Clean Politics - former IAS officer Alphons Kannanthanam

All Babus cannot be the "villains" that we often love to depict. Please read the story of an IAS Officer who did not fit into the corrupt system. He is again contesting Kerala elections supported by BJP.

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S.Murugan

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Here is an inspiring, and motivating read,
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As an Indian Administrative Service officer, Alphons Kannanthanam shot to the limelight when he made Kottayam the first town in India 100 per cent literate. He was the district collector then.

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He became a national hero when he demolished illegal buildings in Delhi as commissioner of the Delhi Development Authority and reclaimed land worth more than Rs 10,000 crores (Rs 100 billion). After that, he was dubbed the 'Demolition man'.

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He resigned as an IAS officer and stood as an Independent candidate in the 2006 Kerala assembly election with support from the Communist Party of India-Marxist-led Left Democratic Front. He won the seat by a wide margin.

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In this interview with Shobha Warrier, he discusses why he wants to enter national politics and why he is meeting Bharatiya Janata Party President Nitin Gadkari.

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As the 'demolition man', you took on the establishment and the political system. Why did you decide to join the same political system in 2006?

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I had eight more years to go in the IAS; my batchmates had already become chief secretaries two years earlier. I was a topper and would have become chief secretary two years ago.

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I thought if I had to do what I wanted to, it was the right time. With God's grace and people's love, I have got so much in life.

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I studied in a Malayalam medium school in Manimala, a village that did not have electricity. I scored only 42 per cent in my final exam.

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From then on, I decided that I was going to change the world. After that, I became a topper everywhere. I taught myself English and I taught myself everything.

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I was a topper at the IAS examination. I had decided then that I would be an officer with a backbone, and I was one for 27 years.

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The country is run by politicians as it is the political executive who takes the decisions. As an administrative officer, I could only implement them.

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Did you feel helpless as an IAS officer?

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No, I was very happy doing what I did. If there is a rebirth, I would like to be reborn as an IAS officer!

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I thought I should move to a better framework where I could be part of the decision making. I was going to a different level from being the executor of the policies taken by politicians to a decision maker myself.

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How was the experience as a policy maker?

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I converted my constituency -- Kanjirapalli -- into a model constituency for the country. The finance minister said in the assembly that if all MLAs worked like that, there would a miracle happening in Kerala.

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How did you manage that?

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I came with a complete model to be a model politician. People spend a lot of money, supply liquor and abuse their rivals. But I have not done either of the three.

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Yet I won on the 32nd day after my resignation from the IAS with the largest majority.

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Was it because of your image that you could win?

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Yes, but it was my image as the Kottayam collector. That is where I began my work on literacy. Remember I was the collector 20 years back! But they still remembered what I did then. It basically means good work is remembered always.

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Of course, my demolition work in Delhi had an impact. The fact that I fought the system to set things right had an impact.

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Anybody came to me for help, I would help. I tried to interpret the rule book for the people. So, people voted

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The interview with former IAS officer Alphons Kannanthanam continues:

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It basically proves that politics can be clean, doesn't it?

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In the last five years, I haven't taken a rupee from anybody. Even though I am from that area, I haven't had a meal with anybody.

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Politicians need not be corrupt at all.

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When you decided to plunge into politics, why did you decide to take the support of the Marxists?

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It was they who asked me if I was willing to enter politics and be their candidate. It was their choice and not mine.

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So joining politics itself was their choice?

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Yes, they asked me. I was in a very powerful job then. They asked me if I was willing to stand as an Independent candidate with their backing.

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My family was dead against it, but finally I convinced them and got into politics.

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How long did you have to think about it?

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I took a week to convince my family. On the 32nd day, I won and it shows politics can be very clean.

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Sent by Murugan Subbiah

sm532ster@gmail.com