THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While rushing to the office in the morning, my mobile phone rang. Since I was a bit busy, I couldn’t take the call. However, after some time, the mobile rang again. Thinking it might be an important call, I hurriedly attended it. To my surprise, I heard the voice of Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan. I wondered why he was calling me.
Listening to his recorded voice message, I came to know that it was just a promotion for his extravagant ‘Keraleeyam 2023′ program. He appealed to the people of Kerala to attend the event and make it a success.
‘Keraleeyam 2023‘ is a program organized by the Government of Kerala in Thiruvananthapuram, scheduled from November 1st to November 7th.
Later upon reaching the office and getting stick on with my office files, my mobile phone vibrated, indicating another incoming call. It was the same promotional call. During tea break with my colleagues, they shared similar experiences of receiving a call from the CM with the mobile number 40 2022 0000.
We discussed this form of publicity, especially while the state government is facing a severe financial crisis. We also recalled that during the COVID-19 emergency, recorded messages from our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, were used to communicate Janata curfew and COVID isolation protocols. However, such down-to-earth communication was criticized by CPI(M) party members.
Even a 7th-standard student knows the importance of communication during a COVID-19 emergency, which was necessary to prevent panic. While leaders in other countries remained silent, the PM of Bharath communicated with the people in various ways, establishing credibility that our government is always with us.
Some left-leaning media outlets criticized the PM’s announcements with a negative tone. However, during the emergency period, phone calls were officially used to raise COVID-19 awareness among citizens.
Now, the irony is that the left-leaning media, which criticized the central government for ‘intrusion on freedom of expression’ when caller tones were changed to promote COVID-19 protocols in regional languages, is now remaining silent on the promotion of Keraleeyam-2023 by the Kerala government.
Opposing parties, including the UDF and BJP, have already announced their boycott of the Keraleeyam 2023 celebrations, citing unnecessary expenses during the severe financial crisis. Several leaders have questioned the source of funding for the LDF-led Kerala government’s extravagant Keraleeyam 2023 celebration.
It is also noteworthy that many department employees in Kerala government are not receiving their salaries.
In an effort to attract a crowd to the Keraleeyam 2023 program, KSRTC Electric Swift buses are offering free transportation from 6 pm to 10 pm (from November 1 to November 7), connecting key locations in the Keraleeyam area, from Kowdiar to East Fort. On the inaugural day, on November 1, reports indicated that 10 buses operated 36 services.
However, this raises the question of why, yesterday evening, I had to wait a long time for my regular bus home. I wondered, ‘Which buses have been newly scheduled in Thiruvananthapuram?’
Eventually, my bus arrived, but it had been delayed, and many people were waiting, so I had a hard time boarding. After some time, I politely asked the bus conductor why there was such a delay. His response provided the answer to my earlier question about the newly scheduled buses.
His reply was that a large number of regular buses were rescheduled for the Keraleeyam free service, causing delays in the regular service.
After over an hour of travel, I reached my home, which typically takes only 15-20 minutes. My bus was moving very slowly as a slug in heavy traffic, reflecting significant flaws in the road traffic arrangements for the program.
My experience is not unique; a large group of people from various social groups, including students, government and private employees, and even patients in need of medical attention, are affected by the traffic issues.
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