Latest news with #KeralaCongress(M)
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Kerala Congress to launch protest campaign demanding revival of Karunya Benevolent Fund
Opening a new front in its clash with the Kerala Congress (M), the Kerala Congress led by P.J. Joseph has announced a State-wide protest demanding the reinstatement of the Karunya Benevolent Fund, a flagship healthcare assistance scheme introduced during the previous UDF government. As part of the campaign, the party's youth wing, Kerala Youth Front (KYF), will launch a series of protests across the State starting July 15, with a State-level inauguration in Kottayam to be led by party chairman P.J. Joseph. Subsequent protests will be held in Kollam, Alappuzha, Idukki, Thrissur and Kozhikode. A meeting of the KYF State leadership demanded that the LDF government take immediate steps to fully restore the Karunya Benevolent Fund, which was successfully implemented to ensure free treatment for economically disadvantaged families but was later discontinued under the current regime. 'The present crisis, where even government hospitals are denying treatment to patients, must be taken seriously. With doctors prescribing medicines and surgical equipment from private outlets, patients across Kerala are forced to bear huge out-of-pocket expenses. It's an alarming situation that demands urgent government intervention,' the organisation said in a statement. The KYF also urged the government to address the deplorable conditions in government hospitals, particularly in medical colleges, where patients are often forced to lie on the floor due to a lack of beds and basic infrastructure. Incidentally, the Karunya Benevolent Fund was originally introduced by K.M. Mani, the founder of Kerala Congress (M), during his tenure as Finance Minister in the UDF government. The scheme aimed to provide financial assistance for healthcare expenses, with an annual upper limit of ₹5 lakh per eligible family. Commenting on the latest campaign, a veteran Kerala Congress leader said that more than targeting the LDF, this movement is aimed at the Kerala Congress (M) itself. 'This is our opportunity to highlight how a visionary scheme conceptualised by K.M. Mani, the patriarch of Kerala Congress, is being undermined by a government backed by his own party,' he explained.
The Hindu
06-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Munambam Land Protection Council meets Jose K. Mani, seeks government intervention
Leaders of the Munambam Land Protection Council met with Kerala Congress (M) [KC(M)] chairperson Jose K. Mani, MP, on Sunday (July 6), seeking his intervention in resolving the long-standing Waqf land issue. The delegation, comprising Fr. Antony Xavier (patron of the council), chairperson Joseph Rockey and convener Joseph Benny, held a 45-minute discussion with Mr. Mani. They urged him to push for a permanent resolution to the land dispute and sought his support to bring the matter to the attention of the State government. Speaking after the meeting, Fr. Rockey said Mr. Mani had been approached in his capacity as a representative of the community. He also acknowledged the supportive stance Mr. Mani had taken in the Rajya Sabha in favour of the protesting families in Munambam. To expediate action 'Now that the judicial commission has submitted its report, we have requested Mr. Mani's help in expediting government action. It has been 268 days since our protest began and it will complete one year on October 13. We are hoping for an early and lasting resolution,' he said. Mr. Mani, for his part, assured the delegation that he would raise the issue with the State government. 'The matter is under the consideration of both the tribunal and a judicial commission. The concerns raised by the delegation will be brought to the attention of the Chief Minister and the relevant departments. We will do everything possible to address their grievances,' Mr. Mani said. The Kerala Congress (M) regards the meeting as a positive outcome of its ongoing efforts to reach out to the predominantly Catholic families protesting in Munambam. With Munambam residents Earlier, during the discussion on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha, Mr. Mani had made a pointed effort to align himself with the people of Munambam, who are locked in a legal dispute over land ownership before a Waqf tribunal. While he expressed partial support for certain provisions in the Bill, Mr. Mani ultimately voted against it. In his speech, Mr. Mani had backed key clauses such as the provision allowing court challenges to Waqf Board rulings and another revoking the board's unilateral power to designate land as Waqf property. At the same time, he voiced strong opposition to the Bill's controversial provisions allowing non-Muslim members in the Central Waqf Council and State Boards.
The Hindu
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Kerala Congress (M) to demand more seats from LDF in local body polls
The Kerala Congress (M) State secretariat, which met here on Friday, has decided to press for a larger share of seats from the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the upcoming local body elections. Asserting its political claim, the meeting entrusted district unit presidents with the task of initiating seat-sharing discussions with LDF leadership at the district level. The party also reviewed its grassroots election preparations and decided to intensify ward-level campaigns. To bolster these efforts, special responsibilities will be assigned to both district and State-level leaders. Fundraising strategies to support campaign activities were also evaluated during the session. Addressing the meeting, party chairman Jose K. Mani remarked that the United Democratic Front's (UDF) recent calls for front expansion reflect a deeper crisis of confidence. He dismissed the notion that the outcome of the Nilambur by-election could be seen as a political mandate for the UDF. On Nilambur verdict 'Nilambur has long been a UDF stronghold. This verdict does not in any way diminish the LDF's prospects for continued governance,' he said. 'We will take the outcome in stride and work to further improve the performance of both the government and the front.' To address the pressing concerns of farmers and high-range communities, the party will constitute an expert committee for a comprehensive study. A policy manifesto based on its findings will be presented to the LDF. Mr. Mani also pointed out that the biggest legislative obstacle in resolving human-wildlife conflict is the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, enacted during Congress rule at the Centre. He urged the State government to fast-track legal reforms, within constitutional limits, to safeguard the lives and property of people in affected regions. He further emphasised the need for timely resolution of land deed disputes in high-range areas, removal of restrictions preventing farmers from felling trees on their own land and other grassroots grievances through coordinated inter-departmental action. The party also called for urgent steps for a hike in welfare pensions for vulnerable sections and the implementation of a support price of ₹250 per kg for natural rubber. The meeting, chaired by Jose K. Mani, was attended by Minister Roshi Augustine, Vice Chairmen N. Jayaraj and Thomas Chazhikadan, and other senior leaders.
The Hindu
21-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Central Travancore politics dives into floodwaters as local body polls loom
With local body elections on the doorsteps, political battlelines are being drawn not just on land, but across the rivers and lakes of central Travancore too. Environmental issues have surged to the centre of the political discourse as parties crank up their campaign machinery. The Kerala Congress(M), for instance, has sprung into action with a symposium on the recurring floods in the Meenachil river. Addressing the event, KC(M) Chairman Jose K. Mani called for a complete overhaul in water management strategies, urging the State to adopt long-term flood-control plans. 'River and stream storage capacities must be maximised. Check-dams should follow a seasonal protocol. Desilting and waste removal from waterbodies are crucial, and excess river sand must be auctioned,' he said. The party plans to compile the recommendations that came up in the symposium and present them to the State government. Interestingly, the KC(M) itself holds the State's Water Resources portfolio, with Roshy Augustine at the helm. The rival faction led by P.J. Joseph, on the other hand, is launching a protest campaign anchored on Vembanad Lake, which serves as the lifeline for the flood-prone Kuttanad and upper Kuttanad regions. Charging that neglect and government inaction have brought the lake to the brink, the first phase of its protest kicks off on Saturday, June 28, on the banks of Vembanad near the Vaikom boat jetty . 'Silt, mud, and garbage have choked Vembanad Lake, drastically cutting its storage capacity. Frequent floods and crop destruction have become the norm. The State and Centre have ignored the Swaminathan commission's recommendations. Even the much-hyped Kuttanad Package remains a paper promise,' the party said, in a statement. It is demanding immediate, targeted action: restore the lake, revive dying waterbodies such as the Kariyar and Thottappally, safeguard paddy fields, and rollout special flood-relief projects across Kottayam, Alappuzha, and Pathanamthitta.
The Hindu
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Kerala Congress (M) looks to expand influence to coastal heartlands
Having long dominated the rubber heartlands of central Travancore, the Kerala Congress (M) led by Jose K. Mani now appears keen to carve out a fresh political constituency for it along Kerala's coastal belts. In a calculated move to strengthen its foothold among coastal communities, particularly the Latin Catholics, the regional party is seeking to tap into the wave of anxiety triggered by the Centre's Blue Economy Policy. Sensing an opportunity to build momentum, the Kerala Youth Front (M) [KYF(M)], the party's youth wing, will launch a Coastal Protection March that seeks to rally support across Kerala's shoreline. The march, to be inaugurated by party chairman Jose K. Mani, will begin from Kasaragod on May 1 and conclude at Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram on May 9, covering 670 km over nine days. Traversing through nine coastal districts, the march will stop at 50 key points and seek to connect fishing villages and communities along the way. A series of public meetings will be held en route, with senior leaders including Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine and Government Chief Whip N. Jayaraj addressing gatherings to highlight the party's coastal vision. According to Cyriac Chazhikadan, president of KYF(M), the march will raise three major demands including enactment of a law granting sea rights to coastal communities, complete cessation of sea sand mining and immediate implementation of the recommendations made by C.A.D.A.L. (Coastal Area Development and Livelihood), an organisation under the Latin Catholic church. Party sources note that this initiative builds on a key demand raised by Jose K. Mani in the Rajya Sabha seeking sea rights for coastal communities, similar to the forest rights granted to indigenous groups. The rare public acknowledgment from the Catholic Church, hailing Mr. Mani's stance during the Rajya Sabha discussions on the Waqf Amendment Bill, has further bolstered the party's confidence in this coastal outreach. 'This should be seen as part of a strategic restructuring by the party, which has long balanced its traditional support from settler farmers with the evolving preferences of second-generation voters who are increasingly gravitating toward mainstream political parties,' observed a veteran Kerala Congress leader. He also attributes the move to a steady outmigration of the younger generation, particularly Syro-Malabar Catholics from central Travancore, causing a noticeable decline in the influx of young blood into the party.
