I am not a scholar… but I understand ground realities: V Sivankutty
This year’s state school arts festival won accolades from various quarters. How did you manage that?
We had prepared for the event three months in advance. Concerted efforts from various quarters enabled us to organise it successfully. It was organised in a democratic way by involving various stakeholders. After each day, we reviewed the conduct of the festival at all 25 stages, identified the shortcomings and addressed them. We were able to get the judges to the venue on time and they were under the strict surveillance of the police intelligence and vigilance wings. Stage managers did their roles effectively and KITE disseminated the results quickly. We were able to start events on time and also finish them early. In fact, it disappointed many people who had come to witness the festival late at night. Once, Minister P A Mohamed Riyas came to the main stage at 8.30pm but the programmes were over by then (smiles).
In the backdrop of unruly incidents at sub-district-level arts fests, the government had issued a strict warning against disruptive protests. Did this act as a deterrent at the state festival?
We were clear about ignoring unnecessary protests. We conducted the School Olympics for the first time, inclusive of the participation of differently abled children. Two schools created problems and even stopped the performances of the differently abled children on the last day. It was led by teachers. We formed an investigation committee and decided to bar these schools from the next School Olympics.
Later, they came and apologised. We accepted the apology, considering the future of schools and children. However, the departmental action against the teachers will continue. Such strict measures have had an impact on schools participating in the arts festival. There is a need for discipline among children. I too am a product of student politics.
When you were chosen as the education minister, there were many trolls…
My detractors said that I lacked knowledge, was illiterate, etc. I am not a scholar. But I am very much aware of all that happens around me. I have handled issues related to education during my 15 years of student politics.
Images of the assembly ruckus, where you are seen walking over the desk, are still being used to troll you. Have you ever regretted that incident?
I never felt that way. We perform roles, according to the posts we hold... that was a time when the LDF had unleashed strong protests inside and outside the assembly. That wasn’t the time to care for one’s image. We were merely shouldering the responsibility the LDF had given us. It didn’t affect my image when I contested the assembly election (smiles).
Was the decision to walk over the desks taken by you?
Yes, it was my decision (smiles). We had decided K M Mani shouldn’t be allowed to present the budget. He was sitting among the UDF leaders, at a distance. There were around 150 civil police personnel. If we had to snatch the budget from him, there was no other way but to walk over the desks. Later, my sugar levels plummeted and I fainted. I lay down on the desk. This was later trolled as ‘Sivankutty was tabled in the assembly’ (chuckles).
Wasn’t there a similar incident in the Kerala University senate when you were an SFI leader?
Yes. IAS officer A V Varghese was the vice-chancellor. We had started a protest, saying that we wouldn’t allow him to enter the senate chamber. We entered the senate hall and shut it from the inside. The police broke the doors open and all of us were severely beaten up.
You were indeed a surprise choice as education minister in the second Pinarayi Government. Was it a surprise for you too?
I never thought I’d become a minister or wondered about what portfolio I’d get. When I first won an assembly election, I captured a seat that was with the Congress for 15 years. I defeated O Rajagopal then. I lost the next election. Later, I again tasted victory by defeating Kummanam Rajasekharan and K Muraleedharan. I got 59,000 votes in the Nemom constituency, where the LDF had only 32,000 votes. Those who trolled me earlier were forced to eat their words. Now, after the state school arts festival, everyone is praising me. I see all these as part and parcel of political life.
Have heard that students call you up directly to complain…
Yes. Some students call to complain that question papers were tough (laughs out)! Some call to complain against teachers. Once, a student wrote to me to complain about a Hindi teacher who is only interested in dictation and not teaching properly.
There was a controversy about ‘all promotion’ in schools…
‘All promotion’ was introduced by the Union government. The reason was the high dropout rate in states like UP, Bihar and Gujarat. Here, about 95% of the students joining First Standard reach Tenth. Still, Kerala too implemented it. But ‘all promotion’ made teachers and parents lazy. Now, DEOs (district education officers) are not inspecting schools. Earlier, the failure of students would be a topic of discussion in that locality. Hence, the teachers did good homework and taught properly. After introducing the ‘subject minimum’ system, 20 marks can be given by teachers to students based on their different skills. The students then require only 10 marks for a pass. The chief minister supported our idea to do away with this practice. From the Eighth Standard, except SSLC, we are implementing it from this year. We will not make such students fail. Special tuition for two or three weeks will be given to them, making them reappear and be promoted.
Recently, there was a controversy over a question paper leak…
There was a controversy over the leak of model question papers. In the past, there were times when SSLC examination question papers leaked, textbooks fell short and the conduct of Onam term examinations was delayed. We will conduct a conclave to discuss a revision of the existing examination system. Around Rs 1 crore is required to conduct an SSLC examination. Imagine, students require only 10 marks for a pass and we are spending Rs 1 crore. The SSLC question papers are prepared by teachers attending a special one-month camp. Later, they are classified into small groups. They prepare four sets of question papers for a subject. Printed confidentially, they are stored in treasuries. In the case of the model examination, question papers are printed at ordinary presses and are supplied to schools a week in advance. I’m not claiming that the leak was a minor thing.
The Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad had opposed the government decision to stop the all-pass system. Why couldn’t the government convince them?
They organised a rally and submitted a memorandum to the government. I told them that no student will fail. They did not protest afterwards, I think. The world is changing and Kerala too should. There is no value for bygone slogans. We should bring slogans befitting the changed times. The KSSP should have interacted with me before taking out the rally.
Many government teachers send their children to aided or unaided schools. Will that affect people’s confidence in government schools?
That trend is fading now. We cannot take steps against them. But we can tell people about such teachers. Then they’ll find it hard to do such things.
There is an allegation that children or grandchildren of people’s representatives are not studying at government schools...
There could be some cases. Children of most ministers studied in government schools.
Is there any confusion regarding the age for Class 1 admission?
The Union government has kept it as six years. We have fixed it as five. We should give people one or two years’ time before switching to the Union government decision.
In the case of declining standards of students, teachers do play a role. Shouldn’t there be a grading of teachers?
Yes. We are channeling a good part of our funds towards upgrading teachers. Teachers’ cooperation is necessary to raise the quality of education. Teachers shouldn’t be irked. We have introduced intensive training for teachers. Earlier, it was one-day training. We introduced one-week-long training despite an initial protest by teachers’ organisations. They should remember that a significant share of our budget is spent on teachers’ salaries. In government schools, teachers are appointed by PSC after conducting an exam. But in aided schools, there are anomalies in teachers’ recruitment. There are no screening tests for them.
Salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff of aided institutions are paid by the government. Earlier, the LDF had spoken about controlling the aided sector. Why are you slow-pedalling now?
Even now, there is a control system. Even if the management appoints a person, it should be ratified by the district educational officer, deputy director of education and the director of general education. But the issue is that many DEOs and DDEs are not taking action, like ratifying appointments, as they are wary of legal issues. They are not bureaucrats and attained the posts via promotion. They have doubts over most things, and hence, set aside those files. The situation is such that the government should take action against the appointing authorities for not having acted on complaints against teachers. Only if there is a threat to their jobs will their attitudes change.
Will the government stand against aided and private managements on admission, school fests, exams, etc, lead to conflicts with the managements? Will it take you to a situation where you’ll be called as the second Mundassery?
The government is not going for any conflict. More than half of the students are in aided schools. The government pays the salaries of aided schools. The government does not differentiate between the students of aided schools and government schools. Aided managements too are spending money on their own to improve the school infrastructure. Their association too is cooperating with us.
Do government teachers’ associations threaten the government?
They had a notion that they should be consulted on all matters. But that has now changed. They will be informed of the things they ought to know.
Their grievance is that V Sivankutty batted for the associations as a party leader, but after becoming a minister, he is not...
As an SFI leader, I raised slogans that were the outfit’s stand. Recently, I went to Carmel School where I had once led an SFI protest as a student leader. It was a protest against unaided schools and I entered the school by jumping over the gate. The police detained us and we were taken to the Peroorkada police station. Later, I went to that school as a panchayat president. Later, I became an MLA. As an MLA, I did what was decided by the LDF. Now, I am a minister and I feel I am carrying out my tasks properly. We perform roles according to the posts we hold.
So, Sivankutty does not bother about his personal image and does whatever his party tells him?
Party is the ultimate, as it has played a role in moulding me. Party never tells me to do things which are against the interests of the people. I agree with party discipline and have never faced any disciplinary action so far.
Speaking of disciplinary action, your father-in-law, P Govinda Pillai, faced party disciplinary action several times...
PG never uttered a word against the party when disciplinary action was taken against him. Whether it was the matter of disciplinary action, or being drafted to the state committee or the central committee, PG was always engrossed in books. I wasn’t much into books. I come from a normal background. My father ran a grocery store and my mother was a homemaker. She started reading Deshabhimani after my photos started appearing in the paper (smiles).
How was your interaction with PG at the time?
Political discussion did not regularly take place at our home. When P K Vasudevan Nair was an MP ... he was the brother-in-law of PG ... he used to live with us. In the morning, the three of us would sit in the corridor, each reading newspapers separately. After that, we would go our separate ways (smiles).
You share a close relation with C P John. Did you support Badal Rekha (Alternative Document)?
I didn’t quite comprehend what Badal Rekha was (smiles). We -- Mathayi Chacko and I -- used to stay at the MLA quarters. Mathayi Chacko was the intellectual. Neither Mathayi Chacko nor I had any connection with Badal Rekha. It was much later that I understood what Badal Rekha was. CPM is a truthful party. The truth will come out sooner or later. That’s why people like me occupy responsible posts now.
You are among the last of the leaders who were at the forefront of intense student protests. As a minister, how do you evaluate the present-day student movement?
Student movements are necessary. It is meaningless to ban them. However, campuses shouldn’t become places of violence. Campus elections too are important. Otherwise, ineligible persons could occupy important positions.
How do you perceive the deterioration in quality of student movements?
It is for them to realise that.
While serving as the Thiruvananthapuram mayor, you were in a peculiar situation as you could have lost the majority at any point. How did you tackle that scenario? We have heard that whenever someone raised a no-confidence motion, you would persuade someone else to not attend the council...
Parties like the BJP and the PDP used to offer support at times. What you heard are mere tales spun by people. The other day, a close friend of my wife Parvathy asked her whether I own one of the private hospitals in the city. And a woman journalist was narrating in detail how I was once stabbed by KSU workers at the University College. Such an incident never happened. Some people consider me a goon. I haven’t killed even a fly. I have neither fought with anyone till date nor has anyone ever attacked me.
V Sivankutty used to be a footballer...
Yes. I played football. We had a local football club. I was part of the college team and the university south zone team too. I was a player and remain a football fan.
You are also the labour minister. Labour strikes have decreased in the state. Is it because the work atmosphere has improved or because the CPM is no longer enemies with the rich?
The work atmosphere has improved. Moreover, there’s a new found realisation among workers that their survival depends on the survival of the industry. That’s why workers refrain from agitating for each and every thing. CITU too has taken a similar stand. Jobs should be protected, but at the same time, the industry should also be protected. Take the case of bonus strikes. Now there aren’t any. I’m also the CITU state secretary. We tell workers to raise only those kinds of demands that the industry can afford to comply with. Kerala is the state with the highest minimum wages in the country. Workers now prefer an approach that isn’t anti-industry.
Once, the CPM used to be hostile to capitalists. But there has been an evident shift in approach…
People used to say we were a working-class party and the others capitalist parties. We aren’t hostile towards anyone. Our government takes an approach that helps all. In the past too, there never was any enmity, but there was an attempt to create such an impression.
Has the vexing issue of nokkukooli been fully tackled?
No, but nokkukooli has come down. It still exists in some places. Recently, there was such an issue in the capital city. I intervened and suspended 12 workers for a month. That has sent out a strong message.
Unemployment is a major issue in the state. At the same time, workers from other states are in high demand. Does this reflect a change in work culture?
There’s a change in work culture. And now there’s a shortage of workers for manual jobs like tree climbing or masonry. We can address this only by introducing such courses in ITIs. This is under active consideration. If guest workers go on strike, many sectors will come to a standstill.
TNIE team: Cithara Paul, Anil S, K S Sreejith, Sovi Vidyadharan, S Unnikrishnan, Anuradha L R Vincent Pulickal(photos), Pranav V P (video)
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