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Journalism of Courage
Resigning as Kerala Chief Minister for the second time in his political career, A.K. Antony may have asserted his ‘‘ascetic’’ image once more, but this time it is not merely on account of owning ‘‘moral responsibility’’ for the rout in the elections. For the high command, more than the compulsion of finding a scapegoat, Antony’s exit was necessary if the Congress hopes to be in fighting mode for the state elections in two years.
Over the past three years, Antony’s attempts at ‘‘good governance’’ — his critics call it ‘‘obstinate idealism’’ — had destroyed the network of patronage, spoils and administrative clout that sustain parties in power. ‘‘Antony had reduced it to a rule of policemen and bureaucrats. Even Congress MLAs and state level party functionaries have been snubbed by sub-inspectors under our government,’’ says a member of the KPCC and an Antony loyalist. ‘‘What is my motivation to be in this party if I cannot influence even a decision in my own panchayat,’’ he says of the lethargy in the party organisation across the state, blamed for the election rout.
The Congress did not win a single seat out of 20. One of the first announcements Antony made after taking over three years ago was ‘‘non- interference in police matters’’. Congressmen felt cheated. Even V.M. Sudheeran, Antony’s alter-ego, came out openly against the Chief Minister’s style of functioning after a policeman took bribe from a sitting Congress MP!
‘‘On many occasions, the poor can access the police and legal system only through political workers. Antony’s policy stopped that, without measures to make the administration more accessible,’’ says Easow Manalil, lawyer and Congress district functionary.
Antony’s self-financing education policy also attracted criticism from within. He refused to pick and choose and permission was granted to whoever wanted to open a college, botching up the fledgling self-financing policy. Observers believe he should have used it to patronise sections supporting the party. ‘‘All parties, more so the Congress, have a system of rewarding grassroots workers while in power. Antony’s style did not allow that,’’ says Dr Mohan Varghese of the Mahatma Gandhi University.
As he stepped down as CM, Antony said he had produced results ‘‘for all to see’’ — crime rate lower than national average, rising indices of social development and resurgence in industry and tourism. Maybe so but it takes more than governance to keep the party together and win elections.
