Occupying the highest chair in the legislative assembly seems a natural progression for veteran politician Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan who has had a long stint of 35 years as a legislator. The Congress leader from Kottayam holds the unique distinction of handling 17 portfolios in different cabinets.
After being elected as the Speaker of the 16th Kerala Assembly, Thiruvanchoor opens up to TNIE on the kind of speaker he prefers to be, his most-discussed tenure as home minister in the Oommen Chandy cabinet, T P Chandrasekharan murder investigation, and why he doesn’t bother about trolls.
Excerpts
With a long political career, you are among the rare politicians to have handled as many as 17 portfolios as a minister. Assuming the role of speaker is a new chapter. How do you view this transition?
In fact, there has been a natural build-up to this position. I first came to the assembly as an MLA in 1991... this is my 36th year. To be here continuously itself is a blessing. Depending on whether we are in the treasury bench or the opposition, our roles vary. Once you assume the role of the speaker, you become more sober. That’s the only difference. Parliamentary activity is pretty much the same for everyone – irrespective of the ruling party, opposition, or the speaker. However, there are specific roles, and those must be carried out precisely. We should do justice to the position we hold. I want to execute it with honesty.
You are a long-time Congress leader. The speaker is someone who should be impartial. How do you intend to handle the role?
We must proceed with a sense of justice. Even while being a part of the ruling party, one must act in that manner. Similarly, we cannot misuse the privilege of the opposition, right? When you become the speaker, a sense of justice must be present in all our actions. Reaction depends on the action. A speaker doesn’t usually indulge in spontaneous action; it’s mostly reaction. If someone behaves positively, there’s spontaneous positive reaction. If someone speaks in an inappropriate manner, then a reaction befitting such behaviour follows. I hope, irrespective of the ruling party or opposition, they will not deviate from their respective orbits.
In the recent history of the assembly, three or four speakers remain etched in our memories – leaders like Varkala Radhakrishnan, Vakkom Purushothaman and V M Sudheeran. Each of them had their unique styles. What would be your approach?
A speaker’s approach is formed based on the issues that come before us. If there is a right matter coming before us, why should we disagree with it? If a wrong matter comes before us, why should we try to establish that it’s right? Generally, speakers always act with the desire to keep the momentum going. A comparison of past speakers is not advisable. Everyone was clever and capable in their respective domains. Similarly, we need to keep in mind that legislators too have rich political experience. There are 71 new members. Who should be the role models for those new members? The experienced veterans.
This is an assembly where the ruling front holds a brutal majority. What will be your approach to ensure that the opposition’s voice is heard?
How was the preceding assembly? LDF 99, UDF 41. It’s just a minor variation, right? What existed in the past was in a different form, and today, it’s in the reverse order.
In a first, more than half of the MLAs are newcomers – 71. As a speaker, will you be a strict taskmaster or someone who takes everyone along?
Taking action against someone is not a solution. At the same time, we must contain things, and take everyone along. We must make them capable. There should be proper interaction. We should create opportunities for the new members to interact with the best parliamentarians. Efforts must be made alongside to provide them with good input on various matters. Once they understand the technicalities, they will become good members. Everyone starts as a newcomer. It’s only later that they become ‘periyaswamis’ (smiles). There are certain models in the assembly who none can forget.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan showered praises on you, especially for the way you look after the constituency…
He said that out of his affection and love for me. But I do look after my constituency well. Initially, when I was representing Adoor, I visited around 40,000 houses there. In Kottayam constituency too, it was the same – the number of houses I haven’t stepped into is very, very negligible. All MLAs can do this. Personal connections are a key factor. We must be able to cultivate such an approach.
Your name was doing the rounds during the cabinet formation, amid wide speculation that you would become a minister...
My party decided where to best utilise my services. When the party decided that I should sit here, my job was to make that appointment fruitful. I hope to put in all my efforts to make it successful.
But until the last moment, your name was among the list of ministers, right?
That’s what I said. If someone asks me what I want, and if speakership is an option among them, I prefer becoming the speaker. We spoke about an MLA’s duties and my assembly procedures. We spoke about the functioning of my constituency. What would ideally be the super climax to all of that? Becoming the leader of the house. On the path I walked, if I can climb one step higher, isn’t that a matter of great satisfaction? From my perspective, when my leadership decides to entrust someone like me with such a responsibility, shouldn’t I accept it with joy? Shouldn’t I see it as a recognition? To me, it’s a recognition of all that I have worked for.
How do you assess your predecessor, A N Shamseer?
Shamseer had his own style of functioning. He took action accordingly. But even he hasn’t claimed that it was entirely correct. Every speaker will have their own distinct traits. I have great respect for him as an individual. Each person has their own style. I won’t insist that the person succeeding me should copy my style. They should move forward in their own way. Personality is what matters most.
The moment you were announced as the speaker, a lot of trolls appeared on social media. Did it come to your notice?
I did notice it, but with indifference, without serious attention. When I speak, something like a slip of the tongue might occur. Let me ask, can you name a single TV personality among media professionals who hasn’t had a slip? In the next sentence, don’t they just say ‘sorry’ and move on to something else? Isn’t that the truth? Don’t I too have the right to say that? Is there any speaker who doesn’t make mistakes? Can you name one person who doesn’t make mistakes, depending on their pronunciation and delivery skills? Does a person speak by looking up a dictionary every time? Not at all. We speak frequently, and naturally, there could be some mistakes. The only question is whether we did it deliberately, isn’t it? I have never done anything like that deliberately. Moreover, some people viewed it (his slips) as if it was a monumental grammatical blunder, but it wasn’t anything of the sort.
Did you feel it was a personal attack?
Do you expect a letter of appreciation in politics? All such matters tread their own path, while I continue on mine. That’s all.
What do you have to say to the trolls?
I have nothing to say. Let them keep at it. Now they aren’t talking against me, are they? So let them talk about someone else. But the public doesn’t care too much about these things. We shouldn’t take it seriously. Our perspective and the goal towards which we are moving are important. The rest are all flimsy, aren’t they? It’s like when you want to bring someone down and find nothing else, you resort to whatever little thing you can find.
Pinarayi Vijayan, who served as the chief minister for 10 years, is now the leader of opposition. How do you think his performance would be?
Earlier too, there were many people who went on to become the chief minister after being the leader of opposition or vice versa. If you take the entire history of Kerala assembly, this kind of change has happened three or four times. Such a change is natural. It isn’t because they were bad, but because the people rejected them.
Do you believe he can be a good leader of opposition?
Isn’t a person like Pinarayi Vijayan the most important in Kerala politics? How can I say he will not be an efficient leader of opposition? For me, considering the position I hold now, I only need to look at one thing: do justice to the position I occupy. I have no other particular insistence.
This time, you are facing a new challenge. In a first, the assembly has a third block – the BJP. Is it going to be a tightrope walk?
No. I don’t think it will be a tightrope walk. They are all seasoned politicians, aren’t they? I don’t think they will take any adamant position when it comes to following assembly procedures. We will follow the rule of law. For us (in the assembly), the rule book is the very foundation. As far as interpreting the rule book is concerned, the speaker has the final word. I don’t think that would be questioned. Even otherwise, there is no need to harbour preconceived notions about such things.
You have worked with many senior politicians, like Oommen Chandy and Aryadan Mohammed. You are the only one in the assembly now from that generation. How do you feel?
Our legislative assembly has been graced by so many illustrious personalities, like P K Vasudevan Nair, M N Govindan Nair and T V Thomas. The Kerala of today is one that has watched them and learnt from them. I’m of the opinion that we must always follow their paths with respect.
Your most noted tenure as a minister was when you handled the home portfolio. The T P Chandrasekharan murder case-related episode earned you both bouquets and brickbats. There was criticism the investigation did not go beyond a point…
That is the second chapter. The first chapter is about whether the accused were caught or not. I vividly remember getting a call from a police official at 10.10 pm, informing of the murder. I immediately rushed to Kozhikode. The police team identified the vehicle after a detailed search operation. The officers unravelled a major murder case with just a few minor clues. The accused were arrested through daring moves.
Did you get any call from politicians?
No one called me. The outside world was only just coming to know about it. Had I travelled at a leisurely pace in the morning, naturally, the news would have spread and I would have got calls. It was only the next day that people came to know more about the gravity of the murder. By then, we were already on the spot. We were right there handling the ins and outs. There was no scope for any manipulation there. Everything was done precisely.
Did you inform the chief minister about the murder?
Yes. I called him. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy was in Delhi at the time. State Police Chief Jacob Punnoose too was in Delhi. Both of them came to Kozhikode.
There was criticism the police failed to unravel the full conspiracy behind the murder…
I don’t take that criticism seriously. No major development occurred after that. Moreover, in such cases, no matter how many people are arrested, people will always say there are more people involved. But why is it that no one, those who say the conspiracy was not uncovered, sought a reinvestigation? Why didn’t they demand that more people be interrogated?
Being the home minister, didn’t you feel there could be a larger political conspiracy involved?
What are the steps taken in an investigation? One, to zero in on those who executed the crime. Naturally, they would come under the accused. Two, those who conspired for the same. It must be a conspiracy that can be proven with evidence. That is how Kunjananthan became an accused. Everyone against whom there was evidence was arrested. They were arrested after interrogating over 800 people. There were around 107 accused. It is the court that decides which accused has committed a crime with more gravity or whether they were falsely implicated. It’s up to the court. That is not something that falls under our domain.
But beyond that, was there anyone else?
I cannot comment on that. It is not right for me to make unnecessary comments. Whether they were involved or not, that can be said only in a court of law.
Even K K Rema (wife of T P Chandrasekharan) explicitly stated that this was something known even to Pinarayi…
Can a home minister say that so-and-so was involved?
Being a senior political leader well-acquainted with the ways of the CPM, do you believe there was a bigger conspiracy behind it?
As far as I am concerned, all the actions were taken based on evidence. If a person is implicated without evidence, it implies that the remaining people were also deliberately framed, right? I maintained that, without evidence, nothing should be looked into. Proceed with matters backed by evidence. It was because of this honest approach that the case could be brought to fruition.
Back then, a lot of people had suspicions against senior leaders like P Mohanan…
Wasn’t P Mohanan arrested? Wasn’t he interrogated? Didn’t he spend time in jail? Politically, we are on opposite sides. But that doesn’t mean he can be made an accused without basis. Moreover, a lot was said about P Jayarajan, his son, and many others. I will never allow a false case to be fabricated. Political agreement and disagreement are secondary matters. Is it right to falsely implicate someone in a murder case? Earlier, they used to produce a list of accused. I too was given that offer, but I refused. Because we had the moral courage to say so, the case proceeded on the right path.
During your tenure as home minister, the arrest of Tenny Joppan, a personal staff member of the then chief minister Oommen Chandy, in connection with the solar scam had created ripples. The arrest was made when Chandy was not in town...
Let me ask you something. Were the others arrested with Oommen Chandy’s knowledge? No. Oommen Chandy had full confidence in me. He wouldn’t interfere in such matters.
The arrest of Tenny Joppan was perceived as a direct link to Chandy...
The person who led that arrest, A Hemachandran, where’s he now? Had it been a mistake, would he be occupying an important post now (advisor to home minister)?
Hemachandran himself revealed later that even you didn’t know…
I never interfere in a criminal case investigation. It’s for the investigating officer to decide what the next step should be. It’s true that even I did not know (about the arrest). If I say I was aware, doesn’t it mean that I knew about other arrests too?
When the chief minister’s personal staff member was arrested, shouldn’t the home minister know about it?
They (the investigation team) must have had their own reasons for the same. They must have convinced me as well. Nobody challenged that arrest before the court. Now… reading all these together… (laughs).
Did Oommen Chandy ever ask you about that arrest, formally or informally?
Would a person like Oommen Chandy ask such a thing? Oommen Chandy was a leader with whom I shared a special relationship. It was in his cabinet that I became a minister for the first time. He had such trust in me.
Your political growth was at a time when factionalism was at its peak in the Congress. Now it’s said there are no groups in the Congress. Is a Congress without groups better?
I would say Congress is better – the Indian National Congress. Name one political party in which people from all sections can take membership. Congress, right? That is the reason why we became Congress. We are Indians. Therefore, we belong to the Indian National Congress. That’s our sentiment. That emotional connect will remain till our death.
As the speaker, will you openly proclaim your political positions?
I intend to utter only what can be said while occupying such a position. Only words and expressions befitting this position will come out of my mouth.
So, the political leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan will be on a break for five years?
Is there any politician who insists on raising slogans right from the morning? The Indian National Congress is a party in which I took membership for the first time. The party has given me many opportunities. There are some people who are greedy for positions. I don’t belong to that category. I come from a rural background, and have gone through all the highs and lows of life. Nothing can hence pose an insurmountable challenge. I believe my humility is my biggest asset. I won’t compromise on that.
TNIE team: Cithara Paul, Anil S, K S Sreejith, Abhilash Chandran B P Deepu (photos) Pranav V P (video)