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What is wrong with CPI?

While I was in Kerala for vacation, there were several things that made me very optimistic. What made me really pessimistic was CPI(M)’s penchant for announcing hartals - a form of strike where politicians simply issue a dictum which in effect means you are confined to indoors. To be sure, the current ruling coalition, when they were in opposition, were not any better.

Can’t these idiots - political criminals would be a better term - come up with any kind of protest without hurting the common man trying to eke out a living?

After Supreme Court supported state High Court’s decision to ban bandhs, these unimaginative and inhumane hoodlums have simply renamed their only known way of protests to hartal.

At the forefront of coming up with these ideas are current CPI(M) leaders, Shri. V.S.Achuthanandan and Shri. Pinarayai Vijayan. Here is a sampling of pearls of civil service (after all, these guys call themselves champions of common man’s rights):

1. “Hartal will go on as planned. If kids want to attend their exams, let them plan alternative means.” And how much planning time did they give these kids? A week. Sure, CPI(M) can be assured of the blessings of a whole generation of students and their parents for toying with their future. What was this Hartal for? For championing adivasi’s (indigenous tribal people) rights. By all means, it was the current government that gave some rights to adivasis to begin with.
2. Another Hartal was announced - I believe - around 10 days after the first one. This was in support of their other leaders who had been fasting in front of the state legislature to demand a judicial inquiry to investigate police firing into a violent crowd. Another day lost by common man to make a living. It is ironic that even after so many days of fasting, none of these so-called leaders died! Think how much fat they would’ve acquired from milking the common man.
3. The latest now is the formation of an anti-war group! They want to boycott Pepsi and Coke products. Fine, does it stop there. No, they want to force the shop keepers to throw these out. Most of the cool-drinks shops in Kerala are owned by really poor people whose only income is from selling these drinks and cigarettes. If history is to be believed, I’m sure shop keepers won’t have a choice at all.

While I was growing up, I used to believe in Left Front. Now, I feel so ashamed about that. What can one do in a democracy where the unaffiliated common man is a vast minority? The simple fact that these forms of protests are denying me of my rights as a citizen is of no concern to them?

How long till all these criminals destroy my beautiful God’s Own Country? Wake up folks, providing food for family in a remote corner of India is much more important than protesting against war in Iraq.

May be the introductory social sciences lessons need to re-written to “three branches of Indian government (in theory) are executive, judiciary and legislature; but for practical purposes, it is organized groups with agenda to screw everyone else.”

1. The wonders of God's own country are its residents. How can public who is so disturbed by hartals vote these guys into power. Somewhere along the chain of resposibilities, the citizen have to be held responsible.

   Posted by: (\/) on April 1, 2003 08:24 PM

2. #1 - in theory, yes, residents are to be blamed for these kinds of trouble in a democracy. In practice, what can citizens really do, if there are only few choices when it comes to political parties and all are equally bad?

   A village near Tamil Nadu border in Palakkad did the right thing. They banned politics and politicians! The community actually stood guard to kick out hartal enforcers. Villagers conduct assemblies frequently to sort out issues and plan forward. More and more communities should do that.

   Posted by: Babu on April 3, 2003 06:05 AM

3. the guys voted into power were of a minority. How many people can afford millions worth of advertising? Two choices is not democracy. How can it be blamed when morally correct people give up when no one else fights for what is right and just. Fighting does not include killing oneself and others, but battling against the injust and corrupt ways of the many, even if it goes against everything society (the majority) believes is correct. It is easy to victimize oneself, or a group of people, but if those said people continue to tolerate the existing conditions, fault does not only lie with the leadership.

   Posted by: zope boy on April 12, 2003 12:43 AM

4. It is high time we started thinking what will happen to our state if this sorry state of affairs continue. It is high time the common man reacted and started standing up to these "hartal thozhilaalees" who obviously get paid for their "work".

   Posted by: Balachandran on May 1, 2003 10:16 AM

5. The CPM feeds on poverty and backwardness. In their eagerness to retain their power base they would sabotage economic growth since that alone will prevent shrinkage of their votes. The CPM would like to appear as supporting industrialization and expansion of education but in their heart of hearts the CPM leaders are mortally afraid of economic growth and progress in education. While having failed to expand higher education and professional education during their several tenures they are also opposed to self financing scheme of educational expansion , because they are afraid of education itself. An educated population will wean away potential fresh recruits to the party . The head load workers are their best bet to create an atmosphere hostile to investment .A hostile investment climate is the best guarantee for economic stagnation.Thus ensuring backwardness in education and economy the CPM oligarchy think that they can keep their voter base in tact and have the privileges of being MPs, MLAs , public sector directors , trade union leaders etc. The CPM was clever in using their period in power to siphon public funds into their coffers through the much touted peoples plan . The recent allegations are that they received CIA funds to provide support to the peoples plan - a scheme of the CNN to fritter away Kerala's resources- to the tune of Rs 15 crores through the Dutch agencies.The CPM has been very careful in keeping the cadreas ignorant of the corruption and human right violation that charactirised Soviet Union which caused its collapse.
   But for the CPM Kerala would have grown economically using the social advancement and development it has achieved due to the lead in literacy and education .

   Posted by: K.P.Joseph on July 4, 2003 02:18 PM