Then came the dismissal of this ministry. In 1960, R
Shankar, then an active member of SNDP, became the
Deputy CM and then in 1962 the Chief Minister of Kerala.
Shankar was a highly educated person and not a
cheap politician. He had vision for the future and far
reaching decsions were taken in the fields of education
and industrial growth of the State. As back as in 1962
under the Congress Government in Kerala when Shankar was
the Chief Minister the first Land Reforme Act was passed.
By that Act, the small and marginal farmers got their
land released from the land lords. Very many educational
institutions were started during this period (many of
them belonging to under privileged classes). Foundation
was laid for the all industries in the Alwaye region.
But when Shanker ministry was dismissed as a result of
the communal forces of Travancore area, where was SNDP
Yogam? Yogam's voice was never heard when a popular
ministry headed by an ex-Yogam person was thrown out by
the vested interests. Instead in the following election
of 1965, R Shankar was defeated in Attingal. Contrary to
the perception Congress did not do very bad in the State
level. Congress had approx 39 seats and CPM about 41.
Kerala Congress swept some of the Southern Districts with
24 seats. Congress lost only because of the split of
Kerala Congress, else Congress would have easily got
abosulte majority in that election.
Shanker was not a narrow-minded and had respect
for Mannath Padmanabhan and NSS which represented the
influential Nair communiy in Kerala. Skanker's
policies were positive minded and against no one.
In the election which followed Shanker managed Nair votes
in Attingal, but still lost the election because the
Ezhavas stabbed him from back! And it is a shame that
prominent SNDP leaders led by an 'Arishtam Vaidyar' was
in the forefront in opposing Shanker. Money was poured
into the Marxists and the visionary CM of Kerala was
defeated! Guruforum would
like to question the role SNDP and Ezhavas played/not
played in defeating a non-corrupt and well-educated
politician of Kerala!
In the coming years, we were going to winess this
pattern too often. Of all the communities in Kerala, by
and large, the majority of the Ezhavas do not vote by
caste. This is in a way doing justice to Guru's ideals.
But at times it ended up in a 'holier than thou' attitude
on the parts of Ezhavas! In other words this non-partisan
attitude in effect ended up in a third class politician
being elected or a non-corrupt polititian belonging to
the community being purposely defeated! This has happened
many times since Attingal.
In 1967 EMS Ministry came back to power. By then KSU
and Youth Congress had become prominent in Kerala
politics. Many leaders appeared on the scene. As for
Ezhavas, Vakkom Purushothaman, Vayalar Ravi and a young V.M.Sudheeran
appeared on the scene. Casteless people like M.A.John
also stood for the rights of oppressed classes. In fact,
though CPI/CPM used Ezhavas and backward classes as
votebanks all these years, more Congress MLAs from these
communities were voted in in the coming elections. But by
now SNDP Yogam was losing its direction. Old stalwarts
like K Ayyappan and Shankar had disappeared from the
scene. The only one left from the old generation was CR
Kesavan Vaidyar. But Vaidyar though active was too old
and was not active in the political arena.
V.M. Sudheeran
V.M.Sudheeran was the KSU leader from St Thomas
College Trichur and was elected KSU President in 1970.
Sudheeran could easily gather 5-10% of the CPM votes
and win almost any constituency in Trichur District.
Nattika, Manaloor or Trichur itself would be the ideal
choice for the proud son of Trichur District. But inside
politics and manipulations within Congress made sure that
Sudheeran did not get Nattika (where he would have had an
outright victory against anyone). But Sudheeran won in
Manaloor easily. Attempts by vested interests to turn
Christian votes against him failed miserably. Sudheeran
won a second time in Manaloor. Again vested interests in
Congress did not want VM Sudheeran coming up as the
leader of Congress in Trichur. So manipulations made sure
that Sudheeran leave the State Politics and was given a
Lok Sabha Seat, not in Trichur but in Alleppy against the
powerful, young and non-corrupt T.K.Angelose of CPM who
had earlier defeated veteran Vakkom ! The idea was
that Sudheeran should lose in this CPM stronghold thereby
ending his political future. But Sudheeran won against
Angelose in that Lok Sabha Election [ironically enough
this ended the political carrier of Angelose in CPM!].
While all this happened within Congress, SNDP
never opened its mouth for VM Sudheeran. Then came the last Lok Sabha
election where prominent SNDP leaders poured money
against Sudheeran! Fed up with its own candidates
CPM fielded film star Murali as their candidate.
Sudheeran won again.
[Since we wrote this Congress candidate list was
published for 2001 elections. Not suprisingly a young
candidate supported by Sudheeran is trying to get back
the lost seat of Nattika. Again not surprisingly the DCC
is against this young fellow! Sudheeran who played a
major role in rejuvenating Congress in Trichur District
in the 70s does not have any hold in DCC. In fact,
Cheriyan Philip's recent statement indicate that K.P.Viswanathan
(an ezhava ) is against Sudheeran!!!]
K.R.Gowri
In the closely contested election of 1987, CPM led LDF
bagged 79 seats. The influential national daily
Mathrubhumi carried pictures of jubilation at Aroor where
the CPM leader K.R.Gowri defeated Congress Candidate
Advocate Thampan. The crowd shouted "Gowri Amma
Zindabad!" Mathrubhumi report implied that
KR Gowri who was number 2 in the EMS Ministry of 1967 was
going to be the Chief Minister. Earlier in the 60s
Marxists had made a promise that all the ministries after
1967 (which was led by EMS) will be led by a lower caste
person (the hidden hint was at Nr 2 in the EMS Cabinet K.R.Gowri!).
But the unfolding drama changed all of this. Violating
the promise, the real forces within CPM took control and
out of nowhere an illiterate Nayanar became the Chief
Minister!
Guruforum wants to know where
was SNDP Yogam when all this circus was going on? Progressive
elements have been cheated by CPM when they sided with
reactionary communal factions in bringing down Shankar
Ministry. Now within their own party the hidden 'Savarna
Medhavitham' came out open. [Gowri Amma continued in CPM
only to leave the party at a later stage! What a shame!!]
A
toothless Yogam!
SNDP Yogam in between tried politics by forming
a party called SRP! This goes against Guru's ideals. Guru
was against even forming a new religion (we had enough
religions already), not to talk about political party.
Instead of consolidating and supporting good politcians
of all parties and even all castes, Yogam tried to make a
fool of itself. And not a single SRP candidate ever won
the elections.
V.S.Achuthanandan
In the last Assembly election of
1996, V.S.Achuthanandan was projected as the Chief
Minister Candidate of LDF. Susheela Gopalan too was projected as Chief Minister, according to a report by KeralaWorld. But again the reactionary and
'hidden communal' forces joined hands very cleverly. Just
like they have defeated R Shanker in 1965, now after 31
years they did the same - this time defeated the leftist
candidate! Guruforum again asks: Where was SNDP Yogam ?
Why didn't the Yogam use its influence to support the
rather non-corrupt Achutahandan? Now in 2001, CPM is
projecting VS as their CM candidate. Too late! Time is
taking its toll. VS is old and after the disastrous rule
of Nayanar, an LDF victory is remote now. The only way
LDF can win is with the support of A.K.Antony and K
Karunakaran - ie the infight within the Congress and teh
over confidence can result in third class UDF candidates.
This together with brilliant young LDF candidates (if
they can) will give everyone a surprise.
SNDP
Yogam has no policy
By now one thing is clear. Yogam
had been drifting the last 30 years. No policy at all.
Not on social level, not on political level. This
together with the liquor mafia which control SNDP today,
has created a disastrous situation for all, not just for
SNDP Yogam. Prior to independence two Yogam stalwarts had
occupied the highest political positions in Congress/
Travancore - T.K.Madhavan and C Kesavan. Since then there
was Shankar. Now with all this 'hulla ballo' about
backward classes, there are no high calibre leaders from
backward classes in either of the two main political
parties - CPM and Congress! Pathetic sight indeed! Since
1960, at all defining moments of Kerala's Political
History, Yogam wavered. Drifted and even went with a
begging bowl for seats in front of utterly third class
leaders of the so called United Fronts. The leadership
and the organization failed to single out politicians
whom they should support irrespective of party and
caste affiliations . Instead Yogam silently watched R
Shanker and VS Achutahanadan getting defeated and a
section of SNDP leaders tried their best to defeat VM
Sudheeran. All these leaders are considered to be the
least corrupt among all politicians.
During the last Lok Sabha
elections Bishop's conference had tried to interfere in
the most blatant way by suggesting that Catholics should
be the UDF candidates in Trichur, Kottayam, Idukki and so
on. Levelheaded Catholics like Joseph Pulikkunnel and the
Editor of "Sathydeepam" came forward
immediately criticizing the Bishop's cheap stand. Now
Kaumudi report (21 March 2001) says that in Trichur
Bishop has issued ultimatum to UDF that they should have
a say in selecting candidates in Trichur, Ollur,
Kunnamkulam, Manaloor and the candidates should be local
people! Guruforum support the Bishops on the second stand
(not to import third class candidates from elsewhere to
stand in Trichur) but not on the first one. SNDP Yogam
should not fall to such low level. It is up to the
political parties to select and field the candidates. And
it is up to the Yogam (and people) to support or oppose
them without bowing in front of any single political
party.
Tailpiece: Mercy Ravi who has been the reason for
Punyaham in Guruvayoor is standing in Kottayam as the
Congress candidate. Guruforum is curious to know which
caste Mercy will be included y those who are counting
heads by caste and religion!