Come election time and one's witness to all sorts of flip-flops. But the Kerala Assembly's opposition leader's latest volte face takes the cake. Let's just go through his 'sudden enlightenment':-
- the RSP's exit from the LDF, alignment with the Congress led UDF, to field its own candidate from the
Kollam Parliamentary constituency. VS had then asked the CPM's state leadership and the other LDF
constituents to talk with the RSP to get them back into the fold.
And today, he says that the RSP is but an appendage of the Congress!
- he'd defied the CPM leadership when he visited the wife of the slain TP Chandrasekharan and had
become the face of public revulsion against the CPM's violent politics. He'd then said that it was a
political murder hinting at the involvement of the party's state leadership in the murder!
And today, he says that he's fully satisfied with the party's internal investigation by which a scapegoat has
been identified and promptly expelled from the party. He's asked the slain leaders's family to accept the
party line. He's also alleged that Mrs Chandrasekharan calling off her proposed 'Kerala March' was at
the insistence of certain UDF leaders.
- he's given a clean chit to Pinarayi Vijayan in the SNC Lavalin case based on a recent court order which,
by itself, is incomplete. He'd then said that there was a loss incurred by the state's exchequer due
to corruption at high places, including the then electricity minister!
And today, he says that Pinarayi Vijayan has been exonerated.
From the reactions cutting across all sections of Kerala, the following doubts are palpable:-
(a) why has the over 90 yr old veteran changed his stance now?
(b) why does he not follow his heart and get the party to change in consonance with the times where
truth is never a casualty so that it becomes the 'principled' party that it was once known to be?
The fact, on the ground, is that the LDF's election campaign has got a fillip by his active campaign as its primary leader because he continues to be a crowd puller.
But his latest volte face is at a tremendous cost to his personal standing. What are his compulsions, one wonders? His son's shenanigans? Sad!
Tailpiece.
1. I'm reminded of an incident that had greatly affected my family and my grandfather, in particular. It's about an article written by Thayattu Sankaran in the Kalakaumudi on my grandfather which was nothing but a character assassination. He was then the President of the Kerala Grandhasala Sanghom while my grandfather was its General Secretary and was genuinely liked by the library workers for his sagacity, simplicity and hardwork. Perhaps, Thayattu Sankaran was simply jealous!
2. My grandfather, who was greatly upset had visited EMS Namboodiripad - I'd accompanied him because I was fond of my grandfather's friend who used to give me chocolates whenever he'd visited our home during my younger days. His reaction to my grandfather's plea was something that I've never been able to comprehend and I quote, "Panicker, I know that what you say is the absolute truth. But I can't say anything against the party line".
What's the use if one can't speak out one's mind and stand for the truth? And that too, at such a late stage in life? Can't the 'party line' be changed to encompass the truth?
- the RSP's exit from the LDF, alignment with the Congress led UDF, to field its own candidate from the
Kollam Parliamentary constituency. VS had then asked the CPM's state leadership and the other LDF
constituents to talk with the RSP to get them back into the fold.
And today, he says that the RSP is but an appendage of the Congress!
- he'd defied the CPM leadership when he visited the wife of the slain TP Chandrasekharan and had
become the face of public revulsion against the CPM's violent politics. He'd then said that it was a
political murder hinting at the involvement of the party's state leadership in the murder!
And today, he says that he's fully satisfied with the party's internal investigation by which a scapegoat has
been identified and promptly expelled from the party. He's asked the slain leaders's family to accept the
party line. He's also alleged that Mrs Chandrasekharan calling off her proposed 'Kerala March' was at
the insistence of certain UDF leaders.
- he's given a clean chit to Pinarayi Vijayan in the SNC Lavalin case based on a recent court order which,
by itself, is incomplete. He'd then said that there was a loss incurred by the state's exchequer due
to corruption at high places, including the then electricity minister!
And today, he says that Pinarayi Vijayan has been exonerated.
From the reactions cutting across all sections of Kerala, the following doubts are palpable:-
(a) why has the over 90 yr old veteran changed his stance now?
(b) why does he not follow his heart and get the party to change in consonance with the times where
truth is never a casualty so that it becomes the 'principled' party that it was once known to be?
The fact, on the ground, is that the LDF's election campaign has got a fillip by his active campaign as its primary leader because he continues to be a crowd puller.
But his latest volte face is at a tremendous cost to his personal standing. What are his compulsions, one wonders? His son's shenanigans? Sad!
Tailpiece.
1. I'm reminded of an incident that had greatly affected my family and my grandfather, in particular. It's about an article written by Thayattu Sankaran in the Kalakaumudi on my grandfather which was nothing but a character assassination. He was then the President of the Kerala Grandhasala Sanghom while my grandfather was its General Secretary and was genuinely liked by the library workers for his sagacity, simplicity and hardwork. Perhaps, Thayattu Sankaran was simply jealous!
2. My grandfather, who was greatly upset had visited EMS Namboodiripad - I'd accompanied him because I was fond of my grandfather's friend who used to give me chocolates whenever he'd visited our home during my younger days. His reaction to my grandfather's plea was something that I've never been able to comprehend and I quote, "Panicker, I know that what you say is the absolute truth. But I can't say anything against the party line".
What's the use if one can't speak out one's mind and stand for the truth? And that too, at such a late stage in life? Can't the 'party line' be changed to encompass the truth?
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