MPs from Kerala set politics aside and join hands for the victims of Wayanad landslides in Parliament.
Published Dec 14, 2024 | 8:36 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 14, 2024 | 8:36 PM
MPs from Kerala protesting in front of Parliament, demanding relief package for Wayanad.
In a rare show of unity, all Members of Parliament from Kerala staged a protest outside Parliament on Saturday, 14 December, demanding a special relief package for Wayanad, ravaged by a massive landslide on 30 July.
Holding placards reading “Justice for Wayanad”, the MPs decried the Union government’s apathy towards the region, where the disaster claimed over 200 lives, injured many, and displaced countless families in the Mundakkai, Chooralmala, and Attamala areas.
The demand for justice resonated across party lines, with Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra leading the protest.
Criticising the Centre’s refusal to classify the landslide as a “Calamity of Serious Nature,” Gandhi said,
“We have written to the prime minister and requested the home minister, but the government continues to deny the people of Wayanad the relief they desperately need. This is not just a financial issue; it is a question of fairness and humanity. Citizens of India deserve equal treatment, and disasters should not be politicised,” she said.
Echoing her sentiments, Congress MP KC Venugopal accused the Centre of neglecting Kerala.
“What is stopping the government from declaring the landslide a national disaster? The Centre’s refusal to act not only abandons Wayanad’s victims but also reflects a broader, step-motherly treatment towards Kerala. To make matters worse, the Centre has asked the state to pay for airlifting victims during disasters. This is an insult to injury,” he said.
At the same time, K Radhakrishnan, MP, said that the Union Government was not helping Kerala but humiliating the state and its people.
Shafi Parambil, MP, was seen sloganeering, “is Kerala not part of India?”
Earlier this week, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan lambasted the Union Government and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for their alleged indifference.
Responding to Shah’s claim in Parliament that Kerala delayed submitting a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report, Vijayan labelled the accusation “factually incorrect” and a deliberate attempt to deflect blame.
Vijayan pointed out that Kerala submitted a detailed memorandum on 17 August, seeking ₹1,202 crore for relief and rehabilitation.
“Our PDNA report was submitted on November 13, the shortest time such a report has taken for a disaster of this scale. Relief has been granted to other states like Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, and Telangana without these procedural delays. Why is Kerala being sidelined?” he asked.
The chief minister also highlighted the inadequacy of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), which had a balance of ₹588.95 crore at the time of the disaster. The SDRF’s restrictive norms, he noted, allowed only ₹1.5 lakh compensation per destroyed house, whereas the state has supplemented this to ₹4 lakh.
“Rebuilding affected areas will require ₹10 lakh per house. These limits are insufficient for large-scale rehabilitation,” Vijayan said, adding that the Centre’s focus on the PDNA report is a diversion from its constitutional responsibilities.
The protest also put the spotlight on a controversial directive from the Defence Ministry, which has demanded ₹132.61 crore from Kerala for rescue operations since 2006, including ₹13.65 crore for Wayanad alone. Critics slammed the demand as insensitive, with many calling it a case of “rubbing salt in the wound.”
While some defended the directive as payment for services rendered, Kerala’s financial woes have intensified calls for immediate central assistance. The state, already burdened by the ₹100 crore it paid for rescue efforts during the 2018 floods, faces growing public anger over the Centre’s perceived indifference.
With the Kerala High Court seeking clarity on SDRF utilisation and additional funding for Wayanad, the political battle over disaster relief would continue. With mounting criticism from state leaders and MPs, the Centre faces increasing pressure to respond to Wayanad’s plight.
The state said it was determined to secure relief for the victims of the landslide. “The people of Wayanad deserve compassion, not neglect. Kerala will not stop until justice is delivered,” Chief Minister Vijayan said.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
