Udayor Blog

Latest reports coming from the capital talk about very unhealthy trends. Not that it was different this far, there is a discernible lack of collective responsibility. Where symptoms of oligarchic tendencies, various lobbies trying to pull the ship to their own destinations, have caused enough damage. What the Communist Party of India (Marxist) decided, about who should contest and who not, had to be compromised in full public glare. What is unheard of in the history of the Party. What now happens, like Ministries being captured as some media reports tell, is dumping all sense of collective responsibility and decision making. It is indeed a sorry state of affairs and sends a wrong message. Pulls and pushes in democratic polity are usual but for a cadre based Party this is unforgivable.

Kerala is sitting on a precipice, there are serious problems ailing the society. It is a state blown apart by hurricanes of suicides, where the economy has been torn apart after the flooding of international remittances, where the core agriculture base is almost dead, traditional sectors that people survived are ruined. And the people are looking for solutions not dramas. In such a state when the people give a mandate to a new front, pinning their hopes on the leadership, this kind of irresponsible behaviour is painful. This is no time to settle scores. But the heroes in this game are beating the comic shows on popular television channels. It seems taken straight out of stories on banana republics where tin-pot dictators reign.

Everyone knows that the so called Ministers in democratic governments in India, Kerala being no exception, are not know-alls. Infact journalists who cover the government departments hear hilarious stories of ill-informed Ministers with bloated egos being fooled by secretaries. That is an area not many write about. Just out of sympathy for the poor souls, not to disturb the system. But when the same people try to show off being capable of running every ministry, from IT to Health and Water Resources, as if these are like running 'petti kadas' it is a tragedy. For every one to go after silly media created feelings, like that of being stripped is plain naivette. They are becoming sitting ducks for shrewd media. They are stooping to be low rate politicians from what they are expected to be, statesmen.

The CPI(M) and its coalition partners are now with a mandate to run a state. The early indications are not giving a feeling of good governance, news briefings talked about 'no more stree peedanam' and such other stuff. What was expected was constructive programmes for the state. This is no soap opera where the hero and the villains clash, take revenge. Obviously the initial press briefings did not have the home work expected, no support from the Party. Now for a people who gave a big verdict this cannot be looked at with fun. CPI(M) has some of the best experts in each field and the people expect that their services be made use of. That they deliver quality governance. This is no tug of war between politicians, some of whom, as it seems, perhaps get advises from street corner experts.

As a matter affecting the state and its people it has to be said that the goings on need immediate correction. This is no street play to test who acts best and who less. It is to affect the destiny of a people. Post-colonial electoral democracy may have weaknesses and may need total changes, but that is not immediately possible. What is now there ought to be creatively used. The Party can have expert panels to advise each minister, whether there is constitutional provision or not these can be innovated. Let the Ministers show humility and own up their abilities in running a ministry. Let them not parade themselves as super heroes, they are subject illiterate in most cases. Stop fighting over how many ministries each one has. Will some of these ministers even understand what is happening in their ministries is a question, modern day governance is no joke. Fancy ministerial houses and police escorts looks nice. But good governance is a different matter. How many qualify for that.

Already wrong messages have been send, making the new ministry a laughing stock of sorts. The allocation of ministries do not seem to address the long overdue allegations. Thus the minority hold on the education ministry, which has created a lot of bad blood, continues to be under a minority community minister. Even if it is a person with impeccable integrity the message is clear. The big sharks in the education sector have succeeded again. Now there is no point in keeping caste and community hidden. Every decision in the state is taken based on that, but there is a startegy of hiding it, not talking about it as if it is obscene. No more of that, let the truth be said. Whatever the price.

A comrade with hidden caste agenda is far worse than a community leader who talks out. Let that reality be accepted, enough damage has been done. There are many wolves going around in sheep skin. Many leaders have been smoked out to a graceful retreat. The street smart ones make the kill, and the better ones leave without any fuss. In the labyrinths of power there are stories after stories of people victimised only because they belong to a community or another. Hence there is no point in wearing masks. Let the facts be known, gruesome tales come out. Because some of them are very good in acting plays doesn't mean that the truth is not known. Kerala now needs a futuristic and professional team, if possible young and dynamic, to steer herself clear from the muddle created by a mafia rule. People of courage and calibre not swayed by funny media stories. Concrete action plans in each sector and mile stones in implementing them. The Party has to be pro-active. And no more dramas please.