These KC(M) MLAs, owing allegiance to Minister P J Joseph, held a separate meeting to decide their future course of action, with the full approval of Joseph. The Joseph faction within the KC(M) is extremely unhappy over the UPA Government’s failure to concede their demand that the controversial order issued by the Union Environment and Forests Ministry on November 13 last year for protection of the Western Ghats should be cancelled. Their contention is that the implementation of the order would cause untold hardships to the farmers who have settled near the western ghats. It would deprive them of their source of livelihood apart from throwing their life into total disarray.

The toughening of their stance has put Finance Minister and KC(M) president K. M. Mani under tremendous pressure to quit the Government on the issue. Mani and MLAs backing him are in a mood to adopt a wait-and-watch policy for a few more days instead of precipitating a crisis. But the Joseph group MLAs, Mons Joseph, TU Kuruvilla apart from minister P J Joseph himself want him to make no compromise on the issue. Adding to Mani’s tension is the tough stance adopted by his close aide and government chief whip P C George, who wants the Chief Minister to resign and lead the agitation against the implementation of the anti-farmer Kasturirangan report.

The Centre’s refusal to concede the demand of the KC(M) has put Mani in an awkward position. Any compromise with the Congress on the issue would mean inviting the wrath of the farmer settlers, who form the backbone of the KC(M)’s support base, and an electoral reverse.

The hardliners in the KC(M) are not at all satisfied with the office memorandum issued by the Union Environment Ministry seeking to redraw the borders of environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) and exclude habitations, plantations and agricultural areas in the 123 villages falling within the Western Ghat eco-sensitive area. They as well as the High Ranges Protection Samithi, which is spearheading an agitation on the issue insist on the cancellation of the November 13, 2013 notification, which has listed 123 high-range villages with a total area of 13,000 sq. km as Ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs).

The Western Ghats Villages Protection Forum contends that a mere office memorandum(OM) cannot counter the November 13, 2013 notification, which clearly states that it will come in to force until further orders are issued. The OM is nothing but an eyewash and they cannot end their agitation on the basis of a mere office memorandum, which, they say, has no legal value.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has added to the confusion by disagreeing with the demand made by the KC(M) and others for cancelling the November 13 notification. Chandy’s contention is that the cancellation of the notification would mean an automatic reinstatement of the Madhav Gadgil committee report on Western Ghats conservation, which is worse than the recommendations of the Kasturirangan report.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) is making an all-out effort to cash in on the political discomfiture of the UDF Government. The party has made an open offer to the KC(M).Deputy leader of the Opposition, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has made it clear that should Mani decide to walk out of the UDF on the Kasturirangan report issue, he will not be left in the lurch.

The CPI(M) secretariat has accused Chief Minister Oommen Chandy changing his stance on the issue. Initially, Chandy had promised to solve the problems. Suddenly he is saying that the withdrawal of the Kasturirangan report would result in the implementation of the Madhav Gadgil report. This is nothing but an unabashed attempt to hoodwink the farmers, it alleged.

With the Catholic Church stridently opposing implementation of the Kasturirangan report, the Congress-led UDF is set to suffer a serious reverse in the Lok Sabha elections, especially in ldukki, Pathanamthitta and Wayanad seats which have been affected the most by the farmers’ agitation. All the three LS constituencies are traditional Congress strongholds; therefore the hostility of the church groups would cause a loss of these otherwise sure seats of the Congress. The beneficiary would be the CPI(M), which has sided with the church groups in the agitation against the implementation of the Kasturirangan Report.

Against this tense backdrop, the meeting of the KC(M) high-power committee to decide the party’s stand on the issue could turn out to be crucial. If the Joseph group MLAs insist on resignation and withdrawal of support, that would cause a split in the KC(M) and the end of the Oommen Chandy Government. Hectic efforts are on to defuse the crisis with allies of the Congress like the IUML also mediating and talking to the KC(M) leaders to avert a collapse of the Government. The coming 48 hours are crucial for the UDF Government. (IPA Service)