Victory for a CM who redefined governance

I consider this result a strong message to the repressive right-wing forces that have been using false narratives to create public sentiment favourable to them.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan (Photo | PTI)
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan (Photo | PTI)

The verdict in the Kerala polls is one of the strongest statements ever made by the electorate in the statethat manipulation in the name of religion, belief and customs does not work anymore and that it is high time we start talking real politics.

I consider this result a strong message to the repressive right-wing forces that have been using false narratives to create public sentiment favourable to them. As has happened many times in the history of our country, the common people have risen in unison to assert that they will never settle for anything less than a responsible and accountable government.

In my view, the voters rejected the BJP because of its neglect of democratic ideals and what has cost the Congress-led UDF was its lack of a clear action plan other than a blind imitation of the BJP's style. It was suicidal for the Congress to project Sabarimala women entry as an issue when people are facing a pandemic and concerned about their daily bread.

Who would have imagined that a party like Congress with leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor would compete with the BJP to make use of the Sabarimala issue, even promising a legislation that calls for imprisonment of anyone who breaks the religious customs?

With the verdict, it is now clear that voters in the state have rejected such a retrograde step with the contempt that it deserves.

The LDF government in the past five years has certainly redefined the concept of governance. Rejecting many of the conventional ways, the government has tried to touch the lives of people through positive steps.

The response of the people in this election and the confidence they have now thrust on the government and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan speak volumes about how that style has clicked. Another major change I have noticed is that the Pinarayi government could demonstrate that electoral victory is different from governance.

For example, if building a bridge was considered a development scheme in the olden days, this government has proved that it won't be complete without the rejuvenation of the river too.

In 2016, when the Pinarayi government came to power, all I had looked forward to was an improvement in the education, healthcare, transportation and civil supplies sectors. I am happy to state that the change that has been brought to the education and healthcare sector has been impressive.

The civil supplies chain worked as the lifeline of Kerala when challenges such as floods and COVID-19 rocked us. The government also tried to be transparent about all these projects and welcomed audit. People seem to have acknowledged that.

It is not that there were no serious lapses committed by the outgoing government. We were definitely disappointed with the policing. There were several issues like custodial deaths and Maoist encounters that an LDF government shouldn't have allowed. The decision to institute 10% economic reservation to the forward communities was atrocious.

But when we see the utter disregard for democracy from our rulers in New Delhi, we have no other way than to support whatever progressive politics is left with the Left government. After coming to power for the second time, the Modi government is usurping even the legitimate rights of the state.

There are several atrocious steps that go unchallenged like the drastic sale of public sector units. There are wider ramifications for such moves including the sabotage of legal reservation for weaker sections that private players won’t be willing to give.

On Sunday, when counting was taking place in four states and a Union Territory, the farmer protest in New Delhi completed 158 days. Friends there say 424 farmers had lost their lives so far. Such a massive protest doesn’t even get minimum news space in our media.

How can a government remain so insensitive to its citizens, the poor farmers dying like that? The Centre’s disregard for federalism is also a reason for the electorate to choose a strong local government.

As Pinarayi is set to assume another term amidst the raging second wave of COVID-19, his major challenge will be dealing with the collapsing federalism in our country and finding new resources for the development plans of the state.

I wish the new government will withdraw its regressive economic reservation policy immediately and prioritise empowering the Dalits and Adivasis. I also hope that the government will review its policing policy and carve a police force with a more humane face.

The marginalised communities who had been left out when excess land was distributed during the first land reforms scheme need to be given their share and the government should launch a second land reforms movement in a foolproof manner.

Let's  hope that the second Pinarayi government will script its name in history through a set of imaginative, humanitarian and green initiatives.

(The writer is an award-winning author in Malayalam and can be reached on Twitter: @krmeera1)

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