Southern States - Kerala   

A fast disappearing breed

By K.M. TampiBy K.M. Tampi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM April 2. The choice of Thennala Balakrishna Pillai as the Congress's second candidate for the Rajya Sabha seats, which are falling vacant, seems to be the reward for his silent and selfless service to the party.

He belongs to the breed of politicians who are disappearing from the political scene of the State fast. What distinguishes them from the run of the mill politicians are their gentlemanly behaviour as against the latter's boorishness, low profile as against the latter's omnipresence, soft-spokenness as against the latter's loud-mouthness and unwillingness to hit below the belt as against the latter's philosophy of everything is fair in love and war.

A seasoned politician, Mr. Pillai had emerged as the consensus candidate for the KPCC presidentship when the two major groups of the PCC were engaged in a no holds barred combat for the post. He may not have made demagogic and spark flying speeches and taken earth shaking decisions during his tenure. But he succeeded eminently in steering the party without much damage along rocky seas with choppy waters infested by sharks of the most vicious type. He had remained impervious to war cries and thumping of the breast by the members of the rival groups of the party. His approach might have been one of the many reasons which contributed to the UDF's envious victory in the last election. Once the Antony Government assumed office, he gracefully stepped down without any tall claims or recriminations to enable K. Muraleedharan to take over the reins of the party as part of a formula to patch up the differences between the groups. There are reports that the `A' group had promised a Rajya Sabha seat for him in return. He was not a front-runner when the names of likely candidates were making the rounds. His nomination has therefore come as a pleasant surprise to supporters of decent politics.

C.K. Nanu of the Janata Dal(S) is another active politician who belongs to this elite band. During the previous Government's period when two legislators of the party were engaged in a fierce fight for ministership, his name was proposed as an alternative to prevent the party from splitting, nay even splintering. It is said that much pressure had to be exerted on him to accept the party's diktat. It came as a surprise to people who thought that the aim of all politicians is power, more power, still more power and omnipotence. He was also able to take care of his charge without much damage though everybody from the ordinary forest thief to the timber and wildlife mafia and the powerful lobbies in the department and the Government had their own plans for it.

K.V. Surendranath of the CPI is yet another politician who belongs to this rare group. With his reputation and seniority, he could have at one stage got whatever position he wanted. But he avoided them like the plague. Even the chairmanship of an Assembly committee had to be thrust on him.

As a legislator he was a model worthy of emulation by others. During budget discussions, he used to confine to economics and finance and during legislation to the bill when the order of the day was and still is to mix politics with everything including human suffering. He along with the late P. Ravindran, also of the CPI, used to stand up like mountains in a terrain which was full of holes some of which appeared bottomless when the LDF was in the Opposition.

Like his leader C. Achutha Menon, he stopped singing when his voice was still good. He is still active in spite of age and failing health in the socio-cultural fields of the State and in areas of his special interest like forest and wildlife conservation and environmental protection. Because of it, he is being regarded as an elder statesman and his advice is being sought by everyone.

Can we say the same thing about some others who are still croaking even though their voice faltered long ago? When they came to the scene, they probably had nothing other than the clothes covering their nakedness as their worldly possessions. They owe everything from their palatial mansions to chauffeur driven luxurious limousines to the State. Still they have no compunctions in plunging the State into chaos and anarchy for achieving more personal gains. A wag put it succinctly when he compared them to the bird which thought that the whole world was shaking when it wagged its derriere. Unfortunately, most other politicians belong to that category.

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