Kerala and the Mafia

Kerala’s political landscape is so polluted with obsessively paranoid rhetoric that one wonders if the likes of Don Corleone (Godfather fame) or even our very own indigenous don Dawood Ibrahim are stalking God’s own country.

As the election pitch slowly rises to a crescendo, the fave word of the Malayali polticos is MAFIA. If one has to believe the words of our honourable politicians, we have every reason to be alarmed. Across the political spectrum, “controlled by the Mafia” is the accusation used to verbally stab the opponent. All this conjures up images of dark glasses, smoking guns, naked terror and blood on the streets. To believe or not to believe our politicians is the big question? Should we take measures to arm ourselves or our politicians just joking? Jokes at election time?

Well, since election is serious business, all this election speak in the mafia vein makes us quake in our pants. The references have precipitated an unknown fear: the fear of extortion and the fear of death.(see picture) Now that it is time to cast our votes should we go out and cast our votes or should we hide behind closed doors? Is there the MAFIA out there? Ah only if some politico will furnish us with more details about their Mafia knowledge!

Samples of the Mafia bytes:

CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan: “The decision to transport the question papers without proper security cover is suspicious and irresponsible….. The present incident could be seen as part of a government bid to protect the MAFIA involved in engineering question paper leaks.”

IUML rebel K T Jaleel: “On one side is the centre of a vicious MAFIA fostered by a five star culture and on the other is the politics based on the edifice of love for the people.”

CPI-ML leader K.N. Ramachandran: “A MAFIA is exerting pressure on the CPM. V.S.Achuthandanan is against the MAFIA and he should take the initiative in leading a movement to thwart the designs of the MAFIA.”

(Author. Minu Ityipe. First published in The New Indian Express)

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