position on the PM-SHRI issue, firmly reiterating its demand to freeze the MoU signed with the Centre regarding the NEP-linked scheme.A meeting between Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam at the Alappuzha government guest house on Monday to resolve the issue remained inconclusive. "The matter remains unresolved. We discussed the problem with the Chief Minister and reiterated our concerns and opposition regarding the MoU signed by the government with the Centre on PM SHRI," the CPI state secretary told the media persons after the meeting.The CPI, which is opposed to the PM-SHRI policy, has decided to toughen its stand. The four ministers of CPI in Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF ministry are likely to skip the next Cabinet meeting scheduled to be held on Wednesday. The proposed plan is to apply pressure on the government.In Delhi, CPI national general secretary D Raja said his party's state secretariat and executive in Kerala met in Alappuzha to discuss the PM SHRI MoU and the NEP. "Our party firmly opposes NEP, viewing it as a reactionary and dangerous policy promoted by the BJP government to encourage the commercialisation, centralisation and communalisation of education. We have opposed this policy since its inception and will not yield to any pressure to accept it," he said.The party also reiterated its rejection of the MoU for PM SHRI, as it aligns with the NEP, which it strongly opposed."Our state secretary Binoy Viswam met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and clearly stated our position. We requested the CM to withdraw the MoU, and until that happens, to freeze it. We emphasised that the MoU should not be implemented under any circumstances. Our stance remains unchanged, and it is being reiterated by the Kerala state unit. Discussion will continue and the LDF government must understand our position and agree to either freeze or withdraw the signed MoU. The Kerala government should formally communicate the decision to withhold or freeze the PM SHRI MoU," he said.When asked if the CPM ministers would attend the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Raja retorted,"What's the point in attending the meeting when such issues remain unresolved?Raja dismissed Education Minister V Sivankutty's claim that the MoU was signed merely to obtain funds from the Centre and not to enforce the curriculum influenced by the Sangh Parivar. "One should thoroughly study the NEP. Look at the Tamil Nadu government, which opposed the NEP and PM SHRI and approached the Supreme Court for funds. The Central government is trying to centralise everything, making unilateral decisions, imposing them and stripping state governments of their powers and rights. In this scenario, the Kerala government could have followed Tamil Nadu's example and taken the matter to the Supreme Court ," he said.It may be recalled that despite the CPI's strong objections, the government went ahead and signed the MoU on October 23, intensifying the internal rift within the ruling coalition.The CPI and several left-aligned groups and individuals argue that RSS-influenced changes to the curriculum under the guise of NEP cannot be justified for short-term financial benefits. They believe PM SHRI supported NEP, enabling central interference in state-controlled education.
