Kerala Chief Minister and CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Pinarayi Vijayan is leading the Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) charge on the hustings as the coalition seeks an unprecedented third consecutive term in the state assembly polls on April 9. Just shy of 81, he exudes confidence of a win, pities the Congress for being the ‘B team of the BJP’ and predicts the BJP drawing a blank yet again, as he sits down for an interview with The Hindu at Pinarayi in his constituency, Dharmadam. Edited excerpts:
A large number of incumbent MLAs have been renominated by the Left front. No anti-incumbency?
There’s no anti-incumbency because people feel that the government has strived to implement to the best of its abilities what the people wanted. Ten years ago, Kerala was in a shambles, but we brought about a sea change in all sectors. Now, our Vision 2031 delineates the achievable goals in each sector in order to develop Kerala in step with the modern times.
Our youth want the higher education sector to be strengthened further. If no institution from Kerala featured among the 100 top institutions nationally in 2016, eighteen Kerala colleges are on the list now. It’s the result of active interventions, which call for a continuance.
We have fostered research, modern-day courses and skill development of the youth, linking the academia to industries. Our industry-friendliness is attracting top players from all over the world and everyone, except red industries, is welcome. We have a pre-eminent startup ecosystem.
But despite this, the Left suffered a jolt in the recent local body polls.
Each election follows a unique pattern. It was a local election, and we suffered setbacks at a few places which do not reflect the public sentiment across the State. We sense a favourable atmosphere now.
The BJP advances the ‘develop Kerala’ slogan but the Left accuses the Centre of stifling the State.
While it harps on ‘develop Kerala’ now, has the Centre done anything to develop Kerala? Despite repeated appeals and the stupendous feats in public healthcare, we have not got an AIIMS. When the State was hit by disasters, the Centre not only turned its back, but blocked support from the countries which share a deep bond with Kerala. Did any other State in India receive such ignominious treatment in the face of a disaster? It was just us. Didn’t it demonstrate a mentality that wanted to see the State perish?
The Centre sided with those who opposed on political grounds the K-Rail project meant to augment our transport infrastructure.
Was there any help when Wayanad was hit by landslides? Now, when it offers to ‘develop Kerala’, do people not see the duplicity? They do!
The State is denied its rightful share of taxes and our borrowing limit has been slashed considerably. Doesn’t all this smack of vendetta?
What’s your take on the BJP’s Christian outreach and the Left’s relationship with the community?
We have a good relationship with all communities. All sections of Christians, together forming a substantial community in the State, have a good relationship with the government. The BJP may harbour many desires, but nothing is going to materialise and there will be no consolidation in its favour.
Will SIR influence the electoral outcome?
Concerns have been raised about SIR in some constituencies where the number of voters has declined sharply. But there should be more clarity on this.
How do you stop the BJP in its tracks? Who is better poised to do that, the Congress or the Left?
The Congress is unable to do that. It acts as the BJP’s B-team, even nationally. Only the Left has steadfastly resisted the BJP, which it will continue even more vigorously. And the BJP is unlikely to make any electoral gain this time either.
Nationally, only a united fight is possible against the BJP, but the Congress always foils such bids by vitiating the atmosphere, giving the BJP an edge. Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi refuse to learn from their mistakes.
Is the Left in Kerala on the defensive following defections by past legislators such as G. Sudhakaran, Aisha Potty, S. Rajendran, C.C. Mukundan, P.K. Sasi and the likes to the Congress and the BJP? There is revolt in Kannur as well.
It’s greed for positions and a loss of values that has driven them all. Despite being well recognised, G. Sudhakaran couldn’t cope with the party’s policy of age-bound retirement from committees. He betrayed the party, conspired with the UDF and is contesting the election.
The same is the case with others. S. Rajendran, it’s heard, needed the BJP’s help too to resolve some issues. T.K. Govindan’s grouse was that no one in the committee proposed his candidature and he chose to become an axe in the hands of the UDF against the CPI(M).
All of them betrayed the party. But we will win hands down in all the constituencies where they are contesting.
Sudhakaran is in Alappuzha, a district most dear to us, with the memories and tradition of the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising deeply rooted in its soil. No deviant will have an impact in Alappuzha, which behaves as itself.
And T.K. Govindan chose to masquerade his greed by questioning the candidature of P.K. Shyamala, who is married to CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan. Her candidature is most appropriate, as she has held many responsibilities in the party and was a DYFI worker and active party member even before their marriage. She has an identity of her own.
There are the allegations of collapse of the public health sector.
Media houses like yours should investigate why there’s been a sudden uproar over the issues in the health sector. The public health sector in Kerala has grown considerably from 2016, when it was in a state of collapse, and this helped us overcome the challenges including the pandemic. We progressed further and attained an IMR of 5, better than that of the US. Even the affluent are using public health institutions now. But multinational monopolies are acquiring our private hospitals, causing the health expenditure to spike. The smear campaign against the public health system is for their benefit.
On the Sabarimala gold theft and the government’s submissions in SC — will it impact the polls?
It’s not going to affect us as the people have understood the truth about it. The High Court is supervising the investigation and has made it clear that there’s no external interference. The investigation is in the right direction and no guilty will go scot-free.
As for the submissions, we responded to a set of questions with clarity. The issue of women’s entry to the temple wasn’t part of the questions. We reiterated what we had said in 2007: that religious scholars, experts and social reformers should be consulted while addressing the question of temple customs and rituals.
Your repeated utterances against Jamaat-e-Islami (Hind) are being interpreted as an attack on the Muslim community.
To shut our mouths, we are sought to be portrayed as anti-Hindu when we attack the RSS and as anti-Muslim when we speak against JEI. We are neither and will continue to speak against both majority and minority communalism regardless. Vast sections of majority and minority communities are secular and we stand with them.
Was the Global Ayyappa Sangamam a misstep?
Never. It was the Travancore Devaswom Board that organised the event. Sabarimala is the most important temple managed by the board, and people from all over the world visit the temple. The board intended to bring them all together and highlight it. Wasn’t there a move to hold a parallel Ayyappa Sangamam? It failed miserably. Our Ayyappa Sangamam was a grand success and it appealed to a secular community.
Is the livelihood loss and rise in fuel prices due tothe war in West Asia a poll issue?
Any issue that impacts people can become an election issue. A good number of people who are to vote in our State have to come from abroad to do that. Despite the difficulties, they come down and vote. But they are all anxious about the unfolding situation. Our domestic kitchens are affected. There are people who depend on eateries for food and are facing difficulty now. Fuel shortage is being felt bigtime.
If we had implemented the gas pipeline from Iran, we wouldn’t have been in this situation. It was the Manmohan Singh-led government that shelved the project under pressure from the US. It was done during the nuclear deal when it was said the US would give us fuel. Are they giving anything? Still, we are pandering to America’s interests.
