How dissent in Kerala's ruling CPI(M) could adversely impact the future of the Indian Left
The withholding of the Hema committee report for about five years has irked rights activists across the state, many of whom were pro-Left until now.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan's control and authority over the coalition government he has been heading for eight consecutive years are now facing an unprecedented and significant challenge.
This challenge stems from allegations of misconduct and abuse of power within the ruling CPI(M).
A legislator, known to be a Vijayan confidant, has revealed what he describes as unsavoury activities involving Vijayan's most trusted police officer and his political secretary, a heavyweight in the party. T
Two-time MLA P V Anvar, the recipient of Vijayan's unwavering support, has now accused the chief minister's political secretary, P Sasi, of protecting ADGP (law and order) M R Ajith Kumar, a person with whom Vijayan shares a personal rapport.
According to Anvar, Kumar is a "notorious criminal" who has committed murders and is involved in gold smuggling rackets. Terming Kumar as an `RSS plant' in the state police, Anvar has accused him of, among other things, allegedly facilitating the victory of union minister Suresh Gopi in Thrissur in the Lok Sabha election by invoking sentiments of the majority community through unwanted police interference in the conduct of the famous Thrissur Pooram festival.
Though Anvar has claimed that his target was neither the chief minister nor the government, he was scathing in attacking the political secretary, who has the stature of the de facto home minister, for allegedly engaging in dubious deals with criminals. As Kumar and Sasi are confidants of Vijayan, Anvar's moves have been interpreted as a veiled attack on the chief minister's authority.
For his part, Anvar is himself facing allegations ranging from running questionable businesses to encroaching on environmentally fragile government lands to starting private firms.
Though Vijayan ordered an investigation against Kumar, the Anvar camp believes it's just an eyewash. The ADGP was not transferred out of the number two position in state police, at least until the completion of the probe.
Kumar had always been chosen for crucial assignments including the latest rescue mission in the Wayanad landslide site. Kumar has faced allegations of handing out undue favours to Vijayan's daughter Veena who was embroiled in financial misconduct and tax evading cases.
In the case of Sasi — who was expelled from the CPI(M) over his alleged sexual harassment of the daughter of a party colleague over a decade ago -- his return and the taking over of the crucial position triggered murmurs of discontent.
Sasi, in his previous stint as political secretary of then chief minister E K Nayanar, had courted many controversies, inviting strong party disciplinary actions. Sasi hails from Vijayan's native Kannur.
Curiously, all these developments occurred soon after the unceremonious existence of E P Jayarajan, a CPI(M) heavyweight, from the post of the convener of LDF. He was the party’s link with coalition partners to ensure the smooth functioning of the government.
He had to step down because of the party's discontent over his tacit meetings with BJP national leader Prakash Javadekar and alleged attempts to join the BJP. On the Lok Sabha polling day, his open admission of meeting Javadekar in the company of a controversial political middleman adversely affected the electoral prospects of LDF.
Vijayan’s Modi comparison
Vijayan, who earned the sobriquet `Mundudutha' Modi ( A Narendra Modi who wears the traditional Kerala dhoti), is known to run the party with an iron fist.
A long-term powerful state secretary of CPI(M) before occupying the current office, the politician was known to be intolerant of dissent and had a track record of taking on political rivals within the organisation, which included his mentor, former chief minister, and veteran party colleague V S Achuthanandan.
``Despite large-scale image manipulation efforts involving public relations agencies, Vijayan's attempts to remain the strongest ever Kerala politician received a serious defeat in the Lok Sabha poll with Congress-led opposition winning all except two seats in the state. Now the exit of Jayarajan and the Pandora's box unleashed by Anvar are further eroding his credibility and challenging his authority over the party,'' said Joseph C Mathew, a former advisor to the state government on IT when Achuthanandan was chief minister.
A matter of grave concern for Vijayan is the police demand to interrogate actor turned two-time CPI(M) MLA M Mukesh. He faces a set of rape and sexual harassment cases registered after the release of the Hema Committee report, which probed anti-women aspects of the Malayalam film industry.
While Mukesh is reportedly on the run to evade arrest and the report brings under cloud actor-turned-politician K B Ganesh Kumar, Vijayan has been embarrassed in the aftermath of the Hema Commission report. Kumar is a cabinet colleague of Vijayan and holds the transport portfolio. Kerala Film Academy chairman Ranjith, another confidant of Vijayan, had to resign last week after two rape cases were registered against him.
The withholding of the Hema committee report for about five years has irked rights activists across the state — many of whom were pro-Left until now — and they are building public opinion against Vijayan and his cultural affairs minister Saji Cheriyan.
``The so-called strong man is now evading even press meetings, fearing disturbing questions over untoward developments that eclipsed the image of his government. Dissent has surfaced in the party since he took over its control for the first time. The challenges Vijayan now faces are grave, and the credibility crisis would affect the LDF prospects in the fast approaching local body elections and the assembly election due within two years,'' said political analyst N P Chekutty.
Despite facing allegations of corruption, nepotism, and instigating organised violence, Vijayan is the lone leftist chief minister in the whole country, as the Left citadels of West Bengal and Tripura are no longer in existence. Vijayan will need to invoke all his political acumen to emerge unscathed amid the accusations of corruption and ineptitude that his government is facing.
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