By P. Sreekumaran
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There is no mistaking it. The CPI(M)’s fulsome praise of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second most powerful constituent of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), has scared the daylights out of the Congress.
There is a delicious irony here. As the leader of the UDF, the Congress is supposed to take steps to strengthen the front. Instead, the Congress is busy scoring self-goals, consumed as it were by a death wish!
It all started with CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan’s overtures to the IUML. Govindan made a statement – regarded by political observers as a masterstroke – that his party does not consider the IUML a communal party. Govindan reminded IUML that under the leadership of EMS Namboodiripad, it had aligned with the CPI(M) to form a government in 1967. Govindan further said that “League is a democratic party working for the minorities. CPI(M) has criticized it whenever it joined hands with communal parties like the SDPI.” Govindan’s stand was not, however, to the liking of the CPI, the second most important partner in the LDF. CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran went on record that the overture was totally unnecessary and that there was no move to expand the LDF at present.
The CPI(M) state secretary’s praise sent the UDF into a tizzy, triggering speculation that the exit of the IUML from the UDF is imminent. But, then, if there is panic in the UDF camp, the Congress has no one but itself to blame. It is the statements emanating from top Congress leaders, mainly Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran, which has induced second thoughts in a section of the IUML about its continuance in the UDF camp.
What strengthened the IUML’s suspicions were the remarks of Sudhakaran from time to time. At one point, he said there would be no problem even if the IUML decided to leave the UDF! Though he denied having made the statement, the damage had been done. He followed it up with a statement that at one point of time he had rushed to protect the RSS from political enemies! The IUML, understandably, took strong exception to these statements at a time when the need is to strengthen the battle against the communal forces led by the RSS-BJP combine.
A cornered Sudhakaran tried damage-control by stating that he would never compromise with communalism. Then came another stunner from Sudhakaran. He said even Jawaharlal Nehru had accommodated the RSS by inducting Shyama Prasad Mukherjee into his Cabinet. That ludicrous remark had even the Congress leaders up in arms against the KPCC chief, who blamed the press for distorting his remarks!
The IUML is also unhappy about the Congress handling of the Shashi Tharoor issue. The IUML feels Tharoor is an asset to the UDF and should be given full support in his efforts to strengthen the Congress and the UDF. Bowing to the IUML’s pressure, Leader of the opposition V D Satheesan who had openly criticised Tharoor, beat a grudging retreat.
Signs of the growing strains in the ties between the Congress and the IUML came to the fore, again, when IUML’s Rajya Sabha MP P V Abdul Wahab excoriated the absence of Congress MPs in the house when a controversial bill on the uniform civil code was being presented. Wahab who lamented the absence of his Congress colleagues, had a word of praise for the Left MPs who were present in full strength to vehemently oppose the bill along with members of TMC, MDMK, RJD and SP, among others. CPI(M) MP John Brittas had a dig at Congress saying that this was now the Congress helping its ally in Kerala.
The ball is now in Congress court. The party has to get its act together fast. The party must erase the impression that it is soft on the BJP in its eagerness to regain power in Kerala. Remember, when Satheeswan took over as the Leader of the Opposition, he made said that the main enemy was the BJP. But the resolve weakened with Sudhakaran committing political harakiri with his pro-RSS statement. The wishy-washy stand of the top Congress leaders created doubts in the minds of the IUML, triggering the process of cosying up to the CPI(M). Top IUML leaders like PK Kunhalikutty were perceived as being soft on CPI(M).
Everything depends on the future conduct of Congress. If the party and its leaders fail to up the ante against the BJP-RSS combine, the IUML will be, willy nilly, forced to give serious thought of joining hands with the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic front(LDF), which is in the forefront in the crucial battle against the saffron camp. The Congress has been forewarned. If it refuses to read the writing on the wall, the UDF is in real danger of unravelling. And that would be a sad day in Kerala politics. For, the beneficiary of the UDF’s collapse would be the BJP, which has, so far, failed to capture Kerala, a state steeped in secular ethos. (IPA Service)
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