Some of the vehicles who ventured out on the hartal day (May 7, 2009) were attacked by UDF supporters
See post below
UDF imposes another hartal on the people Wednesday, May 6 2009
Governance and India and Kerala and Politics hartal, UDF, LDF, Congress, Cabinet, CPI-M, CBI, SNC Lavalin 4:20 am
The Congress led United Democratic Front in Kerala is imposing another hartal on the people for its own failures.
The hartal is in protest against the Cabinet’s recommendation to the Governor against prosecution of the CPI (M) State secretary Pinarai Vijayan in the SNC Lavalin corruption case. The case pertains to the period when Pinarai was the Power Minister in the LDF Cabinet that came to power a decade ago. After that, the UDF had ruled the State for five years.
Five years was enough time for the government to conclude an investigation and permit prosecution. But the UDF Government was keen on withdrawing the Palmolein corruption case against Congress leader K. Karunakaran rather than pursuing the case against Pinarai, especially when the present Opposition Leader Oommen Chandy was the Chief Minister.
After the investigation was entrusted to the CBI, the Congress had been in power at the Centre. However, the CBI sat on the investigation as along as the CPI (M) was supporting the Government at the Centre. Then, it acted and sought sanction from the Governor for the prosecution, which he referred to the Government.
The Advocate General, who is a political nominee of the CPI (M) has given a legal opinion against prosecution despite the CBI listing Pinarai as the ninth accused after an investigation supervised by the courts. The CPI (M) intervened to force the decision by the Cabinet against feeble objections raised by the Chief Minister.
The case has never been vigourously by the Congress. Now, in view of media criticism about its dilly dallying, the party is imposing another hartal on the people. Thus both the UDF and LDF becoming party to subversion of rule of the law in the State.
Communalising politics Tuesday, Mar 24 2009
India and Kerala and Politics CPI-M, LDF, PDP, RSS, UDF 3:09 pm
What the political parties in Kerala has achieved over the last 60 years is to increasingly communalise politics in the State.
It was no secret that all the political parties considered communal factors in fielding candidates for elections from the forties. The Congress developed it into an art by working out complex arrangements to achieve balance. CPI (M) leader E. M. S. Namboodiripad gave a new leash of life to the Muslim League, which Nehru had called the dead horse, in Kerala. It is not mere coincidence that the same party is now promoting the PDP.
The results of decades of communal pampering is that religions and communal outfits have become more demanding. The PDP is arm twisting everyone. The Catholic Church, which used to pay at least lip service to the principle of separation of the Church and the State, is now openly making demands for specific candidates. The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church has gone a step further by proposing to field candidates. Other churches are also on the path of doing what they can. The CPI (M) is embracing both the right wing Jana Paksham and the PDP.
In this scenario, traditional communal outfits such as the Muslim Leauge, NSS and SNDP and even the RSS appear to be dwarfed.
The CPI (M)’s truck with the PDP reminds one of the Congress leader Indira Gandhi promoting Bindranwala in Punjab against the Akalis. It would not be long before such elements turn against those who mollycoddled them. At least UDF covnenor P. P. Thankanchan who printed the photo of PDP leader Abdul Nasir Maudhani on his campaign poster would have realised that by now.
Road policy shy of expressway Wednesday, Feb 11 2009
Environment and Governance and Kerala cars, expressway, Government, highway, LDF, policy, road, UDF 1:34 pm
The draft Road Policy, released by the Government recently, is shy of clear proposal on the proposed expressway from Kasaragod to Trivandrum.
The proposal for an expressway, mooted by former Minister P. J. Joseph in the LDF Government, had attracted much criticism when the UDF Government went ahead with the plans. Apart from criticism on environmental grounds, one factor that turned away many from the proposal was the talk about commissions and real estate deals behind the project and issues of land acquisition. In fact, corruption had become a bane of almost all major projects in the State.
However, express highway is something needed by the State, considering the growth of cars and other vehicles in the State. If the government is unwilling to develop express way on some valid grounds, it should take steps to discourage the shift towards two wheelers and cars and encourage mass transport. However, the government is not willing to do either. It did not want to touch the car manufacturers on the wrong side. Nor is it willing to face public wrath over land acquisition and other criticism.
Corridor
The Public Works Minister in the UDF Government M. K. Muneer tried to wriggle around the problem renaming the expressway as access controlled corridor. The present Government is claiming that the North-South road transport corridor proposed in the Policy is not the same as the expressway.
As the policy notes, the coastal and midland region of the state contains nearly 76 percent of the state’s population and contributes to a similar share of the gross state domestic product. Hence, development of a corridor through the midland region is a must unless the State is to face serious traffic jams. It is important that the North Kerala should have fast access to the South and the capital city.
Hill highway
However, development of missing links and improvement of existing roads along the Hill Highway is unnecessary. The population in the hilly areas is limited and there is little need for North South movement along the hills. What are needed are East-West roads connecting the hilly areas to the midlands and the coast. These should also carefully developed not to cause any pressure on the remaining forests on the Western Ghats.
Mayawati’s forey into Kerala Sunday, Dec 28 2008
India and Kerala and Politics BSP, election, LDF, Lok Sabha, Mayawati, UDF 8:12 pm
U. P. Chief Minister Mayawati
Bahujan Samajvadi Party’s forey into Kerala is unlikely to succeed at this juncture. Party leader and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati had undertaken a well planned tour of Southern States including Kerala. However, she is unlikely to find political space in State politics dominated by the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF)
Because of their ties with BSP at the national level, the Left parties would come under some compulsion to accommodate the BSP in the LDF. However, it is in the interest of the CPI (M) in Kerala that it did not create a competitor for its base among the backward classes. It would not be near impossible for the BSP to press for accommodation, especially when it comes to seat sharing for the Lok Sabha elections, since the party has hardly established any base in Kerala.
The BSP had been fielding candidates in the Lok Sabha elections from Kerala for long. However, its votes had hardly ever exceeded a few thousand votes. Its votes share has been just 0.50 per cent. (This, however, marked a three to four fold increase from vote share in the previous elections when party’s votes hardly ever exceeded the three digit figures.) As of now, she would not be able to improve upon it significantly without getting into coalition politics in Kerala.
The UDF and LDF has fairly good base among dalit communities and they are trying to consolidate that base further. Mayawati has apparently realised that the LDF would not relish her eating into their base. So, she sought to appeal to economically backward among the forward classes by speaking for job reservation for them. In Uttar Pradesh, she had been expanding her appeal to forward classes. However, her stand in favour of reservation for the economically backward classes goes against the basic Constitutional tenet on reservation which is based on social and educational backwardness.
Though reservation based on economic status would appeal to organisations like the NSS, they are not going to put their eggs in Mayawati’s basket unless she demonstrates her prowess in the State. This, as mentioned before, will be an uphill task. The kind of politics that leads to killing PWD engineer by politicians for refusal to pay political contributions is not going to appeal to Keralites. The State leader of the party A. Neelalohitadasan Nadar too lacks a good image.
Kerala education sector: into an abyss? Wednesday, Feb 13 2008
Education and Kerala and Politics admissions, CPI-M, CPIM, CPM, Government, higher education, LDF, UDF 9:36 pm
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.
Hartals, the weapon of bankrupt political parties Wednesday, Feb 6 2008
Kerala and Politics Congress, hartal, India, LDF, prices, UDF 11:03 pm
The Opposition United Democratic Front in Kerala is bent on organizing a hartal on February 19 to protest against price rise.
Haratal is today a weapon of political parties that lack constructive programmes and actions. Their self-centers cadres, who have joined politics for personal gains, cannot be mobilized for any mass action, without the political parties spending huge sums on them.
People often cite that Mahatama Gandhi organised the first haratls. However, a close look would show how different they were. The hartals called by Gandhiji was organised by volunteers without resort to violence. Now, it is fear of violence by often paid goons of the political parties that keep people away from their occupations.
Gandhiji knew that his hartals would hit the colonialists in the cities than the rural populace. The peasantry would be able to carry on with their occupations without interruption while the movement of goods and services needed by the colonialists would be hit.
Today, there is no colonialists to fight against, but only elected governments. The Opposition should win the support of the people and bid for power instead of harming the economy. Life in the twenty-first century needs 24-hour uninterrupted services. The hartal by the UDF will only contribute to price rise by halting production for a day.
Allegations and counter allegations Friday, Jan 25 2008
Governance and Kerala and Politics corruption, Government, information technology, LDF, UDF 12:05 pm
It has become a routine for the ruling Left Democratic Front and Opposition United Democratic Front to face allegations with counter allegations. This suggests that both are involved in corrupt deals.
The latest instance is the allegations relating to the land deal for the Cyber City in Kochi. As the Opposition took up the issue, the Cabinet immediately decided on a CBI probe into the contracts for the modernisation of Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited during the UDF rule. The Opposition Leader Oommen Chandy’s immediate reaction was to seek a probe into the contract for the Titanium Sponge plant entered into by the LDF Government. He also wanted a judicial probe into the Cyber City deal.
Keralites know that judicial probes had ever led to punishment of any politician. It serves just to press for resignation of Ministers if a judicial probe is ordered against them and in fueling political debates. The fact that the politicians are able to get away with allegations and counter allegations points to failure of our institutions. This situation needed to be corrected if democracy is to survive.
