KERALA POLITICS
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Mathew Moothasseril
Oct 19, 2017, 12:30:45 AM10/19/17
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A case of over-reach
Published on: 11:06 pm, October 18, 2017 by: mattersindia.com
Rev. Valson Thampu
+
–
By Valson Thampu
A Keralite is politically well schooled to know the differ-ence
between a democratic exercise and an imperialist-expansionist
expedition.
Amit Shah came to Kerala, casting himself as a conqueror. He did not
go back like one. He would do well to know why. For, a wise man is not
one who does not commit mistakes, but one who does not commit the same
mistake twice.
Politically, Kerala is unique in many ways. Keralites were the first
anywhere in the world to elect a communist government. They were the
first to improvise a coalition government. Keralites, besides, crackle
with the sort of political awareness that the rest of India will take
decades to match. You only need to walk along streets anywhere in
Kerala to see how even those on the lowest rung of the Kerala social
ladder chew newspapers on the verandas of kirana shops.
Stop at random, if you have the time, at any of the wayside tea
stalls, and hear for yourself how expertly people discuss matters
political, covering the minutest nuances and details of public issues.
Well, in one word, it is naïve to expect that the people of Kerala can
be swayed by propaganda blitzkriegs and misinformation campaigns.
Kerala is a hard nut to crack!
Also, Kerala is, barring occasional political skirmishes, a peaceful
state, where people prefer to live in harmony with their neighbours,
rather than spill innocent blood in the name of gods, for reasons that
make no sense to them.
In olden days, this social serenity issued from inter-religious
goodwill that came naturally to Keralites. Now, more or less the same
thing continues largely because Keralites would rather enjoy their
precariously maintained indulgent lifestyle, sustained by overseas
remittances, than spoil their broth with brother killing brother.
A Keralite knows a cuckoo from a crow. He is not easily swayed by
titles and titillations. If someone expects him to throw in his lot
with what is attractively packaged as “Jann Raksha Yatra,” he is bound
to ask some searching questions to be clear about the matter, rather
than swallow slogans and strike out on to the street like an untrained
puppy. He would say, “Well, as compared to people in most other
states, we are living in enviable safety and peace. Whose ‘raksha,’ or
safety, then, are you talking about? Do we really need you to discover
that we are unsafe?”
Finally, a Keralite is politically schooled well enough to know the
difference between a democratic exercise and an
imperialist-expansionist expedition. I have heard from an assortment
of people from diverse social strata in Kerala on this event. The one
thing almost everyone asked me is this: why is Kerala being invaded?
This made me think.
So, I looked into history and found the following. First, in respect
of almost every military campaign, the reason given out for public
consumption is not the genuine one. All military campaigns are marked
by covert motives and propagandist misinformation. This would not have
come so much to the fore, if the BJP did not have the sort of
track-record in violence and thriving on the insecurity of the people,
as notably in Gujarat and now, increasingly, in most other BJP-ruled
states. A feeling of insecurity has escalated nationally in the last
three years.
Second, all military campaigns begin with worship. From ancient days,
before an ambitious conqueror sallied forth to annex new territories,
he never failed to seek the favour of his patron-god. From Cyrus of
Persia, to Alexander the Great of Macedonia, from Peter the Great of
Russia, to Napoleon of France, to the great chakravatins of India,
this pattern holds unfailingly and without exception. True to this
tradition, Amit Shah, too, began his Kerala campaign with a pious act
of worship, in full public view.
Third, the ambience conjured up was suggestive of anything but,
‘raksha’ or security. The entire exercise rippled with aggression.
Those who heard the slogans that thundered in the air, were in no
doubt on this count.
The organisers utterly miscalculated the regional pride and cultural
self-respect of Keralites in importing VVIPs who, especially
considering the extremely well-developed Kerala genre of satire and
raillery, could only have invited derision. Even Alphons Kannamthanam,
otherwise a Keralite, was seen, in this context, as part of an army of
invasion.
Foolish decisions
The choice of Yogi Adityanath, though true to the BJP logic, could
only have been counter-productive. That someone from UP — acknowledged
by the inhabitants of that very significant state as a den of ‘jungle
raj’ — should come and preach political good manners to Keralites is a
strategy distinguished for its impenetrable blindness. The people of
Kerala have neither forgotten nor forgiven Modi for comparing this
most advanced state derogatively to Somalia. Yogi’s visit compounded
that offence.
Almost everyone who took note of this strategic expedition to Kerala
felt disappointed that constitutional functionaries were behaving like
party foot-soldiers. Kannanthanam is a central minister. A government
in a democracy is for the people as a whole. It is anathema to
democracy that officers of the state — central ministers and chief
ministers — do not see themselves in this light.
The sight of a central minister and a chief minister walking the
streets shouting slogans like party enthusiasts is apt to be seen as a
corruption of democracy. It has never happened in the past that any of
our prime ministers conducted roadshows to advantage his or her party.
If a lawyer ceases to practise law, after becoming a minister,
shouldn’t a minister cease to function in the public space as a party
militant? Can office time be legitimately diverted to partisan party
work, without incurring governance impropriety, if not dereliction of
duty?
Shah’s expedition to Kerala was bound to be a fiasco. It is likely
that, insofar as this event caught the nation’s eye, it activates
ramifications beyond the borders of Kerala. Being as shrewd as he is,
Amit Shah would not fail to see that he over-reached himself in
respect of Keralites. Kerala is today, he knows, what India will be
the day after tomorrow.
(This appeared in deccanherald.The writer is former principal, St
Stephen’s College, Delhi)
--
*GATHER THE SCATTERED*
Fr Mathew Moothasseril
Sant Thoma Bhavan
Post Box 306
RAMAN MALA
Kolhapur,416 003
Maharashtra
INDIA
Published on: 11:06 pm, October 18, 2017 by: mattersindia.com
Rev. Valson Thampu
+
–
By Valson Thampu
A Keralite is politically well schooled to know the differ-ence
between a democratic exercise and an imperialist-expansionist
expedition.
Amit Shah came to Kerala, casting himself as a conqueror. He did not
go back like one. He would do well to know why. For, a wise man is not
one who does not commit mistakes, but one who does not commit the same
mistake twice.
Politically, Kerala is unique in many ways. Keralites were the first
anywhere in the world to elect a communist government. They were the
first to improvise a coalition government. Keralites, besides, crackle
with the sort of political awareness that the rest of India will take
decades to match. You only need to walk along streets anywhere in
Kerala to see how even those on the lowest rung of the Kerala social
ladder chew newspapers on the verandas of kirana shops.
Stop at random, if you have the time, at any of the wayside tea
stalls, and hear for yourself how expertly people discuss matters
political, covering the minutest nuances and details of public issues.
Well, in one word, it is naïve to expect that the people of Kerala can
be swayed by propaganda blitzkriegs and misinformation campaigns.
Kerala is a hard nut to crack!
Also, Kerala is, barring occasional political skirmishes, a peaceful
state, where people prefer to live in harmony with their neighbours,
rather than spill innocent blood in the name of gods, for reasons that
make no sense to them.
In olden days, this social serenity issued from inter-religious
goodwill that came naturally to Keralites. Now, more or less the same
thing continues largely because Keralites would rather enjoy their
precariously maintained indulgent lifestyle, sustained by overseas
remittances, than spoil their broth with brother killing brother.
A Keralite knows a cuckoo from a crow. He is not easily swayed by
titles and titillations. If someone expects him to throw in his lot
with what is attractively packaged as “Jann Raksha Yatra,” he is bound
to ask some searching questions to be clear about the matter, rather
than swallow slogans and strike out on to the street like an untrained
puppy. He would say, “Well, as compared to people in most other
states, we are living in enviable safety and peace. Whose ‘raksha,’ or
safety, then, are you talking about? Do we really need you to discover
that we are unsafe?”
Finally, a Keralite is politically schooled well enough to know the
difference between a democratic exercise and an
imperialist-expansionist expedition. I have heard from an assortment
of people from diverse social strata in Kerala on this event. The one
thing almost everyone asked me is this: why is Kerala being invaded?
This made me think.
So, I looked into history and found the following. First, in respect
of almost every military campaign, the reason given out for public
consumption is not the genuine one. All military campaigns are marked
by covert motives and propagandist misinformation. This would not have
come so much to the fore, if the BJP did not have the sort of
track-record in violence and thriving on the insecurity of the people,
as notably in Gujarat and now, increasingly, in most other BJP-ruled
states. A feeling of insecurity has escalated nationally in the last
three years.
Second, all military campaigns begin with worship. From ancient days,
before an ambitious conqueror sallied forth to annex new territories,
he never failed to seek the favour of his patron-god. From Cyrus of
Persia, to Alexander the Great of Macedonia, from Peter the Great of
Russia, to Napoleon of France, to the great chakravatins of India,
this pattern holds unfailingly and without exception. True to this
tradition, Amit Shah, too, began his Kerala campaign with a pious act
of worship, in full public view.
Third, the ambience conjured up was suggestive of anything but,
‘raksha’ or security. The entire exercise rippled with aggression.
Those who heard the slogans that thundered in the air, were in no
doubt on this count.
The organisers utterly miscalculated the regional pride and cultural
self-respect of Keralites in importing VVIPs who, especially
considering the extremely well-developed Kerala genre of satire and
raillery, could only have invited derision. Even Alphons Kannamthanam,
otherwise a Keralite, was seen, in this context, as part of an army of
invasion.
Foolish decisions
The choice of Yogi Adityanath, though true to the BJP logic, could
only have been counter-productive. That someone from UP — acknowledged
by the inhabitants of that very significant state as a den of ‘jungle
raj’ — should come and preach political good manners to Keralites is a
strategy distinguished for its impenetrable blindness. The people of
Kerala have neither forgotten nor forgiven Modi for comparing this
most advanced state derogatively to Somalia. Yogi’s visit compounded
that offence.
Almost everyone who took note of this strategic expedition to Kerala
felt disappointed that constitutional functionaries were behaving like
party foot-soldiers. Kannanthanam is a central minister. A government
in a democracy is for the people as a whole. It is anathema to
democracy that officers of the state — central ministers and chief
ministers — do not see themselves in this light.
The sight of a central minister and a chief minister walking the
streets shouting slogans like party enthusiasts is apt to be seen as a
corruption of democracy. It has never happened in the past that any of
our prime ministers conducted roadshows to advantage his or her party.
If a lawyer ceases to practise law, after becoming a minister,
shouldn’t a minister cease to function in the public space as a party
militant? Can office time be legitimately diverted to partisan party
work, without incurring governance impropriety, if not dereliction of
duty?
Shah’s expedition to Kerala was bound to be a fiasco. It is likely
that, insofar as this event caught the nation’s eye, it activates
ramifications beyond the borders of Kerala. Being as shrewd as he is,
Amit Shah would not fail to see that he over-reached himself in
respect of Keralites. Kerala is today, he knows, what India will be
the day after tomorrow.
(This appeared in deccanherald.The writer is former principal, St
Stephen’s College, Delhi)
--
*GATHER THE SCATTERED*
Fr Mathew Moothasseril
Sant Thoma Bhavan
Post Box 306
RAMAN MALA
Kolhapur,416 003
Maharashtra
INDIA
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