Only a few days are left for the Nava Kerala Sadas of the Chief Minister and Ministers to conclude. As the trip is entering the southern districts, the protest demonstrations of the youth organizations led by the Congress party are also intensifying. It is natural for Congress and other opposition parties to oppose the well-intentioned trip for political reasons. It is not unusual for both parties to try their best to increase popular support in the wake of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. In a democratic system, it is not right to try to suppress people's rights not only to support but also to oppose. Unfortunately, the ongoing protests against the ongoing Nava Kerala Sadas trip in the state and the manner in which it is being dealt with by the administration are certainly unacceptable. We had warned earlier that if both sides do not exercise restraint, it will escalate to a more serious level.

Top leaders must intervene to prevent a repeat of the extremely unfortunate incidents that took place in Alappuzha on Friday. The attack on state Congress general secretary MJ Job's house after Youth Congress workers waved black flags at a Nava Kerala bus is an indication of the extent to which the tension is growing. Everyone has seen the footage of the ruling party representatives mercilessly beating the youth who dared to show black flags. It is not understood how a black flag protest can be the reason for such an outrage.

Waving black flags at leaders as a sign of protest and similar acts are common everywhere. It must be said that the scenes seen here are not good at all. Apart from the police and DYFI members, the Chief Minister's bodyguards were also present to beat up the Youth Congress workers who waved black flags near the Alappuzha General Hospital. It is not certain whether the bodyguards' mission includes the task of physically confronting the protestors. In any case, what happened in Alappuzha on Friday was not according to the law. More serious than this is the incident of attack on the house of the KPCC General Secretary in the evening as a retaliation to the black flag protest that took place during the day. Apart from the destruction of the furniture, the Congress leader's wife was also assaulted.

Will the image of the government be destroyed if five or ten people wave black flags from the roadside? There are protests like this everywhere in the world. Nowhere are the protesters being razed to the ground by the regime's men. The approach of indirectly encouraging such undemocratic acts instead of controlling them is not right. The state secretary of CPM had made a statement the other day that they will continue to show black flags against the governor to protest against the outrageous actions of the state governor. Hence they are accepting the fact that a black flag is a sign of protest. What is the logic in saying we can but you can't?