Livemint: Thiruvananthapuram: Thursday,
March 02, 2017.
With the
ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) alliance set to finish a year around two
months from now, second-biggest coalition partner Communist Party of India
(CPI), Kerala unit, secretary, Kanam Rajendran, talks about his uneasiness with
some of the decisions of the government led by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
In an
interview with Mint, Rajendran maintained, however, that CPI will stick
together with the leading and more influential partner Communist Party of India
(Marxist) or CPM, and that nine months was too less a time to make everything
“right”. Edited excerpts:
The LDF
government will finish a year in office in about two months. Are you happy with
its performance so far?
It is too
early to comment on the overall performance of the government because an internal
assessment is still going on. In general, we are impressed with the four
ministers of CPI. We are not disappointed with the government. It’s a different
economic situation from the one that existed when we came to power, because of
demonetisation and drought, among other issues. So we can’t say we still have
the speed with which we began.
Where do you
think the government is lacking pace?
There are a
lot of issues that are not under our control. Wreckage caused to the economy
over demonetisation, price rise, ration issues, drought, education and so on.
Personally, my opinion is that the government needs to improve in all sectors.
So everything
has not been set right?
I do not have
a lot of hope of the government setting everything right soon. Are we fools to
think that within nine months after the transfer of power from Oommen Chandy,
this will become a paradise? I think everything cannot be made alright that
soon.
A news anchor
recently wondered whether you along with V.S. Achuthanandan (who has frosty
ties with Pinarayi Vijayan) have become the real opposition in Kerala. You have
been accusing the government of anti-Left politics. Comment.
We raised
criticism when the government used Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA)
against artists and activists, and when the police killed Maoists in what seems
to be a fake encounter. When LDF is in power, there should be restrictions on
using black laws like UAPA and on Maoist encounters. The government cannot go
on by taking anti-Left stance. Only in two states, Kerala and Tripura, the Left
is in power. In other states, the Left workers are in a constant struggle and
are protesting against anti-Left policies. If Kerala fails to uphold the
virtues of the Left, we will be failing them.
You are
constantly fighting against the government because of the CM’s working style or
is there something really wrong within the coalition itself?
The coalition
is not vigilant while approaching some issues. If the government is making
mistakes, it is the duty of the coalition to point them out and ask for
correction. Take the case of Right to Information (RTI) Act. The government has
approached Kerala high court to declare that it is not bound to publicize
cabinet decisions under RTI. Who empowered them to give an appeal like that?
Where was this discussed? It was not discussed in the coalition. It is an
anti-Left stand. We have asked our advocates’ association to implead in the
case.
CPI’s only
way of influencing the government is through asking its advocates association
to implead in a case?
What else you
expect us to do? Withdraw from the government because of this?
Why not?
We have taken
a political resolution for broader Left unity, which is the need of the hour.
Until and unless we do not change that political resolution, we will continue
to fight against anti-Left policies from within the coalition.
That means
you are assuming the role of constructive criticism. But how come that
criticism does not extend to your own party cadres? One of your leaders
recently compared file movements in Kerala and Gujarat and said Gujarat is
better. An earlier interview of another of your leaders resurfaced recently,
where he said Indians had aircraft during Treta Yuga. Do you support such
views?
No one who
has seen human development indicators of Gujarat can say it is a state better
than Kerala. To say that there were aircrafts in Treta Yuga is akin to
spreading superstition. These are not CPI’s views.
So then, what
action has been taken against them?
These are
personal opinions raised here and there, silly matters. They have a life only
in the social media. We don’t consider them as serious political issues.
Critics
suggest CPI’s criticism against CPM is only helping your political opposition.
Isn’t political climate an important aspect, especially when in power?
We are two
different parties. We have not entered into an alliance after signing an
agreement that we will agree to all decisions of the other. Even while we agree
upon a common LDF manifesto, when it comes to the specifics, there may be
disagreements. If those issues are discussed within the coalition, we will
raise our criticisms there. If they (CPM) decide to go ahead, like in the case
of RTI, without discussing it in coalition, then we are forced to raise these
issues in the public.
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