Global Investors Coming to Kerala

The memories of the catastrophic end of the earlier Global Investment Meet are still live in our minds. It came with much noise and celebration promising flow of billions of dollars making Kerala an El Dorado. Forget the billions not a single paise came as investment here so far. Another pompous show in the name of investment is in the offing. This time a little change in the name, World Investors Meet to be held on 24th and 25th in Kochi. All the development corporations or agencies of the Government of Kerala are in this conclave.

Everybody knows that considering the unique geographical features, (Kerala is full of streams, rivers, lakes, hills, and forests) and because of the dense population it is ideal only for small industries. Land cannot be procured for large industrial units like in Singur, which had become the Waterloo of West Bengal Marxist party. Our predecessors having this vision have started industries suited to our condition and which produce our essential requirements. Most of these factories are in public sector and are now either closed or on the verge of closure. What we need is to revive these factories rather than going for new big industries.

All the existing units are viable and will cater to the basic needs of Kerala which will contribute a lot in the economic growth of our state. M/s. Kerala Soaps Ltd. can easily produce all the soaps needed for Kerala and Kerala Detergents & Chemicals can meet the need of detergents for washing clothes. The products can be sold through rations shops and other cooperative public distribution systems. Kerala Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. can produce most of the medicines supplied to Government Hospitals which at present we buy from outside on exorbitant costs. We need a lot of clothes for school uniforms, as linen in hotels and hospitals. Even with all our textile mills working in full steam we may find it difficult to meet the demand. Further many existing units can diversify. M/s.Travancore Titanium Products can start manufacturing Paint,M/s. Kerala Ceramics sanitary wares and M/s. Alind electric wires and cables, all in huge demand in Kerala. TELK, KEL can produce transformers and like and United electrical all types of meters. A lot more can be done in other units with innovative ideas.

This time investers seem to go to rural areas also, with search of land in progress. We had many industrial estates and mini-industrial estates in rural areas which are now lying idle. Why cant we revive it instead of going for new units? If the intention is genuine and real estate business is not the hidden agenda let our developers woo the investors improve the existing facilities.

Dr. Shashi Tharoor Replies

Same day Dr. Shashi Tharoor Repies.

" Thank you for this thoughtful note..........................."

LETTER TO MR. SHASHI THAROOR

Congratulations on becoming member of Union Cabinet and assumption as Minister of State for External Affairs. Being a citizen of Thiruvananthapuram, I am happy that our representative has become a Central minister.From your speeches and talks it appears that you have ideas and want to do something for Thiruvananthapuram and Kerala. Your words seem to come from your heart and reflect a sense of sincerity and we feel you are different from the career politicians who fill us with hollow promises.

It is to be understood that the situation in Kerala is peculiar and unique. The mindset of people in power here is not conducive to actual development of the state. Be it ruling party or opposition (they comfortably switch over the position every five years thanks to the common man who does not have any alternative), they are not willing to address the real issues, instead passing time making hue and cry over silly things. Their action is superfluous.An excellent example is the High Court bench. All the political parties in Kerala, ruling party of the State and ruling party of Centre, want the HC bench in Thiruvananthapuram and fighting for it but it is not materializing for the last 2 years. Each one is blaming others but not prepared to ascertain the exact reasons and find a solution and the HC bench is still elusive.Vizhinjam Port, nobody knows whether it will materialize at all. Railway development is crawling at snails pace. All are crying for more trains forgetting that trains need track to run and Kerala does not have double lines even in half of its total lines. Kuttanad and Idukki packages if executed properly will be a boon for the agricultural sector in Kerala. But it is not taken up in the right perspective.

Kerala is a consumer state depending others for everything. Is it not an irony that State Public sector factories manufacturing the much needed items like soap, detergents, medicines, clothes etc. remain closed here? All these prove beyond doubt that even if Centre extends all help and financial assistance development will not take place unless the Authorities possess a positive approach and show a will.

Here comes the role of the opposition party. Presently and all these years no opposition parties have conceived any plan of action for the development of the state. They are not seriously thinking about their responsibility as an opposition but remain inactive criticizing the Government. May be they are afraid that the credit will be cornered by the ruling party.

What we need is an efficient opposition party putting constructive and creative suggestions and working hard for getting them executed. Even if the ruling party is averse to development the opposition can force them to do.From the past experience it appears that most of our representatives do not have any vision or action plan. Those who possess some ideas do not get any chance to present it in proper forum. Lack of proper orientation is the root cause.

All the MPs should find out the problems and issues pertaining to their respective constituencies and present it before State party forum with possible solutions and suggestion for overall development of their constituencies and the State. The party forum after proper discussion among them will consolidate it and submit definite proposals to the concerned ministries in Centre through the MPs and they doing the follow-up. Actual developmental activities can be done only through this way.

It is felt that since you are close to the High Command in Delhi you can use your good offices to make the expectations of Keralites turn into reality. Our state is rich and full of resources. My only concern is its development which could be done easily with the help of people like you having positive mindset.

SENT ON 4th JUNE 2009

INDIAN PRIME MINISTER

What India needs is a strong Prime Minister, strong enough to withstand the pressure exerted by other countries to toe their line. The Prime Minister’s prime concern should be our Nation and nothing else. Of course the PM is a party man but he should have the sense to realize when interest of his party going against the interest of the nation and should have the courage to implement what is good for the country and should rise above petty party politics. Once the PM he should not act as a humble servant of the political party or the party supremo. His loyalty is to the nation, to the people and not to the party chief who elevated him to that position. A political party is naturally choosing the most able and eligible and competent person available in that party to become the PM. If he is such a towering personality and deserves to be in that post why should he has that much obligation and loyalty to the party?

Even in the case of leading a coalition government of different political parties, the PM if so strong can successfully convince all the parties and the public his stand is for the national and not against it. PM should have the basic knowledge of our country and should be well aware of the millions of our brethren struggling for a square meal a day. He should be one from among us, who follows the rich cultural heritage of our nation and who can feel the pulse of India. Study in foreign universities or plum jobs there may make them think on the lines thaose nations look at us.

PARLIAMENT ELECTION

Election Arena is filled with people aspiring to become M.P.

Question to each candidate:

HOW MUCH MONEY WILL BE SPENT FOR YOUR CAPMAIGN?

HOW MUCH YOUR CONTRIBUTION?

YOUR SOURCE?

HOW YOU GET BACK IT?

HOW MUCH PARTY'S CONTRIBUTION?

HOW PARTY WILL BENEFIT FROM SPENDING THIS?

dont try to bluff with the account given to election commission.

MUNNAR-Rape of the Nature

‘The area totally green. Thick forest. Gigantic trees. Long grass grown to 3 meters height. Roar of tigers, leopards and elephants all around. Other than these only the Muthuvan tribal people are there’. This was Munnar of 1817 seen by Benjamin Ward and Corner during the survey for the British.

Scenario changes.

1. 1877- Maharaja of Poonjar gave Kannan Devan Hills on lease to one John Daniel Munroe.

2. With the specific condition that the rivers, streams, backwaters, forest and meadows will not be disturbed or encroached and coffee cultivated without cutting the dense forest.

3. Munroe formed Travancore Planting & Agriculture Society. Handed over the company to British Finlay & Moore Company.

4. Tata joined the Compnay and formed the joint venture Tata Finlay Company in 1964. Tata bought all the shares and in 1983 the company fully owned by Tata group. Instead of coffee they planted tea. Tata Finlay Company had only 23000 acres tea plantation.

5. In 1971 as part of the land reforms initiative, the Achutha Menon ministry brought “Kannan Devan Hills Resumption of Land Act” taking over land in Kannan Devan Hills for distributing to the landless poor. Kannan Devan Hills had 1,37,441 acre land including 23000 acres tea estate of Tatas. The Poonjar King deal was pre-independence and as such Kerala Government had the full authority over the land. Tata had by that time sold 10,000 acres of the Government land unauthorized. The remaining 1,27,441 acres taken over by the Government by the Act. The President of India gave consent to the Act on 21st April, 1971 and it was published in extra-ordinary gazette of 22nd April, 1971.Tata went to Supreme Court. The Hon’ Supreme Court rejected Tata’s appeal and approved the legal validity of the Act on 27th April, 1972.

6. The Act which was enacted to distribute the land to the landless was sabotaged by the Land Board and the Expert Committee. Land Board confession can be seen in its award. “Unfortunately, this preliminary survey and demarcation of the concession area into various blocks had not been done for reasons not known.”

7. In addition to the 23,000 acres land of Tata’s tea cultivation Tata were given another 57,192 acres of land, for firewood growing and as land lying in between their tea estates, by the Land Board on lease. If the land lying in between their tea estates were given to the landless, it will hamper the smooth working of their tea estates, the Land Board reasoned. So the land of 70,522 acres of land in Kanan Devan Hills entrusted with the Government of Kerala as per the Act is lying scattered among the tea estates of Tatas. All this land minus that given to Eravikulam Park is still with the Tatas.

8. Assembly Committee headed by Nalakathu Sooppy in its report reiterates the fact that Tata is in possession of Government land and even selling it and making profit of crores of rupees. Idukki District Collector’s report No. 80522/R.3/95/RD shows the sale of lease land and Government land by Tata. Sub-collector of Devikolam had issued order on 24th Septrember, 1994 canceling the land sale of Tata. The assurance committee recommends review of the 1971 Act and incorporation of provisions to prevent misuse of land by Tata.

9. The next, Isah Kurikkal Committee Report says that Land Board has not given land properly but only by random checking and about 50,000 acres of Government land is unauthorisedly possessed by Tatas and they are selling it.

10. From the admissions of Land Board and the Expert Committee it is crystal clear that land was given to Tata in Kannan Devan Hills without measuring and without demarcating. It is also clear that the Land Board award and the Expert Committee Report were prepared according to Tata’s needs.

11. As per 2001 census, 85000 is the population of Munnar and 99% of it is landless. Munnar Grama Panchayat does not have a cent of land there. Tata in their letter dated 4th October 1999 to Kerala Revenue Minister admits that they have sold land to many in Munnar town and along with it given to the Government land on lease and as gift. As example they point out the 15 acres of land given on lease to Sports Council for high altitude stadium. How Tatas, the leaseholder of the Kerala Government can lease same land to the Government? For the bus stand and other they have gifted 1.39 acres in Munnar town, they claimed. It seems that Tata sold Government land for resorts.

12. Tata did not stop here. They are encroaching valuable forest also. Chenduvarai sholai forest is of 1253.39 acres in Survey No. 127/1-2. By virtue of the1971 Act, 949.20 acres vested with Government and 304.18 acre given on lease to Tatas. Idukki District Collector reported on 28th October 2008 that Tata encroached this sholay forest lying just near the Kanthallor and Marayur rain shadow areas and burned it.

13. 18000 acres in the 70000 vested in the Government was handed over to Forest Department vide G.O. M.S.279/80RTdated 18th April, 1980 and as there is no demarcation it is alleged that every year Tatas encroaches the forest land and convert it to tea estates. Munnar DFO Justin Mohan vide letter No.7-8418/2006 dated 22nd June 2006 informed HQ about the encroachments of sholay forests by Tatas and same day Highrange conservator also filed similar report. But no action seems taken and the destruction of forests continues.

14. Tata’s 21 tea factories are running without permission and Munnar Panchyat has issued closure notice in 2002. But Tata, the sole supplier of electricity took vengeance by disconnecting power.

15. MS Swaminathan Commission in its report describes the environmental disaster in Munnar due to the Tata enclorachments. Rain has come down drastically in the last 73 years. Atmospheric temperature has gone up. Main reasons re destruction of forest and the cultivation of eucalyptus trees. Tata has 18,000 acres of eucalyptus cultivation converting the sholay forests. Eucalyptus grown in the guise of firewood is actually sold to many such as Rallis India in Tamil Nadu.

16. We had hope when the special group started clearing operations in Munnar. But it was short-lived.

17. Munnar is like an independent territory inside our State run by Tatas. Forest destruction is going unchallenged. If it is allowed without checks valuable forests will vanish for ever from Munnar. It will be total disaster for not only for our State but for the whole universe.

18. There seems to be nobody to save us from this catastrophe. Moreover we should not wait for somebody to appear to save us. We ourselves have to take up this mission. It is a great relief that environmentalists are still there. Let us put our sincere efforts to stop this massive destruction of nature. Victory will be ours.

19. We can take all the details from the Government through the Right to Information Act. We can request the help of judiciary to make the authorities to conduct survey to ascertain the actual land in the hands of Tata. We can do a lot more. Let us come together and save our earth for us and for the generations to come.

Corporate Fraud

"Satyam Computers" is the tip of the ice berg. Scores of companies are doing similar frauds. It is obviously done with the connivance of unscrupulous audit firms and with the blessings of the all obliging supervisory and regulatory bodies.

Till recently the India Inc. was boasting of our businessmen in the elite club of trillionairs and billionairs and it was projected as the economic growth of the nation. But it was not a healthy growth.Where from these billions came ? They did not represent the truth or the real assets of the company but were imaginary figures based on the inflated value of shares. Manipulations were done freely in the market to inflate the prices and to keep it rising. False accounts were projected in the balance sheet to present a glossy picture to cheat the investors. The recession is the net result of all these manipulations and of the malignant growth of economy. The so-called industrial growth has not contributed to the actual development of the country but only filled the pockets of the master manipulators.

Agriculture was sidelined in the mad rush for industrialisation conveniently forgetting the eternal truth that there is no substitute for food. People are deprived of their right to cultivate food promising the eldorado of industrial growth.They are advised to cultivate the habit of Kentucky Fried Chicken and Coca Cola. Majority of indians are struggling for a square meal a day. 'BMWs' and 'Caddis' are offered to them but not food. Agriculture lands are converted into Special economic zones. Lakhs of crores of rupees are lost to the exchequer every year by way of tax concessions. The foreign exchange earnings go to the coffers of the promoters.

Why should we provide financial help to bail out these fraud companies using the public money belonging to each one of the tax paying citizen of India? How they help in the economic growth of the nation? It is time for us to decide our priority; whether to go for the frauduldent companies or concentrate on growing our food.