Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

UDF to join jubilee conference

Special Correspondent

However, it will boycott celebrations to mark first Ministry's jubilee

Oommen Chandy

Thiruvananthapuram: The Opposition United Democratic Front will participate in a one-day conference, being convened by Speaker K. Radhakrishnan, to commemorate the golden jubilee of the first session of the Kerala Legislature.

The Opposition's decision in this regard ended the week-long uncertainty over the conduct of the conference. The front had announced that it would boycott the celebrations organised by the State Government to mark the golden jubilee of unified Kerala's first Ministry, headed by E.M.S. Namboodiripad.

The Speaker invited the Opposition leaders to a meeting on Tuesday to sort out any misgivings. Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy, accompanied by Deputy Congress Legislature Party leader G. Karthikeyan and the MLAs Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan of the Congress and K.B. Ganesh Kumar of the Kerala Congress (B), announced the front's decision to participate, soon after the meeting.

Mr. Chandy later told The Hindu that it had been decided that the conference would be an austere affair, a get-together of former and serving MLAs. The Assembly had celebrated the silver jubilee of its first session, and, therefore, it was in the fitness of things to observe the golden jubilee. The Opposition would, however, not participate in the Government-sponsored celebrations commemorating the first Ministry. "There is no change in our stand on this," Mr. Chandy said. Moreover, the State did not observe the silver jubilee of that Ministry.

Discordant note

The Speaker's initiatives cleared the decks for the Opposition's participation. The last session of the house had ended on a discordant note with the front protesting against what it called the Government's attempt to undermine well-laid legislative procedures and precedent to push through a resolution condemning a Palakkad court's order against Minister for Electricity A.K. Balan.

Prior to this, the ruling Left Democratic Front and the Opposition had come to an understanding to reconvene the Assembly on April 16 to take up pending Bills for enactment. But the Government decided against convening the session. The Opposition leaders met the Speaker and registered their protest against what they called the unilateral manner in which the decision was taken.

This was the backdrop for the uncertainty over the Opposition's participation in the jubilee fete. Mr. Chandy said the jubilee fete was a historic occasion and the Opposition did not want to ignore it.

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