Master Dodgers that have reigned over Malayalam

When a person hailing from Tamil Nadu - this may be a politician or a film actor - is much likely to use the term 'Tamizhan' to project himself on both justifiable and contrasting occasions, the most chauvinistic Malayalees are much unlikely to enact that, even on occasions greatly demanding such an act. The mindset largely behind such a betrayal of one's mothertongue - particularly as a former minister and leader of the NSS, Balakrishna Pillai has stated that one not showing courage to say out his caste was doing a bastardly act - could be that such an unwonted act could irk both their bosses and orderlies that come from regions speaking a different language.

If most of the Malyalees proudly cherish this quality of theirs that can be called 'positive dodging', they in their turn, have at many points throughout the history, suffered irritating recoils at the hands of some master dodgers - mostly in the political sphere. These persons are called so for their unparalleled ability to walk on a virtual string amidst extremists, moderates, predators and acclaimers. The striking irony shrouding these masters of deception is that they maintain even their most fervid admirers in a suspended, confused and more importantly, an obtused state of mind.

If the readers would not mind the article's reckoning something unpleasant from a pleasantly buried dubious past, a political leader that straddled the beefy period of one of the leading parties operating in India, is a classic example of living the life of a master dodger. I have always thought that if K. Karunakaran had lived in an era before Christ, Judas could have had a lesson or two from the Machiavellian leader's tricks up the sleeves, to simply have the history of the religion changed, this time to his favour.

Once upon a time, the people of Kerala have stood transfixed before that generous and enchanting grin (smile) when the politician - chief minister then - was held by the press people to arraign on the rapine carried out at a small labourers' settlement in Thankamony ( a village in Idukki) by his police. There were many stung with indignation at the time witnessing the outrageous levity displayed by the leader over the violated modesty of a number of their mothers and sisters in the state. If my memories are reasonably sharp, this politician nonetheless lost the following election for his party in the state.

Incidentally, this was not the only situation that the otherwise gentleman politician had ingratiatingly and unctously smiled off to oblivion. If there is a final day of justice, there is no argument over the fact that K. Karunakaran will have to answer for the travails of Prof Eacharavariyar, and the workers shot dead and their women raped at the Thankamony incidence. However, the positive aspect here is the way he tackled the hurdles faced by him politically. Of this, his monumental stance taken against the Congress leadership - including the high-command - in the middle years of last decade stands apart as a testimonial to the unique camouflaging talent of the master. He had almost single-handedly intimidated a vexed Sonia Gandhi and a number of Patels from the North to a state of torpor, like a bull frog scaring off a predatory serpent by puffing up its vocal sacs.

Another politician with prodigious dodging talents is none other than the present chief minister of Kerala V.S. Achuthanandan. If his - as well as his followers' - claims can be taken into account, he is one of the pioneers of Communist movement in the state and a roaring revolutionary of the ancient times that took active part in the sanguinary agitations undertaken by intrepid communists in the villages of Vayalar and Punnapra in Kerala, around the middle part of the previous century. Everything has been fine until recently for V.S. Achuthanandan as he has been more or less leading a felictous life as a prominent part of the revolutionary party of India.

This was the point when people started thinking why should this gentleman be given a red carpet all the way to the start of his eternal journey when he will be, much like his long time counterpart K Karunakaran, immortalised by the pharisaical mortals that have been his admirers. When his followers, along with the great man, wish to continue living on the euphoria, a good part of the people have already started impugning this man's virtual status of the 'father of all martyrs'. The main part of the apparently animated history that calls for suspicion is the claim that V.S. Achuthanandan had been one of the leaders at the forefront of the agitating groups. Here arises the strong argument that how did V.S manage to emerge unscathed amidst a good number of casualties. Furthermore, when the living martyrs of the Punnapra-Vayalar incidence had been largely living the life of misery - a life marred with physical travails - how could V.S. be physically so fit even in this age. Are these facts worth pondering over or are they simply the exaggeration of a series of pleasant - it so happened - coincidences?

Whatsoever, the doubts certainly cannot be played down as malicious exaggerations. Certainly not when a co-revolutionary of the man in question, K.R. Gowriamma - a revolutionary that has gone through poignant hardships - has already made a serious allegation that at the time of the incidences in Punnapra and Vayalar, V.S was at some spot in a village called Poonjar some hundred miles off the battlefront. This leaves an intriguing problem in the minds of at least an inquisitive few, 'How did he manage to so artfully dodge both the authority and the fellow revolutionaries at one time?' He would have downright gone scot-free but for some of his actions of late that tend to evoke suspicion.

V.S. Achuthanandan who assumed his present post, after a greatly successful tenure as the leader of the opposition where he projected himself as the apostle of the grieving commoner deprived of justice, had run into grave trouble when he decided to take on the might of his bete noire, Pinarai Vijayan, the general secretary of the CPI-M's state committee. As they say Tendulkar's real expertise come to the fore when he is facing a McGrath, Warne or Steyn, V.S's skilfulness was best witnessed in his one man show against a virtual fortress that has been so far deemed impregnable - many titans such as M.V Raghavan and K.R Gowriamma had fallen before it. If the chief weapon of Karunakaran was the deceptive camouflage that stood to make his party's high-command believe that he had more support than what it seemed to be, V.S has been more astute to employ a more effective, although perilous measure of deceiving the public upfront, which in its turn tweaks the politburo to take a pro-V.S stance more often than not.

Take the significant undertakings of V.S; the Moonnar land reformation project, the promises given at the times of various sex scandals such as the Kiliroor and the Ice Cream Parlour cases, and a number of others as well - Lavalin issue and fake CD issue incriminating a police officer -, nowhere has the chief minister turned out true to his words. This means the main aim of V.S after his assuming the charge of the chief minister has been just creating a cloud of fumes, similar to the cloud of jet siphoned by an octopus to get away safely from a potential predator by spoofing it in the turbid waters. Even the current state of affairs in Kerala greatly reflects this trait of the chief minister. Something miraculous needs to happen for the prosecution to prove the allegation made against Kunjalikutty, the Muslim League leader and the two judges in question. All that is in store seem to be another round of roiling the already turbulent waters; particularly with other more serious cases such as the Malabar Cements murder case being left for the CBI to investigate.

The biggest threat looming over V.S is the public's realising the subtlety of the many so claimed bold attempts undertaken by the hardcore politician and the prevarications that he followed those with. The present situation - particularly the unpleasant exit of P.Sasi - much bodes a direct and bloody duel between V.S and Pinarai Vijayan, as the other side united inadvertently by the allegedly vindictive action of the chief minister's office, is more likely to overcome the crisis unscathed. This leaves just V.S and Pinarai Vijayan on the stage with P Sasi's ordeal in the background. For Pinarai and his camp, it is now or never; for another term won at the expense of the populist gimmickry of VS would not be propitious at all for them. On the other side, knowing that he would be seldom chosen to lead the government for another term by the authority favouring Pinarai, knowing the greybeard's infamous voracity when it came to power, he would hardly leave any stone unturned if it could culminate into a potential tombstone for the rivals he sleeps with, in his own party.