Fifth Minister: A precursor of demolition

An eleven month long waiting for the fifth minister is over. Now Manjalamkuzhi Ali, of Muslim League took oath along with newly elected legislator Anup Jacob of Kerala Congress (J) took oath as ministers. Ali formerly elected twice as CPIM independent candidate, who joined Muslim League in last year in the fag end of LDF rule, was offered ministerial post during the last Assembly election, but he had to wait till last week. Congress had put League’s demand in the back burner till the bye election in Piravam constituency.

A high sounding controversy erupted during this period on the issue of fifth minister. The sleeping communal lion slowly wakes up these days and the polity of Kerala clearly hears its roaring sound. The ruling United Democratic Front vertically divided upon the communal lines and its leaders were keep on accusing each other for communal appeasement. 

Fifth minister post was offered to Muslim League right from the beginning of UDF rule. But the Congress leaders tactfully evaded the pressure mounted by the Muslim League. When the discussions on this started, suddenly a huge protest started from Hindu organisations like Nair Service Society and Sri Narayana Dharma Paripalana Sangham, both claim the authority of Nairs and Ezhavas respectively.

KPCC President Ramesh Chennithala and Congress leaders like K Muraleedharan and Electricity Minister Aryadan Muhammed, an ardent critic of Muslim League also expressed their feeling against appeasement of Muslim League. Kerala Congress leaders like K M Mani kept a strategic silence, by keeping an eye of upcoming vacancy for Rajya Sabha Seat.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who is keen to maintain the balance of ever shaky UDF which sustains with the majority of just one seat, flown to Delhi and met Sonia Gandhi. Amid the repeated negations on the possibility of League’s fifth minister, it was announced that, Ali will take oath with Anup Jacob. The swearing ceremony was boycotted by UDF convenor P P Thankachan and Electricity Minister Aryadan Muhammed, since the issue was not discussed in the front.

As the allegation on the communal appeasement got vigourous, in a surprising move Chief Minister Oommen Chandy himself shed his home portfolio and appointed his lieutenant Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, who belongs to Nair Community in order to pacify Hindu Communal feeling. But the Nair Service Society reacted that this is another mockery from the part of Oommen Chandy and they are not satisfied with home portfolio.

In another development, Electricity Minister Aryadan Muhammed expressed his willingness to quit on this issue. The wave made by this controversy is going to shake the very base of the UDF. Though every party in the ruling front needs this government should continue in the office, as most of its leaders is facing serious allegations and cases on corruption, they keep on asking for the share of the cake on their own communal lines.

This ugly sharing of seats and loud bargain for the posts on the basis communal feelings is just unheard of in the history of state. The constituents in the ruling Front, explicitly and viciously divided as the representatives of caste and religious forces. In past years of UDF was engaged this kind of sharing but, it was not at all explicit like this time. The main casualty of this controversy is the communal amity of the state. One can easily identify this trend in the UDF rule, as nothing but Ghettoisation.