Rise in drug abuses

One of the aspects that Excise Department officials find most alarming in Kerala is rise in drug abuses related to schools. School students form a large part of the customer base for narcotic drugs.
Nearly 70 percent  of school children in the state are vulnerable to narcotics abuse. Not only students use narcotics, a few of them act as a supplier to schoolmates.

So in this context Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu saying that the government alone would not be able to tackle the problem of growing drug abuse, is significant. The parents, teachers and the entire society would have to be involved to check the menace.. The State should set up special cells to deal with the problem and honest and sincere  officers are to be posted to deal with the situation.

K A Solaman

Tottappan's fierce fall

It is a tragic end for the acting career of award winner cine actor Vinayakan as he was booked over a sexual harresment complaint from an activist and model.  This I say because of the acting career of Alansiar who was booked over a 'me too' case. Alansiar is nowhere in the cinema world at present.

The woman in her complaint alleged that when she phoned Vinayakan to invite him for a programme, he verbally abused her. He abused her mother also and she has a valid proof in this regard.

The incident shows celebrities, especially male ones, should take caution while dealing with persons of courage and integrity. Vinayakan's misbehaviour ended in a call record which is a valid evidence against the actor. The whole incident tells:
Celebrity was a long time in coming; it will go away. Everything goes away.

K A Solaman

Is it a gold smuggling crime?

The inquiry into the death of violinist Balabhaskar in a car accident goes leaden day by day. Investigators are seemingly cluless  as people associated with Balabraskar have allegedly criminal background. The new track of the CB inquiry targets Prakashan Thampi and Vishnu Somasundaram, both fixtures in Balabhaskar’s music circuit and accused in the smuggling case registered by the DRI. Though Lakshmi, Balabhaskar's wife has denied that they are her husband’s business associates, the whole story  puts Balabhaskar's  dealings shady.

The rift between his friends and relatives prompts one to think that the whole drama is a bit complicated. As one television actor had alleged the accident may be a gold smuggling-related crime.

There is a dark side of everyone- it is the side people do not really get to see. One thinks everyone has that.

K A Solaman

Dams make ecological damage

Possibility for potential floods in future haunts the LDF government in Kerala. So government plans to construct four more major dams in the state. The sites  identified for the  construction are Peringalkuthu, Pooyamkutty, Achankovil and Kuriyarkutty.

The reason for such a decision is two fold. One is: to make people convince  that last August flood was natural and no minister or the KSEB has involvement in making the flood by opening simultaneously all the dams. Second is: an eye on the huge commission it would generate in the purchase of cement and steel rods. Also, there is an eye in the sale of trees in dam sites.

Whatever it may be,  this crafty plan is unlikely to work out in Kerala  in the immediate future because the new generation is not unaware that  the ecological damage that dams make is unfathomably complex and dire.

K A Solaman