In the last two postings,I dealt with the historical factors that has brought the party to its death bed.This posting is to give an idea of the current state of affairs.
All factors which justified the existence of KC is not reiavantent now.The generation which had the sentiment of P.T.Chacko is dwindling now.Present generation only knows P.C.Thomas,son of P.T . Chacko.Unfortunately his image is in no way comparable to that of Chacko.So is the case with Jose K Mani ,son of K.M.Mani and Anoop Jacob,son of T.M.Jacob.Ganesh Kumar,son of R.Balakrishna Pillai has a different problem.His image as a capable,less corrupt,and more progressive in outlook has made his father get provoked and move against him!!! what is called perumthachen complex .K.M.Mani has heath problems,so is the case with P.J.Joseph,who in any case will not be able to command acceptance from the followers of Mani.Joseph is not as Machiavellian as Mani,though a better soul than most politicians. So,once K.M.Mani is off the political scene,the party will become rudderless and most probably splinter into n number of groups.The other one man shows are non existent at the grass root level.It only remains to be seen how long the rank and file of Congress will condescend to carry these vethals on their shoulders.
But the more important than that is the erosion of the diaspora which formed the vote bank of the party.Syrian Catholic Diocese of Changanchery,Kanjirappally,Palai form the backbone of the party.Even when the Bishops of these Dioceses were not favourably dis positioned to KC,the people at large stood solidly behind the party. But the ground rules are changing.Three consistencies of the heartland of KC vanished into the thin air-Akalakkunnam,Vazhoor in Kottayam district and Kallooppara in Pathanamthitta District.This is due to the dwindling population in these districts due to migration of younger generation seeking greener pastures all over the globe.The rubber farmers are a happy lot now with extremely rewarding prices for the product.Their needs being satisfied their emotional attachment to KC has waned.Rubber prices are a function of international market forces due to the new economic orderSame thing happened to CPM in Palghat district sometime back.Land reforms made agricultural workers land owners and they moved up the social ladder from working class to petty bourgeoisie.The naturally affiliated themselves to parties that are considered petty bourgeois and CPM faced an erosion of their cadre.A similar fate is now met with by KC. The Catholic Church is now capable of directly negotiating with Congress.Earlier they needed to point to the political muscle of KC to get their things done.Now Congress needs the support of Catholic Church very badly for their survival in Kerala.So the hardcore support base of KC are lurkwarm in their attachment to the party.Even a stratagist like Mani couldnot correctly read the writings on the wall.His attempt to bring in a new political philosophy of adhwanavargam turned out to be a joke and failed to give any additionality to the party.
Most lethal blow was the loss of credibility due to countless splkits and mergers.Each party leader bringing up their sons as the crown prince made the party a family enterprise.So the begining of the end has started.Congress will be happy to see that happeni sooner than later.The vote bank of KC has nowhere else to go ,but Congress.Class,mindset of that diaspora is such that they willnot be able to come to terms with any other political formation.
On the whole,KC has done well.It has been a political force of consequence for half a century.Similer outfits that came into existance around the time it did,vanished into the thin air long long back.Regional parties as a phinominen got a thrust due to the sucess of this party.But the time has come for new political experiments.Keral had always been a crucible of new political formations..Leaders with some following will find a place in the new formations and others cosigned to the dustbin of history.
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