The state government has also launched a "goal challenge" campaign to counter the growing use of narcotics in the state.
An image shared in the Facebook page of Brazil Fans Association, Kerala.
As Kerala’s frenzy for football inches towards fever pitch — with cutouts, flex boards, and banners that reflect the high-intensity sporting “rivalries” — for the World Cup in Qatar, the state government is using the most of the opportunity to achieve some of its own goals.
For starters, it is looking to keep a check on the celebrations surrounding the tournament.
With less than a week to go before the World Cup, Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty and Local Self Government Minister MB Rajesh have issued warnings and guidelines over how fans should — and should not — celebrate.
This comes against the backdrop of several complaints being raised about how football fans are choosing to show their support to the teams of their choice, like the cutout war in the Pullavoor village.
A complaint by an environmental activist alleged that the cutouts obstructed the natural flow of the Kurangatt Kadavu river in the village located in the Kozhikode district.
However, the activist failed to garner support for his demand for the cutouts to be removed.
On Friday, 11 November, Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty shared on Facebook pictures of two national flags tied on electricity lines in the state.
The pictures of the national flags of Portugal and Argentina were claimed to have been taken in Ezhara in the Kannur district.
“Dear friends and football enthusiasts, I am forced to write this post due to a dangerous act committed in a place called Ezhara which is under the Chovva section,” wrote the minister.
The minister also stated that he was requesting football fans to refrain from placing banners on electricity posts.
He warned that any practice that violated people’s security was unauthorised, illegal, and could well be suicidal.
On Thursday, Local Self Government Minister MB Rajesh appealed to fans that flex boards placed in various parts of the state be removed when teams were eliminated from the World Cup.
He also opined that all the flex boards should be removed by the end of the world cup.
The minister appealed to the fans to avoid plastic-based printing methods as much as possible, and instead consider cotton cloth and paper-based printing methods, which are sustainable for the environment.
He also called for a World Cup season without the recreational use of narcotics.
The government has launched a programme in connection to the World Cup that intends to combat the narcotic drug menace in the state.
The programme, called “goal challenge”, began on 14 November and will go in till 26 January as part of the “Laharimukta Kerala” campaign.
Dec 11, 2023
Feb 22, 2023
Mar 03, 2023
Dec 19, 2022
Dec 03, 2022
Nov 23, 2022
