Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s admonishment of the waiting news cameramen at the Mascot Hotel, a government-run establishment in the capital this week, asking them to 'get out' is portrayed by many as the result of a sudden spurt of anger from the Communist strongman. But scratch the surface and one will realise that there is more to Vijayan’s shouting than meets the eye.

The media had gathered to take the first visuals of a bilateral peace meeting between the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of the chief minister after the state governor had sent out a public statement urging Vijayan to broker such a truce.

But instead of ensuring that the message of peace goes out through the media, the Kerala chief minister chose to display anger. By gagging the media at the venue, Vijayan not only spoiled any chances of the warring factions of either parties cooling tempers on seeing the visuals of their leaders sitting across a table, but also seems to have sent out a message that free and independent press is a far fetched thought in Communist-ruled Kerala