Endosulfan not a talking point

KASARGOD: Endosulfan is no longer an election issue in Kasargod.  Political parties are not discussing it though the condition of the victims has not changed for the  better. “For how long can we organise protests with differently-abled children and mothers? It seems the public and media are bored with  talking about endosulfan,” lamented  Ambalathara Kunjikrishnan, secretary of Endosulfan Peeditha Janakeeya Munnani.  He said  that the government paid only lip service to the victims.

“The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had recommended giving immediate relief of '5 lakh to the seriously affected and ' 3 lakh to the less affected within eight weeks in December 2010. The full amount has not been given  till now. Of the 5,837 victims identified, 3018 patients have not got a single penny,” he alleged.

Mr Kunjikrishnan said that barring Kanjangad MLA E. Chandrasekharan, all others were indifferent to the victims’ plight. Noted writer Ambikasuthan Mangad alleged  that the government had backtracked on its promise to conduct five health camps for potential victims in  February last. 

“The officials said that they cannot conduct camps  because of the election code of conduct. That was wrong as the decision was taken much before. If the code of conduct does not block  compensation to the victims of the fire tragedy in Kollam, what is the issue here?” he asked.

The victims have planned to conduct a protest in Kasargod on April 30. At the same time, writer and documentary maker M.A. Rahman was of the opinion that disunity among the protesting organisations had worsened the situation.

Kasargod MLA and candidate N.A Nellikunnu claimed that the government had done much to the victims. But, Beefathima, an endosulfan victim in Badiyadka, asked that how long it would take to get them justice. “No one wants to talk endosulfan now. People have short memory. Many think that our problems have  ended,”  she said.