Politics Stands Liberated: No Qualifications, No Retirement Age, No Physical Decline In Kerala

In most professions, life is a disciplined affair. Even the humble peon in a government office must meet certain educational requirements before he can be entrusted with carrying files from one table to another. Government servants in Kerala know that their careers will conclude at the age of 56 or thereabouts, after which they must give way to younger people. Politics alone stands gloriously liberated from such constraints. No qualification is required, no retirement age is prescribed and, most remarkably, no decline in physical stamina appears to disqualify anyone from aspiring to the highest offices in the land. A gentleman who can barely move without external support for locomotive action may still dream, quite legitimately, of becoming the chief minister.

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Politicians insist that theirs is the most demanding profession. They lament the long hours, the constant travel, and the tragic lack of time to spend with spouses and children. All this sacrifice is undertaken purely in the service of the nation. Yet, one cannot help noticing that in many other countries, individuals of similar vintage would be gently encouraged to spend their days in serene retirement or perhaps in a geriatric care centre where the chief responsibility is remembering to take the evening medicine. In India—and particularly in Kerala—the same individuals are seized by a renewed desire to contest elections. The current spectacle within the Congress is instructive. The party has been struggling to finalise its list of candidates for the Assembly elections because three of its MPs are eager to join the fray. Their enthusiasm is perfectly rational. Should they lose, they will still remain MPs comfortably until 2029. Should they win—and should the Congress-led Front return to power after a decade, as suggested by recent local body results—they could become ministers. And a minister in a state enjoys a life considerably more comfortable than that of an MP, who must struggle through parliamentary debates and legislative homework.

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State politics offers more immediate rewards. Naturally, the CPI(M), proud of being a disciplined cadre party, once denied a senior leader in Alappuzha a ticket because of age and tenure. The veteran has responded by considering an independent bid, demonstrating that revolutionary zeal does not retire easily. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself once introduced a rule denying tickets to those who had already served two or three terms—though, like many excellent rules, it did not apply to the person who introduced it. Now older and wiser, he too hopes for a third term as CM. The BJP, for its part, has leaders who have already completed distinguished innings as governors but still feel an irresistible urge to serve the people again. Walking unaided may be difficult; relinquishing political ambition, however, appears nearly impossible.

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