Jacob Thomas, the IPS officer who retired from service last May, is back in the news following speculation that he may contest in the Assembly elections on a BJP ticket. In an interview to The New Indian Express, Thomas reveals why he likes the Modi government, his electoral ambitions and why both the Congress-led UDF and the CPM-led LDF dislike him.
Excerpts
It's still not clear why the LDF suspended you from service
The LDF government suspended me in December 2017 without conducting any preliminary inquiry, without hearing my side for the very simple reason of speaking at an anti-corruption seminar on the Anti-corruption Day. Though suspension is always pending inquiry, that process has not been completed even after three years. The suspension process is complete only when the inquiry process is complete and I'm informed whether I'm punished or exonerated. That's the outcome of an inquiry process. That hasn't happened yet.
Why do you think they want to keep you away from the DGP post?
The reason for the suspension was that the LDF doesn't want impartial and fair policing in the state. Suppose a case is registered in a police station, and if an impartial investigation is done, sometimes, the party functionaries may end up in jail. That's the precise reason. You know the Walayar case, you know
the Kasaragod double-murder case and other cases. You know the extent to which the LDF government has gone to align with the accused in crimes.
During the last Lok Sabha elections, there was talk that you will be contesting the elections with the backing of Twenty20? What happened?
Since 2017 December I was rendered jobless by this LDF government. Then, Twenty20 (the Kitex-led political outfit) invited me to be part of that team to contest the last Lok Sabha elections. They said the BJP will also be supporting my candidature. I thought it will be a meaningful public service for me, and Twenty20 was successful in running a model panchayat. So I applied for VRS. When they heard that it is for a good purpose, the LDF government blocked it. They did not sanction the VRS.
Now that you are free, will you be contesting the assembly elections?
When I brought up the corrupt practices of the UDF government, I was termed as an LDF sympathiser, and when I was against the corrupt practices of the LDF, naturally, people push me to the BJP camp, and they also reciprocated. Nothing has happened formally, but I won't say it's not happening. I'm still in the
process of making that decision because it is a decision that has to be made with seriousness and considering what I can contribute. When I chose civil service, it was my life for the past 30-34 years. Likewise, I need to make a decision that will be my life for the next 20-25 years.
From which constituency will you be contesting?
I can say I'll be keen to contest from Thrissur district. During the last Lok Sabha elections, the plan was to contest from the Chalakkudy parliamentary constituency. So, if I contest, it will be from an assembly segment in the Thrissur district.
How do you analyse the Modi government, which is in its second term?
Most parts of the country are now peaceful, there are fewer crimes in Kashmir, fewer crimes in the northeast, there are no major health issues, which is specific to this country. Except for the pandemic, which is not specific to this country. The Sensex is going up, which means the businesses are doing well.
As far as the pandemic is concerned, India, with its complexity of multiple languages, with its complexity of poor education, is better than the USA, which has all the resources, all the best scientists, researchers and medical facilities in the world. India did very well in managing the crisis.
What's your view on the farmers' strike in Delhi? Do you support the farm law reforms by the Modi government?
I'm answering this question as a PhD holder in agriculture from the Indian Agriculture and Research Institute, New Delhi, and also as a farmer from birth till now. We had the green revolution in the 1970s. At that time, the green revolution led to increased use of fertilisers and pesticides, increased use of
irrigation water, and there was a quantum jump in the production of rice and wheat. Thanks to the green revolution, our granaries started to swell. This led to the establishment of accompanying infrastructure -- both physical infrastructure and the people infrastructure. That became an entrenched system,
especially in the green revolution areas, which are Punjab, Haryana and western UP. The present three farm bills liberalising the farm sector, liberalising the farmers/producers are having all the resistance of all the change management. Any change management will have resistance.
Are you saying that the farmers who are protesting against the farm bills are misguided?
I won't say they are misguided. I would say they are guided very well. To protect their own interests. There were several people who were in comfort zones. With the new farmer bills, they will have to come out of their comfort zones. So they are resisting.
You mean that only a few sections of farmers are affected by these new farm bills?
Why are the sugarcane farmers of Maharashtra not protesting. The sugarcane farmers are a big lobby in Maharashtra. They are highly organised, but are they protesting? In Tamil Nadu, there are sugarcane farmers. There are mango farmers in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and in Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. Are they protesting? There are coconut farmers in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Are they protesting? We know about the liberalisation of the industrial sector in the 1990s under the Narasimha Rao government. The farm sector was lagging behind. It's high time we liberalised this sector.