Kerala UDF struggles to placate ally over ecology report

Thiruvananthapuram: The ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) struggled to keep an important ally, the Kerala Congress, within its fold as the contentious Kasturirangan report threatened to bring the front to breaking point on Wednesday.

The report aims at protecting the sensitive ecology of the Western Ghats, but people in the 123 villages notified in the report fear their livelihoods will be affected if the suggestions are implemented.

In a last gasp attempt, the federal ministry of environment and forest announced in an office memorandum on Tuesday that the habitations, plantations and agricultural areas in the 123 villages falling within the Western Ghat eco-sensitive area will be taken off the protective zone as demanded by the state government. But the Kerala Congress and others opposing the Kasturirangan report recommendations are unwilling to settle for anything short of an official draft recommendation on the matter, and not an office memorandum.

Now that the election notification has been put out, the federal government will be helpless to cede any more demands from the state government. This is likely to turn public sentiment against the UDF in areas where the Kasturirangan report recommendations will be applicable.

For a second consecutive week, Kerala Congress leader P.J. Joseph kept off the weekly cabinet meeting, signalling that he and his supporters are unhappy with the way matters have turned out regarding the ecology report.

Intra-party feuding

Kerala Congress chief and finance minister K.M. Mani, struggling to resolve the crisis of intra-party feuding over the ecology report as well as take a call on his party’s continued association with the UDF, did not spell out his immediate plans. “Our party has a clear stand on the ecology report issue. We will all meet and take a decision”, Mani said on Wednesday.

The party stand is expected after a high-power committee meeting scheduled for Thursday. Mani’s party colleague and government chief whip P.C. George said he had informed his party chief his willingness to resign.