Taking some time out amidst his hectic pre-poll schedule to speak to The News Minute, CPI(M) party state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan is confidence personified as the Left Democratic Front (LDF) is all set to take on both the ruling front as well as the NDA in the upcoming Kerala assembly elections due to be held on May 16.
How do you see CK Janu’s apparent defection to the NDA? Does this signify that the Left may have to rethink its policies vis-à-vis the labour movement especially in the backdrop of the Munnar agitation?
“CK Janu’s case is not the norm in this regard. It should be considered an aberrant. What happened here is that an individual chose to do something. She chose to move away from a particular way of thinking. Have you noticed an interesting phenomenon? Whenever anyone changes his or her political thought, he or she swings from the extreme left to the extreme right or vice versa. Janu can easily be held up as a prime example of how RSS traps people into their way of thinking with empty promises of Centre’s aid and what not. What do you do with a spoiled egg?” he smiles enigmatically.
On the anti-incumbency factor that could topple the ruling United Democratic Front
“It’s not anti-incumbency alone that will see the LDF sweep to power in Kerala. The firm political stance that is required in the present scenario with regard to development or government policies or even the relentless fight of the minorities –not just religious alone- to secure their rights…all these too constitute important factors which we must consider. The people have now realized that it is only with LDF at the helm that the state can set things right.”
Do you think that the Left in Kerala could go the Bengal way if it does not give up on its arrogance?
“That is a gross misconception spread by the media. What arrogance are you talking about? You must understand that the Left ruled West Bengal for 34 long years. Neither is that a small period of time nor is it by any measure a mean feat. It so happened that towards the end, land acquisition deals in Nandigram and Singur went awry. It could have been done without alienating the farmers. But for that, the Left would still have been in power.”
What is your take on the personal allegations being hurled against CM Oommen Chandy?
“Kerala has seen 11 individuals as chief ministers till date, some of whom have served as the CM more than once. Chandy himself is an example. Nothing like this has happened before. For the past three years, Saritha Nair has persistently levelled all sorts of allegations against Chandy. If there is not even an iota of truth in them, why did he wait till the last moment before taking recourse to the law to take her to court on personal defamation charges? So you yourself decide whether there is any truth in all the allegations that are being flung at the present chief minister.”
Do you genuinely believe that there is something to the latest Mallya land scam and the NE Balram controversy raked up first by the media and then by Chandy himself?
“You must understand that what the late NE Balram did as the state Industries’ Minister then was to give the said land on lease. What the Chandy government did was to sell the land worth Rs 200 crores -quoting market price- for a mere 20 crores. Now, if that is not corruption, what is?”