Malampuzha is not Mararikulam

(An interview with the LDF convener and senior CPM leader Mr. V.S. Achuthanandan)

* After making up your mind to contest from Malampuzha, you have stated that the forces that defeated you in Mararikulam are active in Malampuzha also. Which are those forces? Are they the Pinarayi group within your party or the CITU leaders opposed to you? How serious is the threat from those forces? V S Achuthanandan : I has said that the forces that defeated me in Mararikulam were active in Malampuzha also but as in the Congress they are not within the party. When I meant was that as Opposition leader in the Assembly I was instrumental in exposing the corruption of the leaders in the UDF - be it the palmolein scam of K. Karunakaran, Brahmapuram deal of C.V. Padmarajan, Graphite and Edamalayar cases of Balakrishna Pillai and also the missing files case involving former Chief Secretary Ramachandran Nair. As I was in charge of campaigning in the whole State, I had to stay away from the Mararikulam constituency during 1996 polls. These corrupt moneybag politicians ganged up to defeat me. I also admit that they were helped by willing accomplices from our party also.

* You are widely perceived to be the chief ministerial candidate of the LDF. In 1987, you campaigned projecting Gowriamma as the chief ministerial candidate, but Nayanar took over as the CM after the election. In 1996, Susheela Gopalan was projected for the top slot, but Nayanar again took charge. Will history repeat itself by depriving you of chief ministership and once again recalling Nayanar from planned retirement to take over the reigns of the Government? V S : You see, as I told you earlier, Malampuzha of 2001 is not Mararikulam of 1996. The mediapersons need not rack their brains about who would be the Chief Minister. The verdict lies in the hands of the electorate and subsequently. The choice of the new Chief Minister would also be intimated to the Press.

* Is it not a poor reflection of your mass base that you, the only Politburo member contesting the election, are compelled to leave your home constituency and go in search of a safe constituency like Malampuzha to get to the Assembly? V S : Personally, I preferred to contest from Mararikulam, but the party asked me to contest from Malampuzha. The final word is that of the party and I just bowed to its wishes.

* You have been the most vocal opponent of any tie-up by your party with the INL, but you had to give into compulsions of realpolitik by leaving four seats to that party. Isn't it political opportunism? V S : The policies of the CPM are vastly different from the realpolitik and expediency practised on the ground. At the ground level every party has to take into account the armoury possessed by its rival. The UDF has teamed up with all the communal forces on the land to defeat us. The PDP has publicly pledged support to the UDF. The IUML is a constituent of the UDF. The BJP has not fielded candidates in many Assembly segments to help the UDF. In this context, we have no other go but to encourage individuals like Cherian Philip, priests and the INL to counter the communal forces. How can you term this political opportunism when all the communal forces have publicly arraigned against the LDF. The press is trying to distort my views on the INL.

* Is there any possibility of a patch-up with those who were expelled from the party like V.B.Cherian and Appukuttan Vallikunnu? V S : There is no need to mention names. If anyone is expelled from the party for flouting discipline he has to remain outside. It is a closed chapter.

* CITU State president K N Raveendranath has declined the seat offered by the party. How can you expect full support of the CITU when its president himself is bitter about the way you have treated him by removing him from the post of general secretary? V S : Yes, Raveendranath chose not to contest and I didn't see anything wrong in the decision. To contest or not is personal. In Malampuzha, I don't see any threat from the CITU as they are much mellowed in this part of the State and are not as fanatic as in certain other parts of the State.

* The LDF has fielded Neelalohitadasan Nadar, chargesheeted by the Crime Branch in a case related to sexual assault of a woman IAS officer. In this context, what moral right do you have to attack the tainted ministers in the UDF ? Will you give ministerial berth to Nadar if LDF is voted to power ? V S : Neelalohitadasan Nadar has gone in appeal to the Supreme Court and the case is being argued. He has not been convicted finally and there is nothing wrong in him being a candidate from Kovalam.

* You have decided not to field CPM ministers, except one. Don't you need people with administrative experience to run the next Government? Or are you admitting that you have no hope of coming back to power? V S : Minister's absence in the fray does not mean a dearth of administrative in the new Government. The Central Committee of the CPM took a decision that those who had been MLAs or Ministers twice should give way to young blood. A committee consisting of Sivadasa Menon, Sarma, T K Ramakrishnan, Susheela Gopalan and others approved the formula and therefore there was no question of imposing any decision unilaterally. The State unit of the CPM only endorsed the formula of the central leadership.

* What will be your priorities as Chief Minister? V S : If the LDF Government is elected, we would implement the manifesto which has already been released. The thrust would be on Information Technology sector and the State would benefit from the implementation of a "people friendly" computerisation drive connecting all district and taluk headquarters. We plan to generate an additional 12 lakh man days of employment in the next five years. Unlike the UDF, we practise what we preach. In the past five years, through the People's Plan programme and decentralisation of power we could provide 6 crore man days of employment to the youth. Therefore, in spite of the crash in the prices of commercial crops, the people of the State have not been pushed to poverty. We also constructed 3 lakh houses for the shelterless and another 3 lakh for the Middle Income Group through the Housing Board. Moreover, latrine facilities, light and water have been made available to nook and corners of the State. These programmes and policies would be continued in the next five year also.

* Will you review the educational policy and give greater role to private sector in professional and higher education ? V S : The CPM was never against assigning a greater role to the private sector in professional and higher education. But the system of capitation fee and donations (bribes) for appointment of teachers cannot be tolerated. The LDF will allow private sector in higher education if there is no corruption in admission, and appointment, followed by a secular syllabus. We will not allow managements to run the institutions as their personel fiefdom.

courtesy: nie