Daijiworld Media Network – Kasargod (SP)

Kasargod, Apr 26: State health minister, P K Srimati, accused former Chief Minister of the state and leader of the opposition in the state assembly, Oommen Chandy, of being an escapist. She said Chandy, instead of participating in the anti-endulfan campaign, had run away to New Delhi to avoid it.

She was speaking after administering oath against use of endosulfan, and inaugurating a campaign organized by the state government in this connection near the new bus stand here on Monday April 25. She claimed that the state government does not have any political agenda in the issue of endosulfan. She said she will enormously respect leaders, Oommen Chandy, Ramesh Chennitala and other United front leaders, if they are able to convince the Prime Minister and other ministers to enforce a blanket ban on this insecticide.

She said that the Prime Minister had been convinced of the contents of a report tabled by a team of ICMR experts in 2002, which had found that use of endosulfan is highly injurious to health. She accused the central government of sending new teams to study the after-affects of endosulfan, with the specific aim of postponing the ban. She said that Dr Hashim, who will participate as a representative of Kerala at the Stockholm Convention Meet being held in Geneva, will put forth a touching presentation to plead his case for banning use of endosulfan. She added that the people will never pardon union ministers, Sharad Pawar and Jairam Ramesh, for announcing that endosulfan cannot be banned.

The programme was presided over by former minister, Cherkalam Abdulla. A procession that was taken out from the premises of the government guest house here to the venue of the meeting was initiated by MP, P Karunakaran. Several BJP leaders, municipal president, T E Abdulla, MLA, C T Ahmedali, C H Kumnhambu, K Kunhiraman,  and leaders of various political parties, sinking their differences, participated in the event.