Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 13 (BPNS)

Even as the Kerala Chief Minister has promised several industry-friendly measures to woo investors, a trader in the home district of Kannur was forced to down his shutters after he confronted the powerful headload workers union, CITU which is supported by the ruling CPM.

SR Associates was into the hardware business and set up the shop six months before on August 2, 2021, at Mathamangalam in Payyanur of Kannur district.

However, instead of depending on the local head load workers of the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) affiliated to the ruling CPM which is a practice in Kannur district, the owner of SR Traders, Rubi Mohammed took loading and unloading license for his staff. This led to a confrontation with the CITU head load workers at the area who blocked the licensed workers of the shop to load and unload when the material came to the shop.

Infuriated with the owner of the shop directly using his staff to load and unload the materials, CITU local leaders barged into the shop and assaulted the owner, Rubi Mohammed. The CITU erected a temporary shanty opposite the shop and conducted a protest from morning till evening and started preventing people who comes to buying materials from the shop.

In an incident that took place a month ago, a local person, Afzal, who was into business of CCTV came to the shop to buy some material and was thrashed by the CITU workers who were sitting opposite the shop in the temporary shanty.

Interestingly CITU district secretary in charge of headload workers, K. Kunjappan while speaking to media persons at Mathamangalam said, “It is immaterial whether the shop is open or not, for us the concern is that our workers get job of loading and unloading.”

The Kerala labour minister, V. Sivankutty who is also a CPM leader however said that the shop was closed due to some license issues and not because of anything else. Sivankutty was Thiruvananthapuram district president of the CITU before assuming office as minister.

Ruby Mohammed, the owner of SR Associates while speaking to media persons at Mathamangalam said, “I am shutting the shop with a heavy heart as I have invested more than 75 lakh rupees for the same.  I cannot do business even after getting all the required licenses. The CITU which is an offshoot of the CPM will not allow me to conduct business, they follow me on a daily basis when I go home after shutting the shop every night to threaten me. I was assaulted on day one when I opened the shop and I am at a total loss regarding my shop.”

The Chief Minister had recently on a visit to the United Arab Emirates addressed a meeting of NRI’s and promised them that the state of Kerala is a paradise for investing and that the government will provide all clearances with immediate effect.

The shutting down of SR Associates is a big question mark on the promise made by the Chief Minister as an entrepreneur who has invested around 75 lakh rupees is not able to conduct regular business in the home district of Chief Minister following threat and assault by the CM’s own party men.

V. Manivarnan, Kannur district Vice president of BJP while speaking to BPNS said, “ Every time the LDF government led by CPM is in power in Kerala, the CITU will use all high handedness against businessmen. It is to be remembered in this context on the suicide committed by  Sajan  Parayil, an NRI who tried to open a convention centre at an investment of Rs 15 crore in Anthoor panchayat ruled by CPM. He took the extreme step after the panchayat did not grant him the completion certificate without which he could not open the convention centre leading to spiraling burden”.

He adds, “The then Anthoor Panchayat which the CPM won unopposed, was P.K. Shyamala who is the wife of the present Local self-government minister of Kerala, M.V. Govindan”.

The finger of the accusation is pointed towards the CPM and the party and the Chief Minister has to make a statement regarding the extreme step taken by the owner of SR Associates, Rubi Mohammed to shut down his shop due to pressure and assault by the CPM supported CITU.