New legal strategy

#New #legal strategy

When we see the confidence of those who provide legal advice to the government, we wonder if our legal system is still only on books. If the verdict is not acceptable, cast doubt on the judge herself, declare the court biased, and then push it all to the public under the label of 'legal advice': If this is the new legal strategy, the appellate courts could have been closed and Facebook posts would have been enough.

What legal sense is there in preparing a public charge sheet against the judge who pronounced the verdict in the actress assault case, even though it is said that there is serious evidence, avoiding the appeal, which is the only legal avenue to examine it? If it is the court's fault that the evidence was rejected, then it should be proven within the court, not in channels and on the streets.

Forgetting the fact that the Supreme Court has already taken a clear stand on the memory card issue, raising the same card again as a political slogan is not a legal battle, but a mockery of the law.  It would be good to look back at the history of how many cases the government has lost so far on the basis of such ‘legal advice’

There are only three months left before this govt. leave power. So why not stop the practice of challenging the legal system? Otherwise, the government will end up answering not to the courts but to the people themselves; in the face of court indifference and widespread ridicule.

- K. A. Solaman

Man-made disaster

#Man-made #Disaster

Kerala is staring at a man-made public health disaster, and the state government’s evasive posture on rabies control is nothing short of administrative apathy. The surge in dog bites and rabies deaths is not an unavoidable phenomenon but the direct outcome of policy paralysis.

Animal Birth Control (ABC), repeatedly showcased as a magic solution, has demonstrably failed on the ground, yet the government clings to it as a convenient alibi for inaction. Local bodies pleading lack of funds is an insult to public intelligence. Kerala’s decentralised system is flush with resources when it comes to festivals, publicity, and political pet projects. 

When human lives are at stake, suddenly the exchequer runs dry. The Human Rights Commission’s intervention itself is a damning indictment of the government’s non-cooperation and inability to prioritise citizens’ right to life over ideological posturing.

The hypocrisy becomes starker when so-called animal welfare arguments are selectively weaponised. Moral outrage over stray dogs rings hollow in a state where thousands of buffaloes, pigs, chicks, and ducks are slaughtered daily without triggering similar activism. Public health cannot be held hostage to selective compassion or noisy pressure groups.

 Equally disturbing are persistent allegations of vested interests thriving on the endless cycle of bites, vaccines, and panic, turning human suffering into a lucrative marketplace. Against this backdrop, the government’s claim that it is “difficult to find land” for shelters is laughable. Land is readily found for commercial projects, party offices, and tourism ventures, but mysteriously vanishes when it comes to saving lives. 

This is not a logistical problem; it is a crisis of political will. Kerala urgently needs decisive action viz. scientific population control, effective sheltering, strict accountability, and above all, a government that stops dodging responsibility while rabies spreads unchecked.

-K A Solaman

Venezuela Protest Exercises

#Venezuela #Protest #Exercises

The pro-Venezuelan protests seen in Kerala are scenes that even cross the boundaries of political drama. While in many parts of the world, the Venezuelan people themselves are taking to the streets against the dictatorial regime of Nicolas Maduro, here some are trying to whitewash the communist regime by raising the outdated slogan of “American occupation”. 

It is not America that has pushed a country that used to be overflowing with oil wealth into famine and currency depreciation, but it is the failure of Maduro’s communist regime. These comrades, who are not ready to accept the fact that a box full of currency is needed to buy a chicken egg, are more enslaved to ideology than to reality. The cry of “democracy is in danger” when the police stopped the CPI(M) protest in Bengaluru, and the silence when they are allowed to do whatever they want in Kerala is evidence of double standards.

 In fact, these Venezuela protests are a smokescreen to hide the corruption and failures of governance that are currently being discussed in Kerala. It is not only the need of America to end the drug trade that is competing with countries like Colombia and Mexico and the regime that is starving the people; it is the moral obligation of the world community. It is completely irresponsible to condemn such an act and to take to the streets here in support of a defeated communist regime. 

Like the question of where the comrade' "karanbhoot" will go for treatment, what is the ethical basis for these protests remains an unanswered question. Such unnecessary protests to divert people's attention from the real problems in Kerala deserve strong condemnation. 

- K A Solaman

Development magic

#DevelopmentMagic

When we hear the news that 22,469 enterprises and half a million jobs have been created in the last nine months, we might think that Kerala has suddenly become a mini Silicon Valley. But if one looks into the details of the figures, he will see that most of the start-ups there are thattukadas, papada stalls, dosamav shops, fish stalls, and pancharotikkal centers. When all the shops that open in the morning and close in the evening, and may not be seen tomorrow if the rent increases, are “new enterprises”, it is easy to count the job opportunities. 

If two people work in the shop on the day the shop opens, two jobs; if the shop closes the next day? That does not appear in the figures at all. This is how entrepreneurship sometimes soars in the figures and ends up by the wayside in reality. 

It is no coincidence that such news is repeated more when elections are approaching.  This is the usual practice in the script of development, with project figures on one side and salary hike announcements on the other. The announcement is grand, but the question of where and how the money will be provided is unanswered. Sometimes it seems that the intention is to let the next government, once it assumes power, be burdened by these announcements. It is a kind of political strategy to make promises without the money to implement them and say, “We announced them, they did not implement them.” 

Thus, when the ruling party plays a comedy during the election season by combining figures and announcements, the public is confused whether to applaud or cry

But it is more likely that the people will directly question the truth of the script behind the scenes during the election.

-K. A. Solaman

Belated Realisation

#Belated #realization

The ‘Nava Kerala Study Program’ conducted by the government by sending 85,000 volunteers door to door is just another political exercise to hide the failure of the administration. The fact that those who claim to have created ‘Nava Kerala’ during their nine and a half years in power are once again coming to learn about Nava Kerala exposes the hollowness of that claim. 

The fact that they travelled in a Nava Kerala bus with food and drink, demolished school walls, held meetings, and discussed only with the civic leaders, ignoring the common people, but could not reach any decision is proof of this. It was only after realizing the setback in the local body elections that the realization that ‘the matter will be resolved only if the common people are involved’ came. But that was a very late realization.

The people, who have been suffering from the embezzlement of the Chief Minister and others, mockingly remember the full form  “Mulak Vellam” when they hear the name ‘MV’. Isn’t he the owner of the chili water?  The common people are not mentally retarded because of such hatred.

It is a common swindle that leaves people in two squads in a single panchayat ward. This is a common swindle that has no productivity. The reason why people take this kind of work is because of the belief of a few people that if they do such work, they will get a government job through the back door in a state where PSC is being looked down upon.

While development activities are lying like a broken floating bridge, crores of rupees have been lost in most projects due to the government's incompetence. Before going to the houses to assess the development and declare a New Kerala, the government should first examine how the patience and trust of the people have been broken.

The New Kerala Volunteers should also be warned not to get their heads wet with Chili water

-KA Solaman

Freedom of Art Should not be an insult

#FreedomofArt #should not be an insult.

The controversial image included in the Suvarna Keralam lottery ticket is evidence of the irresponsible approach of the government agencies. It is not possible to escape by saying that releasing an image that resembles religious symbols through the public system when it is clear that the sentiments of believers will be hurt.

If even images prepared by institutions including the Lalitha Kala Akademi are used without any verification, it is a systemic failure. The government's failure to detect hidden agendas that insult beliefs under the guise of "freedom of art" is a serious failure. It is unlikely that the public will accept the argument that this is not deliberate.

There is a strong suspicion that such incidents are repeated because some people are acting secretly and are receiving the tacit consent of the government. An approach that takes blasphemy lightly will only create unrest and polarization in the society.

If today there is an image that is accused of being a Hindu symbol, tomorrow there will be controversies targeting other religions as well.  Therefore, it is imperative to identify the people behind the picture and the officials who approved it and take strict action. Otherwise, the government that claims to be secular will become a mechanism that hurts the minds of believers and will lead to serious political and social consequences.

-K. A. Solaman

(The picture given here is not from the lottery ticket)

#VB-G RAM G #MustSupport

VBG RAM G Scheme is a scheme conceived with the aim of providing practical skills required in the modern job market to job seekers in Kerala, especially the youth.

Its core is to address some of the shortcomings of the Employment Guarantee Scheme and prepare candidates as per the needs of industrial establishments. The main advantages of the scheme are skill development, industry-friendly training, financial security, and increased confidence among the people through employment. This scheme sets a good example of central-state cooperation by increasing the responsibility of the states by 40% financial support.

It should be acknowledged that there are challenges such as limitation of job sectors, need to ensure quality of training, and lack of stability of some jobs. However, they are problems that can be solved and the scheme can be perfected. This scheme, which provides practical training and job opportunities to thousands of unemployed youth, is very beneficial to the public. 

 It is clear that the agitation that the opposition, including the Congress, is going to launch against such a project is politically motivated and against the public interest. The VB G RAM G project needs to be strongly supported in the interest of development and job creation.

-K.A. Solaman