One of my favorite memories in the last vacation in Kerala was about the metamorphosis of VS {Comrade} Achu from being the "outcast" in the Communist party to the "CM" in the last Kerala elections. I was never bored about discussing how he managed to change his image from being an old world communist ideologist to someone who is being crucified for no sin of his own after giving 110% of his life to the party .I discussed this endlessly over pegs of smirnoff/toddy with fish curry and tapioca to anyone who cared to listen till everybody around me got bored. It somehow was ironic since as a capitalist Keralite with a communist heart usually I put the blame for Kerala’s lack of job opportunities , aloofness from the IT boom and industrial marginalization even in the India Shining Boom squarely on the militant trade union communism which comrade Achu always seemed to represent and champion.
However it doesn't come as a surprise to see VS {Comrade} Achu being ranked as the third best CM in India in a CNN - IBN Hindustan Times Poll.See the list below.
In a balance sheet the development index of Kerala under CM Achu is almost nil.
Smart City is still Smart City on paper because Achu wants more stake for government
It is Bye Bye time to Vizhinjam Port.
Highcourt Order and a criticism for LDF Govt on the new education law.
This is in addition to so many things like asking Microsoft to logout of Kerala state and banning "Imperialistic Western" Colas with in the state (which was also later revoked by the court)
However VS has evoked a tinge of empathy and sympathy because of the troubles that he was facing from the rival factions with in the comunist party in the state even among hard core anti communists propelled by the umpteen comedy and mimics shows whihc always portrayed VS as a victim of so many transactions and bad people.This seems to have been carried over in this survey to rank the best Chief Ministers in India.What a pity that some one like "Smiling Budda" was shunted down due to the Singur Controversy while "Comrade Achu" is climbed up ?
Films, songs, business schools , sexy people, beautiful cell phones , terrible songs , worst movies; top 10 lists exists these days for everything and anything. There are news channels and websites that provide top ten news of the day, magazines like Forbes and Newspapers like ET publish a 50 Most Powerful list. The craze with lists goes on and on and getting into any nice sounding list is a parameter of social and professional success for many people .
Now if we see the list above, Chief Ministers who have implemented populist measures are ranked highest and instead of the development factor the human face projected in media seemed to have scored highest in the rating.The idea behind any list is benchmarking the success there by helping us to choose in the middle of so many options. In doing so, the absolute status and power of a Chief Minister and whatever he has done gets converted into one tickmark in a sample survey; dependent on its survival in the sample memory on his likes and dislikes. The parameter of success is forgotten in the hullabullo that follows the euphoria created from the rank in Top 10.In a ranking of Top 10 list of Chief Ministers in a country like India if VS is ranked as the #3 best Chief Minister , the only response from anyone who has watched him for the last six months is same as expressed by A K Antony below.
P S: Forget Antony ,Take a deep breath you communist Comrade , Comrade Achu is a very nice Communist Comrade in the Kerala Context and a very nice human being , who needs all the sympathies for all his crusades within and outside the party.
2 weeks ago
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7 comments:
V.S. might not be a 'kalaghattathinu pattiya nethavu' but sadly, he does epitomise everything that outsiders perceive is wrong with Kerala.
But I don't agree with you on your assessment that it's populist CM's that have topped. The choice of V.S. is inexplicable, but both Nitish Kumar and Naveen Patnaik are popular for their good government rather than anything else. (Though lately there have been questions about Nitish Kumar.)
And if your assessment were true, then Karunanidhi should top by a huge margin, shouldn't he?
Though it is true that VS doesnt have much of the support of high-end middle class, he does have the support of the rural populace and lower middle class..Personally, I'm not a big supporter of VS, but still I feel, now ppl are seeing just the good intentions and supporting him..Its a different matter if he really does something for kerala.. As a person in Secratariat put it, "he's a man with good intentions and clean conscience..but he doesnt know how to rule "
@ Jasmine :It seems to be a trend in this survey7 out of top 10 are populist ministers . Consider the fact that Sheila Dikshit and Buddha has dropped the places may be because of Anti Sealing Drive in Delhi and Singur Controversy . My point is not about how bad / good Kerala CM is , it is about the method of rating Chief Minsiters which appears very vague
VS is a man of ideals..although his intentions are good.he has himself wraped in a coccoon of old rebellious agitations..A alternative doesnt seem anywhere in our political spectrum either!!
@ Ajith : True.The support of rural populace and middle class came mainly through the short term populist measures that may be a reason for rank#3 in the survey too.Even I think he is a man of good intentions and good conscience but what is the point if he is not performing :P. Never mind , Hopefully he will deliver after some time inspired by the rank#3 confidence that people are showing in him.
@mathew:Alternative seems to be a long way away in bothe fronts . We can almost predict the two three names who may become chief ministers in next ten years . But most of them are out of touch with stark realities , bad :)
If your are wondering about the methods the channel took to rate the CMs, i'm wondering the same too. And what seems to me is that we are looking at the list from the wrong end. Yes, that's what i think. The channel wanted the ones in the bottom part of the list to be noticed. Especially, sheila, vilas, and buddh. That's what meets to my skeptic eyes.
Jubin ,You are right. In fact if you see the report it focused on how the CMs of Delhi and WB who went down the list
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