KALPETTA: Crossing the Thamarassery Ghat road, which connects Kozhikode and Wayanad, is an exercise that calls for much patience and pluck. The stretch is prone to traffic blocks that can take hours to clear. The situation gets worse on weekends or holidays when travel plans can get totally disrupted. Delays can even be a matter of life and death for patients being moved for critical care to Kozhikode, for want of medical facilities in Wayanad.
“Alternative routes are the only possible solution and the Centre announced development of the 109km-long Purakkattiri-Kuttiadi-Mananthavady-Mysuru stretch at a cost of `7,134 crore last January. The project will reduce the impact of the night travel ban at Bandipur Tiger Reserve. An effective member of Parliament (MP) in Wayanad can help realise the project without much sweat. We have been agitating for various development projects in the district, including the Poozhithode-Padinjarathara road and an alternative Wayanad-Kozhikode route,” says Babu Philip, a social activist from Mananthavady.
“For the past 25 years, we have been raising the issue of inadequate medical facilities in Wayanad,” says C D Saraswathi, head of the Sickle Cell Anaemia Patients Association. “There are 1,050 patients, including over 600 tribal people, in Wayanad district suffering from the genetic disorder. We still depend on the Ghat road to reach Kozhikode MCH during emergencies,” she points out.“Mananthavady has a government medical college hospital. But why are we still being referred to Kozhikode for treatment? We need a special unit in Wayanad,” Saraswathi adds.
VIP constituency
Lok Sabha elections in Wayanad used to be a tame affair until Congress leader Rahul Gandhi decided to run from the constituency in 2019. This placed Wayanad in the national spotlight. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s decision to contest the seat vacated by her brother, following his second win in the general election earlier this year, has accorded the constituency wider recognition, given that this marks her foray into electoral politics. And Priyanka has signalled that she is up to the challenge, surprising even her campaign managers with unscheduled house visits and interactions with people from all walks of life.
Although such actions have generated a wave of goodwill and hope, the glitter and glamour of a high-profile campaign threatens to submerge the real issues of the constituency.
Disaster sidelined
Chief among them is the rehabilitation of the victims of the July 30 landslides in Chooralmala and Mundakkai, which left a trail of destruction in three wards in Meppadi panchayat. People who lost everything in the tragedy are still living in rented houses or government quarters. With owners of the estates identified to relocate them approaching courts, official rehabilitation plans have been put on hold.
“Everyone is focused on the by-elections, and this includes the government and the media. The search for the bodies of missing persons has been halted and problems related to issuing of death certificates for the missing victims haven’t been resolved. There are a lot of issues that require the urgent attention of officials, including speeding up procedures to debt write-off and comprehensive rehabilitation projects,” said Shajimon, a Chooralmala native who now resides in Ambalavayal and is the convenor of the Chooralmala Jana Shabdham Action Council.
Wild threats
Tourists to Wayanad are left awe-struck by the scenic beauty that greets them. But for residents who live in the constant shadow of wild-animal attacks, life has not been enchanting. This year alone, such attacks have claimed five lives in the district. There are protests every time a human life is lost and authorities come up with assurances, but these have not translated into significant measures.
Wild animals are also a source of frustration and anger for farmers in Wayanad, an agrarian district. “Wayanad coffee is gradually becoming the global face of Kerala. Wayanad robusta coffee offers a wide range of opportunities. However, coffee growers are having to deal with regular wild animal attacks. We have also been demanding further relaxations for plantations under the Kerala Land Reforms (Amendment) Act,” said Anoop Palukunnu, president, Wayanad Coffee Growers Association.