CPI to venture into social service

KOLLAM: In an apparent move to reach out to the people, the state leadership of the CPI is planning to venture into social service and rescue operations during disasters, by floating a voluntary service group.Buoyed up by the performance of the young red volunteers during the recently concluded party state conference, the activity report of the CPI has proposed to revive the now dysfunctional voluntary service wing of the party, People’s Service Corps (PSC). Young men and women below 35 years would be the members of the group and they would be given regular training. CPI state secretary C K Chandrappan told Express that the revival of the PSC was in the pipeline, as at present the activities of the red volunteers were limited to showcasing their strength during party conferences.“Red volunteers march is just one part of the activities of the PSC. They have the potential to carry out several social service activities such as blood donation and rescue operations,” he said.“The People’s Service Corps was formed and a constitution for it was written in the 1980s, when Rajeswara Rao was the general secretary. It had made its presence felt in many states in the country, but lost its verve somewhere down the road,” Chandrappan said.Self-defence Lessons for Women The PSC would also impart lessons on self- defence for its women volunteers.Chandrappan said that at a time when atrocities and ‘petty rowdyism’ against women were on the rise, women in the state should be trained to defend  themselves. The ready-to-serve group would be developed as a task force which would act in case of an emergency.CPI state committee member K Prakash Babu said that it was proposed to form PSC groups in all constituency committees of the party. “They would be imparted training to conduct rescue operations and would partake in development and social welfare activities, apart from providing protection to party offices and institutions. The volunteers would be given allowances for their services,” he said. Prakash Babu said that the idea was mooted by none other than the state secretary himself, while attending a red volunteers’ training held in Paripally prior to the state conference. More than 15,000 red volunteers from all the local committees of the district were given training prior to the state conference held in Kollam.