Notes from Kerala (4)

1. Kerala Food Minister on the shortage of rice

For some days now, Kerala is facing problems in the supply of rice.
And hence there is an increase in the price and people are feeling the
heat. Now what is the solution to this problem? Here is what our food
minister C.K Divakaran has to say,

“Malayalees should change their food habits. They should start drinking more milk, eating eggs and eat more chicken dishes.”

I am still laughing my guts out. I wonder how PETA will react to C.K. Divakaran’s comment. I am sure he will need some additional
security [Tackling food shortage and traffic problems – kerala way]

2. Remember what Swami Vivekananda said about Kerala. It seems the Church wants to take us there as fast as possible.

   A Church dignitary recently asked all Christians to send their children only to Christian schools. An explanation followed that the suggestion was aimed at ensuring that the new generation imbibed Christian values, and was unconnected with the issue of educational reform. What will happen if all caste and religious groups think along these lines? The Churches, which made possible the social renewal that rescued Kerala from darkness by establishing modern educational facilities, should not become instrumental for a return to the lunatic asylum.[..so we do not go back to the lunatic asylum]

3. The Communist Government does not allow private retail chains, but has plans to start their own.
   

   It may be recalled that the Food and Civil Supplies Minister C.
   Divakaran had announced one and a half years ago that State owned Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) would start retail chains to take on the retail giants. This was a contradiction of sorts. The Minister was proposing to create a retail chain to compete with the retail chains instead of disallowing them, if the policy was to discourage them.

   Anyway, that has not materialised so far. One cannot expect the Supplyco chains to actually take on the retail chains. Instead, one can expect more demonstrations from the CPI stable as its Minister rules the Supplyco.[CPI takes on retail chains]

See Also: Notes
from Kerala, Notes from Kerala (2), Notes from Kerala (3)