WikiLeaks intensifies CPM feud

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Express revelations on the WikiLeaks cables regarding the closed-door meeting between US officials and the CPM leaders have snowballed into a major controversy and the factional war in the CPM is set to hot up over it.

Indications on this score came after the official channel of the CPM itself revealed on Tuesday that the then Chief Minister V S Achuthanadan had also met the US diplomat on August 29-30, 2008.

As per the WikiLeaks cables accessed by Express, CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and then ministers T M Thomas Isaac and M A Baby, during their meeting with US officials on August 11-12, 2008, had sought American private investments in the state.

The channel stance was based on a separate diplomatic cable sent from the US Consulate on September 5, 2008 to the US State Department, released by WikiLeaks (168629, Unclassified) on the August 29 official meeting with US diplomat Andrew Simkin.

It says that Chief Minister Achuthanandan had also focused on the CPM’s interest in attracting US investment to Kerala.

“He had invited a large crowd of reporters and photographers to his office at the beginning of the meeting, and invited them again after the conversation (with Simkin).

In that closing press opportunity, he stressed that the CPM wanted to promote foreign investment in the three sectors he had identified,” says the communication.

Further, “in early August, Vijayan took the unprecedented step of openly seeking our assistance in drawing U S investment to Kerala.

To have Achuthanandan, who has long opposed such a move, affirm this policy shift is a clear sign that Kerala is moving in a new direction,” the cable says.

It goes on to say that these comments are significant because they demonstrate that the orthodox Communist Chief Minister is coming around to the need to welcome foreign direct investment in the state.

“Since coming to office in 2006, the Chief Minister has fought a losing battle against the Kerala CPM’s more investment- friendly faction, which is led by CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan,’’ it says.

The cable says during his trip Simkin also met Governor R S Gavai, state Chief Secretary, Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, Director General of Police and members from the Opposition Congress party.