Balram is ‘Amul Baby’, a piece of wood floating on water: VS hits out over AKG row

From CM Pinarayi to other leaders of the Left, all have criticized Balram for his comments.
Balram is ‘Amul Baby’, a piece of wood floating on water: VS hits out over AKG row
Balram is ‘Amul Baby’, a piece of wood floating on water: VS hits out over AKG row
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After his attack against Communist icon AK Gopalan, popularly known as AKG, Thrithala Congress MLA VT Balram wouldn’t have expected such a searing response from the Left and those who identify with its politics.

From Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to other leaders of the Left, all have come out with strongly worded criticism of Balram for his comments.

The latest is VS Achuthanandan, the tallest leader of the CPI (M) in the state. VS called Balram ‘Amul Baby’, which implies that he is someone who is too pampered to have an in-depth knowledge of anything. In an article that appeared on the editorial page of CPI (M) mouthpiece Deshabhimani daily, titled Amul Babymar Aadithimirkkumpol (when Amul Babies are dancing rigorously), the veteran leader said that this usage would be apt for Balram.

"That would be apt for the Congress's young leader as well who did attack AKG, who is a tall tree,” VS said.

This is not the first time that VS has referred to a politician as Amul Baby. Back in 2011, during the Assembly election campaign, VS had called Rahul Gandhi Amul Baby in response to the Congress leader's reference to him as 'an old man'.

Balram, in a Facebook post on Friday, questioned the moral character of AKG. He accused AKG of marrying a woman who was several years younger to him and that too when his first wife was still alive. But what earned the ire of many was VT Balram’s insinuation that AK Gopalan was a paedophile who fell in love with his second wife Susheela while she was about 12 years old. 

VS’s article reads, "This Congress leader is someone who was born after the demise of AKG. Even the Congressmen say that he is very good at playing games with the computer. It hasn't been so long after the arrival of the computer and social media. The land had existed even before that. People have been living here and there have been problems and crises. If one hasn't even been through a portion of all this, what can be said about them."

The 92-year old leader points out that even Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba were young when they got married. "The Congress leader should thoroughly read the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi. I wish he would tell something to the world about Gandhiji and AKG, after understanding what Gandhiji had said about marriage.”

VS urges Congress to correct Balram, though he hasn’t taken his name in any part of the article. Instead, VS uses the term vidwan (a clever guy) and other such words in his usual satirical style, to allude to Balram. "The Congress has said that they haven't approved of what he said. If so, the party should correct him, because he has said something which the party can't accept."

VS elaborates about the fight led by AKG and says that Ayileth Kuttyeri Gopalan is someone who has fought many historical battles.

The article says, "AK Gopalan became AKG by not giving any notification in the gazette. Instead, it was an honour given by the masses for he dedicated his life for them. Behind the three-letter name was the culmination of all scared human emotions-love, respect, gratitude and care."

It will be assumed that if one is not aware of such historical events, then such people don't know the history and tradition of the state. "How can someone take a land forward if he is not aware of its history and tradition. It shouldn't be the degrees attached after names that should rule a public servant or a leader. He should instead be able to feel the inner emotions of a land and its people. If not, they would be mere pieces of wood floating on water who have never taken history forward,” VS says.

In a post earlier, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called Balram’s comment an act of stupidity, which showed lack of discernment, without directly mentioning him.

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