Action replay

BACKSTAGE

When the Kerala government set up a task force to seize all encroached land in the state, especially in the forest areas of Munnar, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan was taking on not just a land mafia but several other vested interests who have links with his own government. The entire drama seems to re-enact the course of this octogenarian politician's career who grew up from the grassroots and has chosen to keep himself identified with the masses.

There is drama and emotion and rhetoric in whatever he does. And his admirers find courage and integrity as well. The latest action on his part when he actually went with his team of vigilance officials and removed the bill board of Tata Tea from land allegedly grabbed by them in Munnar had as arresting a denouement as was its climax.

The next day his Revenue Minister KP Rajendran of the CPI proclaiming that the land was after all forest land and not the Tatas', was, if nothing else, a recall of all previous incidents when his opponents in the party have sought to bring him down from dizzying populist heights.

Achuthanandan, of course, bailed himself out saying that the land never legally belonged to Tata Tea and hence there were no contradictions in what he and his minister said. The vigilance drive against land grab in Munnar and the rest of Kerala has been drawing Achuthanandan into conflict both with his partymen and with partners in the ruling Left Democratic Front.

That Achuthanandan was thrown out of the CPI(M) politburo alongwith arch rival in the party, Pinarayi Vijayan, over the issue underlines the lengths the chief minister has gone in taking on all opposition to his anti-encroachment drive.

Opposition does not seem to cow him down as was evident when he won the electoral battle with flying colours despite opposition from within and without the party to his leadership.

Achuthanandan who gave up his formal studies after the seventh standard and entered the world of politics through trade union activities has kept his image of a union leader intact.

He is seen now as leading a lonely fight against vested interests as there has been little celebration in his party over his victories in the anti-encroachment drive.

Achuthanandan who was one of the 32 comrades who left the CPI national council in 1964 to form the CPI(M) today faces criticism from colleagues in the CPI as much as from those in CPI(M).

Achuthanandan has been seen to be also fulfilling a long standing promise he made to the state of fighting forest encroachers. That he is alone in the fight is not surprising. For his previous battles also have been fought alone.