The Hindu : Mani's first major challenge in years

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 22, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Mani's first major challenge in years

By Girish Menon

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM April 21. The Mathikettan encroachment controversy is perhaps the first major administrative challenge that the Kerala Congress(M) leader and Revenue Minister, K M Mani, is facing in his decades-long political career.

He has weathered many a political crisis during the last few decades, but these mainly related to internal problems in the Kerala Congress, which witnessed splits one after the other.

As a Minister, Mr. Mani had by and large successfully navigated the murky waters of Kerala coalition, till the Mathikettan encroachment issue broke out.

This is the first time that the Revenue Department, over which he has presided during the last two terms as Minister, is being put in the dock and the Minister himself is facing charges about his family's involvement even though he has since denied them. The major aspect of this fresh phase of encroachment in the Idukki high ranges is its visibility.

Such large-scale and perhaps organised land grab could not have taken place without the connivance of the Revenue Department officials.

Contemporary news reports suggest that the issue is so serious that no one could justify the destruction of precious shola forests.

And Mr. Mani is clearly on the defensive in the face of the din of allegations directed at him.

His sudden decision to visit the Mathikettan hills for a firsthand assessment is only a reflection of his current state of mind.

The Mathikettan encroachment could give quite a few headaches for the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, who till the other day appeared to hold the political initiative by taking a few bold administrative decisions. Given the issue's potential of being communalised, Mr. Antony appears to be very careful while handling this issue.

He is keenly watching the course of development mainly because of two reasons: the developments are taking place in a district in which the UDF has a strong base and; he needs to ensure that the issue does not get communalised as has been the trend in Kerala in recent days and rub the thrifty Christian community the wrong way.

The Mathikettan row would not have blown its top but for the Forest Minister, K Sudhakaran's strong positions. Without observing niceties, Mr. Sudhakaran chose to confront the Revenue Minister on this issue, giving it a new dimension.

In the process, the relatively junior Minister in the Cabinet has found his stock going up.

The Chief Minister is actually in a difficult situation since the Forest Minister is insisting that the Mathikettan area should be handed over to the Forest Department if at all any meaningful conservation should take place.

The demand is sure to intensify when details about the land grab are revealed by the official investigation of the Additional Chief Secretary, N. Chandrasekharan Nair.

The land grab has come in for strong condemnation even though the Government maintained that it had taken all the necessary steps when the matter was brought to its notice.

The Chief Minister would predictably announce that the law would take its course and action would be taken against the accused without favour.

But he would have to reckon with influential sections with the ruling coalition that is working overtime to hush it all up.

And this influential segment also happens to be a traditional UDF base.

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