There Is a Danger in Party Going Down the Drain

Communism in Kerala terrain has always been a different ball game even when electing a communist government through democratic means. The ideology and ism of all communist greats are there to a large extent but raison d'être for the augmentation of party in the state should go to the early communist leaders. The persona of those leaders, fascinated all class of people from peasants to intellectuals. Presently the most endangered species in Kerala.

The organizational structure and ability to analysis major issues after careful revision was one of the focal factors that the party stood high above the other echoers in the early days. A world of information was readily available among the well read and vastly travelled leaders willing to discuss and debate. Life ironed out in struggle for their cause was never acquisitive in nature, qualities that the intellectual Keralite took to the heart and nurtured as communism.

The good governance of the leftist governments, stand against corruption and down to earth life style of leadrs made the value soaring high. A force to reckon with, in plugging communal ideologies flourishing in the state , earned loads of party sympathizers, the main contibution for electoral success. Even then the clout that kept through contradictory ideologies to appease the comrades and sympathizers alike made it look like a party of hidden agendas. Unwillingness of sympathizers to enroll as party members owing to their spiritual nature had been a detractor for the rapid growth of this ideology.

The change of guard in party leadership brought sweeping changes. The leaders who came to the fore through the SFI revolution, spending large amount of their life in the street destroying public properties has nothing much to offer for the party sympathizers. Expectations on the strong contingents turned out in SFI street strikes to become party members were a futile thought. For many SFI was a platform for their misadventures irrespective of their ideological beliefs. The new generation leaders managed to dominate the entire party system but always faltered at the final hurdle. Even then, more than life personalities of few veteran leaders ensured that the party going strong in the face of all troubles.

Innovation of young guns saw party departing from co-operative and public enterprise structure and entering capitalist structure on business of profits. Meantime desperate to widen the voter base attempts were made to compromise with long time foes, only to be defused by pre emptied strike of a veteran communist. The decisive blow came when the comrades and people of Kerala forced the party to rework its decision of not to field his veteran leader in the 2006 assembly elections and rest is history.

The Parliament elections of 2009 saw further depletion on long standing policies, joining elements of communal factors and state secretary named in corruption scandal by India’s premier investigation agency, added to the misery. The handling of educational policies and the public confrontation with communities who plays an active role in the educational sector made more enemies than expected. The interference in such matters by all cadres without a coordinated effort exposed the indiscipline rooting in the party.

The national leadership, the weakest link in the whole party infrastructure is wrestling to infuse some life into the party system. Rubbing salt to the wounds INC became more organized and disciplined and managed up to an extent in positioning themselves as saviors of the down trodden.

Since the question of god saving the party doesn’t arise, the leaders have to set aside their egos and personal agendas and come forward to walk in the path of the great leaders of yester years realizing Kerala needs a stronger party.

Does Dr.Tharoor make a difference to people it matters

The focus has shifted from the laid back capital of Kerala to Delhi where well thought-out shots were called for one of the fastest developing countries in the world. The one who represents the people of Trivandrum Dr. Tharoor is not just a parliamentarian furthermore he is entrusted with running the great nations foreign policy. A job which he will excel given his experience and exposure in the international arena along with his high caliber personality, nevertheless India's foreign policy is expected to be in the same lines of his predecessors. As the Minister of State for Foreign affairs he is the best bet to portray the image of a continued Indian renaissance.

All may be well for him in the Delhi front, but does he giving the right significance to the people who matters in Trivandrum. A section of Trivandrum voters may be content by their MP's credentials, they may have ample things to talk about and great visions from transforming the City into a seat of world class education, the south east Asia's biggest sea port and other developments in tandem with Indias' global emergence.

The Trivandrum parliament constituency has a coastal stretch where the most hapless people in Trivandrum lives, many short of basic living conditions and no access to proper schooling or health services. The biggest development happens in these area is just dumping of rocks as sea barriers in the monsson season, when the sea make inroads to land. These backward fishing hamlets has not seen any development for many years now, the coastal roads, children parks and schools may be the worst in Kerala. Not to mention about sanitation and safe drinking water, they use outdated fishing equipments and out landish technologies, it may be a disparity that the renowned Indian space research organisation also lies in the same coastal stretch. These people are exploited by the politicians knowing their volatile and humane nature, Its sad to see they are left to fringes to suffer because of the difficult situations prevail in these areas.

A proven techno craft he may on his way to be a great statesmen, but we are yet to see the humanitarian commitment towards underprivileged from this former Under Secretary General of United Nations.

The London Snow of 2009 Thru the Lens

Trivandrum In Indian Parliament

The emergence of flamboyant former under secretary General of United Nations as a candidate in parliamentary elections from the state capital of Kerala, creats new dimensions in Indian Politics. Bringing eminent technocrats to main stream politics was tried and tested by PV Narasimha Rao and the result was a prime minister arguably the best qualified in the world, in Manmohan Singh. and not to forget the failure of Krishna Kumar IAS initiated by K Karunakaran

Mr. Tharoor makes undoubtedly an automatic choice for any value based voter and there is no question of his abilities and qualities to represent the people of Trivandrum. Being said that, the contradiction between him and his supporters are very much evident. In Tharoors' own words :
"To represent the great citizens of this wonderful city would be an honour, but it is more important for Thiruvananthapuram's own sake that the people study all the candidates and vote for the person who can help them the most to improve their daily lives." but isn't it a shame that Sonia Gandhi was not been able to find a eminent personality from these great citizens of Thiruvananthapuram who understands the socio-economic situation of the place better than Mr. Tharoor. Indian National congress represented Thiruvananthapuram constituency for the maximum number of times , a walk over on many occasions and still Thiruvananthapuram stands as the least developed state capital.

One argument is that Tharoor came to politics for his desire to serve the people of Thiruvananthapuram and India as a whole. though I do not doubt his intentions, I should say his first preference was always United Nations and not Indian Politics and whatever he say for his decision to contest from Trivandrum, the congress had already counted their chicks for their high profile candidate with traditional vote bank among the poorest of poor, congress stands a good chance with Sashi Tharoor who can attract votes from sections of other class.

A section of middle and upper middle class who left for green pastures across the globe or well settled in Thiruvananthapuram , believes Tharoor is the answer to all the problems of Thiruvananthapuram. or are they looking for a statuesque MP to be proud off. They say they are tired of blood sucking politicians who haven't done any thing good, but Tharoor says he is impressed by the developments in Kerala which was closely watched by him during his years in UN and he have high regards to many areas of development. Being a party men reporting to the high command how can one expect the attitude of INC towards Thiruvananthapuram change overnight because of Tharoor. Don't forget the farce the congress created when K Karunakaran contested and the promise Thiruvananthapuram will change for ever.


Thiruvananthapuram may boast of many things from the seat of Rocket Science to first IT park in India but where does the laymen stand !! the coastal and rural areas of Thiruvananthapuram are the least developed,we still depend other states for our vegetable and rice, the fisher men still use tied up woods to go for fishing in the high seas, forget about the GPS,Public transport is in shambles non existent other than KSRTC buses and Indian Railways, which is not dependable for the Trivandrum commuters, drainage is a mystery yet to be resolved, there are people who don't have access to toilets and housing. In quest to catch up with the world in IT, Aviation, Tourism etc... we forgot to develop our basic infrastructure... we cannot shy away from those responsibilities....when we managed three International airports in Kerala, and that too one with the help of NRI's we just ignored the need for a proper transport system connecting the rail, road and waterways of KERALA... our priorities were not right....and every time we used politicians as a dart board for our mistakes.

The need of the hour for Thiruvananthapuram is a savior to develop the basic infrastructure of the city before anything else, it may be the corporation, the state, the center or all of them together.

Shashi Tharoor deserves to be the MP of Thiruvananthapuram, But I won't be surprised if he loses because of what the party he represents has not done for Thiruvananthapuram all these years.