Kerala: LDF launches state-wide protest over delay in landslide aid

CPM state secretary M.V. Govindan led the march to Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram. Hundreds of workers of the LDF staged demonstrations in front of central government offices and district headquarters.

Govindan threatened a massive agitation if the Centre continued to ignore the state's demands.

A delegation of Kerala MPs, headed by Priyanka Gandhi, met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently to seek immediate aid for the people of landslide-stricken Wayanad. The MPs emphasized that the state needs a package of Rs 2,221 crore for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the villages devastated by the landslide on July 30

The CPM state secretary asserted that Kerala's claim is not for generosity from the Centre, but a right. He criticised the Congress-led UDF for not participating in the protest.

The landslides at Chooralmala and Mundakkai are among the most tragic events in Kerala's history, affecting thousands.

He mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Wayanad to offer condolences to the victims of the massive disaster and promised support. "Four months have elapsed since the PM's promise, yet the Centre has not finalized the financial assistance," he said.

A central team also surveyed the impacted zones thoroughly. However, union ministers now state that further discussions are needed.

Govindan reminded the Centre that Kerala is an integral part of the Indian Union and that the constitution mandates the central government to allocate disaster relief funds when a natural disaster is declared a national calamity.

"I am not pleading for the release of funds to Kerala, but insisting on the fulfillment of constitutional obligations. Regardless of the Centre's response, the Kerala government will rehabilitate the disaster's victims," he declared.