Why Antony lacks courage to think up new projects in Kerala
21 Nov 2012 9:19 PM GMT
In the ultimate analysis, politics is all about perception. Whatever the spin the United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders might want to put on defence minister A K Antony’s angry outburst against the state government headed by his ‘dear friend’ Oommen Chandy, the people perceive it to be the defence minister’s strong disapproval of the Congress-led government’s style of functioning.
Nor has Antony’s subsequent clarification three day after, at another function at Kasargod to mark the inauguration of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s Strategic Electronic Factory, helped to erase the shock and surprise his original remark, made after inaugurating the Missile Integration Complex at BrahMos Aerospace in Thiruvananthapuram, had created.
Although the soft-spoken Antony, who is not given to making controversial statements, has sought to soften the blow by stating that it was situated in the BrahMos context, the ripples created by the tongue-lashing have refused to become still.
Of course, the immediate provocation was the boycott by the employees of the BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Limited (BATL), including those affiliated to the pro-Congress INTUC. But Antony was equally upset about the failure of chief minister Oommen Chandy and other state Congress leaders to prevent the series of events, which climaxed in the boycott.
It was a major embarrassment for Antony, who had managed to bring the prestigious project to Kerala in the face of stiff resistance from defence ministry officials and others, who were keen on locating it in Hyderabad.
‘Till 2011, six defence establishments were set up in Kerala during the tenure of the LDF government. But for the past two years, I have not done any homework for a new project. In fact, I now lack the courage to think about new projects in the state. If there is no one to support me, why should I take the pain?’ an anguished Antony asked, adding that ‘without your guarantee, on what basis should I try for central projects in the state?’
Evidently, Antony was also unhappy about the sordid goings on in the UDF what with the IUML and the Kerala Congress (M) indulging in frequent acts of brinkmanship, throwing to the winds the coalition dharma. The bitter bickering within the state Congress over the reconstitution of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee and other issues had also incurred Antony’s wrath. The BrahMos function gave him the chance to give the UDF leaders a bit of his agitated mind.
What has rattled chief minister Oommen Chandy and industries minister P K Kunhalikkutty, in whose presence Antony voiced his scathing criticism, is the fulsome praise he showered on the then chief minister V S Achuthanandan and the then Industries Minister Elamaram Karim for their support in bringing the defence projects to the state.
‘I am not a scholar; therefore, I cannot find appropriate words to praise Karim’s role in setting up the projects in the state; Achuthanandan also extended me all help,’ effused Antony. More than the criticism, it’s the praise for Karim that has dismayed Kunhalikkutty and Oommen Chandy.
What is noteworthy is that despite the tremendous pressure exerted by the Indian Union Muslim League and the Kerala Congress (M), Antony has refused to retract his statement. If anything, he has stood by it, saying that he had made it in good intention so that there is no recurrence of the BrahMos kind of incidents.
Significantly, a number of senior Congress leaders, including V M Sudheeran, K Muralidharan and union minister of state for home affairs Mullappally Ramachandran have gone on record that the UDF and the Congress should take the Antony criticism in the right spirit and apply the correctives.
It is a wake-up call from the Congress leader who has the highest credibility rate in the country at present. That was their refrain.
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) leaders are, understandably, jubilant over Antony’s handsome praise for the LDF. They have lost no time in interpreting Antony’s angst as a stinging rebuff to the bickering UDF constituents.
More than anything else, the defence minister’s remark has knocked the stuffing out of the UDF leaders’ argument that the LDF is against development and hostile to investors. Antony has done the LDF a signal service by lavishing praise on it.
It will, undoubtedly, lend added impetus to the LDF’s campaign against the Oommen Chandy Government. [IPA]
Nor has Antony’s subsequent clarification three day after, at another function at Kasargod to mark the inauguration of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s Strategic Electronic Factory, helped to erase the shock and surprise his original remark, made after inaugurating the Missile Integration Complex at BrahMos Aerospace in Thiruvananthapuram, had created.
Although the soft-spoken Antony, who is not given to making controversial statements, has sought to soften the blow by stating that it was situated in the BrahMos context, the ripples created by the tongue-lashing have refused to become still.
Of course, the immediate provocation was the boycott by the employees of the BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Limited (BATL), including those affiliated to the pro-Congress INTUC. But Antony was equally upset about the failure of chief minister Oommen Chandy and other state Congress leaders to prevent the series of events, which climaxed in the boycott.
It was a major embarrassment for Antony, who had managed to bring the prestigious project to Kerala in the face of stiff resistance from defence ministry officials and others, who were keen on locating it in Hyderabad.
‘Till 2011, six defence establishments were set up in Kerala during the tenure of the LDF government. But for the past two years, I have not done any homework for a new project. In fact, I now lack the courage to think about new projects in the state. If there is no one to support me, why should I take the pain?’ an anguished Antony asked, adding that ‘without your guarantee, on what basis should I try for central projects in the state?’
Evidently, Antony was also unhappy about the sordid goings on in the UDF what with the IUML and the Kerala Congress (M) indulging in frequent acts of brinkmanship, throwing to the winds the coalition dharma. The bitter bickering within the state Congress over the reconstitution of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee and other issues had also incurred Antony’s wrath. The BrahMos function gave him the chance to give the UDF leaders a bit of his agitated mind.
What has rattled chief minister Oommen Chandy and industries minister P K Kunhalikkutty, in whose presence Antony voiced his scathing criticism, is the fulsome praise he showered on the then chief minister V S Achuthanandan and the then Industries Minister Elamaram Karim for their support in bringing the defence projects to the state.
‘I am not a scholar; therefore, I cannot find appropriate words to praise Karim’s role in setting up the projects in the state; Achuthanandan also extended me all help,’ effused Antony. More than the criticism, it’s the praise for Karim that has dismayed Kunhalikkutty and Oommen Chandy.
What is noteworthy is that despite the tremendous pressure exerted by the Indian Union Muslim League and the Kerala Congress (M), Antony has refused to retract his statement. If anything, he has stood by it, saying that he had made it in good intention so that there is no recurrence of the BrahMos kind of incidents.
Significantly, a number of senior Congress leaders, including V M Sudheeran, K Muralidharan and union minister of state for home affairs Mullappally Ramachandran have gone on record that the UDF and the Congress should take the Antony criticism in the right spirit and apply the correctives.
It is a wake-up call from the Congress leader who has the highest credibility rate in the country at present. That was their refrain.
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) leaders are, understandably, jubilant over Antony’s handsome praise for the LDF. They have lost no time in interpreting Antony’s angst as a stinging rebuff to the bickering UDF constituents.
More than anything else, the defence minister’s remark has knocked the stuffing out of the UDF leaders’ argument that the LDF is against development and hostile to investors. Antony has done the LDF a signal service by lavishing praise on it.
It will, undoubtedly, lend added impetus to the LDF’s campaign against the Oommen Chandy Government. [IPA]
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