THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the past, Kerala witnessed political rallies of various hues only when general elections were around. But despite there being no urgency this year, the state witnessed political rallies starting two months ago. BJP was the first to organise its Jana Raksha Yatra to counter the ‘political violence’ by CPM and the alleged ‘Jihadi drive’ undertaken by some Muslim organisations. To counter BJP, the LDF followed suit with its Janajagratha Yatra.
Not to be left behind, especially at a time when there is a general assessment the BJP is out to snatch the UDF support base, the state’s main opposition front launched its ‘Padayorukkam’ against the anti-people policies of the Narendra Modi Government at the Centre and the Pinarayi Vijayan government here at home. Coining the title for campaign itself saw a deviation from usual practices with the dropping of terms like ‘jatha’ and ‘marches’. Adding to it was the ‘one-crore signature’ campaign, also unique to the state. The response to the Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala-led campaign across the state was beyond UDF’s calculations and helped it retain its political relevance.
That a politically re-emerged Rahul Gandhi is coming all the way to Kerala to address the finale of the campaign at Shankumugham beach on December 1 has given a much-needed push to the event.
But it wasn’t sheer politics which came to UDF’s rescue in the campaign, but the impact of several factors which affected the public in recent months, which included the adversities people faced post demonetisation and GST, skyrocketing prices of essential commodities, the crashing public distribution system, to name a few.
Controversies courted in quick succession by the Left Government and the general public mood towards the intolerance by any quarter also tipped the scale in UDF’s favour. A growing feeling the ruling CPM is keen to offset its damage by opening the ‘sleaze-gates’ targeting former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and others also propelled the UDF cadre to fight back by engaging with ‘Padayorukkam’, leaving the Opposition and Chennithala upbeat in an otherwise bleak scenario for an organisationally-crippled Congress and functionally-disoriented UDF. In the Jana Raksha Yatra led by state president Kummanam Rajasekharan, BJP consistently lashed out at CPM by roping in prominent BJP Union Ministers to speak at rallies across the state which primarily aimed at highlighting the killings of BJP-RSS workers.
The Janajagratha Yatra led from the north and south ends of the state by CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and his CPI counterpart Kanam Rajendran aimed at campaigning against the ‘communal and fascist politics’ espoused by Sangh Parivar, while championing the good deeds of the Pinarayi Vijayan Government and pillorying UDF. But right from their start, LDF’s rallies succumbed to meaty controversies which included the alleged land encroachments and illegal acts committed by then minister Thomas Chandy,CPM MLA P V Anwar and MP Joice George, thereby shooting off target.
‘Padayorukkam’ raised issues like lapses in ration supplies, falling prices of agricultural produces, money crunch and the negative GST impact on the common man. The campaign was focused on how various policies of the Centre rocked commoners and the poor at the grassroots and the alleged all-round inertia felt in governance in the state.
The campaign drove home the point bloodbath and violence were synonymous with the Left whenever it was in power. The alleged ‘politics of violence’ of BJP and the Left was also exposed along with an exposure of an understanding and compromise between two parties, at critical junctures of the campaign. What was notable was ever since the month-long campaign took off, there was no dearth of issues for Ramesh and the other 10 permanent members to raise while the ruling Left government netted self-goals and the Narendra Modi-Rahul Gandhi verbal punches in faraway Gujarat during the assembly poll campaigning gave a political teaser trailer.
A campaign devoid of controversies
The launch of the signature campaign looking at a participation of one crore people, a month before ‘Padayorukkam’ cast the die for taking the latter to the grassroots.“Not a single negative news, be it on the presence of undesirable elements, the stay of the campaign or the rally’s funding, emerged during the course of the rally so far. Such was the care taken to avoid controversies. The entire network of Congress and IUML and of other outfits in their areas of influence worked in tandem to reach out to people,” V D Satheesan MLA, the campaign coordinator who mooted the signature campaign idea, told ‘Express.’“When the campaign reaches the capital,the front will be a politically-assertive and united single entity as was never imagined before” he said.