Youth revolt by Congress' leaders in Kerala looks to burst 'bubbles'
KOCHI: The open revolt by Congress’ young leaders in Kerala against the leadership indicates the party is finally breaking free from the clutches of ‘A’ and ‘I’ groups, a bane of the party for several decades.
While five young MLAs --- Hibi Eden, Roji M John, V T Balram, Shafi Parambil and Anil Akkara --- have come out in the open, demanding a generational shift in the party leadership including a new face for the Rajya Sabha seat, the movement also has the silent backing of a large section of the party leaders and sympathisers, it is learnt.
Political analysts also dismissed as “bunkum” senior leaders’ contention that there are no strong and capable young leaders in the party, who can take up bigger responsibility like that of a Rajya Sabha member. “This is sheer nonsense. Leaders like A K Antony came up through similar revolt forcing the then senior leaders to make way for them,” said J Prabash, a political commentator and former pro vice-chancellor, Kerala University.
“Senior leaders in Congress are like bubbles, which will remain till a turbulence comes. With the emergence of the BJP, which has roots in every village and even urban areas through RSS, the youngsters have realised that time to burst the bubble is right now. Only if the leadership makes way can it attract youngsters, who can feel that hardwork can help them to move up the ladder in the party,” he said.
Mahatma Gandhi University former vice-chancellor and Congress watcher Cyriac Thomas said, “The outburst by the young leaders we are seeing now is only natural within Congress. The present set of senior leaders have also come up through such revolts.”Observers point out the youth brigade has thrown up names such as Shanimol Usman (former Mahila Congress state president), Mathew Kuzhalnadan (All India Professional Congress Kerala president), Rajmohan Unnithan (former KPCC general secretary), T Sidhique (Kozhikode DCC president), M Liju (Alappuzha DCC president), who are not from any particular group.“We are not proposing our own names. We have rallied not for a selfish interest. We have come together for the betterment of the party, setting aside our group affiliations,” said a youth leader.
Right credentials
Sources said among the names proposed both Shanimol and Kuzhanadan, who do not belong to either ‘A’ or ‘I’ group, can make the Opposition benches alive if chosen for the RS seat.Shanimol has served as Mahila Congress state president and AICC secretary. She is the first women from Kerala to become AICC secretary. Currently, she is a member of the KPCC political affairs committee. Similarly, Kuzhalnadan served as national general secretary of Youth Congress. A lawyer by profession, he is a PhD holder from JNU, New Delhi.
Kuzhalnadan has also been able to attract intellectuals and thinkers through the series of talk and discussion on important national issues. Recently, he brought senior Supreme Court counsel Indira Jaising for a discussion on the state of Indian judiciary. “What we need is some leaders who can help Rahul Gandhi in countering the BJP in Rajya Sabha. Leaders like Kuzhalnadan or Shanimol are definitely capable of living up to the task,” said another leader.