It has been only 20 months since the government led by Narendra Modi assumed office at the Centre. But the change effected by the government within this short period of time is something the nation had tried and failed during the past six-and-a-half decades.
The efficiency of the government at the Centre is being experienced by us in every sphere of life. But the Opposition is in a bid to malign the government that did the ‘maximum in the minimum’ time.
A virulent campaign was launched, alleging that intolerance was spreading all over the country. When the BJP raises all-inclusive slogans, the other political parties, especially the two rival fronts in Kerala, are trying to sow the seeds of hatred among the people, thereby to divide and rule them.
The parties that lead the two fronts in the state—the Congress and CPI(M)—are now in the midst of their respective ‘Kerala yathras’. There is not much difference between the slogans or issues being raised in the two ‘yathras’, led by V M Sudheeran and Pinarayi Vijayan. The two fronts, which are vying with each other, have been levelling false allegations against the Central Government. Strangely, both seem to be not bothered about the financial crisis or development dilemma in Kerala.
The backwardness of Kerala is broadly the result of the regimes, marked by compromise politics, of the Congress and the Communist party since 1957, which ignored the state’s needs and wants. Allegations and counter-allegations thrived, while dissents and divisions blocked development. Confrontation and nonconsensus have been their creed. Kerala proved to be a graveyard of industries, while in our neighbourhood, Coimbatore facilitated rapid industrial growth, with 60 per cent of the entrepreneurs there being Malayalis, ironically.
Traditional industries like coir, cashew and handloom were driven to disaster. The farm sector was totally ruined as about 50 per cent of the farm lands currently lay unused. Paddy, coconut and rubber are facing price crash. Both the fronts, while in power, failed to draft short-term or long-term projects for the farm sector. The standard of education has nose-dived. The future generation will have to reap what has been sowed in the education sector. Even while claiming that Kerala is on par with developed countries in healthcare, anyone seeking healthcare in the state’s hospitals is doomed. One has to pay through his nose for each and every service.
Life in the coastal belt and the hilly regions is horrible. The much-trumpeted ‘Kerala Model’ stands exposed, with starvation death among tribal people being reported regularly, even now.
The only concern of the two fronts is ‘who among their leaders should get the chance to head the next government’. Changing the individual will make no difference. What matters is the attitude, the ideals and the approach. But, both the fronts have common attitude, ideals and approach, which has to change. Kerala and its people need to be liberated from the stranglehold of the two fronts who derailed development; damaged ecology and environment; dried up rivers; denied the youth their dues; forced tribesmen to remain poor and ignorant; landed the state in debt-trap and pursued the politics of compromise and rampant corruption.
It is the need of the time, the need of the hour, the need of Kerala.
The author is president of the state unit of the BJP. The ‘Vimochana Yathra’ led by him will start at Uppala in Kasargod on Wednesday and conclude in Thiruvananthapuram on February 10