INTERVIEW WITH VR KRISHNA IYER :

No one could deny the fact that the E.M.S.Government had achieved great progress in educational and agricultural fields. Nevertheless communal forces, capitalists and landlords got united against us. They had the support of the Congress party. They were also assisted by the racial and religious forces. When their agitations ended in failure, the Nehru Government dissolved the E.M.S. Ministry, misusing the Article 356 of the

Indian Constitution. The right wing headed by the Congress has not yet shown the integrity to confess the guilt and admit the wrong done 50 years ago by the Nehru Government.

Could you assess the role played by the first E.M.S. Government in the developmentof Kerala?

As a member of the first Government I am happy and proud to learn that people of Kerala still remember the first E.M.S. Ministry. On the first day of governance itself, E.M.S. very obviously made it clear the aims of his Government. It was not to create a communist revolution in Kerala; it was impossible and impractical. On the other hand, as the Party was with the national leaders of India during the struggle for Independence, its aim was to create a democratic Government in which the people have the ultimate sovereignty. It also aimed at distributing the agrarian land to the farmers, establishing industrial institutions, which would ensure labour to labourers, provide equality among the people and thus wielding human rights completely as a weapon to alienate capitalist forces. It also aimed at utilizing the abilities of the people for the development of the state. This was the fundamental advantage.

Your portfolios and their functioning?

Law, Home, Prison Administration, Water Resources, Electricity, Social Welfare, Inland Navigation etc. were the portfolios given to me. I am proud to remember that we could achieve great progress in all these departments. I have also contributed in my own way to fulfill the aims designed by that government.

About the dissolution of the Government?

No one could deny the fact that the E.M.S. Government had achieved great progress in educational and agricultural fields. Nevertheless communal forces, capitalists and landlords got united against us. They had the support of the congress party. They were also assisted by the racial and religious forces. When

their agitations ended in failure, the Nehru Government dissolved the E.M.S. Ministry, misusing the Article 356 of the Indian constitution. The right wing headed by the congress has not yet shown

the integrity to confess the guilt and admit the wrong done 50 years ago by the Nehru Government.

How far, do you think, the later Governments have deviated from the development vision initiated by the 57 Government?

Unfortunately, the socialist idea could not be spread effectively in the State. The reason behind it was that the capitalists and the landlords used all their measures to keep the people as their slaves. As a result the progressive policy of the 57 Government to provide rights to the labourers without using force failed. The later Governments failed to retain the vision of the E.M.S. Government. Even the courts of law deviated from the left wing stream of thought. Even though there were a few advantages, the reality was that the right wing deviation took a conservative stand. That happened during the Nayanar reign as well. No major initiative took place to execute pure socialist policies in the last few decades.

Could you explain the change, which took place in the field of keeping law and order?

E.M.S. Government tried to eradicate corruption in the Home Department. The Government carved out an administrative policy with respect to the public interest and sincerely tried to implement it. But today we come across corruption in every field. I would not like to elaborate much on this.