Statement issued by the Kerala State Committee SUCI (Communist), on the assembly election results
The victory achieved by the LDF in the just concluded assembly elections cannot be seen a victory of genuine left politics, opined the State Committee, SUCI (Communist). The LDF govt led by Pinarayi Vijayan had failed in discharging the responsibilities which fundamentally distinguish a left government from a rightist one. The political, economic and administrative policies pursued by the CPI (M)-led LDF were for promoting the growth and profit-hunt of the big investors and wealthy sections. The very next day after the results came, the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in a press conference said that ‘Ease of doing business’, was the policy of LDF and that it would be continued. The statement by the Kerala branch of the Confederation of Indian Industries expressing happiness in the continuation of the LDF rule, and recollecting the favours obtained from LDF, indicates the recognition of the industrial houses for the basic policies of the LDF govt.
The primary responsibility of a left government is to create conducive environment for the growth and development of democratic movements with a view to raising the social consciousness of the people. So a leftist government should desist from strengthening the oppressive state machinery. The LDF government had conducted itself in just the opposite manner. If these policies alien to genuine left politics are considered as the yardstick for the victory, then this victory cannot be termed as victory of left politics.
One of the factors that helped the victory is that the welfare measures and help provided to the people was used as a propaganda material to effectively overcome the ill-feelings created by the governmental policies. In place of the political consciousness that governmental help during distress times is the right of the taxpayers, creating a mindset of dependency on the benevolence of rulers is not something that befits left politics. The real responsibility of left politics is to train people to exercise their voting rights on the basis of democratic consciousness by analysing the policies of the government freeing them from the mindset of dependency and servitude. The rightist governments also float populist schemes of financial and material assistance. Providing relief and help to people in distress times is a minimum responsibility of any government.
The electoral victory does not prove that all the criticisms against the government were baseless and the people have accepted that. In this election, conducted in the most apolitical manner, none of the important social issues at the national or state level was discussed. Hence those issues did not come up as factors influencing the electoral mandate.
People’s strong opposition to the BJP’s policies was reflected in this election. But neither the CPI (M)-led LDF nor the Congress-led UDF tried to convert the people’s resentment against the anti-people policies and communalism of the Central Government into a political fight. By putting forth the theory that the BJP’s votes got reduced due to vote trading, the CPI(M) is trying to establish that the Central Government’s policies did not play any role.
In the election campaign, the fronts competed with each other in inflaming the religious – communal sentiments. Using Sabarimala episode and ‘Love Jihad’ like fanaticism, anti-Muslim diatribes were raised and majority communalism was fomented. Pointing at the BJP, minority communalism was also played on. Understanding was reached with the NSS (Nair Service Society), the Yakobhaya Sabha (Christian sect), Kanthapuram (Muslim-community leader) and such others to play their roles in the election. Opportunism and unethical conduct prevailed in the political scene. Just for a few seats, the fronts (LDF, UDF, BJP) had no qualms in engaging in any kind of chicanery. The LDF that had branded the Mani Congress, a regional party, as corrupt in the last election, carried the same party on its shoulders this time. Several individuals who had no credentials to represent left politics became candidates. One of the factors for the LDF victory is that it could beat the other fronts in the competition of riding on communal and unethical politics. Kerala will have to pay a big prize for this kind of politics aimed at short term gains by inviting dangers in the long run.
The only correct path before the people is the noble left politics aimed at bringing about revolutionary transformation of the social system. All the left minded people including those who worked for the victory of the LDF should see one reality, though a painful one. The leftist mindset that the people of Kerala had cultivated for long with pride is becoming very weak. The growing influence of religious-communal sentiments, the social environment where scientific bent of mind and logical thinking is declining, weakening of democratic tolerance, the prevalence of the worst type of opportunism, the unethical politics that justifies even the most heinous acts for selfish gains, the compromising attitude of begging and servitude to the authorities in place of boldly fighting for the rights — all these factors will provide a fertile social environment for creating a fascist mindset in the society. This is the historical lesson that we should not forget amidst the victory celebrations and expectations from the new government. Hence we should undertake the arduous struggle for the restoration of the left mentality based on conscious thinking. The correct path of left politics is the path of democratic people’s movement on the burning issues affecting the people. We should uphold the politics of mass struggle dearer to our hearts.
