Drawing inspiration from Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s public exhortation to point out the administration’s failings, Udayamperoor resident P L Natarajan is travelling on a bicycle to the secretariat to meet the CM and present his dreams of a state devoid of alcohol and homeless people.
It was Chandy’s remark, “If the administration is not upto expectation, it should be pointed out by the people,” that set him thinking of the novel way to draw Chandy’s attention to the problems of farmers.
His three-day long journey named ‘Laharivimuktha Bhoorahitha Kerala Sandhesha Yathra’ will be flagged off by Justice V R Krishna Iyer at Sadgamaya on Wedenesday at 10 a.m. On Friday, he will submit 25 requests to the CM.
Before starting his journey, Natarajan told Express that issues he would highlight include the ill-affects of alcoholism and the plight of lakhs of people without a shelter. “I will strongly recommend for a complete ban on alcohol in the state. Though it is the main source of income to the government, it breaks up families,” he said and added that the government should conduct a survey to find out people living without shelter.
Natarjan also aims to put forth the issue of optimal utilization of barren land to the government. “To attain self sufficiency, barren lands should be put to use for agriculture,” he added.
This is not the first bicycle venture by the 40-year-old. He had shown the courage to ride for justice when Mullaperiyar issue was brewing in the state. He met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to ensure the safety of Keralites in Tamil Nadu.
However, Natarajan was disappointed by the way the state government handled the issue. “I did not get any support from the state government and the officials informed me that they would not take the responsibly if I met with any security issues at Tamil Nadu. However, I came out successful in my mission. To my surprise, I received a warm reception from Tamilians,” he said.