THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: During the 1996 Peoples Plan experiment, E M S Namboodiripad was at the helm, heading the High Power Guidance Council which comprised of former chief ministers, leader of opposition and prominent personalities. It was the political authority that EMS commanded that facilitated the smooth launching of the campaign. He himself explained the significance of government decision and role of party, class and mass organizations in making the campaign a success in the party state committee.
It was he who mooted the idea that decentralisation should be placed highest in the order of priority in the agenda of the new LDF state government. EMS wrote extensively. But EMS passed away before the agenda of decentralisation could be fully implemented. Criticisms were raised that the plans for local bodies were nothing but modified department schemes and subsidy distribution programmes.
EMS made a much publicised visit to one of the grama panchayats in Trivandrum district and he. Those connected with the programme say though the absence of EMS would be definitely felt during the second leg of the peoples plan, his writings and ideas will be the guiding spirit.
EMS on decentralisation
“The party has no illusion that all our problems will be solved by the People’s Planning initiated by the LDF Government. That is why the party has put forwarded the objective of establishment of a people’s democratic state by transforming the existing social economic system.
The state governments and local self governments as well as the programmes like People’s Planning taken up under their leadership are effective instruments in this struggle to achieve this objective. Temporary gains can be achieved through these programmes. By consolidating the gains, the party tries to strengthen the struggle for people’s democracy” (Chintha Weekly, 8, November 1996).
