The Kerala High Court, in its first order dated October 4, 2024, asked the Union Government to respond to a statement that no amount has been released from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for providing relief to the victims of landslides which battered Wayanad on July 30, 2024.

The statement submitted by Ranjith Thampan, amicus curiae, had stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a team of central officials had visited the disaster-struck Wayanad areas. The State Government had submitted a memorandum seeking relief. However, 78 days since the disaster, the Union Government has not opened its purse strings.

In its second order on October 10, the Kerala HC again directed the Union Government to take positive action on providing funds from the NDRF and the PMNRF for Wayanad. The observation came when a suomotu petition pertaining to prevention and management of natural disasters registered in the wake of the landslides on July 30 came up for hearing. The Bench had directed the Union Government to respond to the issue by October 18.

The court asked Additional Solicitor General A.R. L. Sundaresan to use his good offices and get a positive response from the Centre on the issue, including bank loan waiver. “We need to get Wayanad back on the rails as soon as possible,” the court observed.

The court also declined to pass orders imposing curbs on the media reporting the rehabilitation and reconstruction steps in the landslide-affected areas. The court, however, asked the media to exercise caution and due care while reporting news on the rehabilitation and reconstruction measures. The court’s observation came as a section of the media hostile to the LDF Government in Kerala had published false news on the memorandum detailing the estimated expenses submitted by the Government seeking immediate assistance from the NDRF. In view of the settled law with regard to the right of freedom of speech and expression, restrictions over and above what has been contemplated in terms of 19(2) of the Constitution could not be clamped on the media, the court observed.

It was then the turn of the Kerala Assembly to pass a unanimous resolution urging the Union Government to release the mandatory assistance for Wayanad. The resolution also underlined the need to write off the loans availed by the victims. The Assembly demanded immediate central intervention to persuade the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to write off the debt.

The only central response on the issue – if it can be called one - came from Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who denied any discrimination – an utterly unconvincing denial at that - against Wayanad in the release of funds.

The FM is free to deny any refusal to rush to the aid of Wayanad. But facts tell a different story. It is an un remitting tale of not only discrimination but also of open political hostility.

This discrimination is in glaring contrast with the speed with which the Union Government rushed to the aid of Andhra Pradesh ruled by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), an ally of the BJP at the Centre, and Tripura, where a BJP Government is in power. In the case of Andhra, only 34 people died in the floods caused by heavy rains. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited the area and announced an assistance of Rs 3448 crore at the airport itself without waiting for the State Government to submit a memorandum!

As for, Kerala, the PM asked the State to submit a memorandum detailing the demands for funds instead of announcing at least an interim relief for Kerala, as is done on such occasions! This is despite the fact that the devastation in the case of Kerala was much more severe than that suffered by Andhra and Tripura. More than 400 people had lost their lives in Wayanad. But that did not propel the Union Government into announcing any assistance to the State. Again, in the case of rain-hit Tripura, the Union Government promptly announced Rs 40 crore. If this is not discrimination, what is? What added insult to Kerala’s injury were unfortunate and avoidable statements made by Union Ministers Amit Shah and Bhupendra Yadav. Those statements only reinforced the widely prevalent perception of indifference to Kerala’s concerns.

Now that the deadline set by the High Court is just a day away (October 18), it remains to be seen how the Union Government responds. Kerala is hoping for the best while keeping its fingers crossed. (IPA Service)