People's Democracy

THE return of Endosulphan to Kerala is a reflection of the mindset of the persons who are at the helm of affairs in the state. Earlier, when this highly poisonous insecticide was prohibited for obvious reasons, the tiny villages in Kasargod district felt relieved of their pernicious persecution in the name of eradicating insects from the cashew plantations in the district. However, the villagers did not have an idea of the financial power and huge quantum of influence the producers of the poison could wield upon the ministers. What if the Kumaran Masters and Minimols contract cancer and other fatal diseases? And what if rural beauty and greenery are exterminated? The main thing is that the men at the helm of affairs must earn their millions.

It was the LDF government that prohibited the aerial and other methods of using Endosulphan in cashew plantations, as it was concerned with the health of the state’s children, men and women. At that time, marasmus-like diseases were spreading among children in the region, due to the after-effect of the use of Endosulphan. The LDF government appointed a committee, headed by a well-known scientist and humanist Dr Achuthan, to inquire into the issue. The committee recommended ban on the use of this hated insecticide. It also said the chemical’s use would lead to the destruction of the whole ecology.

But the present UDF government promptly acts when such acts bring them huge sums, even if it adversely affects the people.

In the UDF rule, the department of agriculture is headed by a former communist who has prostrated before the Endosulphan producers, in violation of all authentic reports against the use of the poison. Apart from the Dr Achuthan committee, the Indian Council of Medical Research had also warned of dire results if the use of the poison was continued. But the department of agriculture has gladly permitted the plantation owners to use it widely. True their money would now multiply. But human life would be at stake in this part of India.

N June 27, the Kerala assembly was informed that 10,043 persons had committed suicide in the state during one year of the UDF rule. Among them, 127 were peasants. There were 30 lock-up deaths during this period and no case was registered against anybody in respect of these custodial deaths. Deaths in communal riots numbered 5, but 1,115 cases were instituted in connection with such riots and 23 instances of tension. There were also 469 murders.

Commencing in May 2001, the first one year of UDF rule has thus created an all-time record of suicides in Kerala. Of the total 10,043 persons who committed suicide during the period, 643 did so because they were starving. Such starvation deaths in a highly civilised state speak volumes about the policies and programme of the coalition in power. If 127 peasants committed suicide in the state in this one-year duration, it was because of the unwarranted impoverishment they were subjected to by the pro-globalisation policies of the government.

The number of persons killed in communal riots is 5. Not a single person died in communal violence during the preceding LDF regime that was free from communal riots. During the UDF’s one-year tenure, there were 23 instances of communal violence, for which more than a thousand cases have been instituted.

Altogether 469 persons were killed in incidents of violence. Of the 2131 persons found missing during one year, 971 are women and 396 children. Of the missing, 36 were found dead and 7 were killed.

There were 6,251 recorded cases of molestation of women. The cases of women’s persecution in the grooms’ houses numbered 1,869. During the UDF rule, 123 women and 85 children were killed, while 213 shops, 695 houses and 331 temples and other places of worship were robbed or burgled. The loss incurred due to burglary or robbery has been estimated to be Rs one crore and ninety-one lakh.

These are recorded information presented by the cabinet ministers in answer to legislators’ questions in the assembly.

The assembly was also told that the unemployment relief, old-age pension, widow pension, pension for coir, agricultural and cashew workers, etc, were all unpaid for about 20 months. These answers directly from the concerned ministers clearly show the attitude and policy of the Congress(I)-led ruling UDF towards human rights and welfare of the people in the state.

ORKERS of Indian Rare Earths, a central public sector unit in Kochi, staged a united march to the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, June 27, in protest against the central and state governments’ policy to privatise the mining of mineral sand on Kerala coasts. Leaders of the march later submitted a detailed memorandum to the chief minister. The march was flagged off by P K Gurudasan, general secretary of the state CITU, and addressed by the leaders of other unions.

HE AKG Hall in Thiruvananthapuram witnessed the inaugural show of a new drama by the Desabhimani Theatre on June 27. It was on the life of late Comrade A K Gopalan and was entitled "AKG: the Red Star of Revolution." The drama is written and directed by Pirappancode Murali, member of Kerala assembly and of the CPI(M)’s district secretariat.

Inaugurating the drama, former chief minister E K Nayanar said the life history of leaders like AKG must be repeatedly brought to the people as they are a perennial source of energy for our struggles for democracy and secularism.

HROUGH a resolution adopted at Kannur, June 27, the executive committee of Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham urged the central and Gujarat governments to allow the relief camps at Gujarat to continue and provide them all necessary facilities. The Sangham said the state government must not force the inmates of these camps to move out; otherwise they would again be at the mercy of the murderers. It also asked the Gujarat government to desist from actions that are in violation of human rights and secular values.

The Sangham also held a workshop on the current problems of cultural development to enable its cadres to explain the Sangham’s perspective at various places all over the state. The Sangham will hold a mass question-answer session on "Questions on Gujarat" at Kochi, in August.

N June 27, Crime Branch officials raided the Thiruvananthapuram office of Surya TV channel, in search of documents and other evidence on the basis whereof the TV has accused K V Thomas, minister for fisheries and tourism, of involvement in Kerala’s hawala scam. The scam involved the flow of Rs 334 crore from Mumbai into the state.

The raiding officials were quite rude to the news section personnel of the TV. But they could not adopt their usual inhuman tactics because of the heavy rush of mediapersons and leading opposition MLAs to the channel’s office. These MLAs and mediapersons almost gheraoed the Crime Branch officials who had to leave the office so as to avoid direct confrontation. It is learnt that the raid was ordered by chief minister A K Antony. Several organisations later protested this raid and asked the government to institute an inquiry into the allegation of the minister’s involvement in the hawala case of financial flow to terrorist groups. (INN)