No consensus on speaker, INDIA bloc's K Suresh fielded against Om Birla

Thiruvananthapuram: Kodikkunnil Suresh, who has been chosen by the India Alliance to fight against Om Birla of BJP for the Lok Sabha Speaker’s post is one of the senior-most Dalit faces of Congress in Kerala.

Besides being an eight-time MP, he was the union minister of state for labour and employment during the Manmohan Singh-led second UPA Government in 2009-14.

Although Suresh has occupied several roles within the party, there is a sentiment that he has not received appropriate recognition in the Congress in his home state, a concern he has previously expressed himself.

A few years ago, he severely criticised Congress state leadership for their attitude towards Dalits. He argued that, despite caste-based discrimination being prevalent in many states, Kerala, which prides itself on its progressive culture, had an even poorer record regarding its treatment of Dalits.

The Congress leader had not minced words in his attack on the party leadership in Kerala. The former union minister expressed his anguish over the party's inability to overcome its casteist mentality and discriminatory practices against Dalits and tribal communities.

According to him caste discrimination was deeply entrenched in the psyche of numerous leaders in Kerala and it was a reality that is unlikely to change any time soon. Dalits and tribals were excluded from performing prominent roles in Kerala especially when the Congress had Dalits heading the PCCs in several states and Mallikkarjun Kharge heading the party.

Even in states where caste dominance persisted, Dalits have ascended to Congress leadership and attained high-ranking positions, including chief ministerships, deputy chief ministerships and important portfolios of home, finance etc.

However, in Kerala, the situation was different, Suresh lamented.

In 2021, when Kodikkunnil Suresh's name figured in the media as a frontrunner for the PCC chief's post alongside K Sudhakaran, his Facebook page was inundated with casteist slurs and a barrage of abuses. Later Sudhakaran was chosen to head the party.

And very recently Kodikkunnil Suresh was deprived of the post of Pro Tem Speaker which many believe he rightfully deserved. The BJP chose Bhartruhari Mahtab for the post.

Political analysts have frequently highlighted the reluctance of mainstream political parties in Kerala to assign top party or ministerial roles to Dalits, who make up 10 per cent of the state’s population. Following K Radhakrishnan's election to parliament, the Pinarayi Vijayan government currently has no Dalit representation.

The issue of disproportionate community representation in the ministry frequently arises in discussions. For instance, the Nair community which constitutes 12.5 per cent of the state's population has nine ministers in the 21-member cabinet.

While major political parties may publicly deny the influence of caste in the selection of ministers, it is widely acknowledged that community dynamics play a role in such decisions. Prominent community organizations, such as the SNDP for the Ezhava community, the NSS for the Nair community, and various Muslim groups, are known to lobby for increased ministerial representation and significant roles within ministries.

Therefore the issue of caste discrimination and the denial of fair representation in party and government, as highlighted by Kodikunnil Suresh some years ago, remains pertinent and necessitates prompt corrective action to guarantee an inclusive polity.