People's Democracy

Kerala: A Shaky UDF Attempts to Weaken CPI(M)

Pinarayi Vijayan

THE government of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala, led by the Congress, is nothing but a cruder and all the more unpleasant, miniature version of the present UPA government at the centre. This government, which had just a nominal majority in the state assembly, recently engineered the defection of a legislator in order to strengthen its majority.

UDF COMES TO

A SORRY PASS

The UDF contested the last assembly elections in coalition with a host of caste, communal, and reactionary forces. However, this opportunistic umbrella grouping has now come to a sorry pass where even the minor formations, which supported the UDF directly and indirectly, are now actively interfering and exerting pressure on the day to day functioning of the government in a manner that, quite frankly, very closely resembles blackmail. As a result, the UDF government has been taking decisions that plunder the state’s natural wealth, loot the public exchequer and impoverish common people. At the same time, it is also over-enthusiastically trying to implement the neo-liberal policies of the central government. All these measures are creating resentment among the people.

Quite naturally, in order to ward off the wrath of the people, the leadership of the right-wing UDF is using the tactic of attacking the opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the CPI(M) which has been leading the LDF.

As for the media situation in Kerala, it is heavily under the influence of right-wing politics. Except the daily Desasbhimani, the organ of the CPI(M), almost all Malayalam newspapers have been indulgent towards the UDF politics. The Malayala Manorama, the largest circulation daily, has the legacy of an editor who had declared that he would consume poison if the communists ever came to power. The second largest circulated daily, the Mathrubhumi, is controlled by a leader of one of the constituent parties of the UDF. More than 40 lakh copies of such newspapers have been unleashing a relentless attack on the Left day in and day out. Of late, one has even been witnessing an interesting situation where a pro-Jamaat-e-Islami paper, wearing the mask of Left wing politics, has been criticising the CPI(M) for allegedly deviating from the Left ideology. In Kerala, it is such heavy, relentless and all pervasive attacks, coming from the nexus of such the right wing politics and the media, which the CPI(M) has been facing and fighting.

The methods used by class enemies to attack the Communist Party for long are being used today in Kerala too. Before we go further into the details of this line of attack, we have to take stock of the wounds the UDF government has inflicted on Kerala in the last 15 months.

EXISTING

SITUATION

During the period the LDF ruled Kerala, it always sought to present an alternative to the neo-liberal policies. Strengthening the public sector units, preventing farmer suicides, consolidating the social security net and creating a robust public distribution system to put a check on the incessant price rise were some of the major achievements of the erstwhile LDF government. It was also a period during which steps were taken to strengthen the position of the state’s treasury which was in a very bad shape. Another creditable achievement was a strengthening of the secular culture of the state by freeing it from the maladies of communal-tension and clashes.

However, after the UDF came to power after defeating the pro-people LDF government narrowly in the assembly election with the help of caste-communal forces, it has ever been compelled to act according to the diktats of these very forces. This has been helping the casteist and communal forces to interfere in such a way as to weaken the progressive political culture of Kerala. The UDF, which had to form the ministry as per the wishes of these forces, is also running the government as per their diktat. For instance, the government was forced to withdraw the commission that was constituted to look in to the Kasaragod riots incited by the Muslim League. Such steps only strengthened the hands of extremist forces. Large-scale attacks were unleashed in their strongholds once they came to harbour the arrogant belief that no one would question them. The Muslim League not only interfered with the governance whenever some actions were taken against the extremist forces, but also itself succumbed to such forces. Even some UDF leaders like Aryadan Mohammed were forced to publicly state that extremist forces have penetrated into organisations like the Muslim League.

The Congress party’s willingness to succumb to the pressure tactic of the Muslim League and give the latter a fifth minister’s post gave rise to internal conflicts in the party. Congress leaders have themselves are on record that a situation has arisen where the communal balance of the government has been disturbed. There were numerous complaints that the ministerial portfolios were shared on the basis of caste and religion. There was also the criticism that the chief minister’s decision to get rid of the home ministry was a part of this very strategy. Moreover, it was publicly stated that additional efforts would be made to include the castes that did not have representation so far. This practice of appointing ministers on the basis of caste and religion would no doubt have serious repercussions for the Kerala society.

PEOPLE’S ISSUES

TAKE BACK SEAT

It was in the midst of such a situation that the facts regarding the gifting away of the land owned by the Calicut University came to light. The vice chancellor and the nominated syndicate of the university were out to gift a part of the university’s land free of cost to organisations controlled by the Muslim League leadership and their families. Throwing the norms of probity into thin air, such a step invited serious criticism from the public. The authorities then cancelled the steps they had taken to issue free land, but only when public opinion was aroused, as in the case of the vice chancellor’s appointment.

Under pressure from the casteist and communal forces, the UDF also took the stand of helping the managements of self-financing colleges, which revealed the ugly face of politics of appeasement. During this period, steps were also taken by the government to gift away plots of land to a few caste based organisations. In short, an impression has been created that the UDF rule in Kerala is driven by caste-religious forces and not by the political forces.

Thus the situation today is that the UDF government, which is compelled to go on appeasing the caste-communal forces, is not at all taking into consideration the interests of the people. They are putting the life of common people into distress by implementing the neo-liberal policies. The policies of the government in each and every field reveal this sad reality. The government has announced policies that would sabotage the land reforms which had been the bedrock of Kerala’s overall development. It has also announced policies favouring contract farming in agricultural sector, thereby throwing the sector into the hands of corporate houses. Steps were also taken to weaken the public sector by introducing private-public participation as a policy of the government. Farmers’ suicides, not witnessed ever during the LDF regime, have resurfaced. More than 60 farmers have committed suicide during this short period. But there has been no attempt on the part of the UDF government to view this as a serious issue and to take remedial steps. It is amazing to note that the government does not seem to take it as an issue at all.

Also, the UDF government is moving towards destroying the world-renowned achievements of Kerala in the health and educational sectors. Various initiatives taken by the LDF government to strengthen the public health system are now being undermined. A “No Doctor, No Drugs” situation is being created in government hospitals. The steps taken to end the private practice by doctors in the government medical colleges are getting increasingly ignored due to the lethargy of the government. In the higher education sector, all democratic norms have been thrown into the dustbin. The government was at one point even contemplating the appointment of a person who was never even a college teacher, to the post of vice chancellor of a university. The government was compelled to cancel an admission given to a student by the chief minister himself breaking all norms. Moreover, the UDF government let loose its brutal force against the students and youth who questioned these steps, reminding one of the period of Emergency.

Loot and robbery have become the order of the day in Kerala, a state that had a commendable record under the LDF regime as far as the maintenance of law and order is concerned. Even the capital city is witnessing daylight robberies now. Goons and sex rackets are thriving under this dispensation.

The UDF government is systematically undermining the welfare and pension schemes as a policy.  It has not only adopted a policy of suspending the disbursement of the pension to agricultural workers and coir-cashew workers, but also refused to increase the amount of pension. The public distribution system is an important factor that keeps the life of common Keralites moving.  But this government, for the last one year, is engaging in activities that would completely ruin the PDS. Curtailing the distribution of kerosene is a part of their schema. Triveni stores and Maveli stores, which were functioning in an efficient manner, have now become largely inactive. As a result, the government is no longer in a position to control the rise in the prices of essential commodities. Policies that increase the sufferings of the people are being vigorously pursued. Power cut and load shedding have returned. Not only that, the government increased the electricity tariff in a big way. This is in addition to the increase of water charges and price of milk.

UDF’S POSITION

WORSENING

This situation is worsening the position of the UDF day by day. In order to overcome this predicament, however, the UDF is resorting to the tactic of portraying the CPI(M) as a party of criminals and is using the power of state in heinous ways. All this is to create terror in the state and to put the CPI(M)’s leaders behind bars, arrest its workers on the basis of concocted chargesheets, and the like. The UDF has been seeking to utilise against the CPI(M) the murder of T P Chandrasekharan, who, after being expelled from the CPI(M), had formed a rival organisation. The CPI(M) has repeatedly made it clear that it has had no role in the murder of T P Chandrasekharan. However, even without any concrete proof at its hand, the UDF used the episode to arrest the CPI(M)’s leaders in wrongful ways. District leaders were put behind the bar without even an iota of proof; the secretary of the Onchiyam area committee was one of them. However, the High Court of Kerala granted bail to the comrade who is a former general secretary of the Kerala NGO Union. It is thus clear that the case was fabricated.

In Kannur District, the CPI(M) has the support of more than 50 per cent of the people. To attack the CPI(M) in Kerala, the rightist forces naturally want to weaken the party in Kannur. The latest example in this regard is the fabricated case against P Jayarajan, secretary of the CPI(M)’s Kannur district committee. Activists of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) recently unleashed extensive attacks on CPI(M) workers at Ariyil, a place near Taliparamba. P Jayarajan, as the district secretary, and a group of comrades including T V Rajesh, MLA, then decided to tour the areas where the attacks had occurred. Jayarajan also spoke to Shri. Abdul Khader Maulavi, an IUML leader of the district, about the unprovoked attacks and reign of terror unleashed by the Muslim League workers. Jayarajan also informed the district police chief about his visit to the place where the attacks had taken place. Yet, without any provocation, an armed group of League workers was able to attack Jayarajan and other comrades who went to visit the families and workers attacked.

Given that sections of the IUML have of late forged relations with extremist groups, a goonda team always surfaces during this type of incidents. It was one such group that attacked the CPI(M) team while knowing that it comprised senior party leaders. It was due to the presence of mind exhibited by the driver of the CPI(M) district committee’s vehicle that Jayarajan and others could escape the attempt on their lives, though with injuries. An injured Jayarajan and others were taken to Taliparamba hospital for treatment. A number of party workers, sympathisers and members of general public came to the hospital after hearing about the incident. But the police have now levelled the charge that a conspiracy to murder Shukkoor was hatched at the hospital and that Jayarajan knew of this conspiracy. Any sensible person can only laugh at this charge. The remand report which the police submitted to the court has also alleged that Jayarajan is guilty because he didn’t care to overhear the telephonic conversation of somebody who was in the same room of the hospital. Thus the accusation makes fun of the basic spirit of India’s very constitution. The police under Oommen Chandy are making the wild allegation that Jayarajan could hatch a conspiracy while sitting in the midst of a number of people.

Oommen Chandy has said it was on the basis of evidence and not out of any vendetta that the case was clamped against Jayarajan. But if it was not out of any political animosity, how can one explain the fact that Advocate C K Sreedharan, a KPCC member, appeared as the special prosecutor in Kannur court within 24 hours of the court remanding P Jayarajan? One cannot dismiss this away by saying that Oommen Chandy’s government functions at great speed. Clearly, the Congress had decided in advance that Sreedharan must be appointed as the prosecutor once Jayarajan was arrested. Media reports have revealed that the home minister, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, had had a talk with Advocate Sreedharan in this regard. The fact that a special prosecutor was appointed within hours of Jayarajan’s arrest proves beyond doubt that the case was registered on political considerations.

LET THEM HAVE

A LOOK UPON HISTORY!

However, it is not a mere attempt to single out and attack the CPI(M). It shows the UDF’s realisation that the CPI(M) needs to be weakened as a first step in order to destroy the LDF.

Oommen Chandy is evidently under the illusion that he would frighten the CPI(M) by deploying the CRPF and other central forces. This shows his lack of awareness of history. There were CRPF camps in many villages of Kannur district, under the guise of police outposts, when Achutha Menon was the chief minister and K Karunakaran the home minister. But the CPI(M) withstood all police atrocities and the reign of terror perpetrated during and after the Emergency. It is still fresh in collective memory how many senior leaders were illegally sent to jail under the draconian TADA. In fact, it is the UDF government’s unrealistic desire to weaken the CPI(M) that compels them to resort to illegal means. The latest incident is that League hooligans recently Comrade Manoj, a party member and unit president of the DYFI at Uduma in Kasargod district. UDF leaders and a section of the media have also started to trivialise the atrocities committed. This was evident in all the recent cases. But the unprecedented response to the call for a protest hartal clearly proves that the people understand the heinous tactics being adopted by the government.

We do believe that all democratic sections of the society will come forward to question the anti-democratic moves of the Oommen Chandy government. The mass participation in the protest action against P Jayarajan’s arrest confirms our belief; there were massive protests in the wake of his illegal arrest. When the CPI(M) state committee called for a hartal on August 3, people from all sections of society came forward to express their protest and made the hartal a great success --- despite the strong criticisms and campaign by rightist political forces and media against the call.

Let us not forget that the communist movement has grown to its present position by defeating all the conspiracies of the ruling classes and not because of any media patronage. If the CPI(M) became the largest party in Kerala, it was only by facing all such attacks ideologically. It is our responsibility to imbibe these historical realities in order to expose all negative campaigns against the party.