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Dark clouds loom over Nayanar government

Stormy days await the nearly four-year-old Marxist-led Left Democratic Front government in Kerala as a rather subdued Congress-led opposition is of late taking more aggressive postures against it.

The recent violence-marred students agitation against the bus fare hike gave a much needed fillip to the Congress to work out its strategy.

Enthused by the "success" of the students' agitation and the front gaining a majority in 91 of the 140 assembly segments in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee announced its decision to open a new phase in its anti-Communist Party of India-Marxist campaign by picketing the state secretariat and 13 collectorates on November 25. This is in protest against the deterioration of the law and order situation, the CPI-M's persistent assault on minorities and other issues.

KPCC president Thennala Balakrishna Pillai alleged that the CPI-M, which often made a hue and cry about the attacks on minorities by the BJP, was engaged in targeting educational institutions and hospitals run by the minorities. The brutal attack on the principal of the Nirmalagiri College at Koothuparamba in Kannur district by a group of pro-Marxist Students Federation of India activists was the latest in the series of such attacks, he added.

On the other hand, the BJP, though not a force to reckon with in the state's electoral politics, was encouraged by the recent elevation of party leader O Rajagopal to the post of Union minister of state for law, justice and company affairs. It is preparing for a mass movement against human rights violations.

BJP spokesman K Raman Pillai said party supporters would picket taluk offices on human rights day on December 10 to protest against the human rights violations in the state.

Ironically, a breathing space for the Nayanar government comes from the United Democratic Front fold itself. The Indian Union Muslim League, the second major partner in the UDF, is allegedly having a soft approach towards the ruling front. Though the IUML has announced its decision to observe ''rights protection day'' on November 26 to demonstrate its displeasure over the state government's education policy, the general feeling is that the League is unlikely to go along with the Congress on several issues. According to the IUML's legislature party leader P K Kunhalikutty, the party was totally against rocking the LDF government.

The attitude of the iuml is reportedly causing embarassment for the congress, struggling to build up a common opinion within the front on several issues. One such issue is the question of the front's participation in the "manaviyam," a state-sponsored programme to usher in the new millennium. After an attack by the sfi activists on the pro-udf students leaders who were on a satyagraha in front of the state secretariat on the opening day of manaviyam, the congress leaders might be finding it difficult to cooperate with the 453-day-long programme, which would culminate on the eve of the next assembly elections.

In the past, UDF convener K Sankaranarayanan had announced agitational programmes against the LDF government on several occasions, but all of them failed to gather momentum apparently due to the differences among the UDF constituents. This time the situation appeared to be slightly better as the front constituents were gearing up to face the next assembly elections.

On the other hand, all is not well within the LDF. The internal problems of the Revolutionary Socialist Party, the Janata Dal and the Nationalist Congress Party are causing serious concern to the front. After the split in the RSP, the faction headed by party veteran Baby John had recently announced its decision to sever ties with the LDF. The JD is also facing a crisis after the expulsion of party strongman and former minister P R Kurup from the party by state president M P Veerendrakumar. The NCP in Kerala is facing a rather awkward situation for its alliance with the Congress in Maharashtra.

Things are not satisfactory with the CPI also, especially after its poor performance in Lok Sabha elections. The CPI's opposition to the manner in which the the decentralised People's Campaign programme was being implemented is an open secret now.

The embarrassment for the LDF came when several ministers shot down a proposal to widen the scope of Manaviyam, originally programmed as a cultural event, to include spreading literacy, house construction for poor and other activities. The ministers, especially from the non-CPI-M parties, reportedly opposed the suggestion saying it was tantamount to encroaching upon their departments.

The government also had to face much criticism on the worsening law and order situation in Kannur district. The BJP-CPI-M clashes in the district have claimed several lives and maimed many during the past five years.

UNI

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