BJP targets CPM’s double standards in Kerala

‘Most ISIS activists are located in CPM strongholds. It encourages Islamist terror to weaken the growth of the Sangh Parivar.’

The Kerala BJP leadership, which came under severe criticism within the party for its “under performance” in the Vengara byelection, got a shot in the arm when CPM’s Janajagrata Yatra (march to keep the people vigilant) rammed into a Mini Cooper belonging to a hawala accused in Kozhikode’s Koduvally town. The Left had decided to launch its Jagrata Yatra from the north and south simultaneously to counter the growing influence of BJP in the state and to keep the cadre aware of “looming fascism”. But within days of its journey from the north, the yatra got mired in controversy regarding the party’s growing nexus with the underworld and shady politicians. By getting into a Mini Cooper owned by one Karat Faizal, an alleged smuggler and younger brother of the CPM-backed legislator of Koduvally, Karat Razak, yatra leader and state CPM secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan inadvertently exposed the party’s “true colours”. BJP state secretary K. Surendran was the first to puncture the yatra by posting on Facebook the picture of a beaming Kodiyeri in the vehicle, now found to be falsely registered in neighbouring Puducherry. Though Kodiyeri and many of his comrades tried to justify his action, the party was in pains for the rest of the journey until it bumped into another Cooper in the form of Thomas Chandy, state transport minister, who is facing corruption charges. Chandy practically broke the axle of the Left Front by daring the government to take action against him. By the time the yatra crawled to an end, people of Kerala got a glimpse of CPM’s concerns regarding BJP with many wondering whether there was anything left of Marxism in the Marx- ist party.

With Congress’ own version of “Padayorukkam ( preparation for battle)”, led by opposition leader and former state president of the party, Ramesh Chennithala, a non-starter for all practical purposes, the state BJP has decided to project itself as the only alternative to the CPM in the state. With this in view, the party has drawn a blueprint of its strategy at the just concluded state committee meeting in Alappuzha, central Kerala, known also as the Venice of the East. The party will launch its movement from here by exposing how the Left Front continues to shield known law breakers such as minister Chandy. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is unmoved even after the district collector has submitted a report in which Chandy’s violations have been specifically pointed out. BJP contends that there is a conscious effort by the government to suppress the report and instead has sought legal advice from the state advocate general, C.P. Sudhakara Prasad, who is said to be very close to the Chief Minister. Hence, the party does not see any action being taken against the minister in the near future. This is despite that fact that Pinarayi had dropped two ministers who were not as guilty as Chandy from his ministry in the past one year. But in Chandy’s case, the CM has been more lenient since the minister is known for his wealth and CPM of late has been giving tickets to moneybags in order to gain electoral benefits. BJP’s Yuva Morcha has been taking out protest marches to the minister’s controversial lake resort here, allegedly built on government land. Interestingly, a government that proclaims to be with the people in their struggles has been brutal in using police force to put down the agitations.

In north Kerala, the party will focus on “CPM’s growing association with smugglers and terror groups”. BJP insiders feel that here the Cooper incident will come in handy since it is very much in the memory of the people. Gold smuggling is rampant in the region and CPM has in the past been accused of tacitly supporting its cadre indulging in such questionable activities. It is a fact that many of these smugglers have links with Islamic terrorists operating worldwide. BJP aims to target CPM on this front too. “Most ISIS activists are located in CPM strongholds. ISIS recruitments are mainly from these areas, with many of the recruits taking refuge in CPM villages. It is CPM which encourages Islamist terror in order to weaken the growth of the Sangh Parivar in many areas of Malabar,” BJP state general secretary K. Surendran said. Along with this, the party will also launch a protest seeking Central action against continuing gold smuggling through Karippur international airport. Many of these smugglers are hand in glove with Left legislators, Surendran alleged, while releasing photographs of wanted offenders with CPM representatives. According to him, it is the LDF government which is facilitating their safe movement within the state, a grave allegation that the government has denied.

Simultaneously, BJP also plans to expose “CPM’s hollow claims on being the sole protectors of the poor”. According to Surendran, Chandy is a classic example of where CPM loyalty stands. A party which takes credit for land reforms in Kerala is now protecting someone who owns 208 acres of land, a BJP press release said. It is these double standards of CPM that BJP plans to take to the people in days to come. Arvind Kejriwal could not be more right. High levels of pollution and the presence of the deadly smog creating a major health hazard for the citizens in the capital are not a problem of the Delhi government alone. It concerns each one of us, and thus, it is vital for the Centre as well as other state governments, particularly those of Punjab and Haryana to help ease the situation so that Delhiites can breathe easy. The dangerous conditions prevalent in the city are the consequences of a number of factors and the burning of crop stubble by farmers in Haryana and Punjab are certainly prime reasons for adding to the woes of the residents. Therefore, those who are in a position of authority, regardless of which party they represent, must roll up their sleeves and go down to the trenches so as to arrest the menace on hand.

Former Chief Executive Councillor of Delhi, the late Jag Parvesh Chandra’s repeated refrain was that everybody treats Delhi as their mistress and not as their legally wedded wife. This is apparent in how its citizens respond to the semicatastrophic situations that recur with regular frequency. The majority of those who reside in the capital, evidently do not consider it to be their home. Home, for them, is where they originally hail from. It could be in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Bengal or Maharashtra. This, to a great degree, explains their apathy cum detachment from the city and its multiple problems. They tend to forget that most of the issues in the city have their origins elsewhere, but Delhi, which has a large heart, has always managed to accommodate varied kinds of demands made on it.

The colossal matter confronting the city is that of overpopulation. Unofficially, there are nearly 30 million people residing in different parts, though going by the official data, the figure is ten million less. There is an inadequate infrastructure and thereby, every facility that is extended by the Centre or the state falls far below the requisite requirement. Major hospitals like the Safdarjung and LNJPN are deluged by patients coming from adjoining and sometimes even distant places. It goes without saying that medical facilities should be provided to each and every citizen of the country, but no questions are ever asked as to why the states that send patients to Delhi are lacking in setting up their own hospitals and health clinics. The present Delhi government has done an exemplary job in their mohalla clinic scheme, something which should be emulated by other states as well.

The short point is that when errant state governments falter, the burden is shifted to other regions, which, as a consequence, have to bear the brunt. The over-population in the capital is due to the fact that the places from where the majority of the migrants pour in from do not have the primary infrastructure. Generally speaking, no one likes to leave their home, and if they do so, it is solely in pursuit of the betterment of life. Therefore, migrants live here both out of compulsion, as also due to the failure of their respective governments to provide the needful. Their presence is largely a reflection on the kind of governance provided in their places of origin.

Unlike Mumbai, where there exists a Shiv Sena and similar outfits that constantly make life difficult for migrants, Delhi has always welcomed everyone with open arms, and hence today, is paying the price. The Yamuna, which used to flow with a bounty of water, is today like a mucky nullah, that during the monsoons throws up filthy and polluted content. The levels of cleanliness in the capital are far below acceptable standards and the number of vehicles that ply on the roads are far more than those that run in all the other metropolitan centres put together.

The odd/even number scheme or similar arrangements, are only short term programmes; long term solutions can solely be found if various political outfits sit down together and work out means of decongesting the city. Many years ago, the Centre had mooted the proposal of setting up satellite towns in the National Capital Region. The idea never got off its feet due to bureaucratic hurdles and the lack of political will on part of the stake holders, which include several state governments such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana.

The annual influx into the city outnumbers the internal increase in the population. Over-population, has in fact, disrupted the ecological balance; green spaces are diminishing with rapidity, and one wonders what happened to the trees which supposedly were planted during Sheila Dikshit’s 15year tenure as Chief Minister. Evidently, everything was done on e-paper. The overhanging and engulfing smog over the city would be non-existent had there been fewer people breathing the same air, and had its open spaces not been encroached by builders or resettlements that crop up for facilitating electoral victories.

The current situation should be treated as a national emergency, and the Centre, without further delay, should convene a meeting of stakeholders to find answers, however unpalatable. The Kejriwal government in Delhi and the Central government have to work hand-in-hand, so as to highlight that citizens always come first and politics is secondary. Between us.