Akhila Mohan, a school student, revealed a heart that cared for the immediate world around her and not her knowledge stock of current affairs when she represented Kasaragod district in the Youth Parliament held here.
Though the interaction organised by the Institute of Parliamentary Affairs at first revolved around current affairs, Akhila brought up an issue seemingly personal with Chief Minister Oomen Chandy but is in its core a humane subject that has far-reaching consequences.
She studies in the Government Higher Secondary School, Kudamkuzhy, where everyday she sees firsthand the difficulties faced by three orphan children studying in different classes in the same school.
She conveyed to Mr. Chandy the urgency of the situation, as the three of them do not have a house to live in or any other source of financial support to even consider pursuing higher education.
Mr. Chandy’s response was not the standard ‘we will look into the issue’. Instead it was a more concrete promise — that the State government will ‘adopt’ the three children (the eldest is studying in class 11).
He told Akhila to meet him at the Kasaragod Government Guest House along with the three orphaned children and the headmaster of the school on June 5.
The vibrant discussion saw the students covering a range of issues right from Centre-State relations in the wake of the Lok Sabha elections to hyper-local issues that were reported by the 25 students who attended the programme from different districts.
But what was commendable was the trait shown by the participants to delve on matters that concerned their immediate surroundings. There were discussions about the endosulfan victims and the government’s efforts to rehabilitate them.
One of the participants, Simsi Poulose, told the Chief Minister that the Mala sub-district was home to some of the best athletes in the State and yet the region lacked proper infrastructure.
Mr. Chandy promised to provide funds for a stadium as long as enough space could be found for its construction.
Participants also raised the Aranmula airport subject to which he responded that the State government will not appeal against the decision made by the National Green Tribunal.
Mr. Chandy also said that he was not averse to college campus politics but violence in the name of backing a political ideology or party was condemnable. Other subjects included women’s safety and the conservation of the Western Ghats.
