By P. Sreekumaran
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: His political rivals try to play down the gains of the Government of VS Achuthanandan, who passed away on Monday, July 21. But the undeniable reality is that the tenure of VS as Chief Minister (2006-11) saw Kerala making significant gains, which earned all-round acclaim.
A determined demolition drive against illegal land occupation in Munnar; an unrelenting struggle against the lottery mafia; significant steps to boost the IT sector; a strong anti-corruption campaign which saw former minister R. Balakrishna Pillai being jailed; and the legislation to conserve the paddy land and wetland and to restrict its conversion or reclamation. These are the singular achievements of the Achuthanandan Government.
Mention must also be made of his approval for the Kochi Metro Rail project; the laying of the foundation stone for the Kannur International airport and drive against film piracy.
It is also a fact that a few initiatives of the VS Government failed at the half-way stage. But the blame cannot be attached to the legendary CPI(M) veteran. The fiascos should be attributed to bureaucratic overzealousness and other factors beyond his control.
The piece de resistance has been the demolition drive in Munnar which resulted in acres and acres of illegally occupied land being recovered. It is another matter that the campaign suffered legal setbacks. But the courage with which VS undertook the drive earned him the support and admiration of the common man and boosted his image as a fearless fighter against wrongdoing. No other political leader has been able to establish the kind of emotional connection which VS made with the masses. The tremendous popularity of VS and the abundant affection in which he is held by the poor and downtrodden was evident from the massive crowds which attended his funeral and which continue to throng the cremation site in Alappuzha.
Another significant VS intervention was in 2001 – again in Idukki district – against encroachments in Mathikettan . The intervention led to the region being declared a national park.
VS also played a key role in the Pombilai Orumai protest in Idukki district which saw the women plantation workers demanding better wages and working conditions. It is a crying shame that other party leaders played only lip service to their protest. But VS spent an entire day and night – he in fact sat with them in their tent braving the biting cold – expressing solidarity with the striking women workers.
It was during his tenure as CM that the Kochi Metro rail project was given approval in 2008. The year also saw formal approval being accorded to the international airport, which came up at Mattannur in Kannur district. Two years later, he laid the foundation stone for the project, marking the formal commencement of its construction on December 17, 2008.
What will happen to the infamous ice cream parlour case, which VS fought for decades with single-minded determination as part of his relentless campaign against rapists and sexual predators? In 2018, VS filed two criminal review petitions challenging the Kozhikode magistrate court’s order dismissing a plea for further investigation into the case, which was registered on the basis of the disclosures made by K A Rauf, the estranged co-brother of IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty. The petitions are pending before the High Court. Now that VS is no more, the question that is uppermost in people’s minds is? Who will pursue the case?
A notable feature of VS governance was the the legislation to conserve the paddy land and wetland and to restrict its conversion or reclamation. The Act, enacted in 2008, aimed at curbing the indiscriminate reclamation and conversion of paddy land and wetland in the state in the name of development.
Another singular achievement of the VS government was the tremendous growth IT exports recorded, even surpassing the national average! What is worth mentioning is that the three-fold growth in IT exports was achieved the worst global recession of 2008 notwithstanding. The congenial atmosphere created by the VS Government saw many IT majors setting up base in the state. The period also witnessed the coming up of several new IT parks in the State, silencing the criticism of VS detractors.
Incidentally, it was while VS was the Chief Minister that the first district IT park at Kollam was announced in January 2009. It saw the light on February 15, 2011. Likewise, the first phase of Koratty IT Park was operationalised on October 10, 2009.
VS deserves praise for launching in the state 2011, the International Centre for Free and Open Source Software (ICFOSS) , an autonomous organisation which popularised Free and Open Source Software for universal use.
The VS legacy also moulded Kerala’s engagement with the global Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) movement. VS, who had an aversion to monopoly and proprietory control, took to the laudable concept of FOSS like duck to water. He was extremely wary of proprietary software, which could undermine the campaign for decentralisation, the hallmark of a left government.
According to former IT advisor to VS, Joseph Mathew, although many political leaders were approached in the state VS alone took interest in free software, which was included in the general education curriculum. It has now become an integral part of the State’s governance. It was again during his term as the CM that Kerala became the first state in India to formally adopt a FOSS-friendly IT policy.
Another feather in the cap of VS was the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) in Kochi. It was a central government project, but the VS government strained every nerve to acquire the land needed for roads and rail lines. The ICTT, opened on February 11, 2011,was India’s first transshipment terminal and the first to operate in a Special Economic Zone(SEZ).
VS’s concern for the welfare of the poor and downtrodden was also evident from the host of welfare measures undertaken by his Government. Among them were the strengthening of the EMS Housing Project and the MN Lakshamveedu project which aimed at providing shelters for the homeless. Another praiseworthy initiative was the decision to provide rice at Rs 2 a kilo which, to start with, covered 25 lakh families in the lower income group and later expanded to include 35 lakh families. (IPA Service)
