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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Thackerays’ ‘Taandav’ for trees, tigers

AI generated image Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray launched a sharp attack on the government for the systematic degradation of the state’s environment under the garb of development, even as the climate change poses a direct threat to the environment, economy, agriculture, public health and the future of both rural and urban centres. Questioning the state government’s claims of having planted millions of trees, he rued how the World Environment Day has been...

Thackerays’ ‘Taandav’ for trees, tigers

AI generated image Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray launched a sharp attack on the government for the systematic degradation of the state’s environment under the garb of development, even as the climate change poses a direct threat to the environment, economy, agriculture, public health and the future of both rural and urban centres. Questioning the state government’s claims of having planted millions of trees, he rued how the World Environment Day has been reduced to an annual ritual of tree-planting drives and clicking selfies for social media, though 90 pc of the saplings don’t survive even a day. “Only the government knows where those trees really are,” said Raj sternly. He recalled a "Blueprint of Maharashtra’s Development" he had proposed in 2015, in which he advocated how development without environmental sensitivity is hollow. Justifying, he said that the consequences are visible where roads, bridges and infrastructure projects are hailed as achievements, but even a short spell of rainfall can paralyze entire cities. Referring to recent reports on farmers returning from the fields after 10 am due to the scorching heat, Raj said that the worsening climate crisis has become an everyday reality. Citing official statistics, Raj claimed that extreme heat has caused productivity losses of nearly USD 159 billion and slashing of 160 billion work-hours annually in recent years. He mentioned the World Bank estimates that India’s GDP could plummet by 2.5-4.5 pc while 57 pc of the country’s districts sheltering 76 pc of the population stare at serious climate-related crises. Taking a swipe, he said while the governments boast about growth figures and economical rankings, they are silent on the staggering costs of environmental destruction. He questioned the development model “whether flooded cities, washed-away crops and unbearable summers” genuinely indicate progress. Claiming that Maharashtra was increasingly becoming unliveable for upto 8 months in a year, he said excessive monsoon rains disrupt rural life and urban floods cripple cities, while extreme heat make normal life a torture in summers in both urban-rural areas. Targeting the Centre, Raj alleged that nearly 173,984 hectares of forest lands were diverted in the past 11 years for mining and infrastructure projects to benefit the PM’s single favourite Adani Group. He said that these lands amount to 1,730 sqkm, or equivalent to the area of 16 Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) that is spread over barely 104 sqkm. Dissolve state wildlife board: Aaditya Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray has accused the Maharashtra government for issuing a permit to carry out mining activity in the sensitive tiger corridor between the Tadoba-Andhari and Indravati sanctuaries housing the big striped cats. In a strongly-worded letter to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Member-Secretary Sanjay Kumar, Thackeray sought his immediate personal intervention, sacking the Maharashtra State Board for Wild-Life (SBWL), revoking the permit, and probe against the Chief Wildlife Warden & Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) M. Srinivasa Reddy for the alleged lacunae. Aditya’s two-pager says the permit has been granted for “scientific exploration and excavation/systematic recovery of low-grade iron ore in existing mines in villages Hedri, Bande, Parsalgondi and Round Parsalgondi, in the Etapalli taluka of Gadchiroli district”. Last January, Aditya – MLA from Worli – had first raised the issue saying that the proposed mine would create only 120 jobs, including 32 permanent, and the estimated output is pegged at 1.1 million tons in a year. Referring to two letters of Reddy – on April 28 and May 21 – the SS (UBT) leader claimed that in communications to the state government, the PCCF had changed his stance on the issue. Aditya said that in the first letter, Reddy had effectively opposed the government plans for mining activity but in the second letter, he took a somersault, ostensibly due to government pressures or some commercial interests, “the U-turn is disgraceful and detrimental to India’s national interest” – and this abrupt shift in stance must be investigated thoroughly. In view of the contrary stance of the PCCF Reddy, entrusted with protecting the wildlife but failing to defend the NTCA and NBWL, point to serious malfunctioning of the SBWL, and hence it must be dissolved, besides reviewing all its decisions in the past three years, particularly those pertaining to hazardous activities in sensitive areas, demanded Aditya. 444 tigers roam in 11,000 sq.km As per the Status of Tiger Report (2002), and the Maharashtra Economic Survey 2025-2026, the state boasts of 444 tigers prowling in the wild along with other menacing creatures. The state’s total protected wildlife network of 88 Notified Areas of National Parks, Sanctuaries, and Conservation Reserves - including 6 dedicated to the striped big cats – is spread over 11,092 sq. kms as per current data.

Patient Architect of Grassroots Politics

New Delhi: In Kerala, reaching the Chief Minister’s office is never merely about winning an election. Political legitimacy in the state is shaped through ideology, organizational work, public engagement, student politics, social balancing, and years of patient political labor. That is why the rise of V. D. Satheesan is not just another political appointment, but it also represents the return of a Congress tradition in which leaders who spend decades working within the organization and among the people eventually rise to the top.


Interestingly, for a long time within the Congress, Satheesan was not considered the natural frontrunner for the Chief Minister’s post. Senior leaders such as Oommen Chandy, Ramesh Chennithala, and K. C. Venugopal dominated the party’s power structure. On several occasions, Satheesan was overlooked for ministerial and organizational responsibilities. Yet he never chose the path of public dissent. Instead, he quietly continued strengthening his political base. In the end, that patience became his greatest political asset.


Born on May 31, 1964, in Nettur in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, Satheesan did not inherit politics through a family legacy. Raised in a middle-class household by his parents, K. Damodaran Menon and V. Vilasini Amma, he kept his family away from political publicity throughout his career. His wife is R. Lakshmipriya, and they have a daughter, Unnimaya. In a political culture where dynastic visibility is often explicit, Satheesan maintained a clear separation between public life and private life.


He completed his schooling at Panangad High School before studying Sociology at Sacred Heart College, Thevara. He later earned a master’s degree in Social Work from Rajagiri College and went on to study law. Satheesan completed his LLB from the Kerala Law Academy and his LLM from Thiruvananthapuram Law College.


Before joining active politics full-time, Satheesan practiced law at the Kerala High Court for nearly 10 years. His legal background shaped a political style rooted in facts, records, and legal reasoning rather than slogans. In the Kerala Assembly, he earned a reputation as a well-prepared legislator who studies issues carefully, often remark that “Satheesan studies before he fights.”


Political Journey

His political journey began through student activism with the Kerala Students Union and later the NSUI, the Congress’ student wings. In 1986-87, he chaired the Mahatma Gandhi University Students’ Union. Even then, he was regarded not as a mass leader but as a disciplined, well-prepared organiser with strong administrative abilities.


His entry into mainstream politics was far from easy. At one stage, frustrated by not receiving adequate recognition within the party organisation, he stepped away from active politics and returned to legal practice. However, his political mentor, G. Karthikeyan, recognised his potential and encouraged him to return.


In 1996, Congress candidate Satheesan contested from Paravur, then a Left bastion, and lost by just 1,116 votes. The narrow defeat transformed his political journey. Over the next five years, he stayed closely connected with people through social events, labor movements, local disputes, and civic issues, building deep grassroots support and voter trust.


In 2001, Satheesan won from Paravur and went on to become a six-time MLA. Even during the strong Left wave led by V. S. Achuthanandan in 2006, he retained the seat with a bigger margin. Under his leadership, Paravur gradually shifted from a Left bastion to a Congress stronghold.


Stand on Mining

Satheesan built a strong image through his stand on environmental and coastal issues, including the Vallarpadam project, illegal sand mining, and coastal erosion. His positions often discomforted even Congress governments, yet he remained firm. This phase shaped his reputation as a leader willing to challenge the system when required.


In 2011, Satheesan was denied a ministerial berth in the Oommen Chandy government. Despite the disappointment, he avoided rebellion and continued strengthening his role within the party and among the people.


The UDF’s defeat in the 2021 Kerala Assembly election unexpectedly brought Satheesan to the forefront of state politics. Appointed Leader of the Opposition, initially as a compromise choice, he gradually emerged over the next five years as the strongest and most consistent critic of the Pinarayi Vijayan government.


From the gold smuggling case to the Al camera controversy, financial issues, and administrative decisions, Satheesan’s criticism consistently influenced Kerala’s political discourse. His Assembly remark, “We were never afraid of the old Vijayan, and we will not fear today’s Vijayan either,” reflected his combative style. In the social media era, he built a reputation as a data-driven leader who relied more on facts.


New Model

In the 2026 Assembly elections, Satheesan introduced a new campaign model centered on booth-level organisation, data-driven strategy, youth engagement, and unity among Congress, the Indian Union Muslim League, and allies as “Team UDF.” His claim that the UDF could approx. 100 seats was widely doubted, but the alliance ultimately secured a sweeping majority and returned to power.


The race for the CM’s post was not entirely smooth. Intense pressure from Congress and IUML workers, along with growing internal demands for clarity in leadership, and the threats directed at Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra through posters, all these factors ultimately compelled the party high command to announce Satheesan’s name. On May 18, he took oath as Kerala’s 13th CM.


When Indian politics often rewards instant popularity and aggressive publicity, Satheesan’s journey stands apart. He never projected himself as a future CM, yet worked patiently.


UDF govt announces welfare measures, free KSRTC travel for women

The newly sworn-in UDF government in Kerala on Monday announced a series of welfare measures, including free travel for women in KSRTC buses from June 15, enhanced honorarium for ASHA and Anganwadi workers, and the creation of a dedicated department for senior citizens.


Announcing the decisions taken at the first Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister V D Satheesan said detailed guidelines for the free bus travel scheme for women would be issued later.


The Cabinet also decided to constitute a separate department for elderly persons, which the Chief Minister said could be the first such initiative in the country.


He said that fulfilling a promise made during the prolonged agitation by ASHA workers in front of the Secretariat, the Cabinet approved an increase of Rs 3,000 per month in their honorarium.

He also announced a monthly hike of Rs 1,000 each for Anganwadi workers and helpers, school cooking staff, pre-primary teachers and ayahs. The Cabinet also appointed senior advocate Rajeev Babu as Advocate General and advocate T S Asaf Ali as Director General of Prosecution.


In another major decision, the Cabinet approved the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to reinvestigate a case related to the alleged assault on two Youth Congress workers during a protest in Alappuzha when the former Chief Minister attended a programme there.


Flood victim hugs Kerala CM, Rahul on stage

Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan first met Sita Lakshmi Ammal, an elderly woman, during the devastating floods of 2018, when he was among those helping people who had lost their homes and were forced to move to relief camps.


For Ammal, that difficult time left behind an unexpected memory of kindness.


On Monday, she was among those who attended his swearing-in ceremony in the state capital, quietly returning to a moment that, for her, began in crisis but stayed in gratitude.


According to Ammal, Satheesan is not like a son, but is her son and she only wanted to hold him close once more, as in an old photograph she has with him. Her wish came true as Satheesan brought her on-stage and she not only got to hold him close but also hugged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi before being led away.

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