SMK: A dignified politician to the core

A dignified and refined politician who strode across Karnataka’s political scene like a colossus for over five decades, SM Krishna was cast in a mould of his own which made him stand out from others of his generation. The highly educated former chief minister of Karnataka created a unique niche which many of the younger breed of politicos would find hard to emulate. He was not the kind to spew venom at his rivals or engage in lengthy and unkind discourses on their fallacies. He belonged to the dominant Vokkaliga community but he was not known to engage in community-driven politics, many other politicians of his times were known for. His focus always was on lofty goals and speedy development and more so the infrastructure of Bengaluru, a topic which was always close to his heart.

If there is one politician the IT and related industries in the Silicon Valley of the country should be indebted to, it is ‘SMK’ as he was fondly addressed by his colleagues. The five years of his tenure as CM from 1999-2004 will be remembered as the ‘golden era’ of Bengaluru as he laid the foundations for the international airport and the Metro rail. Giants of the IT sector, realising that here was a leader who knew their problems at heart and empathized with them, flocked to Bengaluru and soon grew a thriving industry which in no time made news worldwide, raking in the moolah in millions. Suave, articulate and well-read, Krishna, like one of his predecessors, Ramakrishna Hedge, belonged to a rare breed of politicians who tried to stand their ground while adopting a high moral pedestal despite the mud flinging and deceit politics is known for. His ‘golden period’ were the years as CM but as misfortune would have it, the Cauvery water protests, the sensational kidnap of Kannada thespian Dr Rajkumar by forest brigand Veerappan and a severe drought , took the sheen away from the many achievements his tenure saw.

So, in the 2004 Assembly elections, the Congress had to go in for a coalition with the Janata Dal(S) which hardly lasted for a couple of years. He later served as governor and external affairs minister but his heart, no doubt was always in his native Karnataka. Towards the end of his career, Krishna decided to join the BJP, though the exact political compulsions were not well known. By then, well into his Eighties, the veteran of many a political battle was winding up his career though he did make rare public appearances if health permitted. Many CMs have come and gone in Karnataka but few have contributed so much to building Brand Bengaluru like Krishna did. His pet projects like the Bengaluru Agenda Task Force (BATF) disappeared once he gave up the CM chair but most Bengalureans fondly remember the gusto and energy which was so evident in the city’s development initiatives in those heady years. Political will can do wonders and Krishna proved this to the hilt as transport and infra projects took magical shape, guided by his bureaucrat-technocrat team. Despite advancing age, SMK tried his best to keep abreast of developments in the city he so much loved. In 2022, when Bengaluru was crippled by severe floods, the former CM remarked that it was an opportunity to clear all encroachments, but the local administration did not pursue it.

Now as civic agencies adopt a series of demolitions to clear illegal structures after being taught a lesson by ‘recurrent flooding,’ one can’t help recalling his prophetic words. As Karnataka bids adieu to this brilliant politician with tear-filled eyes, the best way to pay tribute to him would be to renew our pledge to work on initiatives for infrastructure development and for a better Bengaluru for which he strove all his life.