Dr. Thomas Isaac Addresses Kerala Solidarity Meet in Mumbai, Slams Centre’s Discrimination

The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), and the All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) jointly organized a Kerala Solidarity meeting at Adarsh Vidyalaya in Mumbai. The gathering, attended by over 350 people, aimed to highlight and condemn the alleged discrimination and targeting of Kerala by the BJP-led Central Government.

The event’s keynote speaker, Dr. Thomas Isaac, CPI(M) Central Committee member and former Kerala Finance Minister, delivered a compelling presentation supplemented by a slideshow. He traced the legacy of Kerala’s pro-people development model, initiated by the first Communist-led state government under EMS Namboodiripad in 1957, and further developed by successive Left Democratic Front (LDF) governments.

Dr. Isaac alleged that the Modi government’s financial strangulation of Kerala—particularly in times of crises such as the devastating floods and the recent Wayanad landslide—was a deliberate attempt to derail this alternative development model. He also criticized the misuse of the Governor’s office to block state assembly bills and interfere in university affairs, calling it part of a larger political vendetta. Furthermore, he accused the RSS-BJP of trying to disrupt Kerala’s social harmony using religion and caste. Dr. Isaac also expressed disappointment over the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, accusing it of covertly aligning with BJP conspiracies against the LDF.

Prominent intellectuals Dr. Anand Teltumbde and filmmaker Anand Patwardhan also addressed the gathering, expressing their solidarity with the people of Kerala. Dr. Teltumbde, recently released in the Bhima Koregaon case, discussed his new biography of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Iconoclast, which has been critically acclaimed. Patwardhan spoke about his latest film, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which is receiving positive public response.

The meeting, presided over by CITU state secretary Dr. Vivek Monteiro, began with a homage to CPI(M) leaders Sitaram Yechury, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, M.M. Lawrence, and K.M. Tiwari. Other speakers included AIKS national president Dr. Ashok Dhawale, AIAWU state president Maroti Khandare, and CITU national vice president Dr. D.L. Karad.

The gathering concluded with a call to resist the Centre’s alleged targeting of Kerala and strengthen solidarity among progressive forces nationwide.