Ajayan
Amidst the tempestuous upheavals in Kerala, from the harrowing succession of wildlife clashes to the chilling demise of a student at the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Science University (KVASU), accompanied by the unsettling silence of the Chief Minister, two figures have emerged, eliciting both admiration and envy from the common folk.
The first luminary in this narrative is Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who, despite facing criticism from various corners for a plethora of reasons, displayed remarkable alacrity in dismissing the Vice-Chancellor of the veterinary university, following the mob lynching of student Siddharth. This was an act of decisive intervention when the government faltered.
The other is the indomitable spirit of the palm civet, commonly known as the toddy cat, which has become a source of nocturnal consternation for both the Chief Minister and even the Opposition Leader. These two entities have indelibly imprinted themselves upon the collective psyche of Kerala, ascending to the status of heroes in the eyes of the populace.
Even with the Government, the CPM, and its mouthpieces attempting to downplay the incident at the university, the truth remains stark: if not for Arif Khan's intervention, the Government would have allowed the matter to dissipate, dismissing it with the regular refrain as a 'one-off occurrence’. This was just because of the involvement of prominent varsity leaders from the CPM's student wing, the Students Federation of India (SFI), in the fatal altercation.
The Governor's authority was bolstered by the President of India's refusal to acknowledge a bill passed by the Assembly, which sought to strip Arif Khan of his powers as Chancellor of the State's universities. This bill was one of the few that the Governor declined to assent to, deferring the decision to the President. However, there was disappointment when the President approved a significantly teethless Lokayukta Bill. This was a stark contrast to the original Lokayukta Bill, which was hailed as a landmark when it was introduced by the LDF's EK Nayanar government in 1995. The Governor's refusal to give assent and finally, though fearing court reprimand, sending it to the President, had earned good public support.
The current Pinarayi Government was aware that providing financial assistance from the Chief Minister's relief fund to the families of some deceased MLAs and others went against the principles of natural justice and could lead to action by the Lokayukta. To circumvent this, the government abandoned the historic bill and instead passed a new one that empowered the government to review Lokayukta decisions disqualifying public servants. In the case of the Chief Minister, the final decision was left to the Assembly, where, as is well known, sheer majority holds sway.
Here, the words of former Kerala Upa Lokayukta and Justice (retd) KP Balachandran gain greater relevance. “To kill is easy, but to give life is difficult. If the powers are tweaked, the best thing that can be done is dissolve this institution which costs the exchequer a huge sum.”
What continues to astound is the resounding silence of the Chief Minister in the face of a tragic incident at the university. This silence is starkly contrasted with the criticism the Chief Minister and his party had previously directed towards the Prime Minister for his silence and perceived inaction during the turmoil in Manipur.
Once more, when wild animals turn aggressive, causing tragic deaths as elephants trample and gaurs fatally gore people, the Chief Minister's attention veers elsewhere. He focuses on the endangered animal, the palm civet, which has become a nocturnal nuisance in the corridors of power, even daring to urinate on his carefully ironed clothes. The Chief Minister, who has provided ample opportunities for the tame Opposition to be highly critical and remain largely unscathed, has found support with the Opposition Leader also expressing concerns over civet menace.
While the authorities seem unmoved by the wild elephants, tigers, bears or gaurs, a significant portion of the populace is grateful for the civet causing a disturbance to the powers-that-be after the Governor's actions shook the citadels.
