Shootout in front of Trinamool MLA’s residence in Bengal; one injured

Kollam (Kerala), March 5 (IANS) On the eve of the four-day CPI-M state party conference that opens here on Thursday, the talk of the town in Kerala’s erstwhile cashew capital is how Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan continues unquestioned to maintain his prime position.

The question of whether Vijayan, who turns 80 in a few months, will be leading the party in the 2026 Assembly polls, has already been answered by the CPI-M which maintains that he has “been given an exemption and once it’s given, there is no need to review it, every now and then”.

Incidentally, the CPI-M, a few years back, had imposed an age restriction that all those who attain the age of 75 will have to bow out from all posts and will no longer be given a ticket to contest elections.

But five years back, the party gave an exemption to Vijayan and hence at the four-day party conference, it will be Vijayan’s will that prevails as no one will have the courage to speak out against him.

A political observer, on condition of anonymity, said that a few CPI-M leaders, when asked if Vijayan would continue and lead his party at the next elections, replied that who else was there?

“The CPI-M has undergone radical changes in its outlook and conduct and that’s why Vijayan remains unchallenged either in the Left Democratic Front or in the CPI-M, as all knows the consequence of even uttering a word for the fear of being eased out. If it was the yesteryear’s CPI-M, his son-in-law P.A. Mohammed Riyas, a first-time legislator in 2021, would never have been made a minister. Everyone knows what’s happening in the present-day CPI-M, but no one will ever raise even a question,” the observer said.

With the CPI-M being literally wiped out in erstwhile bastions like West Bengal and Tripura, none even in the Politburo from other states will speak against Vijayan, due to his dominance in the last state in the party’s kitty.

Incidentally, the reason why Vijayan continues to be the unquestionable leader is that he not only knew all who mattered in the party when he was the party’s state Secretary from 1998 to 2015, but also, he was largely instrumental in weeding out any leader who aligned with party veteran and former Chief Minister V.S.Achuthanandan, who was the last person to have locked horns with Vijayan but also had to beat a hasty retreat in 2016.

In 2016, Achuthanandan was the Leader of the Opposition and when the party under Vijayan decided to keep him out of the elections, it led to a public outcry. The party, like in 2011, had to bend and allow him to contest.

“Not only did he contest in 2016, he, as always, was the star campaigner with every Left candidate keeping the veteran’s picture in every election poster, while Vijayan’s picture went missing in many places. Finally after leading the Left to a win, despite the best efforts of Achuthanandan, Vijayan was made the Chief Minister. To keep Achuthanandan placated, he was given a Cabinet post as the Chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission,” the observer noted.

Now all eyes will be on the constitution of the state Secretariat and the state Committee of the Kerala unit of the CPI-M which will happen on Saturday and once that’s done, it will again show the dominance of Vijayan as the two bodies are set to have only his closest aides as members.

–IANS

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Kochi, Feb 21 (IANS) Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday while addressing global investors and dignitaries at a two-day Invest Kerala Global Summit (IKGS) -2025, said the state’s investment scenario was on the cusp of history as all are witnessing progress and change for the better in the investment arena.

“The changes we have brought about now are not incremental but substantial. Kerala, the state which has become a noteworthy example of achieving a high score in Human Development Indicators, is now taking a leap towards achieving the status of an investment hub. The government here considers that it has a great role to play as a facilitator and a catalyst. We have taken a holistic view and are paying equal attention to all matters from policy formulation to the last mile implementation,” said CM Vijayan.

“We have ensured that no investor coming to Kerala will have to face the cobweb of procedural delays and meet the barriers of red tape. We have made major strides in simplifying procedures as regards investments,” the CM Vijayan said.

“Apart from untying the Gordian’s knot of complex laws and procedures, the Government of Kerala has shown the will to undertake the task of bridging the infrastructural deficit, as it realises that high-quality infrastructure is the necessary condition for investments to come to the state,” said CM Vijayan.

IKGS 2025 is organised by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) on behalf of the Department of Industries & Commerce where around 3,000 investors, entrepreneurs and bureaucrats will be present in the two-day event attended by business delegations from six different countries.

Elaborating further CM Vijayan said Kerala has made major strides in the startup sector. “In the last eight years, Kerala has witnessed the establishment of 6,200 startups with an investment of Rs 5,800 crore creating 62,000 employment opportunities. We aim to establish 15,000 startups and create one lakh employment opportunities by 2026.”

CM Vijayan added that another new sector in which we have shown interest and taken initiatives is Aerospace and the government has taken steps to facilitate investments in this area.

“In this context, I would also like to mention that we are facilitating graphene-based advanced technological material research under the leadership of Digital University. Graphene is a material with tremendous potential, for use in electronics, and energy. Kerala has taken steps to achieve a clean energy economy. We have set up a Hydrogen Valley project in Kochi, and I am happy to mention here that this has been recognised by the World Economic Forum, Davos as one of the 13 leading global industrial clusters.”

He also pointed out that on the physical infrastructure front, Vizhinjam Port development is proceeding fast and the project will be completed in 2028 ahead of schedule.

“The port is making Kerala a hub of transhipment of goods. There is tremendous scope for ancillary development.”

“The share of the manufacturing sector in Gross State Value Added, which was 9.8 per cent in 2014-15 has risen to 11.5 per cent in 2023-24.”

CM Vijayan concluded his address by saying that to make Kerala an investment destination, the Government of Kerala shall strain every nerve and leave no stone unturned.

“We have an end-to-end approach with a holistic perspective to implement our plan not incrementally but substantially,” said CM Vijayan.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 26 (IANS) The Vishva Hindu Parishad on Thursday announced a countrywide public awakening campaign from January 5, 2025, to free Hindu temples from government control.

Addressing a press conference, VHP Organizing General Secretary Milind Parande said that all the state governments should detach themselves from the control, management and daily works of temples because such activities are discriminatory towards the Hindu society.

“When no mosque or church is under government, then why this discrimination against Hindus?” asked Parande.

“Under the leadership of the revered Sant Samaj and the leading figures of the Hindu society, we are going to start a countrywide public awareness campaign on January 5. The call for this all-Bharat campaign will be given at a special gathering of lakhs of people called ‘Haindava Shankhaaraavam’ to be organised in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh,” he said.

The VHP Organising General Secretary said that it is unfortunate that after Independence, many temples that should have been handed over to the Hindu society were kept under state governments.

Parande said that the work of management and control of temples should now be handed over to the devoted and capable people of the Hindu society. “To address this, we have formed a Think Tank comprising of eminent lawyers of the Supreme Court, retired Chief Justices of HCs, leading figures of the Sant Samaj and Karyakartas of Vishva Hindu Parishad, which has prepared a draft after studying the protocols of management of temples and to resolve any kind of dispute related to it,” he said.

It has also been kept in mind as to when the governments return the temples to the society, what would be the protocols to accept it and under what provisions, he said. “That is why some persons holding constitutional posts will constitute a Dharmic Council at state levels comprising revered Dharmacharyas, retired judges and retired government officials and also other eminent people of the society who are experts in Hindu scriptures and Aagam Shaastras and rituals,” he added.

“These state-level councils would elect the district level councils which, in turn, will choose the trustees of the local temples in which various sections of the society along with scheduled castes and tribes would participate, he said, adding that a process will be decided for resolving disputes.

“Last week, we met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and handed over a draft of such a proposed to him for his consideration. We are also holding similar discussions with other state governments and various political parties,” he said.

Earlier, on September 30, the VHP had submitted a memorandum to the Governors of all the states and requested their governments to withdraw from the management of temples. “This All Bharat Jagran Abhiyan for the liberation of temples, the awakening of Hindu society has begun to protect the movable and immovable properties of these temples and to make proper use of them for the service of the Hindu society and propagation of religion, he said.

Before handing over the temples to the Hindu society, the VHP urged that all encroachments and constructions made by non-Hindus and all encroachments and illegal constructions whatsoever on temple lands should be removed. The income of temples should be spent only for the propagation of the Hindu religion, service to society and related issues, never on government works, the VHP said.

–IANS

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