Ever since Santhosh Madhavan alias Amritachaitanya, a bogus ascetic was arrested by police early this month, the time ahead for self-styled godmen across the state seems to be really tough. Stories of exposures of fake godmen coming day after day and public ire reaching its zenith, the Home Minister himself had to caution some organizations not to take law in their hands.
The controversial godman Amrit Chaitanya alias Santosh Madhavan was arrested for allegedly cheating Rs. 45 lakh from a gulf based Keralite woman and raping minor girls.
After Santhosh Madhavan’s arrest, a regional daily started publishing a series on fake godmen, which irked another self-styled ascetic Himaval Mahaeswara Bhadrananda. Under full media glare, he appeared at the local station brandishing a pistol and threatened to commit suicide. Though the suicide attempt was foiled, two shots were fired from his pistol when the police attempted to seize the weapon. Two police officers were later suspended for the incidents in police station.
It is reported that thousands of self-styled godmen(women) of all major religions are operating in different parts of the state and the authorities who should have acted before are now curious to know their source of funds and style of operation. Meanwhile, the surprise police search at the houses of Al-haj Sheik Yousuf Sultan, a Muslim godman at Desom and Thuruth in Kochi yesterday in connection with a cheating case against him could reveal nothing except some documents relating to land deals.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Pre-Monsoon Cleaning: Lack of Coordination Affecting the Drive
With monsoons around the corner in Kerala, the pre-monsoon cleaning drive organized by the local bodies across the state is likely to end up as a farce. Despite receiving warning that epidemics like chikungunya, dengue fever and viral fever that are likely to recur this year too, if preventive measures are not adopted, the government action seems to be limited in forming committees and conducting seminars only.
Local bodies, which were asked to organize the pre-monsoon cleaning work, held special meetings to discuss the matter, but very little worthy measures are taken to coordinate the activities at different levels. The state public works department was entrusted with the task of removing grass and weeds on roadsides and waste accumulated in the gutters. But lack of coordination is felt everywhere though there is direction from the part of government that Health Department personnel and voluntary agencies should be involved in activities at lowest level like panchayath and municipal wards.
Without carrying out activities like mosquito eradication at the household level, the pre-monsoon drive is unlikely to deliver its results as envisaged by the government. An awareness campaign to involve all family members to remove bottles, lids or anything that could collect water is yet to be made at the local level.
Local bodies, which were asked to organize the pre-monsoon cleaning work, held special meetings to discuss the matter, but very little worthy measures are taken to coordinate the activities at different levels. The state public works department was entrusted with the task of removing grass and weeds on roadsides and waste accumulated in the gutters. But lack of coordination is felt everywhere though there is direction from the part of government that Health Department personnel and voluntary agencies should be involved in activities at lowest level like panchayath and municipal wards.
Without carrying out activities like mosquito eradication at the household level, the pre-monsoon drive is unlikely to deliver its results as envisaged by the government. An awareness campaign to involve all family members to remove bottles, lids or anything that could collect water is yet to be made at the local level.
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