Will the Govt learn from its mistakes?

The chain of incidents triggered by the tragic death of Jishnu Pranoy, if taken as a yardstick for gauging the Left government in Kerala, as it completes a year in office, the fact that the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has nothing much to be proud of or to be relieved, is greatly disappointing for the people who put faith in their leader.

The developments that led to Jishnu’s mother and sister going on an indefinite hunger strike is a perfect evidence of how worse matters could turn even if trivial issues aren’t handled appropriately or a sensible intervention doesn’t happen when required. The matter wouldn’t have been controversial to this extent if efforts have been taken for consoling at least the parents of the deceased, reassuring them in a tone of humanity and justice, when Jishnu succumbed to death following brutal torture at Nehru College of Engineering, Pampady, Thrissur. His mother, with utmost pain, had blamed those at the helm of the college for being responsible for her son’s death. But if she had felt that the investigation wasn’t progressing effectively, it’s inane to hold animosity towards her. All are well aware of the fact that the opposition would attempt to politically exploit such opportunities as much as possible.

If sincerely analysed how the government as well as the party handled a mishap that struck a family, who have been ardent followers of the Communist party, it would be convinced that there have been errors right from the beginning. Take the instance of the ‘police action’ which rocked the state, faced by Jishnu’s family including his mother, who staged a protest in front of the DGP’s office demanding action against those responsible for the student’s death. If handled a bit more prudently, couldn’t that move which tugged at the heartstrings of Keralites been avoided completely? Even after the incident, hadn’t those including the Chief Minister tried to frame a conspiracy theory and justify the police force that forcefully dragged the women? The question as to why those at the helm of power fail to realize that the people are updated of all the developments and that they are gauging the performances, are being posed by the non-partisans.

The government coming forward for appeasement and talks might be because it realized through introspection of the severe gaffes it committed. Those who made it possible, whoever it is, deserves appreciation. Kerala as a whole, shares the unsurmountable pain of Mahija, Jishnu’s mother. When Avishna, Jishnu’s sister and a class 10 student went on a hunger strike, the worries and concerns of a family became the woes of the whole state. The government, apprehensive seeing the latest development, might have then changed its course. Meanwhile, refusing to accept the reality that the image of the government have been tarnished, would do no good. It was not for showcasing such a governance that the people of Kerala entrusted power into the hands of the LDF by pulling down the Oommen Chandy government a year ago.

Not only have all the noble concepts about the judiciary been blown in the wind, but the situation has been aggravating day by day into an extremely terrifying state where civil rights are violated and murders and mass killings disturb the balance of everyday life. The distrust of the people towards those at the top positions in the police force alone is sufficient to ruin the peace of the country. This state should certainly be rectified. In the Communist party structure, the power and governance is the responsibility of the party as a whole. It’s the duty of the party to correct the government when the latter goes wrong. It’s high time the concerned persons ensured whether the duty has been properly discharged. In this time of crisis when communal Fascism is expanding its supremacy across the nation, and all the merits of value-based politics are shattered, the secular Left democratic parties are looked upon as the last hospice of the secular political culture. The government should move forward bearing in mind the reality that wrong governance and a stained image would provide access to the devilish forces to creep into the system.