Yes to League, No to Rigid Muslim!
Communalism,
Casteism and religion rule roost in Kerala, CM reduced to taking orders from
High Command & Muslim command, democracy in Shambles, boot out the rot to
resurrect meritocracy.
James Kottoor
Recent events in Kerala have simply
tarnished beyond measure the image of the Muslim League, the Congress party and
Oommen Chandy the CM, and in that order.
First the Muslim League. Among an endless array of political parties in
India, too long to enumerate, I think Muslims alone have the unique distinction
of floating a political party with an unmistakable religious name:”Muslim
League”, and take pride in it. It would be excellent in a Muslim theocratic
state, but definitely a misfit in a secular country like India. So I am forced
to say: Yes, to League and No to the adjective ‘Muslim’ with good-will to my Muslim
brothers.
For instance, how would the public react if others followed suit and
started political parties like Hindu League, Christian League or Buddhist
Leage? How many non-Muslims will join a Muslim League, how many non-Hindus will
join a Hindu League and how many non Christians will join a Christian league?
Nay will anyone tolerate a political party with a religious tag in this day and
age?
Politics must Include All
The assumption of course is that
politics and political parties are to be all inclusive, meant for the common
good of all in a Panchayat, district, state or country. How is it that
Keralites who call themselves literate and enlightened fail miserably to see
this contradiction in their daily political speech and conduct? How can they
parade themselves to be global (they are all over the world) and all embracing
in their talks but sectarian, divisive and narrow when it comes to acting in
their little narrow home state?
You can fool some people for some time, not
all people, all time and everywhere. We have seen it happening in recent
elections in UP, known as an illiterate state. Even the most tolerant can run
out of patience. Weather enlightend or illiterate, according to Markandey
Katju, “The truth is that the minds of 90 percent Indians are full of casteism, communalism, superstition.” No one wants to slap
that comment on the enlightened sections of Muslims in Kerala.
But in the recent elections, the party though confined to Northern Malapuram areas, came out with flying
colours with a record of 20 MLAs. Taking pride in it is quite legitimate, but
not boasting over it or acting like one gone drunk with it. Critics say, it was
the latter that prompted the League’s supreme command. Panakkad Shihabi
Thangal to announce, ahead of anyone (which made many wonder
who heads the UDF—Oommen Chandy or Thangal) that Manjalamkuzhi Ali would be its
fifth minister and he would take oath together with Anup Jacob, The League
stuck to it until it got its pound of flesh 100% in weight, in spite of all persuasions spread out before them by friends,
foes and critics.
Failed Persuasions
What are
some of them? In the 140
Kerala assembly the ruling UDF has only 72, that is a wafer thin majority of
two, with one seat laying vacant following the resignation of CPM's R Selvaraj from Neyyatinkara to be won or lost by UDF or
LDF, no one knows to whose benefit. With
the induction of Anup Jacob and Ali the number of cabinet members rose to 21.
The rule book restricts the size of the cabinet to 10% of 140-member
assembly,14 or 15. This rule was kept by EMS and broken by successive
governments to feed a white Elephant of a jumbo cabinet of 20 for long. Ali’s
entry made it 21 for the first time. Remember, the cost of maintaining a
Minister for one year is Rs.5 crore. Multiply it for five years and again with
21 to get the staggering cost of supporting a top-heavy government, all for the
sake of the Aam Aadmi committing suicide at
ground level for not having Rs.26 or 32
to spend.
Ruled by three KUs
What is worse, is the communal misrepresentation
and imbalance in cabinet. According to 2011 census Hindus constitute 56% of
Kerala's population of 3.3 crore. Of this Muslims are 25 % and Christians 19 %.
Now the shameful picture is this. Muslims and Christians have stolen the lion’s
share – six ministers for each (that is a total of 12) in a 21member cabinet.
The Muslim League gets six, only
because Aryadan Muhammad of the Congress also is included. Being a Muslim, weather in Congress or League
Aryadan also automatically represents the Muslim community, it is argued by Sukumaran
Nair of NSS and Vellapally Natesan of Ezhava community. Hence the Comment of
Sukumaran Nair that Kerala is governed by three KUs -- Kunjalikutty, Kungungu and Kungumani.
Finally
when all these arguments failed to prevent the League from pressing for the
fifth minister the KPCC met and decided and declared their decision not to give
another minister. Within hours it had to revert its decision to save a sinking
ship and stay afloat. Reportedly the options offered by League were: 1. It
would withdraw its 4 ministers en block, 2. Give outside support, 3. if that
too doesn’t work, a senior leader would leave the ship with a bunch of 10 to
join the LDF to form a new government. At such a three pronged torpedo,
Kerala’s Congress CM had to cave in and
surrender unconditionally, it is said.
Still the CM should have stood his ground
and resisted like a late Karunakaran or a living Antony, some say. These
critics also ask the counter question: What if even that didn’t work and LDF
formed a government? Then wouldn’t Oommen Chandy alone be put in the dock for
wrecking the ship on the slender rock of a 5th minister? Left with
no alternative the Congress simply had to bow and prostrate before the League
and busied itself with damage control by handing over Home ministry to
Thiruvanchiyoor, a senior Congress leader from Nair community to pacify the NSS and
additional responsibilities to existing Majority community ministers.
Haj Subsidy
Haj subsidy is another irritant. This
preferential treatment given to Muslims, its use and misuse is frowned upon by
other communities. During last elections Jayalatlithaa tried to make political
capital out of it by promising similar subsidies for Christian and Hindus to
visit their Holy places. If the government is bent on placating minorities no
one can prevent it. But let it treat all minorities equally, say critics.
When it comes to the image
of the Congress, one thing that makes people to look with disdain and contempt
is the Congress High command’s treatment of state leaderships like vassals or
kids with no brains. For every silly decision the CM and the KPCC president have to fly to Delhi to
get clearance from the Madam, it looks. Where is co-responsibility and
subsidiarity in Congress? That is why Congress is rootless even in States they
rule. Everywhere It is a remote control
rule from Delhi.
Two other things for which
the Congress is roundly criticised are its craze to promote dynastic succession and its
unprincipled fervour to reward defectors with favours denied to faithful party
workers as in the case of the prodigal son. Anup Jacob is example for the
first. What mattered for Congress was dynasty and winnability due to sympathy
vote, not merit. For the second we have the case of Sindhu Joy who was in the
opposite camp abusing Congress and campaigned against Chandy.Latest is making
CPM-defector Selvaraj contest on the party symbol forgetting his earlier
statement, he would commit suicide rather
than join the UDF.
Communalism Rules Roost
All these prove one thing for certain. Democracy, whether
at the national or State level, has become just a façade only, an eyewash. It
is used as a fig leaf to cover all kinds of undemocratic doings to promote
vested interests. Being a fig leaf it reveals more than it hides – the deplorably
shameful nakedness of our honourable rulers which has become an eyesore. How?
Read a marriage ad appearing beside a news story about the
final shape of Kerala Cabinet: "Nair
brides, Menon brides, Mappila brides, Marthoma brides, Jacobite brides, Roman
Catholic brides, Pillai brides, Nambiar brides. Izhava brides", all are
available just for the asking.
That explains best the mentality –
caste and communal mentality -- working behind Indian politics on national
level and at state levels. Politics is
simply reduced to the rule of the
jungle where the dominant bull or bulls (parties) sire progenies from a hoard ready
to bend or crawl before them. You call it democracy? What can be a more
despicable farce? This is not rule of reason but passion, a passion that is
communal to the core.
Democracy is meritocracy, selecting
the right person, irrespective of caste, communal or religious affiliations,
for the right post from top to bottom. In that sense I vote for V. M. Sudhiran,
not Oommen Chandy, for the post of CM to start with. You vote for the rest, at the next elections
if not now. And make sure not to vote for any professedly caste or religion
based parties. They have no place in a democracy. If an illiterate, but roused
voting public in UP could send topsy-turvy a corrupt Mayavathi with no
principles (think also of Delhi elections), a literate and determined voting
public in Kerala can and should work
wonders at least at the next elections.
The writer can be contacted at: jameskottoor@gmail.com
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