Decoding political violence

Left leaders must introspect about the unenvious reputation

Following Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s recent visit to the family of a murdered member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Kerala, considerable attention has been focused on the problem of political violence in the southern state. There is, no doubt, more than a small element of political grandstanding in Mr Jaitley’s visit — the Bharatiya Janata Party has set its sights on winning seats in Kerala which have hitherto been denied to it. Yet too much political organisation, particularly in northern Kerala, is surrounded by the explicit use of violence. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has blamed the RSS for