CPM neta’s insult: Naveen’s Leftist kin rue ‘transfer’ move

Kottayam: On Tuesday early morning, three women waited on the platform of Chengannur railway station to receive their most loved man, Naveen Babu, who was to arrive from Kannur by Malabar Express. K Manjusha, accompanied by daughters Nirupama and Niranjana, knew how deeply hurt her husband would be after being insulted in public by Kannur district panchayat president P P Divya the previous day. But she found that Naveen was not on the train.Manjusha, who is the Konni taluk tahsildar, sensed some trouble. She tried calling her husband over the phone, but there was no answer. She informed her uncle Balakrishnan Nair, a three-time local committee secretary of the CPM, who called up his contacts in Kannur and found out about Naveen's death.Naveen hailed from a family of Communists in Malayalappuzha in Pathanamthitta district. He was a member of the Left-leaning Kerala Gazetted Officers' Association and so is Manjusha. It was following Nair's intervention using his political contacts that Naveen managed to get a transfer to Pathanamthitta as ADM. "The send-off and the insult would not have happened if he was not transferred," said Nair, cursing the decision.Nair told TOI that Naveen was a very good person. "Now lies are being propagated against him. He did not sign where they asked him to do. In Kannur, one has to sign where one is asked to sign," said Nair. He also said that Divya had no business to go to the send-off meeting. "Naveen was a straightforward person, and he couldn't handle the insult. I suspect that he took the extreme step following a sudden provocation," he said. He also said the complaint given to the CM was fake. "They are trying to find a loophole to get out of trouble. The district panchayat president is responsible for his death. Now they will spread false stories about him. They will also go all out on social media to tarnish him," Nair alleged.Naveen, who had joined the revenue department as a clerk, was set to retire on May 31 next year. He, as well as his family, wanted him to work in the native district towards the end of his career. "My friends in Kannur used to say that they don't want Naveen to leave Kannur as he is such a good officer. Now, in just 3-4 days, he has been made the worst officer," Nair said.Nirupama and Niranjana have completed BTech and plus two, respectively.
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