SANITARY NAPKINS

Kerala Government is planning to install sanitary napkin vending machines in 900 schools. At Rs. 12000/- a machine, the project will cost around Rs. 1.10 crores. Hindustan Life Care Ltd. has been entrusted with this job it is learnt. It is not a wise decision to give away this huge amount just for dispensing machines.

The manufacturing of the napkins will obviously be done by big monopolistic companies and Kerala industry will not be benefited out of this proposition. So this money of 1.10 crores being invested for the vending machines should be given as the capital cost for starting small scale units manufacturing napkins at all districts as the process of manufacturing is simple and the cost of machinery very less. The Kudumbasree workers can take care of supplying napkins to the schools.

The proposed selling cost of napkin is one rupee and naturally the Government has to subsidize. This amount can be used as the running cost of these units instead of giving it to big companies. The Small scale Industry in Kerala will develop providing jobs to many people.

PUBLIC TOILETS

From the open air Malayalee has improved into the privacy of the lavatory but is still ages behind in the matter of public toilets. The concept of public toilets is alien to hotels, shopping places, petrol pumps etc. where people frequent and the namesake facilities at bus stands and railway stations are the ugliest and most unhygienic, the very thought of it will bring in nausea and using it will bring in diseases. The travelling public are the worst affected. Men still manage to urinate in the open but women folks reluctant to follow suit are destined to hold it and succumb to urinary infection and other more serious diseases.

Our Government is to be blamed for this ridiculous and shameful situation. They are spending crores of rupees to educate people the importance of personal hygiene. Advertisements in visual and print media ask people to wash their hands properly afterwards but are silent about lavatories. Government should enact legislation to make it compulsory to put up proper and hygiene toilets at every hotel, shopping malls, restaurants and other such buildings, bus stations etc. where people visit. Banks operate ATMs everywhere in our State. It should be made mandatory for the banks to put up state-of-the-art toilets along with ATMs that can be opened using the ATM card which will a great relief especially for motorists to relieve themselves.

KERALA UNIVERSITY SENATE

Governor has returned the list of Kerala University Senate nominees. The opposition parties were crying foul over the list alleging inclusion of political persons. If the opposition parties are really sincere about what they said why can't they present an alternative list of eminent scholars who can bring back the glory of this august body, also to show the world that Kerala is not short of honest men having excellent track record.

COURT VERDICTS A CONSPIRACY?

"It is a conspiracy", "I am victimized", “to eliminate me from politics”, these are usual expressions of politicians when court verdicts go against them. Does it mean that the courts are party to the conspiracy?

Court verdicts cannot be conspiracy or victimisation. Their detractors might have conspired to bring it before the court. In the court they had defended the case. They should have proved the conspiracy theory before the courts.  Courts pronounce judgments after weighing the evidence.Then how can they say like this once the judgement comes out??

PILGRIMS' PROGRESS

  Sabarimala is the abode of 'Lord Ayyappa' visited by millions, and overcrowded during 'Mandala-Makaravilakku' season. Widening of the 'pathinettampadi'(18 holy steps) and 'sreekovil' door is not the soulution. If that is the case, it will be more easy that 'Lord Ayyappa' is kept in the open atop a tall pedastal and steps constructed all around so that thousands can get darshan in one minute!

  Pilgrims visit there knowing well the difficulties to reach the sanctum-sanctorum and they like to have 'darshan' of 'Bhagavan' in the present set-up. Reformists may call it foolish or meaningless but one should remember that the whole thing moves around the 'belief' that 'Lord Ayyappa' is there at Sabarimala and hence the devotees have every right to stick to the old rituals and the narrow '18 steps' and sreekovil door.

   Using Sabarimala as a means to make money by the Deveswaom Board and its officials and politicians is the basic reason for the inhuman conditions prevailing there. The motto of the Devaswom is to make money and inroder to achieve it they exploit and fleece the innocent devotees. Once they think about the devotees and forget the share of the loot and implement the following welfare measures the whole situation will change.

1. Allow entry only through Pathinettampadi.

2. Stop the 'darshan' given by Thanthri and Melshanthi.

3.Supply free food to all and remove all kinds of shops/stalls from Pamba,on trekking path and  at Sannidhanam.

4.Swami Ayyappan road to be developed for exclusive return journey.

5.Dismantle the aravana and appam plant from Sannidhanam and install at Nilackal and supply aravana at Nilackal and Pamba only.

6.Stop padipooja of devotees.

7.Develop Nilackal as the base camp.

WORLD CUP FRENZY

Soccer fans the world over had sumptuous feast for the last one month with 32 teams and 64 intensely played matches. The curtain came down on the World Cup on Sunday night with Spain winning the coveted World Cup. Football- a real entertaining game, fast and thrilling, loved by almost all. And Shakira was so enchanting and captivating still haunting with her Waka Waka.

World cup fever caught Kerala also. Not the ordinary fever but the fierce variety. Made people delirious. They put huge flex boards and banners of Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Germany teams and big cut-outs of Messy and others. Made mock world cup matches with celebrities kicking off. People were mad after world cup. Media did their part by sending reporters all over Kerala to get live coverage of football celebrations giving maximum propaganda.

Don’t blame media. Publicity is their bread. But what about the hysteria people have shown? India was nowhere near the doorstep of the world cup. Pathetically failed to cross even the round 1 qualifying match! What difference it would have made for us if Brazil won the cup in the place of Spain or if Holland won? Nothing. Is it not like crying for USA or China to win gold in the Olympics? So the frenzy we saw in Kerala was nothing but hypocrisy and an act of escapism.

MILMA- ATM

Milma is introducing milk vending machines in the line of ATM. You swipe a card and there comes out milk pouches. Milk was sold in the conventional glass bottles earlier and with the advent of Milma, plastic pouches came into existence in the name of convenience. Over the years the empty milk pouches invaded every inch of Kerala posing a threat to the ecology.

Now Milma is coming out with vending machines they can do away with these pouches to a great extend and restrict the plastic menace if some changes are made in their idea. Machines dispensing milk directly the customers’ containers can be installed. This method was successfully run by Mother Dairy years back in Delhi, by dispensing half litre chilled milk for a token. As these machines are to be kept in flat complexes and residential complexes, carrying own containers will not be inconvenient for the consumers, like going to the milkman’s house with utensils to collect milk in the olden days. Milma can also think of dispensing milk in old type reusable glass bottles through the machines. Now Milma is spending money in a large way to introduce ATM machines it is time for them to think of these two methods.