LDF seeing reason Monday, Jun 15 2009

The LDF is seeing reason. However, it is still far from convinced that the Governor R. S. Gavai did his constitutional duty.

Egged by parties such as the CPI and RSP, the CPI (M) has resolved itself to take the legal course in the SNC Lavalin case win which party State secretary Pinarai Vijayan is the seventh accused. They still say that the Governor acted without authority. According to the CPI (M), the Governor is an official of the Central Government. If it cared to look at the Constitution, it can be seen that the Governor is not an official but a Constitutional authority and Supreme Court verdicts show that he had discretionary powers to allow the prosecution of Mr. Vijayan disregarding the opinion of the Cabinet.

All this shows that the LDF is far from redeeming itself after the crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. Though they acknowledge that the SNC Lavalin case played a role in their losing public support, they are unwilling to change their policies. Instead, they are trying to hoodwink the public by raising technicalities of the Governor’s decision.

It is also notable that a section of the leaders in both the CPI and the RSP is in favour of the line of official faction of the CPI (M). This is suppressing a rebellion by the others.

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Chief Minister Achuthanandan’s challenge Wednesday, Aug 13 2008

Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan

Malayalam newspapers are screaming with headlines today about Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan’s challenge to the official leadership of the CPI (M) in the State. It is indeed a challenge; but it would be naïve to believe that the Chief Minister would fight the official leadership now.

The challenge is just a means for the ensnared Chief Minister to show that he is kicking. He has neither the strength nor the will to fight the party. Even if he gathers the will, support in the party is lacking.

But to continue in his post, the Chief Minister has to show that he has some grit. For that, he has to fall back on to narration of his electoral victory and Munnar Mission.

After failure to carry on with almost all his missions professed as Opposition Leader, he has little justification before the people to continue in his post. He lacks administrative experience and ability to lead his Council of Ministers. However, what his opponents lack is the moral force to oust him. So, Kerala will neither have an all out moral fight against the mafias or the amoral pursuit of development at any cost.

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Tale of two marriages— of daughters of Bush and Pinarai Monday, May 12 2008

The marriage of daughters of the United States President George W. Bush and Kerala State Secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist) Pinarai Vijayan stood out by their striking contrasts. The wedding of the daughters of the staunch capitalist and avowed communist, however, had at least one thing in common— both were on the same day (May 10, 2008).

The invitees to Vijayan’s daughter’s wedding numbered hundreds while those to the Jenna Bush’s marriage were   just 200.There were not many VIPs at Bush marriage held at private residence in Texas, while names of VIPs at Veena’s had to be spread across two newspaper columns (see Mathrubhoomi report).

The Media were not invited to Jenna’s marriage. But all leading lights of the Malayalam media were present at the wedding of Vijayan’s daughter. (As a politician, Bush did not fail to tap the publicity potential. Wedding plans were leaked out to the Press in bits and pieces, building up the tempo.) While the venue of the former’s marriage was in the middle of a 1600-acre family farm, the latter’s been at a public place— a government-owned open-air auditorium rented out for the reception.

Cultural differences account for some of the contrast. While marriage is more of a personal-family affair in the United States, it is very much a family-community affair in Kerala. The family plays important roles in fixing marriages. If near and dear ones are not invited, that would lead to grudges. So, CPI (M) leaders often print their invitations to all party men in the party organ! Customs are customs whether you are a capitalist or communist.

At times of scarcity in Kerala, authorities had tried to impose restrictions on the number of invitees to weddings. However, hardly anyone heeded that, especially after fears of enforcement subsided. The State has never been able to enforce prohibition on dowries. It even had a Minister who breached the prohibition on child marriages.

A simple marriage is not in the mindset of the Malayalees. But, the wedding party of Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s son and the bachelors’ party on the previous day with invitees from the Gulf countries invited criticism. Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan said after that the party did not encourage luxury. So, Pinarai apparently was being careful– the party was modest.

In olden days, communist leaders made it a point to have their wards married into communist families. There was also reluctance among capitalists to have bonds with communists. This seems to be changing faster than the people of the State are able to tolerate inter-caste marriages. Well, what is the point in speaking communist family ties when you are employed in a multinational company or is a business development manager.

Incidentally, Jenna’s love is an MBA student while she is a teacher.

News Reports: Jenna Bush’s wedding a secret service

Deepika (in Malayalam)

Mathrubhoomi (in Malayalam)

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LDF celebrates two years of infigting Saturday, May 10 2008

The Left Democratic Front government is “celebrating” its second anniversary this month, though there is nothing to celebrate.

The ministry had long lost collective responsibility. The infighting in CPI (M) and fight between the CPI (M) and CPI on issues range from the silly (who gets credit) to the serious (Budget allocations, corruption) have stalled many initiatives of the Government.

The fight had started with the allocation of portfolios to the Ministers itself. The first casualty was perhaps the environment policy. Then the eviction of encroachers at places such as Munnar and Vagamon, administration of the Devaswom Board, Kisansree project, policy on sale of land belonging to the Merchiston estate were hit by differences in the ministry and the Front.

The latest is the stalling of integrated food security project and the competition to buy rice from West Bengal. (It is too early to predict the results of the last adventure— teams sent by the CPI (M) Minister for Cooperation and CPI Minister for Food and Civil Supplies were in West Bengal, scouting for rice. The CPI (M) team is said to have secured some rice through CPI (M) leaders in West Bengal. The fate of team sent by the CPI Minister is not yet known). Not to be behind, the RSP stalled moved to declare protected area in Vembanad lake.

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Paddy cultivators need a better deal Thursday, Mar 20 2008

One should take the Opposition campaign– that paddy in Kuttanad was lost mainly because of refusal of the Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilali Union to allow the farmers to use harvesting machines, with a pinch of salt. Yet there is a grain of truth in that the heavy rains damaged the crop because some farmers could not harvest their crop earlier at some places because of Opposition from KSKTU.

It is perhaps time that the CPI (M) and its Union decided which is its priority– the protection of the jobs of a decreasing number of agriculture workers in Kuttanad or long-term sustenance of paddy cultivation.

What is at stake is clear from the government’s own initiative to enact a law for preserving paddy fields and wetlands. The State’s food security and environment will be jeopardized if paddy fields continued to be filled up. However, the trend cannot be reversed just by legislation. Otherwise, the existing Kerala Land Utilisation Order itself would have achieved the objective. The only was to achieve the objective is to make paddy cultivation remunerative and trouble free. Farmers would not be able to carry on incurring losses as a public service.

If the government go ahead with its plans to punish farmers heavily for changing crops, that would only lead to genuine farmers selling their land. The paddy fields would ultimately land in the hands of the land mafia. They would be able to bribe the politicians and officials and circumvent the law to ultimately turn the fields into housing colonies, tourist centers and what not!

There is little justification for the CPI (M) or its Union in standing in the way of mechanization. The party has virtually embraced capitalism. It is in its scheme of thinks that lesser skilled workers lose jobs to fewer numbers of better skilled workers. Skill upgradation is the key in modern day capitalism. Where that cannot be achieved, safety nets such as the Employment Guarantee Scheme should take care of the workers.

Related: A different Nandigram in Kerala

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Chief Minister Achuthanandan’s dilemma Thursday, Feb 14 2008

Kerala Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan is a stanch communist, berated by opponents for Stalinist obduracy. His State unit of his party (the Communist Party of India-Marxist) did not want him to be the Chief Minister and hence did not offer him even a seat contest in Assembly polls. Still, he won the seat and Chief Ministership because of popular support.

He was thus elected by the will of the people and not the will of the party. What he heads is a petty bourgeois democratic government. He cannot expect the support of the party that has turned to capitalist ways, converting paddy fields, acquiring properties and running businesses.

To start with, Mr. Achuthanandan tried to rule according to the wishes of the people who elected him. However, soon he has to submit to some of the dictates of the party, which knows that the people have little choice between the ruling and Opposition Fronts (LDF and UDF). This did not win him supporters in the party. The party was systematically working to undermine him as the Chief Minister. Now, he has been totally routed at the party conference.

The choice before him now is to quit bowing to the overwhelming verdict of the party or rule to fulfill the aspirations of the people to people who elected him with an overwhelming vote. But, Achuthanandan is incapable of doing either. He is after all a devout communist who has sworn to obey the dictates of the party. He also lacks the ability and a fitting team to deliver what the people wants. So, he may still choose the middle course to the misfortune of the people of Kerala.

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Kerala education sector: into an abyss? Wednesday, Feb 13 2008

CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat has called for a dialogue between the private managements of educational institutions and the Government. This comes at the end of what may look like a confrontation between the two sides over admissions, appointments, fee structure and other issues connected to the educational institutions. But, what both sides appears to be trying for is a bargain deal.

The higher education sector virtually became the preserve of the moneyed class as the present and previous government failed to enforce their stated policy that 50 per cent of the seats in self financing colleges would be reserved for students admitted on merit and liable to pay only lower fees (at Government specified rates).

The UDF Government led by A. K. Antony (now the Defence Minister) failed to enter into proper written agreements with the managements. Consequently, they were able to get a series of court orders against differential fee structure in self-financing colleges. Though the LDF Government brought what was described as a “fail safe” legislation, that too was struck down by the courts. One of the problems with both the governments was that there were people within their set ups who wanted to undermine government policies in favour of the managements. All these opposing forces and divisions within the Government and ruling parties created a mess in the higher education sector, causing much hardship to students.

It is also notable the student and youth organisations of the CPI (M) have changed their stands over the years from violent opposition to self financing colleges to conceding the demands of managements. Though the State legislations were struck down by courts, the CPI (M) never pressed the Centre sufficiently for a Central legislation for regulation of the self-financing colleges (though it supports the government). So, the meaning of the call for dialogue becomes obvious. It is call for a deal.

KEAR Report
The State Government has now obtained a committee report on amendments needed to the Kerala Educational Act and Rules. It contains recommendations that are against and in favour of the interests of the school managements, who also control many of the self-financing institutions. The biggest bargain would be on appointments of teachers.

The committee recommends change of teacher-student ratio that would lead to creation of hundreds of posts of teachers. At the same time, it recommends that the appointments should be done though an independent agency. The managements stand to lose millions they collect from the appointees (as so called donations) if the right to appoint staff is taken away from them. But this is something that they could very well retain either through a deal with the government or through intervention of courts. Meanwhile, the government can play to the gallery that they taking on the managements.

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Janasree is just not for the people Friday, Feb 8 2008

The CPI (M) has come out strongly against launching of Janasree programme by the Congress-led Union Government. Local Administration Minister Paloli Mohamedkutty has alleged that it would undermine the Kudumbasree programme and create financial anarchy in the microfinance sector.

However, the real reasons for the strident criticism by the Minister are different. The Congress is planning to use the programme to fund non-government organisations and use it for leverage in the coming Lok Sabha elections. There is little doubt that the funds would mostly go to the supporters of the party.

It is, however, to be noted that Congress is trying to emulate the CPI (M) in its own way. The CPI (M) has built up a financial empire consisting of cooperative and other institutions in the control of the party. Employment in those institutions was used to win and reward supporters. Huge sums were raised for business including Government subsidies.

If the trend catches on, political parties of all hues would soon be running financial empires. No doubt that they would eventually assume mafia characteristics. We know that politicians also behind all the so-called land mafia deals in the State.

The trend does not augur well for democracy. The non-political, ordinary people will be exploited by those politico-financial empires. People will be forced to buy services from them as is already happening in the State. If in doubt, just look at the way the land prices have gone up in the State. The political mafia is expanding its grip over land, after gaining control of public sector units and other institutions. Soon, they will do the same in other sectors including micro finance. The communal mafia is also pitching for their share in the cake.

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