Case Study: The Comrade and the

Bulldozer

Submitted To:

Dr. D Mavoothu
Member of the Faculty
SMS, CUSAT

Submitted By:

Shiyaz K.M
III Semester MBA-FT
SMS, CUSAT
Case Study:

The comrade and the bulldozer

Kerala is always in news for one thing or another. The world’s first ever
elected communist ministry, the first state in India to implement revolutionary land
reforms, the first state to achieve cent per cent literacy, pioneer in coalition politic and so
on. But, in 2007 June-August period the media attention was caught by a different issue -
V.S Achuthanandan led LDF government’s land recovery drives in Munnar.

V.S-led ruling coalition was determined to recover massive portions of land

allegedly grabbed over the years by both big and small fry across the state, including
multinationals like Tatas in Munnar. It was virtually a quick start in the state’s misty high
ranges of Munnar, known for extensive tea plantations mostly owned by Tata Tea Ltd.
Modern-day demolition gadgets like bulldozers in a single day brought down allegedly
illegal constructions -mainly hotels and resorts, in the picturesque township and suburbs
shocking the entire state. The three-member special task force directly chosen by the Chief
Minister, braving stiff resistance from many quarters, including his rival group in CPM as
well as some of the major coalition partners, went on doing a wonderful job in Munnar.
Within a few days, the demolition team landed in the emerging metropolis of Kochi, the
industrial and commercial capital of the state. The worst hit was the M G Road, the main
artery of the city. Sunshades and landscaping protruding into the government land on both
sides of the road were mercilessly pulled down. The demolition was watched by hundreds
who were hailing the Chief Minister in whom they saw the ultimate reformer and
revolutionary. Later, the action moved to other parts of the state. In fact, for over two
weeks, the common man was under the spell created by the one and only Achuthanandan.
The Chief Minister and his specially chosen task force swelled in the media all through.

However, the mission didn’t go on for long. From several quarters, even
from within the party and the ruling coalition resistance aroused against the task force and
Chief Minister’s direct intervention in other ministry affairs. There were enough warning
notes from intellectuals, media and political observers casting doubts on the sustainability
of the apparently single-handed exercise of the Chief Minister. Thereafter the sequence of
events was not favourable for the Chief Minister and were characterised by the steady
slowdown of the much publicised ‘Munnar Mission’ with the task force chief going on leave
for two weeks, some of the bigwigs getting a stay on evictions, the Cabinet itself deciding
not to touch offices of political parties and religious establishments and the subsequent
withdrawal of the decision in the next few days.

Questions:

1. Do you think demolishing huge buildings on encroached lands mercilessly a right

thing to do?

2. Was the leadership style that the Chief Minister adopted appropriate for carrying
out the mission? Did he fail to take his party and coalition into confidence? Was the
decision to give full liberty to bureaucrats in the mission a right decision?

3. “Though the mission stopped abruptly and the task force was dispersed, it gave a
clear message to land grabbers that if the ruling regime is daring enough, even the
strongest edifices built under political patronage could be brought down”. Do you
agree with this statement? Comment.