There was quite a bit of surprise when the United Democratic Front (UDF) chose Shafi Parambil, its Palakkad MLA and former State president of the Youth Congress, as the candidate for the Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency on March 8, replacing incumbent MP and senior Congress leader K. Muraleedharan, who had already informally launched his campaign there. Mr. Parambil began his campaign with a road show on March 10 in Vadakara town and is leaving no stone unturned to make his presence felt in the constituency. He speaks to The Hindu on the major campaign issues and his promises.
The victory of UDF candidates from Vadakara since the 2009 Lok Sabha polls is also being perceived as a fallout of the internal fissures within the CPI(M) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the past one-and-a-half decades. How confident are you about repeating the feat this time as well?
It is not only about the internal problems within the CPI(M). People with real communist convictions are questioning the erosion of its Leftist values. They are also raising their voice against the anti-democratic character of that party. It is not only an organisational issue, but something with deeper ideological underpinnings also. Ground-level workers are not able to tolerate its autocracy, and there is no change in that situation.
Also, CPI(M) cadres are no longer able to defend the LDF government, whose machinery has completely failed. Anti-incumbency is at its peak. Social security pensions are pending for months, and salaries of government staff are getting delayed. The State government is unable to rein in inflation. If you look at the 2019 elections, issues such as women’s entry into the Sabarimala temple and Rahul Gandhi’s candidature influenced public opinion. But this time, each and every household has at least one person affected by this government’s failures. Can anyone justify the “murder” of J.S. Sidharthan at the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University? If you look at the Union government’s track record, the people have no reason to support it either. The BJP had come to power claiming that it would unearth black money in Swiss banks accounts. The Supreme Court had to intervene to get details of the electoral bond scheme from the State Bank of India. BJP leaders are spreading communal venom to divide people ahead of the elections. There is no reason for the common man to support either of these governments.
What about the allegations that the Congress is pursuing a ‘soft Hindutva’ line, and that the party is ambivalent in taking a clear position on communalism? Even organisations that are traditionally supporting the party have raised concerns about your stand.
The Congress is the only organisation that has not compromised with the politics of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP and their communalism. Rahul Gandhi is the only leader who has been consistent in his criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. When was the last time Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticised Mr. Modi? Our national policies evolve only after wider consultations with respective State leaders. There is no logic in saying that our decisions on crucial issues were delayed. At the end of the day, we did not attend the Ram Temple consecration, and we are standing with the Palestinian people. The CPI(M) is confined to only Kerala, so they can make loud announcements on issues such as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
What are your major promises to Vadakara’s voters?
As an elected representative, I will raise my voice within and outside Parliament for the foundational ideologies of this country. I will also try to bring in the changes that the next generation of voters in Vadakara are seeking, for progress, development, and community programmes.
