CPI (M) Politbureau member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who passed away on 1 October, was an exemplary character with a mindset of an astute negotiator and an incredible organiser. For the left comrades, he remained a steadfast leader and a bulwark of the party and its ideology against all odds. Kodiyeri was also an accomplished administrator, and his ministerial tenure (2006-2011) was marked by several instances of adept executive interventions and innovative policy making.
I first met Kodiyeri in a meeting in the 1980s as part of a programme in the State’s capital. It was so formal, but the interaction with him gave a hint that he was bold enough to handle any complicated issues in life and politics. I recall another meeting with him, years later, in his office as Home Minister in 2009 as part of extending an invitation to him to flag off a workshop on coastal security organised by the KPS Menon Chair for Diplomatic Studies at the School of International Relations and Politics, Mahatma Gandhi University. He was so delighted to know that the workshop was conducted in the background of the Mumbai terror attack and the threat to national security by nonstate actors and terrorists through India’s adjacent sea space, which became a matter of great concern not only for the Government at the Centre but also those of the coastal states.
The KPS Menon Chair Professor K.R. Singh (JNU) was so keen to get the Home Minister to inaugurate the Ministry of External Affairs-supported workshop organised with the participation of a cross-section of academics and various stakeholders such as the Kerala Police, Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, Port Trust, Department of Fisheries, Department of Ports, Marine Police and Customs (Preventive). Though Kodiyeri wanted to attend the function, he expressed his inability to come as he had already a committed programme on that day. But he wanted to ensure that Director General of Police Jacob Punnoose and other top officers associated with coastal security attend the workshop. In fact, DGP, Punnoose, IG Intelligence, Padmakumar, former RAW Chief, Hormis Tharakan, and other Defence, Navy, and Coast Guard officers came and shared their thoughts and recommendations at the workshop. Kodiyeri also wanted to know the outcome of the proceedings, which I sent to him after bringing together all major presentations.
Kodiyeri was already aware of the issues concerning maritime security which he considered a matter of serious concern, and therefore he argued that Kerala could not shy away from protecting its 610-km coastal belt. As Minister for Home, he stressed that the coastal jagratha samithy was an attempt of the State government to rope in the local fishing community to deal with terror threats through the sea. The Government thus decided to make effective utilisation of the fishermen community by making them report the unusual activities in the coastal region. Kodiyeri also initiated an action plan in which the Fisheries and Home Departments would be playing equal roles in providing security along the coastal belt. The fishermen were assigned duties to report to the authorities immediately whenever a foreign vessel or a boat was detected in the sea. Kodiyeri sought to ensure that the fishermen work in tandem with Coast Guard, Navy and Marine Force. In fact, at the workshop in MGU, DGP Jacob Punnoose outlined a multi-pronged strategy, centred around ensuring the loyalty of the coastal population, for securing the long coastline of the State. In line with Kodiyeri’s thinking, Punnoose said coastal security could never be effectively achieved unless the state had the loyalty of the coastal population. Kodiyeri was not happy that though the Centre had sanctioned coastal police stations for the State, the work was delayed due to unnecessary technical problems.
However, the State witnessed the inauguration of several coastal police stations tasked with conducting round-the-clock sea patrolling around the shoreline. In an obituary note, Jacob Punnoose recalled the great contributions of Kodiyeri in improving the conduct, quality of service and discipline of the police force in Kerala. He noted that the “Janamaitri Suraksha project and the Student Police Cadet scheme started under Kodiyeri brought a major shift in Kerala police…Thousands of ex-servicemen in Kerala were arrayed as home guards to reinforce the police. The first police battalion with Thunderbolt commando, coastal police, boats for police to advance to sea and coastal committees were launched by Kodiyeri,” Punnoose said. In fact, the Janamaithri Suraksha Project was a milestone that “aims to effectively bridge the gap between police and public through the participation of citizens in matters of crime prevention, intelligence sharing and prioritizing policing areas at the level of police beats.” While assuming charge as Home Minister in 2006, Kodiyeri categorically said that the state government would ensure that ‘third-degree methods’ in police stations would be stopped forthwith. Later, many acknowledged that Janamaitri and community policing etc became quite successful in the state with the constant support of the Home Minister.
However, Kodiyeri’s stature as a political leader surpassed all other qualifications. His organisational skill was amazing and the party work was his metier. Indeed, the massive gathering to pay last respects to him in his home town was a vindication of his immense popularity and undisputed valour and appeal.
