Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said former Prime Minister Deva Gowda had promised that he would use his good offices with the Karnataka government to persuade the authorities there to lift the blockade on the movement of cargo vehicles into Kerala.
Mr. Gowda's attempt to achieve detente with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka is the latest chapter in the stalemate that has upended the movement of essential supplies to north Kerala and blocked off health care to a significant number of critically ill persons in Kasaragod.
Mr. Vijayan's appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amith Shah and Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers D.V. Sadananda Gowda had made no headway.
Mr. Vijayan had said Mr. Shah had promised to get back to him after speaking to the Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa. But the call was yet to come. Kerala was now banking on Mr. Gowda's efforts to resolve the issue.
Karnataka's blockade of arterial border roads by constructing mud embankments across the width of the carriageway had frayed tempers in Kasaragod. The death of seven critically-ill persons from Kasaragod because of Karnataka's decision not to allow even ambulances carrying critically-ill persons from Kerala to hospitals in Mangaluru had caused emotions to run high in the northern district.
It prompted Mr. Vijayan on Thursday to describe Karnataka's blockade as "inhumane". He also stressed Kasaragod's traditional bonds with neighbouring Karnataka. He said the State's clampdown on movement of freight lorries into the State had squeezed the State's lifeline for essential supplies.
Mr. Vijayan said a local BJP leader's tweet with the hashtag "Save Karnataka from Pinarayi" should be seen as part of the region's politics. He had not read much into such messaging. He viewed it as mere sloganeering to pander to parochial political interests.
