Rewarding Loyalists

#Rewarding #loyalists

The Kerala government has decided to recruit vloggers to promote its so-called "development achievements" through social media. This move may appear harmless at first, but many see it as a clever way to misuse public money.

Instead of using official media or public platforms that already exist, the government is choosing selected vloggers, probably supporters or party workers, to make them happy by  paying with public funds.

Unless the list of vloggers is made public, the people will not know how this money is being spent and to whom it is going. 

This is a classic trick often used by those in power to drain public money under the cover of publicity and social media promotion. What exactly are these vloggers going to promote?

 Kerala today is struggling with serious issues like school buildings are in poor condition, the health sector is full of corruption, unemployment and what else. There is nothing to boast about in sports. 

The state mainly survives on the income from liquor and lottery, which are destroying families. So, what positive image can vloggers paint?

Fixing not the real problems, the government is wasting time and money on fake promotion. This is not about development, it is about creating an illusion and rewarding loyalists at the cost of the public.

-K A Solaman

Chain Snatching

#Chain #Snatching

Chain snatching has become a big problem in Kerala, and one reason is the very high price of gold. Many people still choose to wear real gold when going out, which makes them easy targets for thieves. Instead, they could wear imitation gold to stay safe. 

Police inaction in some areas also encourages such crimes, as snatchers feel they can escape without punishment. To control this issue, police patrolling should be increased in public places, and strict action must be taken against offenders.

Public awareness campaigns can also help people understand the risks of wearing gold in public. Only by people, working together with police, can reduce this crime.

- K A Solaman

Education needs practical leadership

Education needs practical leadership.

Kerala’s General Education Minister V. Sivankutty seems to be pushing strange and impractical ideas without proper thought or consultation. His latest plan to remove the concept of "backbenchers" in classrooms appears to be inspired by a Malayalam movie rather than real educational needs. 

In many government and aided schools, only two or three students are enrolled per class due to low admissions, making the idea of eliminating backbenches meaningless.Policies based on cinema themes only show how disconnected the minister is from ground realities in education.

This is not the first time the minister has come up with questionable suggestions. His earlier proposal to shift the summer vacation to June and July during Kerala's peak monsoon season, was met with strong public criticism. It shows poor understanding of the state's weather and school schedules. 

Meanwhile, his idea of introducing a five-star menu in schools, though it may sound appealing, has left school heads worried about budget, logistics, and practicality. Instead of chasing fancy ideas, the minister should focus on improving student enrollment, ensuring teacher availability, and upgrading facilities. 

Education needs practical leadership, not gimmicks.

-K A Solaman

Open Tata Hospital

#Open #Tata #Hospital

On September 10, the Tata Group handed over the keys of its newly built hospital in Kasaragod district, proposed to be used for COVID-19 care, to the Kerala government. But government has taken no action to open Hospital till date. This is a clear indication of negligence of Health department towards Covid patients.

Tata has kept its promise, and completed the construction in five months. It has been 19 days since this development, but the hospital is yet to open its doors to the COVID-19 patients. 

Though the hospital, which was built at approximately Rs 60 crore, provides 540 beds, patients are in desperate bid to get treatment at District hospital. The Health department, therefore, should stop testing the patience of the people of that area.

-K A Solaman

Sir and Madam are still intact?

Sir and Madam are still intact?

After Mathur, Muttar and Ambalapuzha panchayats,  Angamaly and Paravur block panchayats in Ernakulam district also decided to ban the use of greetings like "Sir" and "Madam".

Greetings like Sir and Madam are vestiges of colonial rule, according to these LSG institutions and they have no suggestion for a suitable greeting. They all asked the State Language Institute to suggest alternatives.

However, so far, the State  Language ​​Institute has not offered any alternative terms for Sir and Madam. This is completely reprehensible and if the Language Institute considers this matter to be stupid, it should disclose it. Do not let the people of the aforementioned local institutions suffer more because of the wicked approach of the  local politicians.

K A Solaman

Pricing Liquor bottle

#Foul #Liquor #policy

The decision by the Kerala government to charge an extra ₹20 per liquor bottle, after already raising prices by 10% months ago, is a harsh and foolish move. It will hit ordinary people the most especially daily wage workers and the poor who seek small pleasures in life.

 Liquor is already heavily taxed, and this additional charge, without any improvement in service or product, is nothing but exploitation. When someone buys a product, the price includes everything, we don't pay separately for the bottle, cap, or label. Why should it be any different for liquor?

Kerala is slowly turning into a state where the government survives on liquor and lottery money taken from poor people. Instead of reforming the system or promoting better habits, the government is squeezing every drop out of the common man. 

It is shameful that BEVCO shows huge losses despite selling liquor worth crores every day. This actually points to corruption and mismanagement. 

Making drinkers pay for a bottle in parts is a cheap trick. If this continues, the government will soon ask people to pay separately for the cork, the paper seal, and even the barcode. This foolish policy reduces people to donkeys carrying the burden of the state’s failure.

-K A Solaman

Bizarre decision

#Bizarre #decision

Kerala Education Minister V. Sivankutty has recently suggested shifting the school summer vacation from April-May to June-July, claiming that changing weather patterns and heavy monsoons in June often disrupt school functioning. However, this proposal seems to ignore the unpredictable nature of today’s climate. 

In the past, when a similar change was tried, the rains came in May instead of June, completely defeating the purpose. Such decisions, taken without proper study or long-term data, appear to be based more on guesses than on solid planning. 

It's not wise for a minister, especially towards the end of a government's term, to push such drastic changes that would affect lakhs of students, teachers, and families.

Minister Sivankutty has also drawn criticism for encouraging activities in schools that many believe are unnecessary or inappropriate. His open promotion of Zumba dance in schools raised questions about the real priorities in education. 

More controversial was his ministry’s inclusion of a song by Vedan, a rapper who has faced serious allegations,  in the syllabus. 

Many feel that instead of focusing on core subjects, values, and academic improvements, the minister is bringing in flashy, attention-seeking ideas. These actions, driven by personal whims rather than educational merit, have led many to call his decisions "Tuglakian",  bizarre and impractical, like the historical ruler known for strange policies.

-K A Solaman

Unjustified blame game

#Unjustified blame game

Two Catholic nuns from Kerala, Sister Preeti Mary and Sister Vandana Francis, were arrested in Chhattisgarh on July 25, 2025, along with a young man named Sukaman Mandavi. The arrest was made at Durg Railway Station under the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act, 1968, and human trafficking laws. 

This Act prohibits religious conversion through force, fraud, or inducement. It also requires official permission to take minors or tribal people out of the state, especially when religious activities are involved. If the nuns did not get prior permission, it is treated as a violation of this law, and that forms the legal basis of the arrest.

Protests in Kerala by Congress, the Left parties, and SDPI appear politically motivated and ignore the facts of the case. Some media houses are exaggerating the issue, giving it a communal and political angle. However, there is no clear evidence of any role played by the BJP in this arrest.

 The action was taken by local authorities in Chhattisgarh based on that state’s special legal provisions. So blaming the BJP or central government without proof is not justified. The case should be handled according to law, and not turned into a political or religious controversy.

-K A Solaman

Unnecessary criticism

#Unnecessary #criticism

Kerala’s Higher Education Minister R. Bindu has strongly criticised the Vice Chancellors who took part in the ‘Gyan Sabha’, claiming it was organised by a group linked to the RSS. However, this criticism seems unnecessary and politically motivated. 

The Gyan Sabha is an education-focused event meant for academic discussions. Vice Chancellors, being senior academicians, have every right to attend such gatherings to share and gain knowledge. Their presence does not mean they are supporting any political ideology. Attending a seminar does not automatically make someone a follower of the organiser’s beliefs.

Vice Chancellors are public servants, not political workers. If there were concerns about official protocol, the issue could have been resolved with a simple step, ie, like taking a day’s leave. It is not reasonable to expect them to avoid every platform that has any political link.

 Ministers in Kerala, who openly follow communist principles, attend many events that reflect their own ideology. If they can do so, others too should be given the freedom to take part in educational events without fear of political attacks. A more practical and balanced approach would help maintain the dignity of our education system.

-K A Solaman

Political hypocrisy

#political #hypocrisy

It is deeply shameful and politically dishonest that some leaders within the CPM are now blatantly denying the incident of demanding capital punishment for VS,  that was well-documented and even acknowledged by none other than V.S. Achuthanandan himself. 

When senior comrades like Peerappankodu Murali and Suresh Kurup courageously reaffirm the truth of a humiliating episode inflicted upon a towering leader like VS, it is not just an act of recalling history, it is a call for accountability. 

The fact that younger leaders, including Chinta Jerome and Minister Sivankutty, are now attempting to whitewash this truth reflects a culture of arrogant denial and political hypocrisy. When a party built on the foundations of truth and people’s struggles resorts to falsehoods to preserve the image of its present-day functionaries, it erodes public trust and betrays its very legacy.

VS is considered as an architect of the party’s growth and credibility  The treatment meted out to him is a damning testimony to the CPM’s present decay. It is a tragedy of Marxist politics in Kerala that once leaders rise beyond usefulness to the current inner circle, they are pushed into oblivion. Their contributions are trivialised, and their dignity violated.

What is worse is the cowardice of the current leadership in not owning up to the past, choosing instead to lie in the public domain. If the party now requires falsehoods to survive internal contradictions, then it is heading towards moral and political bankruptcy. 

Truth must never become collateral damage in the pursuit of factional control. Those who lie today to silence the past will one day be judged by history with the same cruelty they now inflict on their predecessors.

-K A Solaman

Seeds of division

#Seeds of division

The announcement by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to form a high-level committee aimed at reviewing Centre-State relations under the guise of “strengthening federalism” is a deeply troubling and politically charged maneuver. 

While federalism is enshrined in the Constitution of India, Stalin’s initiative goes far beyond constructive discourse. It reflects a veiled attempt to challenge the sovereignty and unity of the Indian Union. .

Drawing parallels with separatist tones, this move dangerously flirts with anti-national sentiments under the pretext of state autonomy. Such actions, especially when backed by a party like the DMK with a known history of questioning national integration, raise red flags that the Centre cannot afford to ignore.

India's unity is paramount and non-negotiable. No state, regardless of political ideology or regional influence. has the right to plant seeds of division or provoke constitutional instability. 

The Stalin-led government’s effort to create a parallel mechanism to re-examine federal arrangements is not just an overreach; it is a direct affront to the spirit of cooperative federalism. This must be nipped in the bud before it festers into a larger, potentially disruptive campaign. 

The Union Government must issue a strong and unequivocal warning to Tamil Nadu, ensuring that no political force is allowed to mimic separatist agendas like Khalistan in the name of decentralization or autonomy. National unity must triumph over parochial, politically motivated posturing.

- K A Solaman