Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to persuade Karnataka to open its border with Kasaragod to allow the inflow of essential commodities into Kerala.
In an open letter to Mr. Modi, Mr. Vijayan said that the Karnataka government feared, without factoring in the ground reality, that opening up the Thalassery-Coorg State Highway 30 route for cargo movement would cause the COVID-19 infection to reach the district of Kodagu.
Ban on freight
Karnataka had also attempted to justify the ban on freight movement along the route, a lifeline for transportation of essential commodities, by pointing out that Kerala had 7,000 people under quarantine in border districts. Mr. Vijayan said Karnataka’s position conflicted with facts. The incidence of COVID-19 in Kerala was seen only in people who had returned from abroad.
Only a few people in quarantine had tested positive for the disease. The others were kept in isolation as a precaution.
Kerala had only asked Karnataka to open its border for freight and passage of ambulances. The alternative route suggested by Karnataka through Gundlupet was closed to traffic during the night when cargo movement usually peaked.
Patient’s death
A patient had died after Karnataka police blocked the ambulance ferrying her to Mangaluru near the border at Thalapady.
The authorities in that State had also constructed mud embankments on arterial inter-State border roads. Mr. Vijayan said “local, partisan and vested interests” should not prevail over the national interest when the country faced an unprecedented crisis.
Mr. Vijayan had made a direct appeal to Mr. Modi after his attempts to get across to Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa failed on Saturday.
Chief Secretaries talk
Back-to-back negotiations between Chief Secretaries of both States and the intervention of Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers D.V. Sadananda Gowda were unable to make any headway.
Mr. Vijayan’s appeal came against the backdrop of widespread public apprehension that Karnataka’s blockade could whittle down shipments of cooking gas, perishables and essential commodities bound for Kerala from other regions.
His letter also reflected the vulnerability of the people of Kasaragod who had traditionally relied heavily on hospitals in Mangaluru to treat their critically ill ones.
Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala too requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convince Karnataka to allow the movement of freight into Kerala. In a letter, Mr. Chennithala asked Mr. Modi to persuade the Karnataka authorities to allow passage of ambulances and vehicles transporting critically ill people.
