“Death is also a struggle. It’s 7 o’clock, let this be a struggle too,” read a note left by Razak Payembrote, a well-known social-cultural activist, journalist and a staunch CPI(M) supporter who hanged himself inside Pulikkal Grama Panchayat office in Kerala’s Malappuram district.
Along with the note were documents related to complaints against the panchayat authorities and a private plastic waste treatment hanging around his neck. His body was discovered on 26 May 2023, day of his 57th birthday. Police suspect he died by suicide on the night of 25 May 2023.
“Razak is a victim of institutional murder,” political activist and a friend known to Razak, CP Rasheed, told Maktoob.
Razak has been at the forefront against the CPI(M)-led Pulikkal Grama panchayat for a long time over their help to an private plastic waste treatment plant established in a residential area. He has raised strong allegations of corruption against panchayat executives.
Locals who want the plant to be shifted out of the residential area told local media that Razak took this extreme step after CPI(M) failed him and stood with the panchayat and the private company.
The complaint by the locals against the waste plant established in the 14th ward of panchayat is that the excessive production in the plastic waste processing centre in the area led to severe pollution.
In the reply given to the locals by the environmental engineer of the Pollution Control Board (PCB), it has been suggested that the storage and processing of raw materials in residential areas should be restricted to only 100 kg per day and that the operation of the unit should be limited from 6 am to 6 pm. But the protestors say the management of the plant violated all environmental rules and regulations with support of the local body.
Razak believed that his 66-year-old brother, Payembrote Ahmed Basheer, died this year from interstitial lung disease (ILD) due to toxic fumes and pollution caused by Green Earth Recyclers.
Razak, his deceased brother, and locals have been protesting against the private company. Complaints to State election commission, District police chief and Bar council of Kerala state that Ahmed died due to the negligence of Pullikal panchayat administration, Karippur Police Station and Manjeri Munsiff Court.
Deceased Ahmed Basheer, also the chairman of the action council against the plant, had earlier filed a complaint at Manjeri Munsiff Court against the plant owner, R Anand and Valipan Mujeeb. The complainants also allege that SHO of Karippur police station misbehaved with them and threatened to add them to criminal list.
But the Advocate Commissioner submitted the report with remarks in favour of the plant. Razak alleges that the Commissioner concealed the irregularities.
The allegations by Razak against the Panchayat president and CPI(M) leader, KK Mohammad Master, were nepotism and unholy alliance with owner of the shed where the plant is established, Valipan Mujeeb.
In a local channel after the demise of Ahmed Basheer, Razak bashed Panchayat President and CPI(M) leader, KK Mohammad Master and stating that he was not eligible to be president and doesn’t know Panchayat Raj act.
In a video shared on Facebook, Razak told that local committee secretary of CPI(M) told him that your two votes (Razak and his wife’s vote) is not party.
“All mafia gangs are assisted by the local self-government bodies and other concerned departments. The initiative, held in Pulikkal panchayat ward 14/272B since 2020, is a glaring example of the plastic waste mafia misusing MSME (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises), which is encouraged by the state government to attract industries. Tax evasion of lakhs of rupees per month is happening in the name of MSME. There are bureaucrats to get a share of it, and the opportunity is provided by Pulikkal local self-government. The people of this region are suffering the consequences of the environment,”Razak wrote on Facebook the day he died by suicide.
On the same day, he posted a photo of his complaint written to the president and secretary of the panchayat on Facebook.
Panchayat President of Pullikal, KK Muhammad Master told Manorama news that Razak tried to insult him and the governing body.
Razak’s wife, Sheeja commented against him on the Manorama news Facebook post of the above-mentioned news report, “Master, don’t lie before the soil dries up. This is Razak’s wife, Sheeja”. When Maktoob contacted Sheeja, she was whimpering and conveyed that she was not in a position to speak.
Speaking to Maktoob, Razak’s relative Kareem said, “Rasak was CPI(M) candidate in local self-government elections, and his allegations against the local CPI(M) leadership for having secret collaboration with SDPI-Welfare party are based on facts.”
Razak resigned from the post of secretary of Moyinkutty Vaidyar Mapila Kala Academy in protest against the injustice facilitated by the panchayat. Razak had pledged to donate his eight cents of land and house to CPI(M) for the construction of the local centre of E.M.S. Namboodiripad Bhavan and his body to the Kozhikode Medical College.
 supporter who hanged himself inside Pulikkal Grama Panchayat office in Kerala's Malappuram district.){kind=link}