Kerala minister Sivankutty walks out of Raj Bhavan event over 'Bharat Mata' portrait; 'serious breach of protocol,' says Governor's office
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The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
CPI district conference makes an unvarnished stock taking of the party, government and LDF
CPI's Thiruvananthapuram district conference, which concluded here on Saturday, was reportedly a venue for an unvarnished stock taking of the party's performance in government and also as the second most powerful entity in the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government. According to some accounts, party delegates at the conference called for increased assertiveness as a transformative force within the LDF. They also emphasised the importance of countering the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) propaganda, which claimed that the CPI frequently acquiesced to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) 's [CPI(M)] line on various issues. According to sources privy to the closed-door conference, some delegates reportedly cautioned against being publicly critical of those at the apex of the LDF government, given the ruling front's no-holds-barred political bid to retain power for a third term in the 2026 Assembly elections. They said the conference was also a critical appraisal of the performance and positions of LDF Ministers, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Some supposedly cautioned against the electoral perils of the top political executive appearing absolutist. 'Some criticisms were deemed subjective and dismissed. However, a spirit of evaluation dominated the process, intending to identify and rectify mistakes to improve performance rather than apportioning blame to individual leaders and Ministers', he said. CPI delegates reportedly lauded Agriculture Minister P Prasad's 'informed opposition' to commandeering ecologically sensitive wetlands for the Aranmula project and not the scheme per se. According to an insider, delegates criticised Animal Husbandry Minister and CPI leader, J. Chinchurani, for making an overhasty statement, which gave room to the UDF and BJP to misconstrue it as an attempt to blame the victim of the accidental electrocution of a 13-year-old student, Midhun, at the Thevalakkara Higher Secondary Boys High School in Kollam. Moreover, the conference reportedly lauded Food and Civil Supplies G. R. Anil's market interventions to control inflation, given the constraint of funds and 'hostile media scrutiny'. It demanded that the department exercise more vigilance to ensure price regulation of groceries and their availability at Supplyco stores during the upcoming Onam shopping season. Some delegates noted that the CPI had opposed the CPI(M)'s alleged attempt to infer malfeasance in Dr Haris Chirackal's social media admissions about the non-availability of critical surgical devices at the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital's Department of Urology. They also noted that CPI Ministers routinely raised the party's view at cabinet meetings, including airing reservations about the liquor policy, specific components of which party members felt jeopardised the toddy sector. The CPI had also made its stance clear on the controversy centred around former Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, M. R. Ajith Kumar and cautioned that any bid to defend the officer accused of 'disrupting the Thrissur Pooram to aid the BJP in the 2024 Thrissur Lok Sabha elections would not augur well for the LDF government's public image.
Time of India
03-08-2025
- Time of India
Thousands bid farewell to beloved critic Sanoo Mash
Kochi: Kerala bid a final adieu to M K Sanoo, one of the most celebrated socio-cultural figures in the state, on Sunday. People from all walks of life, including dignitaries, visited several venues like 'Sandhya', Sanoo's residence, and Ernakulam Town Hall and later at Ravipuram public crematorium, to catch a final glimpse of their beloved Sanoo Mash. The mortal remains were brought to 'Sandhya' at Karikkamuri in the city from the hospital around 8.45am. Water resources minister Roshy Augustine, CPM state secretariat member M Swaraj, district secretary S Satheesh, Dr C K Ramachandran, writer K L Mohana Varma and literary critic Professor M Thomas Mathew were among those who arrived at the house to pay their last respects. Friends, colleagues and students gathered for a final farewell to their beloved teacher. 'Sandhya', which earlier witnessed many creative conversations and gatherings, was left with a sea of memories as Sanoo departed. The body was later taken to Ernakulam Town Hall for the public to pay homage. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan reached the venue and paid his last tributes around 11.30am. District collector N S K Umesh laid the wreath on behalf of the state govt. Industries minister P Rajeeve, higher education minister R Bindu, agriculture minister P Prasad, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, Hibi Eden, MP, BJP leaders K S Radhakrishnan and A N Radhakrishnan were among those who paid their last respects at Town Hall. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is this legal? Access all TV channels without a subscription! Techno Mag Learn More Undo As his mortal remains were brought to Ravipuram public crematorium around 4.15pm, tears filled the eyes of those present and a gentle drizzle set the mood. Numerous prominent figures from political, social and cultural spheres came to pay their last respects. As family members tearfully bade goodbyes, many struggled to find words to comfort his children and relatives. CPM general secretary M A Baby, CPM state secretary M V Govindan, minister Rajeeve, agriculture minister P Prasad, CPM state secretariat member C N Mohanan and Satheesh carried the body to the pyre. The funeral was conducted with full state honours. A guard of honour was given by the police. His sons M S Ranjith and M S Haris, along with grandson Rohan, lit the pyre, as the mortal remains of the beloved teacher and mentor to thousands was consigned to flames. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Time of India
Won't allow exploitation of farmers: Kerala agriculture minister Prasad
1 2 3 Kochi: The state govt would implement the recommendations of the V K Baby Committee report to protect the paddy farmers from being exploited when they try to sell their produce, state agriculture minister P Prasad said during an interaction with TOI at its office in Kochi on Monday. The report by the committee — set up two years ago to study the issues related to paddy procurement — is presently before a five-member ministerial sub-committee and departments concerned, which are working out the nitty-gritties involved in the procurement and marketing of paddy, he said. "Often the farmer is caught between an uncertainty whether he should sell the produce now to get a better price or delay the sale for another day. It is when some mill agencies push him into a corner with threats. We have already put a rapid response team in place to reach the farmers if they alert us. Our officials will try to resolve the issue immediately. Farmers also suffer cheating at the hands of machine operators during harvest. The committee has looked at all aspects of procurement," he said. Prasad said the state govt was looking at the larger picture of how agriculture could be done on the Western Ghats as a whole. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cách giao dịch ETH/USD mà không cần nắm giữ Ether IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo "We've the mountain ranges stretching across our state. There is a diversity in soil and cultivability. The govt is planning extensive discussions with various experts and stakeholders on the issue," the minister said. Prasad said smart farming using the internet of things and climate-resilient agriculture practices to get optimum productivity were in the pipeline. Smart farming solutions would be devised for paddy, plantation crops like cardamom and coffee and horticulture crops using technologies like geographic information system (GIS) and AI. Post-harvest marketing of produce is a challenge the state has been facing, he said. "We have already started a secondary agriculture practice. As part of it, 4,000 value-added products made by different farmer groups and certified by respective Krishi Bhavans have been introduced. These products are already sold online under the Keralagro brand through major e-commerce sites. They will also be available in branded shops with the same name in all districts," he said. With safe food a major concern of society, the state govt has already come up with an organic mission to reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers. "We want to introduce natural farming in the state. It will be a sub-mission under the organic mission. Natural farming has been successful in Andhra Pradesh and we have had several rounds of discussions with T Vijay Kumar who led the community-managed natural farming in that state," Prasad said.
