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Cithara Paul
Cithara Paul

STATEWATCH

Kerala roundup: Pinarayi's advisers, vanishing NHs and death of Penpillai Orumai

AIADMK face in Kerala keenly watching the churning in party

biju-ramesh Biju Ramesh

He, as the lone AIADMK candidate in the last assembly elections, had brought 'Amma' flavour to Kerala's otherwise stiff political terrain. Biju Ramesh, who shook the UDF government with his expose in the bar bribery scam, had promised lots of freebies including mixer grinders and fridge to the voters in the capital city if he was elected—something unheard in Kerala's highly politicised campaign trail.

It is another story that he did not win but Biju Ramesh, the face of AIADMK in Kerala, is keenly watching the happenings within the party as the two warring factions are trying for a patch up.

"I joined AIADMK out of my respect for Jayalalithaa. I have never seen a woman with such a power and clout. I was mesmerized by her,'' Biju who owns the Rajadhani Group which is into liquor and hospitality business told THE WEEK. 

He insists that his love for Amma has not withered away despite her death and that the recent developments in AIADMK has not affected his loyalty towards the party.

"I am still very much an AIADMK cadre. But it is true that I was saddened by the recent developments,'' he said.

According to Biju, he maintains a "good rapport'' with both the factions. "I was very close to OPS. But when he left the party I did not go as my loyalty is primarily to the party Amma built with lots of pain and effort,'' he said.

"Both the factions are in touch with me and I am trying my best to sort out the issues between the two,'' he said.

Biju, despite being a bind fan of Jayalalithaa, insists that he has never touched her feet as is the norm in AIADMK circle. "I have never touched her feet despite my huge admiration for her. And she had no issues with that. In fact, I felt that she respected me more for not acting like others,'' he said.

According to him, senior leaders like Thampidurai had issues with the fact that he never bow down before Jayalalithaa the way they all do. "Once he asked the security personnel to brief me about the etiquette to be followed. But I never bothered,'' he said.

Biju says Sasikala has been much wronged. "The DMK has successfully managed to create a bad image of hers. Even BJP tried to malign her as they felt a good opening in the absence of a strong leader,'' he said.

Biju went on to say that nobody can replace Amma no matter how hard they try. "There can be one and only Amma,'' he said.

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pinarayi Pinarayi Vijayan

CM Pinarayi taking too many classes

There is a joke doing the rounds in the state capital. It is about Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan taking too much tuition from many of his advisers. As of now, the CM has seven advisers for subjects as varied as science, media, law, finance, law and order and press. While some like economist Gita Gopinath and scientist M.C. Dathan are renowned figures, others like Prabha Varma and John Brittas— advisers for press and media respectively—are better known for their party loyalty. If sources are to be believed, more advisers are in the offing.

If CM listens to all his advisers on a daily basis, he will be left with not much time to rule, goes the rumour.

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Penpillai Orumai breathes its last...

penpilai-orumai Women workers strike work at Munnar

It had created a history of sorts as the first trade union movement exclusively owned by women. It had hit national headlines when the strike staged by women plantation workers demanding a pay hike brought Munnar, the hilly tourist destination, to a standstill. And they had won too.

But now the movement is in tatters as the two leaders of the movement—president Lisy Sunny and general secretary Rajeswari— parting ways. The disintegration of the movement had started earlier itself when many firebrand leaders of the movement started migrating back to mainstream political parties. But now with the final rift, the future of the movement remains bleak.

Lissy Sunny had earlier filed a complaint against Rajeshwari at Munnar police station alleging that the latter was spending money collected for the functioning of the organisation, without consulting other office-bearers. Last year, the Penpilai Orumai had merged with the AAP.

"The issue had been burning for quite some time ever since they merged with the AAP. Now all that remains with Penpillai Orumai is Lisy Sunny,'' said Prakash, a local of Munnar.

According to him, merger with AAP was the last nail in the coffin.

"It should have retained its identity,'' he said.

But political observers say that Penpillai Orumai has already secured its place in the annals of TU history and that its current state will not wash it away. 

"Penpilai Orumai was a historic event without precedence,'' said Raviraman, State Planning Board member. And he is not surprised that it has withered away.

"It is natural that patriarchy has found its way back with a bang. But nobody can erase away the imprints of the movement,'' he said.

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The curious case of vanishing national highways

nhs NHs becomes district roads as Kerala loves liquor

The state is witnessing an interesting case of disappearing national highways. As many as 1,827 stretches of national and state highways have vanished from the state in the last one month, courtesy to the state government's love towards booze or rather to the money it earns from it. 

It all began with the SC order banning liquor shops within 500 metres from the national and state highways. The SC order was a huge shock to the booze loving Malayalees and also to the state government. But liquor being the life line of state exchequer, the state government has found an easy way out—to declare national highways as district roads or city roads. 

The government, last week, issued two declarations towards this end under the Kerala Highway Protection Act. The recent notification, issued last week, has declared 1691 stretches in 14 districts as major district roads. 

Taking the cue from the government, many beer and wine parlours have already got sanction to re-open their shops while a slew of star hotels, clubs and beer parlours have approached the court asking for relaxation to the order. It seems the state is set to loose lot more stretches of National highways. 

But no body seems to be complaining. 

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In the name of beef...

Attack on beef eaters had always been a distant story for the beef loving Malayalees. But not any more. The first attack of this kind happened in Kerala—where eating beef is very much a part of its culture just like the hilsa fascination of Bengalees—last week.

One person – named Jose—in Ernakulam district was attacked allegedly by some right-wing workers, and his house was raided. It was Easter and he had bought a cow with plans to distribute the meat for the festival day. Then a gang barged into Jose's house and threw mud on the meat which was being readied for distribution.

Fourteen BJP workers have been arrested in connection with the incident. The Congress and the BJP had taken out marches against the attack. The BJP, however, has denied any political angle to the incident despite the fact that all the attackers were the party workers. 

Interestingly, this has happened at a time when the BJP candidate in the recently held Malappuram Lok Sabha bypoll had even promised "halal beef'' to all as he knows very well that Malayalees love beef. It is another story that the voters did not bite into BJP's beef offer. Kunhalikutty, a former minister and IUML candidate won by over 1.71 lakh votes and the BJP failed to get the votes it had garnered in the earlier election.

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