A day at Koodankulam

 
A day at Koodankulam

Lawn of sagar Milan

 

Vishnu had often said that the guesthouse at Kudankulam Atomic Power station township and the private beach are very attractive and that we can go and stay there for a day.  I was one of those who opposed the agitation by SP Udayakumar and a few locals against the nuclear power plant in 2011. That time I had the intention to visit the place, but not materialized. So I became happy to take the opportunity.

 In Tamil Nadu, there was a power cut of 16-18 hours that time. Many of the companies were locked up. I remember that there was half an hour power cut  in Kerala too. Our environmental activists had written numerous articles against the nuclear plant. There was a lot of negative news like the fishes would die due to release of hot water to the sea , the human beings  would not be able to tolerate nuclear radiation etc. The protest became strong after  the Fukushima accident in Japan . The protesters received foreign aid as certain countries wanted to torpedo the Russian project. The church also joined. In 2012, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made a statement in the Lok Sabha about the diversion of fund received for religious activities by three NGOs to support  the agitation. A case was registered against them for misappropriation of foreign money. The agitation was later called off. The first plant became operational in 2013. Kerala also gets 266 MW of electricity now from kudankulam plant.

 The township is located on the road from Nagercoil to Thiruchendur via Anchugramam. We informed our arrival for lunch and left Nagarcoil at eleven o'clock.  The road was not so smooth ,but we arrived there at one o'clock. The township can be summed up in one word, beautiful. I did not expect the township to be so wonderful. Well-planned roads, buildings, large open spaces, grounds for various games, shops, school, flats and guesthouse enhance the beauty of the township. Nice green gardens are the most attractive. As soon as we reached the Sagar Milan guest house where we were staying, we felt the positive energy that surrounds us. Everywhere ,we can see  birds and trees,excellent clean spaces.  Delicious food, lovingly served by the staff added its beauty. We rested on the lawn for some time after the meal. Grand daughter Padma  also enjoyed it. Just watching the  peacocks, cranes and various migratory birds roam the fields in search of food ,itself was interesting.

 We went into the room and rested for a while. In the evening ,we  went to the beach. It is a private beach with access only to those who live in the township. Nice clean shore. There were about ten people. One security person was there. He said ,on safety point ,bathing is not allowed.We agreed to it though the waves are not very strong. We thoroughly enjoyed the beach and the sea. Spent about two hours there. Came back and had dinner. The north indian dishes were extremely good. Mean while , a Malayalee working at the nuclear power plant came there. He already knew Vishnu. He is a member of the Thripunithura Palace. His conversation was humorous enough and interesting. He talked about the agitation against the nuclear power plant. He said ,the evacuees received large sums of money. The natives got jobs also. All those who were protesting then, feel guilty of that. The same was agreed by the staff there.
 
The public has the opportunity to see the nuclear plant,he said. Before Covid,there was a flow of school- college students every day, but ,now, comparatively less . The township is home to 7,000 people,with all the facilities  including hospitals. We decided to visit the nuclear power plant next time. He reminded that  children under 12 would not be permitted. We  said goodbye to him and walked out and spent some time on campus and into the park. We woke up in the morning to the sounds of birds. Sreekutty and Vishnu had to go to work, so we started  before breakfast.We returned with full satisfaction. Vishnu and Sreekuttan went to  Thoothukudi and we to Nagercoil.

Enjoying the beach

A red salute to this comrade

 

A red salute to this comrade

 Such comrades are very rare at present , who follow the ethical politics and find difficulty to survive  .Nanmaran is such a person.  He is a two-time Member of the Legislative Assembly from Madurai East constituency in Tamil Nadu. He led many struggles for workers' rights and is now in his seventies. His wife N. Shanmukhavalli is 60 years old. They are living in rented accommodation in Rajakoor. He lives according to party law and pays his pension to the party. Instead, the party gives back  a monthly allowance of Rs 12,000. Of this, a rent of Rs 6,000 has to be paid. 6000 per month for expenses.

 His current wish is to live with his wife in a house of his own. He has applied to the Madurai Collector for a house to be included in the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

 Nanmaran is a rarity nowadays where even local leaders have become owners of their own homes and cars. I urge the comrades not to leave him to the mercy of the government. Party should stop the traditional  practice of collecting the pension of people's representatives.  Even if all the comrades in the country pay Rs 10 each, party can build a good house for Nanmaran . It would be appropriate to consider such a campaign as well. Nanmaran should be made a subject of study in party classes. Anyway a red salute to this comrade!!

What the youth of Kerala can do

 

What the youth of Kerala can do

 Kerala is currently in the midst of a wave of protests by those included in the PSC rank list. Backdoor appointments and permanency to contract posts are in full swing. This is nothing new. This is the dirt that the LDF and the UDF constantly perpetuate. It will be widespread just before the end of the term . It involves party influence, personal influence and ruling party's  fund raising etc. This is one of the many pitfalls of democracy. It needs to end forever.

 The youth of Kerala should become a force to be reckoned with to include this issue in the manifesto. There is a need for a campaign for that now.

Now ,the Kerala Public Service Commission prepares the rank list slowly and it is time consuming. Departments and institutions report vacancies even slower. Two things can be put forward to solve this.

1. The Kerala Public Service Commission should be entrusted with the work of selecting candidates for the posts which need written test and interview.Government should start Kerala Staff Selection Commission with modern facilities for recruitment in all other posts for which Government pays. Arrangements should be made to make the appointment within three months if the vacancy is reported. There should be a law to be passed by the Assembly in this regard. Provisions should be there to take action  on those responsible for delay in appointments.

2. The term of temporary appointments should be fixed at 6 months. The legislature must also pass a law deciding that .No one who takes on a temporary appointment for any reason will be made permanent. The personal staff of the people's representatives, including the ministers, should also be appointed only through the Staff Selection Commission.

 Beyond politics, young people need to be able to make the tough decision to vote only for those who accept these terms and include them in the manifesto. I wish that there would be a forum be formed  from the agitation ground in front of the Secretariat.

A rainy day in Chitaral

Western side of the monument

Rock pillar

A rainy day in Chitaral

I went to Chitaral a year ago with Jayasree,Sajeev and Radhakrishnan . It was in the scorching heat of a midday,but we enjoyed the visit thanks to the  soothing wind of the hills. At that time, I thought of visiting this place on a rainy day. Only recently had it become possible. Sreekutty, Vishnu, Sreekuttan, Vava, Jayasree and I  planned to leave in the afternoon. It was three o'clock when we finally left Nagercoil. Cloudy atmosphere indicated possibility of a rain.When we got there it was doubtful whether the time for entry would be over. It was half past four. Admission is until 5 p.m. We paid Rs.20/- for car parking to the lady who took contract from the panchayat for that. She  has a small shop near by.

 The official entry time is up to 5 but people stay until 6:30, she said.When we began climbing,it started to rain. We carried umbrella and  hats. There is a short walk to the monument. The path is good having  trees on the sides. Cashew plants are abundant in the compound. More than fifty people, including Malayalees, were there then. Many enjoyed the rain, including Sreekuttan. Two young local men were exercising on a rock in the rain. Even though I was getting old, I thought of  join with them. Since Jayasree is with me, it is common to contain such ambitions. She cares about my health!

 Carefully climbed up the hill through the wet rock. The rock is not slippery. We reached the top of the hill through the steps carved in the rock. The view of  Kanyakumari district from Chitral hills is really a wonderful one ,a  confluence of greenery and clouds.

Chitaral Hill had been inhabited by Jain monks since the 1st century BC. The monument was developed during the reign of Mahendra Varman I in the 6th century. The Digambara Temple was built in the 9th century. The entrance to the temple is through a naturally formed gorge. There is a sculpture of Parshvanath and Padmavathi carved in the rock. The guards are Yakshas and cobra. In the left corner is a sculpture of three Tirthankaras standing. Mahavira and Ambika in the middle. Two children, an attendant and a lion can also be seen carved. The descriptions on the donors are in vattezhuth. The  cave temple is in the western side. There is a mandapa, a veranda and a balikallu . The three chambers have Mahavira in the middle, Devi on the right and Parshvanath on the left. Vimana of the temple was damaged due to lightning years back. In front of the temple there is a natural pond on the rock. Going further after the pond, there is another rock. Sreekuttan and Vishnu went there too. Kunju vava enjoyed the rain and the temple surroundings.The rain slowly subsided, we enjoyed it. The threads of rain that obscure the horizons and then the mist began to spread slowly.

In the 13th century, there was a move to make it a Bhagavathi temple and the move still continues. Chitaral Hill is under  the Thrissur region of the Archaeological Survey of India. The monuments under the Archaeological Survey of India have a poor exposure. The same is true here. A museum on Jain influence in South India and a description of the temple can be provided . It would be better to train two or three local people and appoint them on a daily basis . Local body  can provide  guides for those who need them  at a fixed fee. It is also advisable to charge a fee of Rs 10 for entry to the premise. The mobile number of the guide and others can also be given. It is necessary to be able to maintain and preserve the Jain monument by providing more facilities in association with state government and local body, without disturbing the ambience and aesthetics of the temple .

It was raining when we got off. We returned with the pleasure of a happy evening.

Natural pond

Vishnu and Padmavathi

Jayasree in front of the temple

Yaksha in front of the temple