Nayanar does a Karunakaran, finds more cops than locals at public meet

August 12: Chief Minister E K Nayanar's public image is taking a beating thanks to his latest craze for imported cars and tight security c...

August 12: Chief Minister E K Nayanar’s public image is taking a beating thanks to his latest craze for imported cars and tight security cover. The low turnout at a public meeting addressed by this `populist’ leader in his hometown Kannur on Friday evening was a clear indication of his sagging public image.

Until recently, hundreds of his admirers would flock to public meetings addressed by Nayanar as they always enjoyed the way he jeered at other politicians. But all the five functions attended by Nayanar, including the public meeting at the Stadium corner here on Friday presented a different picture.

Police men in mufti and uniform and students brought from various local schools formed the major chunk of the audience at Thalasssery where the Chief Minister unveiled a 12-feet bronze statue of Hermann Gundert.

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And at the inauguration of the district panchayat office complex in Kannur in the afternoon, the only people around to lend an ear to Nayanar were pro-CPM government employees. The turnout at the public meeting organised by the CPM at the stadium corner was the worst.

Ironically, Nayanar’s visit to Kannur appeared in many ways similar to those of his bete-noire K Karunakaran who was always accompanied by scores of policemen and police vehicles during his hey days. The `Kayyur war hero’ now appears to have even forgotten his taunts directed at Karunakaran who was the Chief Minister then when the two met at the Kannur railway station almost eight years ago.

"You look like a caged tiger", was what Nayanar had said when he saw Karunakaran sitting in the AC compartment of a train. Nayanar had also made similar remarks against one-time comrade M V Raghavan, who travelled under heavy security cover to protect himself from belligerent DYFI activists, who were baying for his blood following the killing of five DYFI men in the Kuthuparamba police firing in 1994.

The sniffer dogs and the heavy posse of policemen made commuters run for cover as Nayanar alighted from the Malabar Express on Thursday morning. The best comment about his visit and the security arrangements made, perhaps, came from CMP leader M V Raghavan when he said: " Are they bringing Veerappan here?".

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Apart from the police force, over 200 CPM activists were also present at the station to protect the `populist chief minister’ from Yuva Morcha workers who had come with black flags to demonstrate against Nayanar for his stance on the Plus Two issue.

As many as 16 police vehicles and fire tenders and an ambulance accompanied the Chief Minister whereever he went. There was one policeman every one hundred yards on the Kannur-Thalassery and Kannur-Kuthuparmaba roads during the Chief Minister’s visit.