From P Sreekumaran
It had all the ingredients that go into the making of a typical Bollywood box office hit: romance, sleaze, the third angle, suspense, stunt and villainy. The protagonists in the political film being played out are: Forest and Film Minister K B Ganesh Kumar who belongs to Kerala Congress(B), his wife Dr Yamini Thankachi, his father and Kerala Congress(B) chief R Balakrishna Pillai, Government Chief Whip P C George and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
A brief recapitulation of the events that have pepped up the ‘masala movie’ is in order. It all began with the Chief Whip PC George holding a press conference to break the sensational news: Minister Ganesh Kumar was roughed up at his official residence by the husband of a woman with whom he was reportedly having an affair! Significantly, George had serious differences with Ganesh Kumar over the Nelliampathy Estates’ takeover issue and therefore, he was using an opportunity to settle political scores with the Minister, say informed sources. The stunned Minister had a late night meeting with the CM and offered to resign with a proviso: he would resign his MLA’s post as well and contest the resultant by-election from the same constituency! A panicky CM asked him not to hurry, and promised to get back to him after discussing the issue in the UDF meeting.
Meanwhile, the Minister’s wife called on the Chief Minister to complain about physical violence by the Minister. Enough was enough, she reportedly told the CM, adding that she would initiate legal proceedings under the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act. Reports have it that she wanted to hand over a written complaint and that the CM refused to accept it. Oommen Chandy, however, denied that Ganesh’s wife gave him any written complaint.
The UDF coordination committee meeting discussed the issue. The majority were against Ganesh resigning his post. Resignation would have put the UDF Government, surviving on a slender majority in a difficult situation, besides further damaging its already tattered reputation. The meeting also pulled up the chief whip for rushing to the press with the news instead of raising it at the UDF forum. He was warned against recurrence of such ‘unacceptable behaviour’. It is a different matter that the waspish-tongued George continues to defy the ‘ban’ and badmouth the Minister. The UDF meeting authorised the CM and the KPCC president to take a final decision in the matter after further talks and enquiries. The scene now shifts to the next UDF meeting slated for April 2.
In between Ganesh’s ministerial colleague, Labour Minister Shibu Baby John played the mediator to effect a patch-up between the Minister and his estranged father, Balakrishna Pillai. Pillai had written to the CM seeking withdrawal of the minister on the ground that he was not abiding by the party’s directives. The ice was broken at a meeting between the father and son, arranged by Shibu. Pillai said he would withdraw the letter and forgive his son if Ganesh agreed to obey the party’s diktat. The son, who needs the father’s help to sort out the problems with his wife, readily agreed. And now the father-son duo would work unitedly to strengthen the party! Efforts are also on to dissuade Ganesh’s wife from moving legally against him. Happy ending? Not yet as the wife has, so far, maintained a deafening silence.
The sordid episode, which has left a trail of bitterness, raises many disturbing questions. It has once again, exposed the fault-lines of the UDF Government. The Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF)’s criticism that this government would go to any extent to ensure its survival in power has been vindicated.
Not surprisingly, the government refused to concede the opposition’s demand that the minister should resign and that the chief whip should be punished. The reality is that the government is in no position to annoy even a single MLA. So, noble concepts like accountability and probity can wait. What matters the most is clinging to power like limpets.
The turn of events has also exposed the Government’s oft-repeated commitment to uphold the security and dignity of women for what it is: a humonguous sham. Leader of the Opposition V S Achuthanandan raised a pertinent point in his criticism against the CM and the Government. By refusing to accept the complaint the minister’s wife wanted to give him, the Chief Minister had committed a breach of the oath of his office and misused his power. Though the CM denies any written complaint by the minister’s wife, the government chief whip insists that there was one, according to reports appearing in newspapers. It is not difficult to find the reasons for the CM’s reluctance to receive the complaint. If he had accepted it, he would have had to, as per law, forward the same to the police for necessary action – a course of action that would have created serious problems for the government and forced the minister to resign. Hence the reluctance of the CM to admit that there was any written complaint, says the opposition sources.
Whatever the denouement, the episode has inflamed the people of Kerala, especially the women. A number of women’s organisations have taken strong exception to the government’s action or the lack of it in the matter. They say that the Government’s action was of a piece with the refusal of the Kerala police to register a case against Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien on a complaint filed by the Suryanelli rape victim. No doubt, the government’s insensitivity in the matter has alienated and angered substantial sections of women. The Chandy Government’s callousness, the opposition sources say, will exact a heavy political and electoral price in the days to come. And they do seem to have a point. (IPA Service)