Case Study: The Comrade and the

Bulldozer

Submitted To:

Dr. D Mavoothu

Member of the Faculty

SMS, CUSAT

Submitted By:

Shiyaz K.M

III Semester MBA-FT

SMS, CUSAT

Case Study:

The comrade and the bulldozer

Kerala is always in news for one thing or another. The world’s first ever

elected communist ministry, the first state in India to implement revolutionary land

reforms, the first state to achieve cent per cent literacy, pioneer in coalition politic and so

on. But, in 2007 June-August period the media attention was caught by a different issue -

V.S Achuthanandan led LDF government’s land recovery drives in Munnar.

V.S-led ruling coalition was determined to recover massive portions of land

allegedly grabbed over the years by both big and small fry across the state, including

multinationals like Tatas in Munnar. It was virtually a quick start in the state’s misty high

ranges of Munnar, known for extensive tea plantations mostly owned by Tata Tea Ltd.

Modern-day demolition gadgets like bulldozers in a single day brought down allegedly

illegal constructions -mainly hotels and resorts, in the picturesque township and suburbs

shocking the entire state. The three-member special task force directly chosen by the Chief

Minister, braving stiff resistance from many quarters, including his rival group in CPM as

well as some of the major coalition partners, went on doing a wonderful job in Munnar.

Within a few days, the demolition team landed in the emerging metropolis of Kochi, the

industrial and commercial capital of the state. The worst hit was the M G Road, the main

artery of the city. Sunshades and landscaping protruding into the government land on both

sides of the road were mercilessly pulled down. The demolition was watched by hundreds

who were hailing the Chief Minister in whom they saw the ultimate reformer and

revolutionary. Later, the action moved to other parts of the state. In fact, for over two

weeks, the common man was under the spell created by the one and only Achuthanandan.

The Chief Minister and his specially chosen task force swelled in the media all through.

However, the mission didn’t go on for long. From several quarters, even

from within the party and the ruling coalition resistance aroused against the task force and

Chief Minister’s direct intervention in other ministry affairs. There were enough warning

notes from intellectuals, media and political observers casting doubts on the sustainability

of the apparently single-handed exercise of the Chief Minister. Thereafter the sequence of

events was not favourable for the Chief Minister and were characterised by the steady

slowdown of the much publicised ‘Munnar Mission’ with the task force chief going on leave

for two weeks, some of the bigwigs getting a stay on evictions, the Cabinet itself deciding

not to touch offices of political parties and religious establishments and the subsequent

withdrawal of the decision in the next few days.

Questions:

1. Do you think demolishing huge buildings on encroached lands mercilessly a right

thing to do?

2. Was the leadership style that the Chief Minister adopted appropriate for carrying

out the mission? Did he fail to take his party and coalition into confidence? Was the

decision to give full liberty to bureaucrats in the mission a right decision?

3. “Though the mission stopped abruptly and the task force was dispersed, it gave a

clear message to land grabbers that if the ruling regime is daring enough, even the

strongest edifices built under political patronage could be brought down”. Do you

agree with this statement? Comment.