The streets of Kerala are once again the arena of political drama, with opposition parties and student unions holding protests and bandhs. But hidden beneath the cacophony and slogans is a more profound strategy — influencing public opinion before the next election. This agitation appears more about politics and less about policy.
Recent protests by student unions, particularly the SFI and KSU, have become more heated. Claims of government graft, cronyism in appointments, and educational mismanagement have been the spark — but the argument is that these are mere convenient fires for a far greater one: the battle for securing or holding on to political power.
The Left government led by CM Pinarayi Vijayan has termed many of the protests as stage-managed distractions. Yet, the opposition, spearheaded by Congress and BJP, is employing the unrest to brand the government as autocratic and out of touch with youth concerns. Social media drives have enlarged the unrest, further polarizing the political environment.
