From defeat to victory: VS's uncompromising Malappuram tale

Malappuram district and VS Achuthanandan have strong political connections, stretching from the Malappuram party conference to the big victory in the next niyamasabha election in 2006. When Pinarayi took the party under his wing at the Malappuram party state conference in 2005, many thought that the VS era was over. But the following year, VS ascended to the Chief Minister's chair, turning the same Malappuram district into a 'red fort'. 

LDF and CPM had their ever-best performance in Malappuram in 2006, when VS himself led from the front. The LDF won 5 out of 12 seats, and he proved to the official fraction of the party that the League was not necessary in the Front to win Malappuram. 

There is only one answer to the question of who was the crowd puller in Malappuram in that election, and that was VS Achuthanandan. VS ended the League's infallibility in Malappuram by winning the Ponnani, Mankada, Kuttipuram, Tirur and Perinthalmanna seats. Amongst those who fell in VS's battle were the prominent League leaders like PK Kunhalikutty, ET Muhammed Basheer and Dr MK Muneer. VS was also the kingmaker who made KT Jaleel win in Kuttippuram and Manjalamkuzhi Ali win in Mankada.

"Thousands of people gathered for all the public meetings he attended in Malappuram. VS created a level of acceptance in Malappuram that perhaps no other leader had ever received. That was a result of the issues he championed, especially women's safety. He also paid special attention to Jaleel's election in Kuttippuram", said CPM Malappuram's former district secretary E N Mohandas to TNIE.

He strongly disagreed with the candidacy of Hussain Randathani from the Ponnani Lok Sabha constituency in 2009 and the party's collaboration with the PDP. Despite losing that Lok Sabha election and knowing that the people would judge his administration, he burst out laughing at the defeat of that alliance in Ponnani.

"VS has always been against contesting elections on temporary political lines.  He has adopted a style of openly rejecting such alliances. In the case of the PDP, even though there was unconditional support, he openly questioned it. VS's stance was that people should vote after being convinced of the issues raised by the Communist Party", said former MP and political observer Sebastian Paul to TNIE.

Even though he was constantly engaged in heated verbal arguments with the League leadership, he did not personally take it. When Panakkad Shihab Ali Thangal passed away, VS had come to pay his last respects in person.

VS also played an important role in preserving the Mamangam's relics in Tirunavaya. His government also played a crucial role in the development of Malappuram district. It was during his tenure as Chief Minister that the construction of the Chamravattom Regulator-cum-Bridge, which was thought to never be completed, was completed. Many projects, including the much-anticipated Biyam Regulator-cum-Bridge, the Civil Service Academy and minority coaching centre that gave Ponnani a place in the educational boom, the fishing harbour project, and a package worth a billion for the development of kole fields, were implemented in the district during the VS government's tenure.

Ephemeral !!

Ephemeral is not just a word, 

It's a situation !

A bleeding wound gifted by one forever. 

An emotion more does it mean.

Once you were everything,

Then, you are none

Only a good woodcutter knows 

When and how to chop the trunk...!!!

(170325)

Empower women, empower the nation

We are living in a “global village” era where women are more empowered than ever before. They are independent, both socially and economically. The ‘new normal’ period after the pandemic, COVID-19, also increased the use of digital technology, opened the scope of e-commerce, which was beyond their imagination.

UNDP’s projects in Haryana and Telangana are the greatest example of the digital empowerment of our women. Through different programs in these states, UNDP invested in training programs among women that increased their digital literacy and familiarity with technology tools and platforms. This helped a women's collective group from Haryana to list their bangle-making business on an e-commerce site and expand their market. Likewise, in Telangana, 2000 handloom weavers and artisans received training and were able to expand their business through online sites.

 

It’s not just UN, digital media academies are also focussing and providing a lot of opportunities for digitally empowering women. 80% of students, even if it’s for coding or design studies, are girls. They are really dedicated and committed. What attracts girls more attracted into this? The answer is they can learn and earn from anywhere, no need to worry about their household chaos. Apart from that, no degree is needed, no career gap is a headache, and nothing stops them from learning.

 

The Indian government has been at the forefront of making our country a more digital-ready nation. Right from bank accounts to booking LPG, everything is digitalized, where women are the major beneficiaries. However, the complete usage of these platforms fully depends on how digitally literate the people are. In data released by the centre in 2021 (National Sample Survey 2020-21), it showed that digital literacy was very low among Indians. The multiple-indicator survey measured nine indicators of digital literacy and found that only 22% of men and 21% of all women above the age of 15 have some form of digital literacy. But the latest study published in 2023 by NASSCOM shows that 59 % of men and 29% of women are digitally literate in our country. The number of internet users is also increasing at a great pace. It has increased from 481 million in 2019 to 743 million in 2023, according to the Internet and Mobile Association of India’s data.  

 

At a glance, we may feel embarrassed to see the results. But the same data throws light on some very interesting findings too, that India has a huge potential to increase her digital literacy. An increase in digital literacy will not only improve the usage of digital platforms, but will also help to reduce the dangers associated with them, especially during the time of digital frauds.

 

A woman could take up any role; a mother, a wife, daughter, sister, doctor, banker… An empowered woman contributes not just to her family, but to the entire community.  As the proverb goes, ‘you educate a man, you educate an individual, you educate a woman, you educate an entire nation’. So, empowering a woman is essential to securing the future of our nation.  

Happy Women's Day