Three recent separate events that took place on October 10, when pieced together, can be viewed with rejoice and buoyancy especially by the cadres and well-wishers of the Welfare Party of India, one of the new generation parties formed one year and a half ago. First one is the land conservation march taken out to the Kerala secretariat, second the bye-election to the Jangipur parliamentary constituency in West Bengal and the third one, the gram panchayat ward bye-election in Nediyiruppu panchayat of Malappuram district, Kerala. The three incidents indicate to far reaching political outcome.
Around 10,000 Welfare Party activists assembled and took part in the impressive Land Conservation march to the Kerala Secretariat. The march flagged off from Museum Junction by Fr. Abraham Joseph, national vice-president, was keenly observed and praised for its discipline, genuineness of the issues highlighted for the most deserving voiceless and landless people and for the participation of a large number of women, Muslims and non-Muslims alike composed of agricultural workers, fish workers and housewives.
Placards and banners along with the slogans highlighting the demands, exposing the passive and negligent attitudes of mainstream political parties towards the landless poor and their heavy leniency to big companies and estate owners illegally occupying thousands of acres of land – all these attracted attention of laymen, media people and officials alike of the state capital. The media not too soft to WPI earlier were considerate enough to give wide coverage to this event. The organisers of the march had set a target of 5000 participants from south Kerala, but were really enchanted to see almost double of their target assembled to hear their national vice-President and former Karnataka minister for social welfare and Kannada language Dr. B.T. Lalita Naik and other national and state leaders.
The WPI candidate in the Jangipur bye-election, Dr. Raisudheen, emerging as fourth with 41,620 votes, has initiated debates at national level. How a new born political child, with minimum resources could muster this much public and political support has bewildered many. Discussion on identitarian and self-assertive politics of marginalised groups like minorities especially Muslims, Dalits and Adibasis, etc. has begun to take much space of print media. How and why the traditional solid Muslim support to the CPM has been eroded, why they are disillusioned with the Congress Party and how this will affect the imminent local body election in West Bengal and not too far parliamentary election are widely discussed.
Mrs Abida, WPI candidate for the bye-election to Ward 1 of Nediyiruppu Panchayat, heavy stronghold of Muslim League falling under Malappuram district of Kerala, coming second with 311 votes and losing for a margin of 56 also has been a matter of discussion in Kerala. The CPM candidate could gather only 32 votes. Many interpret it as token of the severe disenchantment of Muslim League workers. WPI is viewed as a serious and potential political alternative, some analysts observe.
The three incidents that are indicators of changes at grassroots and manifestations of the pulse of the mass can really boost morale of not only WPI cadres, but all those who seek for alternative, affirmative and participatory politics of minorities, Dalits, Adibasis, OBCs , etc.