Kerala’s political farce may have gone too far
Political correctness and propriety have gone missing from Kerala politics if the recent events are anything to go by. A cacophony of misogyny, racism, and vindictiveness has taken their place. If the ruling CPM-led LDF is leading this absurd race, the Congress-led opposition is not far behind. Kerala’s political climate changed when the Pinarayi Vijayan government secured a second consecutive term. If the victory made the comrades intolerant and go overboard, the opposition, fighting for survival, turned belligerent. The result was two equally hostile fronts on either side, ready to do anything to take the other down. Political civility, as expected, was the first casualty.
The reappearance of gold smuggling accused Swapna Suresh spiced up the scene with the opposition lapping her every anti-government word. As a counter, the LDF reintroduced solar case fame Saritha. With two women with dubious intentions becoming the tools in the hands of rival fronts, playing dirty became the new normal. If the in-flight protest against the chief minister was the lowest point in the Congress’ game plan to take on the government, the ruling front stooped lower by slapping attempt to murder charges against the Youth Congress workers involved and getting a former MLA arrested.
The slugfest took a misogynistic turn when senior CPM leader M M Mani said, on the assembly floor, that opposition legislator K K Rema’s widowhood was her “fate”. Rema’s husband, T P Chandrasekharan, a CPM rebel who formed his own party, was murdered in 2012, and among those convicted were CPM men. Congress resorted to racism to attack Mani. While a chimpanzee cutout with Mani’s face was used during protests, party boss K Sudhakaran chose to side with them rather than drive sense into his unruly men.
The only sane voice to have emerged was of speaker M B Rajesh, who cautioned legislators to watch what they say. Kerala’s theatre of the absurd has dragged on for too long. Political competitiveness is a necessity but can be maintained without those involved losing their sense of decency. What is required is for parties to find ways to take their agendas forward without vitiating the atmosphere.