Kerala - a glimpse into its very heart!

KERALA , PARADISE NOT LOST - YET!

2007-08-31T21:09:00.001+05:30

Kerala- in spite of its politicians- is a superb place to visit and unwind yourselves.

This verdant little strip of land (popularly known as 'God's own country'), on the southernmost tip of India, stretches along the Arabian sea coast and is separated from the rest of the sub-continent by the steep Western Ghats.

With the Arabian Sea sprawling in the west, the Western Ghats towering in the east, networked by more than forty rivers, Kerala enjoys unique geographical features that have made it one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Asia. Its assets as a tourism attraction can broadly be listed as

* A moderate climate * Long shoreline with serene beaches * Peaceful stretches of emerald backwaters * Lush hill stations and enchanting wildlife * Sprawling plantations and paddy fields * Colourful festivals * Exotic cuisine * Ayurvedic health care

It is really incredible how such a small strip of land can contain so many exotic ingredients. Maybe it was the allure of the spices or the sheer magnetism of the land that attracted the Phoenecians, Romans, Chinese, Arabs and the British to its shores.The footprints of these immigrants can still be felt in Kerala's architectural scenario - the Portuguese Forts, Dutch Palaces, British Bungalows...it is a pretty long list.

While Kerala has always been willing to imbibe anything new, it has also managed to maintain its customs and traditions to a surprising degree of perfection. Here, you can see living examples of religious rapport, with churches, masjids and temples standing shoulder to shoulder.

National Geographic has hailed Kerala as 'one of the ten paradises of the world'.

Kerala also boasts of
* India's most advanced society * A hundred percent literate people * World-class health care systems * India's lowest infant mortality and highest life expectancy rates

Peaceful and pristine, Kerala is also India's cleanest State.

However, the aim of this website is not just to promote Kerala in tourism circles. It also aims to highlight the problem areas threatening the very future of this little state. A tendency to politicise any issue, over-exploitation of natural resources, a distinct lack of civic sense, pollution..... these are only some of the causes for concern. If Kerala is to recover its lost grandeur, now is the time to act!

Kerala's achievements, its famous children, significant current issues...all these, and much more, will also be discussed here under various heads. So, keep in touch with fascinating little Kerala here - at this very site!

latest updates on this blog -
And now - pothole tourism!
Kerala's Investment Scenario
Crocodile Park at Neyyar
Yet another hartal
P.T.Usha
Kerala in 2020 - one huge garbage dump?

Read on about this great land......
Travel Mart.....and Chikungunya!
Ayurveda-an integral part of Kerala tourism
Kerala celebrates 50th birth anniversary
Sreesanth-Kerala cricket's great hope
Issues involving Kerala
Famous children
Travel and sightseeing
Snippets
Travails

For the statistically minded tourist, some relevant

facts about Kerala -

Area : 38,863 sq.km

Population : 3,18,38,619 (as per 2001 census)

Capital : Thiruvananthapuram (formerly Trivandrum)

Language : Malayalam; English also is widely spoken

Religion : Hinduism, Christianity, Islam

Time : GMT + 5:30

Currency : Indian Rupee

Climate: Tropical

Summer : February - May ( 24 - 33 deg c )

Monsoon : June - September (22 - 28 deg c )

Winter : October - January (22 - 32 deg c )

Literacy rate : 90.92 %

Transport - Three International airports- at Trivandrum, Kochi and Kozhikode. Apart from this, Kerala is well connected by rail and road. Kochi offers a major seaport, while there are minor ports at Beypore(Kozhikode), Alapuzha and Kollam.

Major Industries - Tourism, Information Technology, Fertilizers,Oil Refining and Power Generation, Ship Building, Machine Tools, Electronics and Rubber.

Major Exports are marine products, coir, handicrafts, spices and food products.

Farm /Cash crops cultivated are coconut, rubber, coffee, tea, spices, pepper, cashew, arecanut and rice.

AND NOW, POTHOLE TOURISM!

2007-08-11T12:30:00.000+05:30

Ever wonder what we are paying those massive road taxes for in Kerala? Remember, you have to shell out more than Rs.15000/- as tax for fifteen years(!) when you buy a smaller version car. And what do we get to drive it on? A collection of potholes of all shapes and depths, connected by narrow strips of asphalt ( something resembling the waterway network of Venice) -the PWD and Local bodies of God's own country claim that these are highways and roads!

When you come to think of it, the potholes do not constitute the problem ; the 3”-4” strips of ‘road’ in between do! If our expert technologists could chip away these strips, thus ‘upgrading’ all the potholes into one huge single one, there would be no question of vehicles tumbling into the potholes or gutters-they would already be plying in them! We could then think of providing ramps at strategic locations where these vehicles can get out, and even paving these pothole bottoms with attractive interlocking tiles, thus paving the way for yet another mode of tourism in ‘God’s own country’-Pothole tourism! (Our blessed land could yet prove to be the one single vindication of the atheists’ contention that God does not exist –if He did, how could He tolerate this mess which ‘his own country’ has been reduced to?)

In a discussion (we are pretty good at that, aren't we?) on one of the TV channels featuring the Minister, Contractors’ Association representative etc, the Contractors’ representative revealed the startling fact that roads are still being built as per specifications which were used fifty years ago! Our experts have not yet realized-or do not want to accept - that to withstand the heavy loads to which they are subjected today, roads are required to be built of concrete –and reinforced concrete at stress points like junctions etc.

What was not revealed in the discussions, of course, was that only about 30% of the project cost is utilized towards the actual execution-70% being siphoned off to fill pockets right from the Minister at the top to the Department peon on the lowest rung. It is a bloody miracle that we are getting even these potholes and that the surface- which they have the temerity to call ‘roads’- doesn’t just give way beneath our feet all the time.

When last heard, the High Court of Kerala, on 8th August, had described the condition of the roads in the State as ‘shameful’ and directed the Government to initiate repair works immediately and report progress on 14th August 2007. The usual lame excuses trotted out by the PWD –non co-operation from the contractors, heavy rains, lack of funds etc- were summarily rejected by the Court.

So, is there hope for the hapless public? Not as long as rampant corruption is a way of life here and capable, honest men are not given charge of the works. Until then, we will have to remain content with the occasional, grudging repairs, which give way again at the very next downpour-or even the advent of the next heavy vehicle. Meanwhile, these potholes can be counted as one among Kerala's (un)natural assets and one of its enchanting features for tourists to savour!

There may be yet another way; increase the frequency of our favourite pastime - hartals - to, say once every other day, so that our roads get a breather from the heavy traffic and last longer!

Read much more about fascinating Kerala - her natural assets, achievements, famous sons, pressing issues and problems......

KERALA'S INVESTMENT SCENARIO

2007-08-11T12:29:00.000+05:30

Latest Finance Ministry reports reveal that Kerala is right at the bottom, among all the states in India, in terms of Industrial Investment. In the 15 years’ period from 1991 April 1 to 2006 March 31, the investment that has flowed into Kerala via MoU’s with the Centre is only worth Rupees 1,017 crores. This constitutes just 0.44 % of the total of 2.28 lakhs crores at the National level. All the other South Indian states have attained investments worth 3 to 6%.

Chart I
MoU’s vs Investments – April 1, 1991 to March 31, 2006

Andhra Pradesh
MoU's - 491 nos
Investment - 14470 crores
Average - 6.30%
Karnataka
MoU's - 179 nos
Investment - 8891 crores
Average - 3.88%
Tamil Nadu
MoU's - 436 nos
Investment - 9574 crores
Average - 4.18%
Kerala
MoU's - 79 nos
Investment - 1017 crores
Average - 0.44%
National
MoU's - 6270 nos
Investment - 228906 crores
Average - 100.00%

Kerala’s performance in attracting FDI’s is still more pathetic. In the period from April 2001 to March 31st 2006, while 1.01 lakhs crores rupees reached India, Kerala’s share ws just 334 crores, just 0.32 %. The other southern states are streets ahead of Kerala in this category too.

Chart II
FDI – April 1, 2000 to March 31, 2006

Andhra Pradesh
Investment - 3633.60 crores
Average - 3.57%
Karnataka
Investment - 7575.71 crores
Average - 7.45%
Tamil Nadu
Investment - 7070.79 crores
Average - 6.95%
Kerala
Investment - 334.02 crores
Average - 0.32%
National
Investment - 228906 crores
Average - 100.00%

Statistics indicate that the investment in Kerala, which accommodates 3% of India’s total population, is below 0.5 %.There is another side to this; God's own country also carries 11.12% of India’s total unemployed population, as per the report published by the Central Human Resources Ministry in November 2006. Economic experts underline that the main reason for this high percentage of unemployment is the backwardness in Industrial Investment. While our southern neighbours overtook Kerala in this area eight years back, today only backward states like Bihar, Nagaland and Jharkhand are behind Kerala. Experts insist that Bihar will overtake Kerala in the next four years. Kerala has not been able to achieve any significant progress in this regard since 1990, when it could boast of one significant index – the state with the maximum number of Public Sector companies(113 out of India’s total 1071). Later, some of them closed down; majority of those still working are running at a loss. The tragedy has been that while the public sector crumbled, no significant progress was achieved in the private sector as well. While the public sector employed1.15 lakhs workers in 1990, only 70% of these receive regular wages today. Even F.A.C.T., the largest public sector undertaking in the state, is facing the greatest crisis in its history.

Kerala, with its 100% literacy record, is way backward in creating job opportunities.This fact can be understood by observing the job opportunities created by public sector companies through Mou’ s signed with the State Govt. While, in the 15 yr period, 10 lakhs jobs were created through 6270 MoU’ s at the National level, Kerala’s share was just 11,689- just 1.16%. This, when Tamil Nadu created 58,540 jobs (5.82%) and Andhra Pradesh 55,286 jobs(5.50%).

Though a certain section of economics experts attribute the low investment in Kerala to its small area and proportionately low population, statistics do not back them up. This will be evident from a scrutiny of the population-investment ratio. Kerala, with 3.18 crores as population, has a per capita industrial investment of Rs. 17657.80 only.In Karnataka, with population of 5.28 crores, it is Rs. 21298.70 and in Tamil Nadu, with population 6.24 crores, it is Rs.21525.60. Even if the hapless Malayali consoles himself that the difference in Per Capita Investment is only about 3500/-, the stark truth remains that all these three states have an excess population of more than 2 crores than Kerala-and still maintains these healthy figures.

Chart III
Per Capita Investment

Andhra Pradesh
Investment - 144042 crores
Population - 7.62 crores
Per Capita Investment - Rs.18903.17
Karnataka
Investment - 112458 crores
Population - 5.28 crores
Per Capita Investment - Rs.21298.70
Tamil Nadu
Investment - 134320 crores
Population - 6.24 crores
Per Capita Investment - Rs.21525.60
Kerala
Investment - 56152 crores
Population - 3.18 crores
Per Capita Investment - Rs.17657.8

Read much more about fascinating Kerala - her natural assets, achievements, famous sons, pressing issues and problems......

CROCODILE PARK AT NEYYAR

2007-07-22T09:21:00.000+05:30

The Neyyar wildlife sanctuary in Kerala has been catapulted to international fame with the opening of the Crocodile Rehabilitation and Research Centre in memory of the recently departed Aussie crocodile hunter and environmentalist Steve Irwin. The centre is a feather in the cap for Neyyar Dam-and indeed for Tourism in God's Own Country- which already boasts of a lion safari park, deer park, boating facilities and one of the biggest landscaped gardens in the South. Forest and Tourism authorities are hopeful that the centre would attract more tourists and animal lovers to this popular picnic spot.

This is, incidentally, the first memorial in the world for Steve Irwin, famous for his fearless and tender handling of even the deadliest of wildlife species. 44-year-old Irwin ws tragically killed by a sting ray attack off the Great Barrier Reef in September 2006.

A life-size plaque of Irwin with a crocodile welcomes visitors to the centre, set up by the Department of Forest and Wildlife at Markunnam in the sanctuary. With the shifting of 25 muggers(Crocodylus palustris) from the adjacent crocodile farm, the Centre has now been thrown open to the public.The Rehabilitation and research centre has been set up as per the guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority.

Two artificial ponds have been artificially created for the muggers, and a third one os in the offing as more of them arrive. Chief Wildlife Warden and Chief Conservator of Forests, V.S.Varghese made it clear that literature on different species of crocodiles will be made available to visitors at the Centre.

It is intended to equip the Centre, running of which has been entrusted with the local Eco Development Committee, to study the behavioural aspects of the muggers. The food and other aspects of the crocodiles are taken care of by the forest authorities.

Read much more about fascinating Kerala - her natural assets, achievements, famous sons, pressing issues and problems......

YET ANOTHER HARTAL!

2007-07-15T09:37:00.000+05:30

And now, the political clowns in God's Own Country are organising a 'hartal' (read 'bandh') in 'protest' against the spreading fever epidemic! This time, it is the UDF which has come out with this brainwave, announcing a 24 hours' hartal in the State on Tuesday, the 17th of July.The UDF convenor informed the media that this was 'a token protest against the State Government's failure to control the fever'! He also hastened to add that this was only the first hartal by the UDF since the LDF came to power, while the LDF observed 12 hartals when the UDF were in power.What commitment,what competitive spirit! Really, people who claim that such measures will hit Kerala Tourism adversely do not know what they are talking about!

Needless to say, this could be the most effective medicine prescribed to bring the fever under control. So, who cares if a patient suffering from this very fever dies because of delay in reaching a hospital? Who gives a damn if the people lose, for yet another day, their basic right to move about freely and earn their livelihood? 'We' have proved the might of our party-yet again. And, of course, the people supported and co-operated with us-as if they ever had any other option!

The UDF is probably under the impression that the mosquitoes which spread the fever are sent from the Secretariat with specific instructions from the Chief Minister himself! If the immense manpower which is employed to enforce the hartal is instead utilised towards cleaning the environment, it would go a long way in preventing further spreading of the disease.

It is high time the people of Kerala decided, once and for all, whether they deserve such torture, in the guise of leadership, from the political parties. But perhaps they do-why else are they electing these same jokers,UDF or LDF or whatever, time and again and sending them to the Assembly? Then again, after all our political parties and their rank and file are considered, does there remain in Kerala a class which can actually be called the 'people'? Every little incident in this little state acquires a political hue in no time at all, rendering impossible an impartial or dispassionate resolution.

Only yesterday one of the Malayalam dailies published two eloquent photographs.The first one showed the perpetrators of the UDF sponsored hartal in Pathanamthitta obstructing private vehicles which dared to take the road; the second one showed the same group getting into a car to travel comfortably to their respective destinations!

So, what do we do about it? Public flogging and execution of these leaders would be the obvious solution; but since, unfortunately, it not practical in our blessed democracy, how about boycotting them for a start? The need of the hour is the advent of a non-political party, as an antidote to such political hooliganism. Kerala still posess people who can lead such a movement, but someone has to bell the cat. Hopefully, if the patience of the common man continues to be tested by these so called leaders, it will happen; it has to happen!

Update: The proposed hartal didn't come off after all. The UDF initially put it off by one day; then called it off altogether because of the serious flood situation which developed in North Kerala. In a sense, this is the best thing that could have happened to the UDF, since the hartal would have surely alienated the party from the long suffering masses of 'God's own country'.One has to suspect that the leaders sensed the lack of support for the ridiculous hartal call- even in its own ranks- and hence the calling off. Whatever the reason, the common man would have heaved a sigh of relief! He has been spared .....but for how long?

More snippets.......Crocodile Park at Neyyar

Read much more about fascinating Kerala - her natural assets, achievements, famous sons, pressing issues and problems......

P.T.USHA

2007-06-27T22:38:00.000+05:30

Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil Usha (PT Usha), is well and truly Kerala's greatest contribution to sports.One of the greatest of Indian women athletes of all time, Usha has carved a niche for herself in her field. She was the first Indian woman and only the fifth Indian to reach the final of an Olympic event, by winning the 400m hurdles semifinal. With her proud visage and humble demeanour, Usha remains one of the greatest athletes India has ever produced.

Usha missed the bronze by 1/100th of a second in 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. She created a new Asian Games record in all the events participated during that year. Popularly known as 'The Payyoli Express,' Usha was, remarkably, neither the product of any academy or of any sports school. Perhaps the most striking quality of Usha has been her fortitude.Through times of despair and even when she conquered new heights,Usha remained shy and smiling, unwilling to display to her inner feelings.

PT Usha was born, as the daughter of Paithal and Lakshmi, at Payyoli, a small village in Kozhikode, on June 27, 1964. Her initial education was at Thrikottur school, Payyoli. It was her teacher, Balakrishnan, who first unearthed the sporting talent dormant in Usha. She then joined the sports division in Kannur. Her association with O.M. Nambiar, an athletics coach, helped her to scale new heights in athletics. Her craving for success only became more intense as the years rolled by. However, it would only be fair to say that Nambiar's stubborn -and selfish- refusal to let Usha seize the numerous training opportunities abroad cost her dear.

Usha, through sheer hard work and fierce determination, epitomised the Indian Quest for the elusive Olympic track and field medal, and came within a whisker of winning it, at the1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Her career-graph saw a meteoric rise after this and in the second phase of her career, after the split from Nambiar, she was trained by coach JS Bhatia.Today, she is the inspiration for hundreds of aspiring Kerala athletes aspiring to compete at the highest level and succeed.

Usha, with her husband Sreenivasan and her son Ujjal currently resides at Payyoli. She runs The Usha School of Athletics at Quilandi, which aims to bring forth new talents in the field of Athletics. She is determined to produce an Olympic medal winner, which she and India lost in Los Angeles, by one-hundredth of a second. That would be the perfect epilogue to the life of one of the greatest Indian athletes of all time.

Achievements
• National Record at the State athletic meet at Kottayam, 1977.
• She captured the limelight as a junior athlete in National Inter State meet at Kollam, 1978.
• Selected to the National Squad for the 18th Pakistan National Games in Karachi, 1980. • Selected to represent India in the Moscow Olympics, 1980.
• First Indian woman to reach the final of an Olympic event.
• Youngest Indian sprinter to compete in the Olympics. She was just past 16 then.
• Participated in the 1982 Delhi Asiad and won the first medal of the Games.
• In the 1983 Asian Track and Field Meet (re-christened as the Asian championship) at Kuwait, Usha tried out the 400m for the first time.She emerged successful as the one- lapper at an international arena for the first time.
• Her effort of 55.54 seconds in LosAngeles was a record since this was the first time the 400m hurdles was conducted in the womens section.
• Usha gathered 5 gold medals and one bronze, in 1985, at the Jakarta Asian Athletic meet.
• Won four golds in 1986, Seoul Asian games, claiming for herself the title of Asia's sprint queen.
• Following her marriage in 1991, she quit the scene for a while, but came back in1993 ,after 3 years of hibernation.
• Participated in the Olympic games from 1980, except the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
• She last participated in the Olympics in Atlanta , 1996.

Prizes and Recognitions
• Recipient of Arjuna Award ,1984.
• Adjudged as the greatest women athlete, in 1985 Jakarta Asian Athletic Meet.
• Padma Sree in 1984.
• Best Athlete of the year Award from India Government in 1984,/85,/86,/87, and 89.
• In 1986 Seoul Asian Games, won the Adidas Golden Shoe Award for the best athlete by the Asian Amateur Athletics Association, Seoul Asian Games, 1986.
• 33 medals including 13 golds in Asian Games and Asian Championships.
• Won a total of 102 medals at National and International meets during her career.
• Won 1 gold and 2 silver at the 1999 Saf Games held at Kathmandu.
• Thirty International Awards, for her excellence in Athletics.
• In recognition of her achievements, a road at Payyoli,her home town, is named after her.
• The Kerala Government has set up the "PT Usha Sports Council" at Central Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram.
• Kerala Sports Journalists Award for the year 1999.

Usha School of Athletics - web site

Read much more about fascinating Kerala - her natural assets, achievements, famous sons, pressing issues and problems......

KERALA IN 2020 - ONE HUGE GARBAGE DUMP?

2007-06-26T19:09:00.000+05:30

Utter breakdown of the ecosystem, acute shortage of drinking water, piled up garbage, epidemics; these are just some of the threats looming in front of Kerala in the immediate future. If precise measures are not adopted and with clear insight, the survival of Kerala will be a tough proposition, according to leading environmentalists. Their views below paint a terrifying picture, which can be avoided only through a collective effort from the Government and the people. Make no mistake, it is now or never!

Dr. R.V.G.Menon
"Our rivers are drying up, scientific and permanent measures are yet to be found for waste disposal; these are the two biggest challenges faced by the environment in Kerala today. Sand mining, encroachment of the shores and water pollution are the causes for the drying up of our rivers and backwaters. Man’s encroachment upon nature is threatening the very existence of our water sources. Effective disposal of electronic waste (including computer and mobile phone parts) and plastic waste, including PVC, is a very big problem. Even the used up tube lights and medicine bottles from our homes are not effectively disposed. Effective remedies need to be urgently found to these huge problems. I expect scientific waste disposal measures to be found and adopted within the next few years. Simply because, there is no survival for Kerala otherwise. We won’t even have to wait upto 2020 …."

Dr. C.R. Neelakandan
"Acute drinking water shortage is going to be the biggest problem confronting Kerala. Within the next five years, the percentage of people with access to potable water will come down to 20 – 25%! The percentage with access to potable water all the year round will be still lower. Waste from our cities and our homes loom as an insurmountable problem. We are almost at the point of surrendering before the epidemics brought about by these wastes filling up in our waterways and ponds. Tragically, we are only thinking about how to dispose off the waste, and not how to reduce the quantity of waste generated. Electronic waste will be a huge factor in ten years, as also tourism waste. Even the disposal of the remnants of demolished buildings, as in the small town of Munnar, will not be easy. If we go at the same rate, Kerala will be one huge pile of garbage by 2020, with survival out of question!"

Dr.S.Shanker
"Indiscriminate filling up of water bodies is the main challenge faced by the environment in Kerala. In Kerala, with its sloping topography, these water bodies are responsible for holding and retaining rain water. Their destruction will adversely affect rain water harvesting. In Kerala’s context, the destruction of water bodies is a bigger threat than global warming, and is the very reason for the summers getting hotter by the year. By 2020, there is no doubt that Kerala will be one giant garbage dump, with deadly epidemics thriving in it. The cities will be clean;through the ‘clean Kerala mission’, city garbage will be collected by the women in the Kudumba Sree units and dumped in the villages! Our waste disposal has always been such-just temporary measures, with the larger picture conveniently ignored."

Prof. T. Sobheendran
"We have begun the journey to hell; if we move on in the same vein, a terrifying future awaits Kerala! When a hillock is leveled, an agricultural field or a water body is simultaneously filled up. In a few years, Kerala will not possess even a single hillock. And along with these hills will be destroyed the streams originating from them. People who are banking on the Japan Drinking Water Scheme to solve our drinking water problems better lend a thought to preserving the very sources meant for these schemes. Mother earth, robbed of its water sources and agricultural land, will turn into deserts bereft of all life and energy. The only solution is an awareness drive on a large scale . In a very short while, every single person will need to come forward for nature preservation, if only because there is no other go."

Prof. S. Seetharaman
"Kerala will have to pay a heavy price if environmental pollution develops on this scale. If concrete buildings proliferate at this rate, the temperature will increase two fold. With the reclamation of paddy fields, food production has significantly come down in Kerala. We can depend on the neighbouring states for our food grains only for another five years or so. By then, even these states will be producing food just enough to meet their internal needs. The percentage of Sulphur in Kerala’s atmosphere has become very high, with emissions from the ever increasing number of vehicles. It needs to be brought down from the present level of 0.25 % to a permissible 0.05%. More than fifty percent of our water is already contaminated by domestic and industrial waste."

Read much more about fascinating Kerala - her natural assets, achievements, famous sons, pressing issues and problems......

SECURITY THREAT TO KERALA

2007-06-26T18:58:00.000+05:30

Kerala is fast on the way to losing the title ‘the safest state in India’. One has to presume that the Home Minister himself wanted to indicate such a danger signal when he regretted recently that his police force is reluctant to effectively implement the newly introduced Goonda Act in the state. The LDF Government has excluded certain sections while at the same time adding new ones like illicit liquor and Hawala trade while modifying the Goonda Act introduced by the UDF Government

The police themselves indicate that the mastermind behind the recent gold and bank locker thefts in the Trichur area were none other than the LTTE. But, apart from that, they still don’t have a clue about these well planned and executed crimes. And now, Intelligence circles reveal more terrifying news for the Kerala people,that the Naxal-LTTE connections are behind the large scale smuggling of drugs and Ganja into God’s own country!

The Naxal network extending from Nepal to Andhra Pradesh is one of the gravest threats to security faced by the nation today. The Naxal groups, who have assumed total control over certain areas of India, have not hesitated to take over even tax collection and the protection of the locals in these areas. It is reliably learned that Ganja from the fields of just such an area,Warangal in AP, is being smuggled into Kerala on a large scale and converted into various products. Apart from sale in the state, drugs are being smuggled abroad from the shores of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, as per intelligence collected by the authorities.

The threat increases multifold when it is established that the drugs mafia has close associations with organized forces like the LTTE and the Naxals. Even the possession of drugs in a small quantity is punishable in our land; but the truth is that the large scale stockists, the big fish, are often allowed a free run.

Though Rupees to the tune of crores regularly flow into Kerala via fake accounts and other channels, our authorities have not been able to establish how, for what and by whom this money has been utilized! Things have come to a stage where even murder is committed, on public roads and in broad daylight, in the name of Hawala racket.

The Central Intelligence has already warned the Kerala authorities that weapons on a large scale are reaching the underworld via Hawala channel. These weapons were used in the recent clashes which occurred in various parts of the Kerala. A parallel economy is developing in the state, which also adds to the woes of the authorities.

Kerala desperately needs to seek help from the Central intelligence agencies to fight drug smuggling and Hawala trade. And a crack team urgently needs to be formed in the Kerala Police to co-ordinate the fight. Would it be too much to ask all the political parties in the state to rise above petty politics, for once, to tackle these vital issues which are crucial to the security of Kerala?

Update - 2nd July 2007
The public criticism of the police, by the Home Minister, for not implementing the Goonda Act effectively, has done little to goad the police into hunting down the known Goondas in the state.All the District Ploice Superindendents have done is to effect precautionary arrest of about 25 goondas all over the state in a week and close the file, at least temporarily.

Ironically, certain conditions incorporated in the Goonda Act by the Left Government have come to the aid ( was this the very intention? ) of the various mafias involved in sand mining, illicit liqour/drugs dealing and girl trading.These conditions prevent the police from even touching these anti-social elements! So what purpose is served by such an act?A provision in the Act to impose a penalty of Rs. 1000/day on concerned police officials in case of 'unlawful' detention is also acting as a deterrent to more arrests.

The original Goonda Act introduced by the previous Government had empowered the police to arrest and hold in preventive detention anybody involved in any mafia activities.But the LDF Government included the provision that defendants in cases filed directly by the police (in the absence of complaints from the public) be exempted. The argument was that the Act was liable to be misused by the Police to persecute innocent people in the absence of such a provision. However, there is every indication that the Government was simply bowing to the pressure from the liquor and sand mining mafias in watering down the Act.

Police have no option but to file cases directly in the dirty areas of illicit liquor, liqour and drugs smuggling, fake currency, hawala trading, fake CD, girl trading and sand mining-the simple reason being that no citizen concerned about his own and his family's safety would dare come forward to register a complaint against these mafias.It is this criminal section that has been exempted from action by the Police as per the Goonda Act!

In short, the police have to make do with detaining those involved in small time assault cases and allowing even the known members of the real mafias to go their merry way.
Many senior IPS Officers in the state had warned the Government, in writing, that the new Act lacked teeth and would be ineffective. They had also pointed out that neighburing States like Tamil Nadu were implementing the Goonda Act very effectively by arming the Police with more power. A screening committee could be insituted to allay fears of the police misusing the Act. In fact, the original Goonda Act provided for scrutiny by a screening committee, including the Home Secretary, Asst. DGP and SP before issual of orders for preventive detention. So, what was the need for such a modification which, in effect, has rendered the very Act impotent?

More travails....Kerala in 2020; one huge garbage dump?

Read much more about fascinating Kerala - her natural assets, achievements, famous sons, pressing issues and problems......

TALE OF THE SMART CITY

2007-06-09T12:17:00.000+05:30

So, finally, amidst all kinds of speculation in the media and elsewhere, the Smart City agreement was finally signed between the Achuthanandan led Kerala Government and the Dubai-based TECOM company on Sunday, May 13, 2007. Originally the brainchild of the previous UDF Government, it is ironic that the very LDF, which had trashed the proposed agreement while in the opposition and launched agitations against it, has now signed the agreement-although reportedly with plenty of amendments in the terms. Whatever the truth, there is still an obvious lack of transparency in the whole deal, which the Government would do well to clarify.

Let us trace the Smart City deal right from its origin upto the actual signing of it.

Back in 2004, during the UDF rule, a group of professionals from Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority called on infopark former CEO Girish Babu, seeking the possibility of setting up a Smart City project in Kochi as part of TECOM’s ‘going global’ programme. Chief Minister AK Antony and former IT Minister Kunhalikutty pledged solid support to the proposal and said everything possible would be done so that Kerala could bag the mammoth project.

The CPM, led by former Opposition leader V.S.Achuthanandan, raised allegations against the project. He alleged that the Dubai Internet City (DIC) under TECOM was actually a real estate agency and that the UDF Government was trying to hand over prime land to an international agency with no proven track record in IT Business.

Following a change of guard in the UDF government, Oommen Chandy became Chief Minister. He projected the Smart City project as a golden opportunity for Kerala and kickstarted the negotiations with much vigour. However, the Opposition leader continued his tirade against the government move and the project became a prime point of debate in and outside the state. Lack of clarity and dubious motives were alleged against the project. Allegations of potential compromises by the Govt. over the project were vehemently denied by the UDF. Any demand by the Government for changes in the proposal by TECOM would result in the loss of the prestigious project once and for all, they said.

Despite stiff resistance, Oommen Chandy went ahead with the talks on the project and an MOUwais signed between TECOM and Govt. of Kerala in 2006.

Left parties continued the agitation against the conditions set in the MOU. The decision to hand over the Infopark in Kochi, grant ownership right of 236 acres of land and exclusive rights to TECOM in Ernakulam district were severely criticized. Joseph Mathew, the current IT advisor to Chief Minister Achuthanandan, took the controversy to the Internet, shooting of an open letter to the then CM Oommen Chandy, asserting that the Smart City project would never be in the best interests of the state.

With the elections looming large, Oommen Chandy finally dropped the idea of inking a final agreement with TECOM and made the agreement a public document for debate. He promised to enter into an agreement with TECOM if his coalition was again voted to power.

In keeping with a long established trend-the incumbent factor- the LDF won the Assembly elections and V.S.Achuthanandan became Chief Minister. IT Secretary PH Kurien, who played a key role in the negotiations for Smart City during the UDF tenure, did not even mention the project when he is asked to brief the Chief Minister about the department’s initiatives. Debates continued, but both LDF and the Chief Minister now indicated that they were not against the project, provided the ‘disputed’ clauses in the agreement are amended.

LDF Govt began negotiations with TECOM, with the government imposing strict conditions. All the conditions it fought against while in the opposition should be scrapped, they insisted. TECOM realized the new ground reality- moreover, they were already facing stiff resistance in Malta, where they were planning another Smart City project.

The Chief Minister took over the negotiation process from the team of officials- now both sides resorted to pressure tactics, with the Govt. even asserting that Kerala had nothing to lose even if TECOM backed out of the project. Meanwhile, Dubai based Malayali businessman Yousaf Ali was roped in to negotiate on behalf of the Govt. and TECOM was brought back to the negotiation table. But Yousaf Ali’s motives came under
attack ,leading to the Chief Minister denying ever seeking his assistance.

After a rather pregnant pause, the negotiations again picked up. TECOM reportedly agreed to each and every condition imposed by the LDF government. 9 % stake for the state in the earlier agreement is increased to 26 %. It is also agreed that one more directorship would be given to the government in the joint venture company that would set up the Smart City project. There will be no exclusive rights for TECOM in setting up similar projects anywhere in Kerala. The number of jobs offered in 10 yrs change from 33,000 in the UDF agreement to 90,000 in the current agreement. However, the LDF government scrapped the penalty clause over the number of job opportunities. TECOM also agrees to the government demand to utilize 70% of the land for IT related constructions. In turn, government agrees to give ownership rights over 12 % of the total land.

After three long years, the agreement is signed between Kerala Government and TECOM representatives on May 13, 2007.

Salient features of MoU

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TAKING BACK MUNNAR

2007-05-17T21:07:00.000+05:30

Munnar, Kerala’s idyllic hill station, is lately in the news for reasons that are largely unflattering- widespread encroachments on government land has been (suddenly?) detected. The Government, led by the Chief Minister who, for once, decided to stand firm against all pressure,is in the aggressive process of evicting the encroachers and seizing back precious land.
Predictably,it has become obvious that the encroachers had the support of political parties of all hue and colour, aided and abetted by revenue officials who are still in the process of being identified. With the tourism boom sending land prices spiralling, extensive land grabbing was only to be expected in this part of God’s own country. Yet, absolutely nothing was done by previous governments to forestall it.Bustling and congested and dirty, Munnar today is a far cry from the idyllic days of yore.

Back in 1951, the town was administered by a Scottish tea major, who owned all the picturesque tea gardens in the vicinity. A team of sweepers, led by an exacting overseer, spruced up the town meticulously, twice a day. Unlike today, there were never mounds of garbage scattered around or dumped in the river, which incidentally gave the town its name. A sanitary inspector constantly checked on sanitation and other aspects of public health. Traders who violated sanitary norms had their licences revoked promptly.
Most of the hills flanking the town were densely wooded in those days; it was common to hear the spirited crowing of jungle cocks, the soft cooing of imperial pigeons and even the startled call of the barking deer.

Today, the hills are mostly bare and pockmarked with shanties, wildlife having long withdrawn into the interior. Widespread deforestation has, inevitably, led to erratic fluctuations in annual rainfall-even prolonged spells of drought, something unheard of in the past, is a common phenomena today. The town market, then well maintained and orderly, is today a squalid maze of shabby stalls with dead rodents strewn around.

Tourism came to the fore in Munnar only in the mid-eighties, when the administration passed into the hands of the local panchayath; the gradual decline of the hill resort started precisely then. Bull dozers, gradually but relentlessly, began clawing down the hills. With little or no planning, hotels and lodges mushroomed haphazardly all over the town. Left unchecked by the corrupt officialdom, the construction boom spread its tentacles to the outskirts of the town as well, straining its already fragile ecology.

Today, Munnar is dominated by towering concrete monstrosities which are eyesores in every sense of the word, and cluttered up with shanty tea shops and rickety fast food joints. Scores of shops, hotels and lodges jostle for space and the wayside vendors all but spill on to the road. Beggars and urchins have a field day pestering the tourists, especially foreigners-many of whom would be ruing the day they were taken in by the travel agents and brochures.

The biggest casualty of Munnar’s tourism boom is , without doubt, sanitation. The town is swept clean every morning, but is again littered with garbage hardly an hour later. The town’s main river, in which trout and carp flourished once, is polluted beyond imagination by the discharge of effluents and waste. The public toilets stink; cleanliness and hygiene in the local eateries leave much to be desired. In short, civic sense does not even exist. But then, is that not the story in entire Kerala today?

All in all, it’s a deplorable state of affairs. Here, as elsewhere in Kerala, mercenary conditions matter the most-the end always justifies the means, however unethical. Yet, somehow, despite the ecological upheaval and the unending onslaught of ‘tourism’, Munnar manages to survive – barely.

Generously endowed with nature’s bounty, Munnar still has the potential to develop into one of the finest hill resorts in the country. But for that, the Government, and the people, have to show stern resolve and a sense of purpose. Happily, the Chief Minister is showing exactly that right now, sending a handpicked team- to mercilessly demolish resorts and other buildings and retrieve vast areas of encroached land -and backing them to the hilt even in the face of huge pressure from all fronts-even his own party.

The question however remains; how did all this land pass illegally into the hands of unscrupulous politicians and businessmen? The scale of corruption involved is mindboggling .And having taken back all the land, what next? The authorities have to be very firm that all future developments-which is necessary to promote Munnar in tourism circles- will happen as per regulations and without adversely affecting its natural assets. It is easier said than done, because in this holy land, making money-by hook or crook- is still the one and only priority. You can bet your last rupee that the corrupt politicians, officials and businessmen are just lying low, and given half a chance, will be back with a vengeance to loot Munnar.

Update 18.05.07
The Supreme Court has rejected a petition from The Munnar Hoteliers' Association requesting a stay on the demolition process currently underway, which means the demolition goes on in full swing. After 'taking back' Munnar, the demolition team proposes to move on to evict encroachers at Kumarakom, Wagamon and Kovalam. High time, huh?

It is reliably reported that there are more than 70,000 hectares(1,75,000 acres) of encroached land waiting to be regained in Kerala. Of these, 12,000 hectares is forest land, 8000 hectares of which has been confirmed as post-1977 encroachments in a joint verification by the Forest and Revenue Departments.

The 'verification', and subsequent eviction, in the remaining 4000 hectares of forest land has been conveniently put off-on the pretext that verification lists are missing (naturally!).Interestingly, thousands of hectares of encroached forest land is awaiting verification in a single range of a single division of Malayatoor.The indifference of the Revenue and Forest officials to conducting a joint verification in such a large area has led to the regularisation of even the pre-1977 encroachments.Meanwhile, fresh encroachers are entering the fray, with fresh applications pouring into the forest offices.

Apart from this forest land, nearly 60,000 hectares of revenue land is also under encroachment in the state. The Cardamom Hill Reserve tops the list with 35,000 hectares, including 10,000 hectares illegally leased out by the Revenue department.Kannan Devan Hills is next, with illegal encroachments in 13,600 hectares, interspersed within the land awarded to the company-and almost to the same extent in the land vested with the Government as per the Resumption of Lands Act of 1971. Another area of massive encroachment is the Pallivasal unreserved area in the Devikulam taluk, where land is under the Revenue Department and tree growth under the Forest Department!

Which all begs the obvious question, what the hell were the previous Governments ( of either colour ) doing while all this was going on?

Farcical end to 'Operation Munnar'

More snippets.....Yet another hartal

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KOTTAYAM

2007-05-09T19:20:00.000+05:30

exploring the diverse attractions this picturesque state has on offer to the discerning tourist

District Area - 2208 sq.km
District Population - 19,52,901 (2001 census)
Altitude - sea level
Climate - Tropical humid
Rainfall (avg) - 346 cm
Tourist season - Sept to March

Bordered by the lofty Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west, Kottayam is a land of unique characteristics. Panoramic backwater stretches, lush paddy fields, highlands, extensive rubber plantations and a totally literate people have given this district the enviable title, ‘The land of letters, latex and lakes’. It was the first town in India to attain total literacy, an event which triggered a mass movement to make Kerala the country’s first totally literate State. The town is also the birth place of the publishing industry and the home of the fourth estate in Kerala. This land also boasts the first Malayalam printing press which was established by Benjamin Bailey, a Christian missionary, in 1820 AD.

Kottayam is the land of latex because the district abounds in extensive rubber plantations which earned for its headquarters the sobriquet ‘Rubber Town’.
Kottayam is the ideal take-off point for visits to Peermede, Munnar, Idukki, Thekkady, Ernakulam and the temple city of Madurai. This district provides some of Kerala’s finest natural scenes, sandwiched as it is between serene palm-fringed backwaters in the West and the Western Ghats on the East. Much of this beauty is laid out in all its glory along the road which winds its way from Kottayam to the Periyar WildLife Sanctuary in Thekkady through plantations of rubber, coffee, tea and pepper.

Important destinations

Amrithamedu

Popularly known as Kurisumala, Amrithamedu is a pilgrim centre as well as a trekker’s delight. Peerumedu is the nearest major town from which you can approach Amrithamedu.During Easter, pilgrims climb the ‘Stations of the Cross’, which would require a pilgrim to cover 14 points, with each point marked by a cross denoting various phases of Jesus Christ’s last journey. During the course of the trek, when one reaches the third cross, a good stretch of Peerumedu becomes visible, which is a really enjoyable sight. One can also see tea estates in the distance, as also the rolling Kokkad hills.

As one proceeds further up, the surrounding landscape soon becomes more and more breathtaking. Once the climb reaches the ninth cross, one steps on to a plateau and the mist that engulfs you here is quite an experience. This is Amrithamedu, the highest point in Kuttikkanam region.

For avid trekkers, the nearby Madamakulam, located towards the northern side of Amrithamedu is worth a visit. It is a natural pond, formed at the foot of a waterfall. The pond is encircled by big boulders and surrounded by dense woods.

More destinations.......

Kerala Tourism - the official website

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KERALA NEEDS NEW HEALTH POLICY - DESPERATELY!

2007-05-01T12:54:00.000+05:30

Kerala has made remarkable achievements in health, comparable to that of even developed countries during the last fifty years.

Kerala’s achievements in health, in spite of its economic backwardness and low health spending, has prompted analysts to rave about a unique ‘Kerala Model of Health’, worth emulating by other developing parts of the world. The salient features of this Model are good health at low cost, based on social equality and justice.

There are many socio-economic conditions unique to Kerala, which have been postulated to make this health model possible. The highly literate population, especially the female population, has to be given due credit when we look for explanatory factors. Kerala has nurtured a political climate wherein the rights of the poor and underprivileged have been fought for and upheld. The agrarian reforms ended the feudal relationship in agriculture, giving land to the tillers. This improved the social living conditions of the landless poor in the rural areas. The public distribution system of food through fair priced ration shops ensured minimum food materials at relatively cheap cost to the people, warding off poverty-related diseases.

Apart from the socio-economic factors outlined above, the universally available public health system in Kerala has also contributed to the high health status of the people. Kerala has a three –tier system of health care evenly distributed both in the urban and the rural areas. Apart from Modern Medicine, Ayurveda, Homeopathy and other alternative systems are also very popular in Kerala

However, the widely acclaimed Kerala Model of Health has started showing a number of disturbing trends recently.

Although the mortality is low, the morbidity is high in Kerala compared to the other states- the ‘Low Mortality High Morbidity Syndrome’. Both infectious diseases and the so-called ‘lifestyle diseases’ are prevalent in Kerala.

Many epidemics, like Maalria, which were supposed to have been eliminated from Kerala, are definitely staging a comeback. In addition, new epidemics like Chikungunya are also rearing their heads, killing many. Suicide rates in Kerala are three times the national average – about 25 people commit suicide every day! Death and disability due to road traffic accidents are also very high in Kerala.

Though the incidence of AIDS is still low in Kerala, considering the strong presence of stigma and discrimination towards the sufferers, it may also emerge, in future, as a major public health problem in Kerala.

The most disturbing trend is the Public Health System getting alienated from the people – statistics show that only thirty percent of people seek medical help from government hospitals. This is obviously because of the fall in the quality of services at the government hospitals.

Deep rooted corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency and lack of political commitment have all contributed to this sorry state of affairs. This perceived inefficiency of the government medical facilities is the major factor providing the impetus for the overgrowth of the private medical care setup in the state. The privatization of medical care, in turn, is leading to severe escalation of health care cost.

The establishment of a large number of self-financing medical colleges is worsening the situation. Because of the private sector boom and also the tendency towards specialization, doctors are refusing to join the government hospitals, causing a severe
dearth of doctors in the rural and even some urban centres and medical colleges. The net result is the marginalization of the poor as far as access to quality health care is considered.

It is an accepted fact that most of the private hospitals are primarily concerned with financial profit. These managements are not averse to using any unscrupulous method to this end. Most of these hospitals do not even posess an incinerator, instead preferring to dump the tons of bio-medical waste they generate in public places, even in the neighbouring states!

Toning up the health care system in the state and making it capable of taking on the burden of provision of equitable, efficient and quality health care need concerted action from the political parties, social movements and the professional bodies. Taking into consideration the specific problems of the Kerala health scenario, a People’s Health Policy for Kerala should be formulated.

Reinstating the primacy of the government health services, with its emphasis on primary health care, should form the basis of the health policy. There should be social control and auditing of the private sector. The health expenditure should be controlled. With the handing over of the institutions- from the Public Health Centres to the district hospitals- to the local bodies as part of the decentralization process, there is tremendous scope for solving the health crisis through which Kerala is now undoubtedly passing. The Panchayathi Raj Institutions provide the possibility for the people to demand the resources to operate a health service in which the people themselves will play the dominant role and of which they will be the chief beneficiaries. Only thus can a cost-effective, humane and accountable health service be provided that is funded and operated by the local bodies with the technical assistance of the health professionals.

The people can be mobilized to improve not only the curative area but also the area of health education, as in the prevention and control of diseases that originate in their environment. Once the primary and secondary health care facilities are improved through local bodies, the tertiary care centres like the medical colleges can concentrate on education and research.

If the health and local administration departments work in unison, the health scenario can be changed, so as to bring in a decentralised and participatory model of health care. In case this becomes a reality, Kerala will provide another unique model of health care, worth emulating by the other Indian states-and also other developing parts of the world. However, there is a long way to go yet!

Reference : Article by Dr.B.Ekbal, former Vice Chancellor, Kerala University

More Travails.......Security threat

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VEHICLE POLLUTION IN KERALA

2007-05-01T12:51:00.000+05:30

Kerala is gasping from the effects of noxious fumes emitted by the tens of thousands of motor vehicles jamming its streets. Thick smoke spewing, especially from buses and trucks, is a disgusting but common sight in a state where ‘Pollution Under Control’ certificate is mandatory for any vehicle. Two-wheeler riders, pedestrians and the traffic policemen are the worst hit in this respect.

It has long been established that air pollution is the major cause of asthma and other allergy problems. Some chemicals found in vehicle exhaust are known to cause cancer, birth defects and brain/nerve damage. A recent household survey has revealed that 12 % of adult deaths in Thiruvananthapuram were due to respiratory diseases. There has been a three-fold increase in chronic respiratory diseases during the last decade. The number of children getting affected by asthma, pneumonia and allergies are also on the increase.

A study by NATPAC has estimated that motor vehicles are emitting 210 tonnes of gaseous pollutants daily in the capital alone.

The State of Environment Report of 2005, published by the Kerela State Council for Science and Technology, points out that vehicular emission and noise are very severe in the cities of Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode, because of the rapid increase in the number of vehicles plying on the roads. The number has gone up from 1.19 lakhs in 1975 to 35 lakhs in 2006. Personal transport vehicles constitute 72 percent of these – and 77 per cent of these personal vehicles are two-wheelers. Obviously, an ineffective public transport system has led to over-dependence on personalized modes of transport.

Heavy vehicles are the worst polluters. The State has a fleet of 4000-odd state owned KSRTC buses and 31000 private buses. It is common knowledge that the KSRTC takes the PUC certificates for its buses only when they are to be produced for the annual Certificate of Fitness test, though the rules require that PUC certificates are renewed every three months. But these vehicles are rarely checked on the roads by the authorities, whose prime targets are always personalized vehicle owners.

The private bus operators manage to get the PUC certificates for even vehicles seen to emit the thickest and foulest fumes, via the’ back door’. However, the Motor Vehicles Department and the police do not dare to penalize them, for the threat of a flash strike always looms large. Lack of adequate staff in the Motor Vehicles Department and use of pirated software by the testing centres also contribute to offenders getting away scot-free. Dirty air filters and defective valves are cited as the main reasons for the high exhaust levels, apart from absolute indifference towards periodic maintenance of these public transport vehicles.

The obvious solution is the strict enforcement of laws and penalties for the offending vehicle owners, whether public or private. The authorities claim that steps have been initiated to upgrade the testing centres and to make issuance of PUC certificates foolproof.

However, the ideal long term solution would be a much more efficient public transport system. Bigger buses are a viable possibility, provided we can have good roads, segregated bus bays and traffic segregation.

More Travails........Kerala needs new health policy - desperately

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Stagnation of a once proud land

2007-05-01T12:40:00.000+05:30

Fifty years ago, Aikya Keralam (integrated Kerala) was flushed with hopes. Political setbacks did not really dampen the Malayali spirit to excel - and excel we did. Literacy broke all records. Primary health centres opened up in every village. Electricity reached all nooks and corners. Educational levels became the envy of others-Kerala was being recognized as a world phenomenon.

That the growth could not be sustained remains the great tragedy. And in the ultimate analysis, one single factor contributed the most to this stagnation-the sickening ineptitude and greed of our politicians. Politicization of anything and everything is the bane of today's Kerala, and the politicians - left or right (the only two alternatives for the hapless voters)- are allowed to get away with anything.

The culture that made us a proud and civilized people has long been lost. In its place has been crowned a cynical and self centred culture where sadism, deception and unimaginable levels of corruption are accepted. Police chiefs and Government officials have joined the politicians in the plunder. Kerala has become a scandal.

Of course, we have had decent politicians – a P.K.Vasudevan Nair here , a C.Achutha Menon there... But, as a class, the political leaders have showed a complete lack of concern for the progress of the state and the welfare of its people.The ultimate tragedy is that the people, in this wonderful ‘democracy’, appear unable to do anything about this situation. All they can do is to vote the bad people out-but even then, the bad lot refuse to go away, and come back into the political scene through back doors.

When the political class threw all decency to the wind and went on a grabbing spree, the Malayali quickly learned that the culture had changed and joined in. He knew he had been cheated and betrayed by his leaders. So, he rose to the occasion and began figuring out how he could turn the new situation to his advantage. Since double standards were the name of the new game, he decided that he would play double standards with a vengeance. Thus, we have a whole society living by trickery, betrayal and deception.

Greed knows no limit. And the power of the people to choose the leaders they want is seriously limited, therefore to hope for a ‘People’s Movement’ to cleanse Kerala politics appear to be wishful. In fact, coming up with any practical solution to the problems plaguing Kerala, and the Malayali, seems beyond human capability at the moment.

More Travails......Vehicle Pollution

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Parched Kerala!

2007-04-16T16:07:00.000+05:30

The summer is only just peaking – and Kerala is already in the grips of another potential drought. A land visited every year, without fail, by the precious rain bearing monsoon winds, a land blessed with hill ranges to obstruct these winds and produce copious rainfall, a land with 44 rivers and additional backwaters is yet again becoming parched and dry. As usual, about twice the average national rainfall has reached the sea, without being utilized in any manner whatsoever.

But do we really care? Are our polticians and bureaucrats concerned at all? The rainfall we continue to receive annually is more than enough to meet our needs, if utilized properly.We have our Irrigation Department , we have our Water Authority, we have our CWRDM, swarming with Engineers, Technologists and Scientists of all sizes and grades. Yes, we do organize seminars and talk at length about the need for harvesting rain, controlling pollution and so on and so forth. But talking will not provide results.The fact remains that after allowing a major portion of this God send rainfall, criminally unutilized, to reach the sea, we choose to worry about the water we should have got from a Mullaperiyar or a Cauvery. Perhaps, it is far better that these waters are indeed claimed by our neighbouring states - they will definitely be utilized to the last drop there.

All our rivers that once bore crystal clear water are now polluted beyond imagination.Organic wastes are shamelessly discharged into rivers. Most of our sewerages lead to rivers.Our rivers are still (barely) alive only because of the monsoon rains. It is estimated that one litre of the waste water in our drainages need 50 litres of clean water to be diluted to reasonable proportions. If we consider the quantity of polluted water, not subject to any purification whatsoever, discharged into our rivers, we can rest assured that not nearly enough water is available in our rivers in the summer to dilute these. Consequently, our rivers have lost their
capability to preserve life. The pollution of surface water ultimately leads to contamination of the sub surface water as well.

Why does the Malayali, who clamours for airports in every city not insist on drainage systems with waste processing plants, at least in the major cities? Why is everyone ignoring the fact that Kochi city, for example, is steadily becoming the equivalent of one huge septic tank? If this state of affairs continues scarcity of potable water will become a statewide phenomena in the very near future.

Even those areas in Kerala, experiencing severe water shortage now, actually receive an average yearly rainfall of 200 cm. This reveals our shortfalls in water management. Spoilt by the monsoon rains, we begin to think (again!) about water shortage only by January-February. By this time, however, a major share of the rainwater would have reached the sea. And then, we await the tanker lorries bearing water for our daily requirements. This ridiculous state of affairs has been continuing for about four decades now.

Measures have to be taken on a war footing to combat this situation. It is time we stopped laying the blame on the peculiar nature of the monsoon rains or our topography and seriously thought of a permanent solution to the droughts.Wide spread deforestation, sand mining, indiscriminate filling of wetlands and violent alterations in topography in the name of development have all led to a perceptible lowering of sub surface wate . The quantity of water available for the soil to absorb is very little now, resulting in the drying up of our wells and ponds, and decreasing the quantity of water and its flow in our rivers.

It is not enough to harvest rain water just to obtain drinking water. Rainwater harvesting is essential to raise the sub surface water level and to combat water pollution. The need of the hour is a multi faceted programme combining the maintenance of the wetlands, protection of our traditional water sources and scientific waste disposal. ‘Water availability’ consists of two components; i) the actual availability of water and ii) its quality. For ensuring availability, rain water has to be harvested and protected. To ensure quality, pollution has to be avoided at any cost.

Before starting any enterprise, the entreprueners (including the govt) must be ready to exploit to the full the locally available water sources. The Film Video Park at Kazhakootam (Thiruvanathapuram), Rubber park at Airapuram (Kochi), Ahalya foundation (Health Care city) at Kozhippara (Palghat), all fuction utilizing their very own water source. Among the projects currently underway, The Kinfra Industrial Park at Kakanad (Kochi, daily consumption – 5 lacs litres), Food Processing Park at Adoor (Kochi,10 lacs litres), Textile Park at Kanjikode ( Palakad,20 lacs litres) all ensure availability of water by tapping local water sources using modern technology. Such imaginative steps have ensured that these projects will not suffer from water shortage as long as the monsoon rains don’t stop.

Kerala’s water crisis can be solved to a large extent by scientific utilization of the monsoon rains and control of water pollution on a war footing. But it has to start now-we may have already left it too late!

Pollution threatens Kerala backwaters

Unchecked pollution of the Periyar river

More Travails..... Stagnation of a once proud land

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Sreesanth - Kerala cricket's great hope

2007-03-18T22:21:00.000+05:30

Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, born in Kothamangalam on Feb 6th 1983, is without doubt the best thing that has ever happened to Kerala cricket. Propelled to the national squad by an impressive performance in the Challenger series in 2005, he has taken international cricket by storm with his incisive pace bowling and aggressive attitude. He really came of age as an international fast bowler when he routed South Africa in the First Test at The Wanderers, with a match haul 8 for 99, and was instrumental in leading India to a historic Test win. That India still allowed South Africa to come from behind and take the series 2-1 is another matter-and certainly not the fault of Sreesanth, who bowled his heart out on the tour. Today, he is definitely the first choice to partner Zaheer Khan with the new ball in Test cricket.

However, Sreesanth is still not an automatic choice in the XI for One-Day Internationals –and with the number of ODI’s being played far outnumbering the Tests, a player appearing in the XI only in Test cricket can find himself sitting idle for prolonged periods. The lack of match practice can also lead to an erosion of confidence, which directly affects the performance in Tests.

Though Sreesanth has the happy knack of striking when needed, his tendency to concede too many runs in this aggressive quest for wickets is obviously the reason for his not being an automatic choice in the ODI eleven. He has to learn, in ODI’s, to restrict the scoring opportunities – which often leads to wickets anyway-, particularly at the death. He has already shown glimpses of his batting and fielding abilities. If he can achieve more consistency in these areas, and direct his natural aggression inwards to motivate himself to greater heights, there is no reason why he should not be the lynchpin of the Indian attack –in both forms of the game- for some years to come.

What Sreesanth needs to guard against, however, is letting himself be carried away with all the attention being lavished on him and his family, predictably, by the local media - print and visual. I am sure he is intelligent enough to realize that these very people,not really cricket savvy and who are already hailing him as the 'star’ of Indian cricket, will be quick to write him off the moment he loses form and his place in the Indian team. But, I am worried when I see him allowing his biography ( the guy has only started out on his international career, for heavens’ sake!) to be published in a so called ‘Sports Magazine’ in Malayalam. This same magazine, in its ‘analysis’ of the teams in the 2007 World Cup, have written off the New Zealanders –led by Stephen Fleming, currently the best captain on the international circuit- as one without a ‘game plan’! So much for its knowledge of the nuances of cricket.

Normally, biographies are brought out at the end of distinguished careers, but how would these new generation ‘sports journalists’ know that? And the antics and pronouncements of Sreesanth’s mother and other family members are absolutely irrelevant to cricket. The lady even went to the extent of expressing her relief that Robin Uthappa ( half Malayali, as our dailies constantly remind us ) was also in the team, since it gave her son somebody he could communicate with- surely, that was carrying matters too far! Thankfully, her son has already revealed his communication skills and is very much an integral part of the Indian team.

Sreesanth would do well to ignore all the hype and ‘stardom’ bestowed on him ( and his mother! ) and concentrate on his game and fitness. Fast bowling is hard work, especially with today's tight international schedule, and he has to try and avoid missing matches due to niggling injuries and subsequently losing his place in the team. A fast bowler’s career is relatively short as compared to a spinner or a batsman, and comebacks are harder to achieve ( remember Ashish Nehra, Balaji?).

And so, it is important that this impressive and highly promising cricketer from Kerala stays focussed. As far as hard toil and dedication to his craft is concerned, Sreesanth only has to look as far as Haryana for the ideal example to follow - Kapil Dev Nikhanj never missed an international match in his career due to injury. Of course, the difference today is the senseless increase in the number of matches-many of them meaningless- being played round the year.

Hopefully, our local media will also desist from continuing with their nauseating brand of ‘coverage’ and leave Sreesanth alone to concentrate on his cricket.

Career statistics
Test debut: India v England at Nagpur - Mar 1-5, 2006
Last Test played: South Africa v India at Cape Town - Jan 2-6, 2007
ODI debut: India v Sri Lanka at Nagpur - Oct 25, 2005
Last ODI played: India v Sri Lanka at Visakhapatnam - Feb 17, 2007
Only Twenty20 Int.: South Africa v India at Johannesburg - Dec 1, 2006

Bowling averages
Tests
Matches 8
Balls 1709
Runs conceded 961
Wkts 37
Best Bowling in an innings 5/40
Best Bowling in a match 8/99
Average 25.97

ODIs
Matches 27
Balls 1317
Runs conceded 1264
Wkts 35
Best Bowling in a match 6/55
Average 36.11
Economy Rate 5.75
Strike rate 37.62

First-class matches
Matches 34
Balls 6100
Runs 3341
Wkts 110
Best Bowling in an Innings 5/40
Average 30.37

Read much more about fascinating Kerala - her natural assets, achievments, famous sons, pressing issues and problems......

Cricket Ramblings

The Mullaperiyar Dam

2007-03-11T19:52:00.000+05:30

Name

• The name is derived from a combination of Mullayar and Periya. as the dam is located at the confluence of the Mullayar and Periyar Rivers.

History

• The structure was conceived by the British during the colonial rule to divert the waters of the west-flowing Periyar River eastwards, through the construction of a masonry dam, and taking the water from the reservoir through a tunnel cut across the water shed and Western Ghats to the arid rain shadow regions of Theni, Madurai , Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram Districts of Madras (now Tamil Nadu), then governed by the British.

• The Princely State of Travancore was forced to sign a treaty in 1886 in this regard to lease the dam site for 999 years to the then Madras government. The lease provided the British the rights over "all the waters" of the Mullaperiyar and its catchment, for an annual rent of Rs. 40,000.

• The dam was built by the British Army Engineering corps. The first dam was washed away by floods, and a second masonry dam was constructed in 1895.

Dispute

• The Government of Tamil Nadu has now proposed an increase in the storage level of the dam from the currently maintained 136 feet to 142 feet.
• The Kerala Government has opposed this move, citing safety concerns for the more than hundred year old dam and the thickly populated districts downstream.
Historical background of the dispute
• After Indian independence, the states were reorganised and the area surrounding the location of the dam was merged with Kerala State. Tamil Nadu continued to use the water from Periyar for extending irrigation facilities, and later for power generation on the basis of informal agreements between the governments of the two states.
• In 1970, the two governments signed a formal agreement to renew the 1886 treaty almost completely (this move on the part of Kerala Govt. can only be viewed as irresponsible and with absolutely no foresight) .
• The Idukki Hydroelectric project, located 30 km downstream of the dam, was completed in 1976 by the Kerala government, and is still the major resource for the irrigation and electricity needs of Kerala.
• After Independence the areas downstream of the Mullaperiyar had started to become heavily inhabited. In 1979, safety concerns were raised by Kerala Government subsequent to a minor earthquake, after which a few leaks were detected in the Mullaperiyar dam. A state agency had reported that the structure would not withstand an earthquake above magnitude 6 on the Richter scale.
• The then Tamil Nadu government lowered the storage level from 142.2 feet to the current 136 feet at the request of the Kerala Government to carry out safety repairs, after which it was suggested that the storage level could be raised to the full reservoir level of 152 feet.
• Meanwhile the storage levels in the new Idukki dam were not sufficient for the hydroelectric project to work to its full capacity due to insufficient inflow from its catchment areas.
• This, and the security concerns regarding the downstream inhabitants, especially in the wake of expert views that the area is an earthquake prone region, prompted Kerala to backtrack on the 1970 Agreement in 2000.
• Another valid argument put forward by Kerala on the basis of a study report by state agencies was that the increase in the storage level would result in the loss of habitat to the fauna of Periyar National Park, due to flooding.
• Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government had increased its withdrawal from the reservoir, with additional facilities, to cater to the increased demand from newly irrigated areas. It is estimated that the crop losses to Tamil Nadu, because of the reduction in the height of the dam, between 1980 and 2005 is a whopping Rs. 40,000 crores. In the process the farmers of the erstwhile rain shadow areas in Tamil Nadu, who had started a thrice yearly cropping pattern, had to go back to the bi-annual cropping.

Current status

• The dam and its surrounding areas are under the control of the government of Tamil Nadu. The Supreme Court of India has allowed for the storage level to be raised to the previously maintained 142 feet.
• A recent law promulgated by the Kerala government against increasing the storage level has been termed as ‘unconstitutional’ by the Supreme Court of India.
• But so far Kerala has not objected to giving water to Tamil Nadu. Their main objection today concerns the dam’s safety as it is now more than100 years old. Increasing the level would only add to more pressure on the already leaking structure. It is painfully obvious that the people of Kerala are now paying for the foolhardiness of their earlier governments in continuing to assume that i) the structure would survive for 999 years and ii) the state’s water and power needs would never be affected by the diversion of all the precious water to Tamil Nadu .

Update

Read much more about fascinating Kerala - her natural assets, achievments, famous sons, pressing issues and problems......

Boating Tragedy

2007-02-28T12:17:00.000+05:30

20th February 2007

A pleasure cruise, in the Bhoothathankettu reservoir near the Thattekkad bird sanctuary in Ernakulam district, turned into a nightmare for the 106 children and staff members of the St.Antony's School, Elavoor (Angamaly), when one of the three boats capsized at around 6 p.m., drowning 15 hapless students and three lady teachers.

A shell-shocked Kerala watched in horror as the channels beamed heartrending scenes of the disaster. Rescue efforts were hampered by the encircling darkness and absence of emergency lights.

It is intriguing how the school party were allowed to continue the cruise beyond the prescribed deadline of 6 p.m, and that too in three makeshift fiber ‘boats’. The boat owner cum driver is reportedly absconding.

Typically, the Kerala Government, in all its collective wisdom, has announced that guidelines will soon be issued to schools for conducting excursions. Once again, a case of acting after the inevitable has happened, instead of preventing it!

Updates

Boat licensing in God's country - a bad joke!
28th February, 2007

In Kerala, as many as four government departments are authorized to inspect and grant license to water transport vehicles. Make any sense? Fishing boats are the lookout of the Fisheries department, while vehicles using the inland waterways are the responsibility of the Irrigation department. All these vehicles require licensing from the Harbour department as well. And, apart from all these, the Motor Vehicles Dept. also grants licence. Quite predictably, there exists no system for following up or monitoring the performances of these vehicles. None of these departments check whether these boats renew their licences as prescribed, or whether they continue to be water worthy. Even while the importance of water transport in this tourist state is on the increase, safety in this department remains the last priority for the authorities. Indications are that almost 90 % of the vehicles are plying without proper licence, and these include government vehicles used in the tourism sector!

Though water disasters are not uncommon in Kerala, with its waterways and long coastline, safety measures are almost non existent in this area. The lack of rescue expertise in the Police, Fire service and Marine enforcement departments, almost always leave the Navy and Coastguard as the last resorts. And we know what transpired when the Navy was approached during the Thattekkad mishap. They waited more than an hour for the ‘official’ vehicle to load their equipment and take them to the accident site. Later, they ‘clarified’ that it was a search operation which they conducted, not a rescue operation ( so the delay was not relevant ). That clarification would have meant a lot to the bereaved parents, I am sure!

Forensic report
01st March 2007

Forensic reports revealed that monstrous overloading led to the boat disaster, which took 18 precious lives, in the Bhoothathaankettu reservoir on 20th February.
Squeezing in 60 people( mostly children ) into the boat with a capacity of 6 – yes, six- led to the boat tilting and taking in water from the sides. The overturning was hastened when the children panicked at the sight of the leak and rushed to one side of the boat, points out the report by the Forensic Asst.Director. The boat was made of low quality material, and lifeboats were conspicuous by their absence. But…yes, it carried a licence - how, and why, is left entirely to the readers’ imagination!

Houseboat industry faces crisis
5th March 2007

After 15 merry years of uncontrolled growth, the houseboat industry in Alappuzha, in Kerala, which attracts tourists in large numbers and provides jobs to the unemployed youth of Kuttanad, now finds itself confronting some unpleasant truths.

Though a good number of houseboats plying in this area are well maintained and operated, there are several others without valid licence or licensed crew. The Thattekad boat disaster (though it did not involve a houseboat) has brought this unsavoury aspect into sharp focus. Altough there have been no major accidents involving houseboats as yet, incidents have been reported,of late,of ill-maintained houseboats sinking while carrying tourists. Needless to say, Kerala can ill afford another boating tragedy.

Emergence of the houseboat industry as a profitable business have attracted big business groups to this field, and a large number of professionally managed houseboats, excelling star hotels in quality, have been launched.

Unfortunately, several unscrupulous elements also entered the fray, trying to make easy money by deceiving the gullible tourist.They are aided by unlicensed tour guides, who pounce upon the unsuspecting tourists at the railway and bus stations.

At present, about 350 houseboats operate in Kuttanad, and more than 20 'new' boats are launched every year. Predictably, the functioning of the District Tourism Promotion Council is not geared towards controlling the unhealthy practices in the houseboat tourism sector. And the tourism police, with inadequate staff and facilities, are ill equipped for the task. Absence of tariff regulation leads to fleecing of the tourists by cut-throat houseboat owners during the peak season.

A recent inspection- which is not a regular affair, by any means-revealed that around 40% of the houseboats inspected did not comply with the stipulations. Fines were duly imposed, but you can bet that they will be back on their merry waterway in due course, with no significant improvements. That is Kerala for you, tourism or no tourism!

More Snippets.........Taking back Munnar

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Dr.K.J.Yesudas

2007-02-12T15:56:00.000+05:30

When it comes to Malayalam film songs,it is no exaggeration to state that there is Yesudas - and then there are all the others! He took singing to a different level and set standards impossible for his successors to come even close.

Born in Fort Kochi as the son of Augustine Joseph-himself a well known Malayalam classical musician and stage actor- Kattassery Joseph Yesudas has weaved magic, with his inimitable voice, over generations. He joined the Music Academy in Thrippunithura and won a gold medal for music at a local competition in Fort Kochi at age seven! He was trained by Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar,one of the senior most performers of the time in Classical Music.This training, abruptly cut short by the guru's demise in 1974, was really the rock on which this illustrious career was built. He did not wish to tie himself down to Carnatic music and combined Hindustani and Carnatic music styles in all their enchanting varieties.

His first song as playback singer was for the Malayalam filom 'Kalpadukal'. From there, this 'voice from the heavens' proceeded to conquer everything before it, with hit songs after hit songs stirring the very soul of Keralites. The 60's and 70's were the golden period for Malayalam film songs, when people in Kerala were priveleged enough to experience the magic of Yesudas, composers Vayalar and P.Bhaskaran and music maestros Baburaj, Devarajan, Dakshinamoorthy and Salil Chowdhury at their peak. The combination of the accomplished actor Prem Nazir and Yesudas took the Malayalam cinema industry of the seventies by storm and has passed into the legends.

In the 80's, Yesudas paired with Raveendran, M.G.Radhakrishnan, Jerry Amaldev and Johnson to keep producing memorable songs. Simultaneously, he delivered effortless hits in Tamil too, with music directors like Ilayaraja, A.R.Rahman and Gangai Amaran. He has won the Tamil Nadu state award for the best playback singer eight times! Add to these his lilting Hindi numbers and numerous devotional songs and bhajans in various languages,one can begin to know what the name K.J.Yesudas means to the average Malayali!

His soul stirring voice lends itself effortlessly to all genres - be it classical, devotional or popular songs.Yesudas has recorded more than 40,000 songs in almost all Indian languages, Russian, Arabic, Latin and English. National award winner for the best playback singer an awesome seven times, he is also the recepient of the Padmashree(1973) and Padmabhushan (2002).

He has sung in almost all Indian language films except Assamese and Kashmiri, and
performed in almost all the major cities of the world. In his music concerts at Middle East he performs Arabic songs in Carnatic style. He also dons the role of cultural ambassador of India through his numerable performances abroad, promoting Indian Music. He is the only one singer who has the title 'Asthana Gayakan' (Official singer) of Kerala State.

In 1965, he was invited by the Soviet Union government to perform at music concerts in various cities in the U.S.S.R and sang a Russian song over Radio Kazakhstan! In 1970 he was nominated to head the Sangeetha Nataka Academy of Kerala, the youngest person ever to occupy the office. In 1971, Yesudas with his musical troupe travelled around Kerala to raise funds for the Indian Prime Minister's National Defence Fund during the Indo-Pakistani War. He also became Senate member in the International Parliament for Safety and Peace, an organization incorporated in the USA. On November 14, 1999, Yesudas was presented an honorary award by UNESCO for "Outstanding Achievements in Music and Peace" at the "Music for Peace" event in Paris, a concert held to mark the dawn of the new millennium and whose attendees included artistes such as Lionel Richie, Ray Charles, Montserrat Caballé and Zubin Mehta.

Even today, his voice-especially his songs of the golden era- bonds Keralites, spread the world over, to their home land, awakening in their hearts a yearning for home which is not easy to describe.

Titles, Honours and Major Awards

* Padma Bhushan by President of India in 2002.
* Padma Shri by President of India in 1973.
* Doctrate by Annamalai University , Tamil Nadu in 1989.
* D.Litt by Kerala University , Kerala in 2003.
* Asthana Gayakan ( Official Singer ) by Government of Kerala
* Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1992.
* Asthana Vidwan ( Official Teacher ) by Udupi, Sringeri and Raghavendra mutts.
* Sangeetha Sagaram ( Music Ocean ) in 1989.
* Sangeetha Chakravarthy ( Music Emperor ) in 1988 by Pallavi Narasimachary
* Sangeetha Raja ( Music King ) by Chembai in 1974.
* Sangeetha Ratna ( Music Jewel ) by Lt. Governor of Pondicherry M.M. Lakhera
* Swathi Ratnam( Swathi Jewel )
* Sapthagiri Sangeetha Vidwanmani in 2002.
* Bhakti Sangita Geetha Sironmani in 2002.
* Gaana Gandharva.
* Geetanjali Award. by The ex-president of India Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
* Sur Shringar Samsad Award. in 1976.
* Kalaimamani Award by Government of Tamil Nadu.
* Star of India Award by Lt. Governor of Pondicherry M.M. Lakhera
* National Citizens Award in 1994
* Mar Gregorius awrd Governor RL Bhatia in 2006
* The `Annual Latha Mangeshkar Award by Government of Madhya Pradesh in 1992.
* Dr Pinnamaneni and Seethadevi Foundation Award in 2000.
* Senate member in the International Parliament for Safety and Peace, an organization incorporated in the U.S.A.
* An Honorary award for "Outstanding Achievements in Music and Peace” by UNESCO in 1999
* National Film Awards Seven times for the best Playback singer by Government of India
* State Film awards Twenty three times for the best Playback singer by Government of Kerala
* State Film awards Eight times for the best Playback singer by Government of Tamil Nadu
* State Film awards Five Times for the best Playback singer by Government of Karnataka
* State Film awards Five times for the best Playback singer by Government of Andra Pradesh
* State Film awards One time for the best Playback singer by Government of West Bengal

K.J.Yesudas's website

More famous sons.......P.T.Usha

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E.Sreedharan

2007-02-12T15:42:00.000+05:30

How many people in Delhi - or, for that matter, Kerala know a man called Elattuvalappil Sreedharan? He is 70, and logically should have retired a long time ago with enough achievements to boast about to his grandchildren.

But E.Sreedharan is still going strong,and has to his eternal credit the feat of having built the Konkan Railway, which dramatically reduced the Mumbai-Kochi distance by one third. The ‘expert’ opinion had been that the project was not feasible from the physical, economical as well as the environmental perspective. There were PILs filed, processions taken out. Sreedharan defied them all and built India’s first, genuine railway project of any notable size after the British.

He did not stop there. Everybody laughed when plans to build a metro rail in Delhi were announced. The chaos even a small, one-line metro in Kolkata had caused for a decade and a half were common knowledge. But Sreedharan took up the project, which is now progressing ahead of schedule and without making a tenth of the mess the construction of an ordinary flyover creates in Delhi.With the Delhi Metro, Sreedharan has created a system that is a technological marvel as well as an example of successful corporate culture.

This unwavering dedication and focus are qualities that go back to his childhood in Chattanur, Palakkad. The quest for excellence came naturally to Sreedharan. In school, he would vie with T.N. Seshan, the former Chief Election Commissioner of India,to come first in class. He later studied at the Victoria College in Palghat and then graduated as an engineer from the Government Engineering College, Kakinada (now JNTU). After a short tenure as a lecturer in Civil engineering at the Kerala Polytechnic in Kozhikode and a year at the Bombay Port Trust as an apprentice, he joined the Indian Railways in its Service of Engineers. This was through a nation-wide selection procedure and his first assignment was in the Southern Railway as a Probationary Assistant Engineer in December 1954. He first came to the limelight in 1963 as a 31 year old executive engineer of the Southern Railway, restoring the Pamban bridge connecting the Rameshwaram island with mainland Tamil Nadu, which had given way under a lashing tidal wave. The Railways set a target of six months for the bridge to be repaired while Sreedharan's boss, under whose jurisdiction the bridge came, reduced it to three months. Sreedharan was put in-charge of the execution and he restored the bridge in 46 days! The Railway minister's Award was given to him in recognition of this achievement.

In 1970, as the Deputy Chief Engineer, he was put in charge of implementation, planning and design of the Calcutta metro, the first ever metro in India. Cochin Shipyard launched Rani Padmini, the first ship it built, when he was its Chairman and Managing Director (CMD). He retired from Indian Railways in 1990.

Though he retired, the Government was reluctant to let go of his services and Sreedharan was appointed the CMD of Konkan Railway on contract in 1990. Under his stewardship, the company executed its mandate in seven years. The project was unique in many respects. It was the first major project in India to be undertaken on a BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) basis; the organisation structure was different from that of a typical Indian Railway set-up; the project had 93 tunnels along a length of 82 km and involved tunneling through soft soil. The total project covered 760 km and had over 150 bridges. That a public sector project could be completed without significant cost and time overruns was considered an astounding achievement by many.

Sreedharan was not through yet. He was made the managing director of Delhi Metro and by mid-2005, all the scheduled sections were completed by their target date or before and within their respective budgets. Sreedharan was given the sobriquet of 'Metro Man' by the media. In 2005, he was awarded the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) by the government of France. He had announced that he would retire by the end of 2005, but his tenure has been extended by another three years to oversee the completion of the second phase of Delhi Metro.

Success and virtue- a rare combination in today's world. But they run side by side in Sreedharan's life - like rail tracks.

Awards and accolades

* Railway Minister's Award (1963)
* Padma Shri by the Government of India (2001)
* Man of the Year by The Times of India (2002)
* Shri Om Prakash Bhasin Award for professional excellence in engineering (2002)
* CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) Juror's Award for leadership in infrastructure development (2002-03)
* One of Asia's Heroes by TIME (2003)
* AIMA (All India Management Association) award for Public Service Excellence (2003)
* Degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris causa) from IIT Delhi.
* Bharat Shiromani award from the Shiromani Institute, Chandigarh (2005)
* Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) by the government of France (2005)

"I don’t budge just to please somebody else" -interview with Indian Express Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta, 18 November 2003

TIME Magazine: Asian Heroes - Elattuvalapil Sreedharan

Konkan Rail in E Sreedharan's words

More famous sons.... Dr.K.J.Yesudas

Read much more about fascinating Kerala - her natural assets, achievments, famous sons, pressing issues and problems......

Dr.Kasturirangan

2006-12-31T13:08:00.000+05:30

Born on October 24, 1940 in Ernakulam district, Dr. Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan was one of the pioneers who were instrumental in boosting India’s space programme to dizzy heights.

Presently Honourable Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Dr.Rangan was earlier the Director of ISRO Satellite Centre. Here, he supervised the activities related to the development of new generation spacecraft INSAT-2 and IRS-1A &1B, as well as scientific satellites. He was the Project Director of India’s first two experimental earth observation satellites, BHASKARA-1 & II, and was responsible for overall direction of the first operational Indian Remote Sensing Satellite, IRS-1A. Under his leadership as Chairman, ISRO witnessed several major milestones including the successful launching and operation of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the first successful flight testing of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). Dr. Rangan has also overseen the design, development and launching of the world’s best civilian satellites. These efforts have placed India as a pre-eminent member among the handful of nations having major space programmes.

Dr.Kasturirangan graduated in Science with Honours, and obtained his Master of Science degree in Physics, from Bombay University. He received his Doctorate Degree in Experimental High Energy Astronomy in 1971, working at the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad.

As an Astrophysicist, Dr.Kasturirangan's interest included research in high energy X-ray and gamma ray astronomy as well as optical astronomy. He has made extensive and significant contributions to studies of Cosmic x-ray sources, celestial gamma-ray and effect of cosmic x-rays in the lower atmosphere.

Dr. Kasturirangan is a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy and National Academy of Sciences of India. He is also a member of the International Astronomical Union and the International Academy of Astronautics. Dr. Rangan has been conferred Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan besides several other prestigious awards. He has published more than 200 papers on astronomy, space science and space applications. For good measure, he has also served as Secretary to the Govt. of India in the Department of Space before laying down his office on August 27, 2003.

Dr.Kasturirangan has chaired some of the most prestigious international committees, such as the International Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), Panel for Space Research in Developing countries of COSPAR/ICSU, and the committee meeting at senior official level of UN-ESCAP, that led to the adoption of the "Delhi Declaration" by the Ministers of the region (1999-2000). He is also the Chairman of the Governing Board of the UN Centre for Space Science & Technology Education (UN-CSSTE), of the Board of Governors of IIT Chennai, of the Governing Council of the Raman Research Institute and Research Council of the National Aerospace Laboratory. He has won several awards including Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Engineering, Shri Hari Om Ashram Dr.Vikram Sarabhai Prerit Award in Aerospace, M.P.Birla Memorial Award in Astronomy, Shri M.M.Chugani Memorial Award in Applied Science, H.K.Firodia Award in Science Technology, Rathindra Puraskar by Visvabharati, Santiniketan, Dr.M.N.Saha Birth Centenary Medal for outstanding contributions in the field of Space.

Space Technology Can Help Ailing Agri Sector: Kasturirangan

26 January 2007

Calling for a national policy to use remote sensing to help agriculture sector, former ISRO Chairman K Kasturirangan said space technology can be used to improve land productivity. There is an alarming situation in agriculture production. But space technologies can be used to improve land productivity, he said while inaugurating a national symposium on Application of Space Technologies for Agricultural Development here.

Later talking to reporters, he said a national policy is needed to use remote sensing for agriculture and disaster management.

"ISRO has very well developed prototypes and the capabilities have been demonstrated but it is now for the concerned ministries to integrate them and put them to use," Kasturirangan, who is also Director of the Institute of Advanced Studies, said.

"This is not the job of ISRO but concerned ministries which can pick up threads of these prototypes and put them to use," he opined.

There are several dimensions for the use of space technologies and we are looking at facilitators of agriculture like land, water, seeds etc, he said.

Currently, ISRO in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture has made a facility to predict harvest of 14 crops using space technology.

Centres have been established in state and district levels with the facility, Forecasting Agriculture Production through Space Agro Meteorology and Land (FASAL).

More crops are now being considered to be brought under FASAL, Kasturirangan added.

Dr.Kasturirangan's biodata at ISRO

India's Space Enterprise : A Case Study in Strategic Thinking and Planning -Dr. Kasturirangan's 2006 Narayanan Oration at the Australia South Asia Research Centre (ASARC)

More famous sons......E.Sreedharan

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Kollam

2006-12-16T12:08:00.000+05:30

exploring the diverse attractions this picturesque state has on offer to the discerning tourist

District Area - 2491 sq.km
District Population - 25,84,118 (2001 census)
Altitude - sea level
Climate - Tropical
Rainfall (avg) - 270 cm
Tourist season - Aug to March

Kollam ( formerly Quilon ), another coastal district located 71 km from Thiruvananthapuram, is quite important for Kerala's trade and commerce and is the centre of India's cashew trading and processing industry. In fact, in 2004-05, Kollam generated 70 % of India's export earning (Rs. 2717 crores) from the cashew industry. It is an important hub, as well, for Kerala's marine products industry, with the port of Neendakara being the centre for trawlers and ice plants.

For all its natural gifts of rivers, hills and forests,lakes and plains, there is the throb of vibrant industrial activity that combines the wonders of the modern age with the nostalgic traces of a bygone era, complete with its interesting historic remnants and a number of temples built in the traditional ornate architectural style.

30% of this historic town is covered by the renowned Ashtamudi Lake, making it the gateway to the magnificent backwaters of Kerala. The eight hour trip between Kollam and Alappuzha is the longest- and most spectacular- backwater cruise in Kerala.

Important destinations

Ochira

The tourist is in for a surprise as soon as he enters the premises of the Ochira Temple, situated on the way from Kollam to Alappuzha.

A striking feature of this temple is that unlike the traditional temples, which have a definitive structural layout and mode of worship, the temple at Ochira does not have a proper structure or an idol for the visitors to worship. The whole concept of worship revolves around the Parabrahmam or the universal consciousness. This unique temple setting itself is a big attraction to hundreds of visitors coming to the temple everyday, irrespective of their religious faith.

The temple is also known as 'Dakshina Kashi 'and a unique offering to the temple is in the form of bulls. Another interesting aspect in connection with the temple is the annual festival called 'Ochira Kali', where men, both young and old, step into waterlogged paddy fields and indulge in mock fights, exhibiting their physical skills .

More destinations.......

More travel and sightseeing.....Kottayam

Kerala Tourism - the official website

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Kerala celebrates 50th birth anniversary

2006-11-01T20:08:00.000+05:30

Kerala, the tiny strip of land on India’s southern tip, celebrates its fiftieth birth anniversary today - definitely an occasion on which any keralite can look back with pride. Tourists to the state this year can get a taste of the joyous mood the people are in.

These 50 years have been a crucial phase in the overall development of this picteresque state. A solid foundation has been laid during this period, on which a prosperous Kerala can be built in the coming years. The path forward is inviting but, at the same time, quite thorny.

It has to be remembered at this juncture, with no little pride, that many of the architects of India’s development and progress over the last 50 years have been provided by this little state.This is the land which empowered women with voting rights even before many European countries. Excellence in arts and culture and innovative experiments on the political front have served to focus world attention on Kerala and add to its prestige. Land reforms, farmers’ pension, hundred percent literacy are all multicoloured feathers in its cap.

However, this moment of celebration has to be a moment of introspection as well. Only a society which realizes its mistakes can look to move forward. In today’s highly competitive environment, even minor blunders can set back progress considerably.The huge slump in agriculture and traditional industries is a real cause for concern. It is high time fresh enterprise is launched in keeping with the modern times. Much more hard work is essential to maintain our excellence in health and education. Kerala, but for the political demonstrations, used to be known for its peaceful environment. But today, the ‘underworld’ seems to be making its presence felt in no uncertain terms in the state.

The next twenty years are probably more crucial to Kerala than the fifty it has passed. In this age of globalization and ‘cyberization ‘, we have in front of us a very tough task. To meet competition head on, a total revamp of the system is inevitable in every field, not the least education and agriculture. We have to aim for economical and social development while at the same time preserving our cultural heritage. Ideological and religious differences should never be allowed to be a hindrance to this quest. There is no harm in dreaming fondly about a prosperous, happy and peaceful society, provided we are prepared to toil hard towards realizing that dream.

The Prime minister, in Kerala to grace its 50th anniversary celebrations, today promised the state a special package to revive the crisis-ridden plantation and traditional industry sectors. He also assured the state of all help from the Centre in turning the Vizhinjam harbour, Vallarpadam container terminal and LNG terminal projects into reality. Other assurances from him, which augurs well for the state, are

Indian Institute of Science and Indian Institute of Technology to be established in the state.

Central aid for developing the basic infrastructure of Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi cities

A fourth International airport , in Kannur , and renovation of Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram airports

It is upto the State Government and its Members of Parliament to ensure that these promises do not remain just that - promises!

Ayurveda - an integral part of Kerala Tourism

2006-10-30T16:55:00.000+05:30

Ayurveda is the most ancient of India’s health sciences, developed over the centuries by the sages through painstaking research. ‘Ayurveda’ translates into ‘knowledge of life’, and teaches us not only to cure diseases but also how to ward off illness by leading a healthy life – healthy in the physical as well as mental sense.

Only from very keen observation of nature and life, for hundreds of years, could such a life science have been formulated. Its approach is totally holistic in nature, treating man as a whole and caring equally for his physical, mental and spiritual health.

It can safely be asserted that, today, Kerala is the only State in India which practises this traditional system of medicine with absolute dedication.In fact, it is today a Rs. 6500 crore industry and growing at a rate of eight percent annually! Kerala's equable climate, natural abundance of forests with a wealth of herbs and medicinal plants , and the cool monsoon season (June - November) are ideally suited for Ayurveda's curative and restorative packages.Today, Ayurveda is very much an integral part of Kerala tourism.

Ayurveda breaks down the human body into three fundamental elements
Doshas – representing the physio-chemical and physiological activities of the body
Dhatu – denoting the materials forming the basic structure of a body cell
Malas – representing the substances which are partly used in the body and partly excreted after serving their physiological purpose.

The role of the physician is to comprehend the imbalance, if any, that has occurred to the dynamic equilibrium of these three elements and take measures for its correction. The physical and mental co-operation of the patient, in making the necessary changes in his lifestyle and food habits, is essential to restore the dynamic balance to the body.

Ayurveda lays special emphasis on prevention of diseases, describing vividly the signs and symptoms by which the illness can be foreseen and preventive steps taken. It also lays down instructions on how to live, in perfect health, in different climactic conditions.
Ayurveda believes that the health of a man is influenced to a great degree by his environment and teaches us how to make changes to our daily and seasonal routines according to age, sex and environment. These routines include diet and the general attitude towards life. Ayurveda also has a separate branch – ‘Rasayana’, to maintain youth and vitality.

Traditional texts reveal that the monsoon is the best season for rejuvenation programmes. The atmosphere remains dust-free and cool, opening the pores of the body to the maximum, making it most receptive to herbal oils and therapy.

A word of caution to the tourist, though – make your choice of treatment centre with utmost caution and after careful scrutiny; ensure that it is a licensed institution, since numerous centres have sprung up lately with the sole intention of making a fast buck. You may end up getting treatment – and a big hole in your pocket – there, but rest assured it will not be a strictly ‘Ayurvedic’ one. On the other hand, the genuine centres provide great value for money and you will return home a totally different and rejuvenated person!

Thiruvananthapuram - the capital

2006-10-08T20:11:00.000+05:30

exploring the diverse attractions this picturesque state has on offer to the discerning tourist

District Area - 2192 sq.km
Population - 32,34,707 (2001 census)
Altitude - Sea level
Tourist Season - September to May
Annual Rainfall - 170 cm (avg)

Located at the southwestern tip of India, Thiruvananthapuram district is bounded by the Arabian Sea on the west and Tamil Nadu on the east. The wooded highlands on the Western Ghats in the eastern and northeastern borders provide Thiruvananthapuram with some of the most enchanting picnic spots. A sprawling shoreline with renowned beaches, historic monuments, backwater stretches and a rich cultural heritage are its much sought after features

Important destinations

Kovalam Beach

Located 16 km from the city, Kovalam is an internationally renowned beach with three adjacent crescent beaches. It has been a favourite haunt of tourists, especially Europeans, since the 1930s. A massive rocky outcrop on the beach has created a beautiful bay of calm waters ideal for sea bathing. The leisure options at this beach are plenty and diverse- sunbathing (the tropical sun acts so fast that one can see the faint blush of coppery tan on the skin in a matter of minutes), swimming, herbal body toning massages, special cultural programmes, catamaran cruising etc. Life on the beach begins late in the day and carries on well into the night. The beach complex includes a string of budget cottages, ayurvedic health resorts, convention facilities, shopping zones, swimming pools, yoga centres etc. September to March is the ideal period to visit, though it is an all year destination.

Varkala

Located 51 km north of Thiruvananthapuram city, Varkala is a calm and quiet hamlet. It has several places of tourist interests like a beautiful beach, a 2000 year old Vishnu temple and 'Sivagiri Mutt" - the ashramam- a little distance from the beach. At the serene Varkala beach is a quiet sea resort rich in mineral water springs. A dip in the holy waters at this beach is believed to purge the body of impurities and the soul of all sins. A two thousand year old shrine, the Janardhanaswamy Temple , stands on the cliffs overlooking the beach, a short distance away. The Sivagiri Mutt, founded by the great Hindu reformer and Philosopher Sree Narayana Guru (1856 - 1928) is also close by. The Samadhi (the final resting place) of the Guru here attracts thousands of devotees every year during the Sivagiri Pilgrimage days - 30th December to 1st January. Varkala offers excellent accommodation facilities for the tourist and is fast becoming a popular health resort.

More destinations........

More travel and sightseeing....Kollam

Kerala Tourism - the official site

Read much more about fascinating Kerala - her natural assets, achievments, famous sons, pressing issues and problems......