Launching a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for attempting to make inroads into Kerala by exacerbating communal divisions, Kerala Congress (M) chairman Jose K. Mani said the party would miserably fail in its attempt to woo the Christian voters as well as the Church leadership.
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In an interview with The Hindu, Mr. Mani noted that while Churches might advocate for the issues affecting people, they refrained from intervening in party politics. “Welcoming political leaders is part of their culture, but it doesn’t imply influence by any party or leader,” he said.
To a query on the attempts being made by the BJP to woo the Catholic Church members in Kerala and the party’s support for the screening of the movie The Kerala Story, he said such actions were part of the national party’s strategy to sow divisions among various communities and exploit fault lines for political gains. However, the BJP seemed less inclined to prioritise the genuine needs of Kerala like issues of rubber farmers, around which the State’s economy revolved, he said.
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“While the Prime Minister’s numerous visits to the State may be noted, what truly matters is the allocation of resources from the Centre to Kerala. Despite the State’s significant contributions, for every rupee Kerala generates, it receives only 50 paise, a stark contrast to the ₹3 allocated to Uttar Pradesh and ₹7 to Bihar. This disparity had led to a situation where Kerala’s remarkable achievements in population control, education, and health care now impede its overall development,” said Mr. Mani.
To a query on the proactive interventions by the Church in issues of settler farmers, he said along with the Church, the KC(M) too had taken up these issues. “However, this doesn’t imply any competition between us. We collaborate on various fronts, exchanging ideas and working together towards common goals,” he said.
Migration, according to him, is ingrained in the heritage of central Travancore, people from the region have expanded their presence worldwide. “There’s an inherent spirit of adventure driving them, which cannot be restrained. The only recourse is to provide them with more enticing opportunities within their home State. This migration impacts all parties and carries social repercussions, and addressing this issue becomes a State responsibility, one that necessitates attention,” he said.
Shift to LDF
On the party switching sides to the Left Democratic Front (LDF), Mr. Mani said the move had helped the party to reorganise and strengthen its base. “Within the LDF, our positioning differs significantly from that of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] or the Communist Party of India (CPI). Conversely, within the United Democratic Front (UDF), the Kerala Congress and the Congress vie for similar territory, leading to conflicts between the two parties,” he said.
Full interview: https://newsth.live/Jose