Local body elections in 2 phases

The elections to the local bodies in Kerala will be conducted in two phases on October 23 and 25.

Announcing the decision, the state election commissioner said Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kasargodu & Kannur districts would go to polls on October 23. Kottayam, Alapuzha, Palakkad, Thrissur, Idukki, Malappuram and Ernakulam districts will go to polls on October 25.

The model code of conduct came into effect as soon as the date of elections was announced. The official notification regarding elections would be published on September 27.

The Nominations would be accepted till October 4. The scrutiny of the nominations would take place on October 5 and the last date of withdrawal of nominations is October 7.

Counting of votes is scheduled for October 27. The new office bearers would assume office on November 1.

Elections would be held to 978 Grama Panchayats, 152 Block Panchayats, 14 District Panchayats, 59 Municipalities and five corporations. Mattanoor municipality would not go for polls as the term of office of the governing body would end only on 2011.

July 22: A Black Day in Indian Democracy

July 22 was a black day in the history of Indian democracy? When the confidence motion moved by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was being debated over in the Lok Sabha, three BJP legislators showed wands of currency in the house, allegedly given to them to switch sides.
Just a few hours ahead of Mr Singh's reply to the debate on the confidence motion, the dramatic scene unfolded with the BJP legislators showing the bribe money, which they claim was offered to abstain from voting. The opposition's demand for a resignation was not heeded to by the speaker and even the Prime Minster was so adamant in his position. Any Prime Minister would have resigned in such a circumstance. But Mr Singh was so adamant. It seemed that he just wanted the motion to be cleared in his government's favour. Nothing seemed to move him. Even a corruption unravelled in the highest office of the country did not have any impact on him; he was so adamant.
The result came out in favour of Mr Singh and his government. They got 275 votes as against 256. His government won the confidence motion in a small margin of 19 votes, a victory of bribery.
In the realms of Indian democracy, July 22 will remain a sad day, a day of "corrupt victory". Mr Singh cannot claim his victory to be one based on the true principals of democracy. A naked truth of corruption and bribery in the history of Indian parliament has been unfolded. The victory is only a naked display of money power. Once again it has been established that politics is "money power" and politics is business?
Read at ..... http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/911563/july_22_a_black_day_in_indian_democracy.html

Teacher’s killing; all in the name of a textbook

A schoolteacher in Kerala has been allegedly killed by political activists who were protesting against the Marxist government’s education policies. A gruesome act has been performed.

A protest in the name of protecting religious pluralism as opposed to secularism has led to the brutal killing of James Augustine, who was allegedly kicked or trampled by the protesting Muslim Youth League activists in the southern district of Malappuram. And more pathetic is the way the politicians, the opposition political parties, reacted to the tragic incident.

The Congress, which is the second largest party in Kerala, along with its ally, the Indian Union Muslim league, are trying to portray the death as natural one. They said that Augustine had no major injuries and alleged that the Marxists were trying to take mileage of the situation.

Meanwhile, the ruling Marxist government had said that Augustine was a martyr of the unscrupulous strike. They blamed the Muslim league activists and also the Kerala Students Union (students wing of the Congress party) of unleashing terror in the state in the name of a book when the government had already made it clear to revise the book.

Whatever the opposition and the ruling may say or allege each other, the question here is something different. Both the Ruling and the Opposition had debated in the state Assembly for hours on the real cause of the teacher’s death but they did not indulge into the social aspect of the gruesome murder.


It is not just the killing of a teacher, but it shows us how the political scene in Kerala is changing. The political parties are trying to create fear through crimes, which is not good for the state. Is it that Kerala, which has a history of peace, giving way to treacherous political activities? It is something that Kerala has to divulge into.

The politicians, who are supposed to be with the people, are trying to shatter the peace in the society. For petty political gains, the politicians and the political parties do any kind of vulgarity and not ponder over the consequences of their acts on the society. They even do not think that they survive because of the people and their acts are condemnable.

The Opposition parties and religious organisations had been opposing the Class VII textbook, alleging it propagated atheism and communist ideology among students. The protest is still going on even though the Marxist Government had decided to revise the textbook. The protestors want the complete withdrawal of the textbook.