Mahija called off stir, but this elderly mother is still fasting against Pinarayi Vijayan govt.

It took five days for the Pinarayi Vijayan government to climb down from its   unyielding position and listen to the demands of Jishnu Pranoy's family members who embarked on an indefinite fast after the police action on 5 April. After days of drama, CM Pinarayi Vijayan was forced to call Mahija, mother of Jishnu, on Sunday night, which finally led to the end of a struggle that put the state government under pressure for long. 

 

Mahija called off her stir. But the indefinite fast of L Thankamma, the elderly mother of KA Shajahan, who was arrested and jailed for participating in Mahija's stir, entered second day today. Thankamma is demanding immediate release of her son from jail. 

 

KM Shajahan

Shajajan and four others had been remanded for 14 days for allegedly creating problem during the march to the DGP’s office along with Jishnu’s family.

 

"Pinarayi Vijayan is avenging his personal vendetta towards Shajahan," Thankamma said. "I will shift my stir to state secretariat if the government did not stop the witchhunt," she added. Thankamma started her hunger strike at her residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.

 

"It is personal enmity by Pinarayi Vijayan and nothing else," Shajahan told Asianet News when asked about the reason behind his imprisonment. "My arrest is unconstitutional and violation of existing laws," he added. Shajahan is a former CPM member and former Additional Private Secretary to VS Achuthanandan when he was the Chief Minister. He was dismissed from CPM for anti-party activities later.

 

Even though the government agreed to the demands of Jishnu's family, four persons who were with the family when they marched to the DGP's office on 5 April, are still in jail. Himaval Bhadrananda, who happened to be in front of the DGP's office also landed in prison for the alleged 'conspiracy' behind the stir.

 

The clamour for the release of the five persons arrested in connection with Mahija's stir is getting louder on social media too. The Opposition and human rights activists have questioned the police and the government over the imprisonment of the activists for participating in the march.