People's Democracy

KERALA NEWSLETTER

Three More Farmers Commit Suicide

N S Sajith

THE district of Wayanad weeps again as two more farmers have committed suicide. With one more farmer recently killing himself in the northern-most district of Kasargode, the total suicide toll in the state in last three months has gone up to 27. Of these, Wayanad district alone accounts for 12.

Three incidents were reported on Thursday, January 5. Venkitasubban (55) from Pulpally in Wayanad district hanged himself to death in a building near his house in Pakkam. On the other hand, Lakshmanan (46) from Ambalavayal consumed poison and his body was found in his residence. Both these farmers cultivated ginger and banana, and were burdened with the debt of a few lakh rupees.

The third farmer to have committed suicide was Stephen (50) from Kodembelur in Kasargode district. He was an areca-nut farmer and it was a crop failure that pushed him into a debt trap. He was a beneficiary of a house under the EMS Housing Scheme during the previous LDF government’s tenure. But the current government has failed to disburse the amount due to persons like Stephen.

NATIONAL ATHLETIC MEET

AT KOZHIKODE IN MARCH

EMS stadium in the sports loving city of Kozhikode will witness the National and State Open Prize Money Athletic Meet, to be organised as part of the CPI(M) Twentieth  Party Congress. The event, scheduled to be held on March 24-25, would be Kerala’s first floodlit athletic meet.  The motto of the meet is ‘one country, one dream’.

Sports persons who secured first to sixth positions in the state, university level meets are eligible to participate in the meet. Huge cache of prize money awaits the winners. Race in 100 mts, 400 mts, 800 mts, 5000 mts, and High Jump, Long Jump, Triple Jump, Pole vault, Shot put and Javelin are the competitions to be conducted.  Apart from these competitions, there will be a separate marathon event for women and men.

Winner of men’s 42 km marathon will be awarded a prize money of Rs 1,00,000 and the runner-up and third place winner will get Rs 50,000 and 25,000 respectively. Winner of women’s 21 km marathon will be awarded Rs 50,000 while the runner up and third place winner will get Rs 25,000 and 10,000 respectively.

Every winner of events in National Meet will get a prize of Rs 25,000, runner up will get Rs 15,000 and third prize winner will get Rs 10,000. First, second and third prize winners of the state level meet will get Rs 5000, Rs 3000 and Rs 1000 respectively. National level football and Volley ball tournaments will be conducted separately.  

A 251-member organising committee has been formed for the successful conduct of the meet. The office-bearers of the committee are Elamaram Kareem, A K Saseendran, A Pradeep Kumar, Purushan Kadalundi, Professor P T Abdul Latheef, Professor Lucy Varghese, T P Dasan, Baby Mathew Somatheeram, Dr Tony Daniel (Patrons), C P Musafer Ahamed (chairman), P T Sundaram, V M Mohanan, Bhasi Malaparamba (vice chairmen), Roy John (general convenor), K J Mathai (chief co-ordinator).