The Left Democratic Front government of Pinarayi Vijayan has competed eight years in power. With only two years more left of the tenure, it looks like having an assessment now is relevant. To the people largely, the Lok Sabha Elections on April 26 was an indirect assessment of the LDF government as well. However, there is no point in waiting for the outcome of the polls to assess the government when it is possible in the light of experiences and known realities. The United Democratic Front government of Oomen Chandy could not continue in power not just because of its administrative failure. The fact that the Left Front was able to amplify the solar controversy along with Kerala's traditional practice of not giving a chance to any front for more than five years was the reason. The left government’s return to power can be attributed to its relief and rehabilitation activities following the two great floods, the success in containing the hitherto unheard of Nipah epidemic and the favour it achieved through the distribution of food kits. People concluded that those who had written on the street walls that everything would be fine were able to fix at least some things. Can the Pinarayi administration, firm as it is with the support of 99 legislators alongside having no threat of instability on the horizon, live up to the expectations of the people or brook their optimism? Is its progressive and developmentalist image fading?
The Chief Minister claimed on Facebook that the basic sectors including public education and health have been strengthened, adding: ‘The people's development model, which is both comprehensive and all-touching implemented by the previous LDF government, was able to carry forward more strongly during this period. The Kerala development model, fulfilling one by one the promises in the manifesto, is leaping to new heights.’ Obviously, the Chief Minister, the party and the party media are proclaiming things that are true or half-true. However, unbiased observers may not dismiss all those claims as false. It cannot be denied that the extreme right-wing government at the center is adopting a completely unsympathetic approach towards Kerala, its bête noire. Hence, the stance of the Left parties taken as part of the INDIA alliance for the 18th Lok Sabha elections is commendable. It can justify the local combat to an extent as UDF is its main political opponent in Kerala.
At the same time, nobody can go ahead shutting their eyes to the problems and hardships of the middle class who forms a vast majority in the state. How can the bare fact that unemployment in Kerala is twice the national average be taken lightly? The latest economic survey report released by the government shows the unemployment rate at the national level is 3.2 percent while in Kerala it is 7 percent. Most of the unemployed in the state are of the highly educated people. They include engineers and technicians. The decline in the quality of universities, higher education institutions and lack of employment opportunities in the state are the reasons why our teenagers are looking for higher education outside of Kerala and other countries. Degradation of quality is now a challenge not only for degree, PG and research studies but also in the field of primary and secondary education. Still, the government continue with the practice of smoke-screening the truth by cramming children in higher secondary class rooms. The other trends that destroy the government’s image include fraud, irregularities, exploitation and corruption enveloping the financial sector. It is needless to say much about the stain on the ruling party from the scandals in the cooperative banks including Karuvannur. Police, directly managed by the Chief Minister himself, is another department being cursed on a daily basis. He cannot reshuffle or reorganize the department. More important, the spread of intoxicants such as alcohol and drugs is growing to the extent of questioning the government’s moral conscience. Most welfare programs are faltering. Pinarayi and his colleagues can be proud of their regime, only if they could effectively deal with such vital problems.