Action:This is the speech by Modi at an election campaign rally in Thiruvananthapuram on May 11th, 2016.

“Yahan Keral ki janjaati, janta, ST Scheduled Tribe, usmey jo child death ratio hai, Somalia se bhi sthiti khatarnaak hai… Abhi kuchh din pehle… media mein dardnaak chitra dekhney ko mila…Jo Communist party ka qila maana jaata hai, jahaan voh hamesha jeet-ti hai, us Peravoor mein Scheduled Tribe ke baalak koode ke dher mein bhojan talaash kar rahe hain, yeh media mein prakaashit hua hai,” Modi said.

(“The situation with the child death ratio among Scheduled Tribes in Kerala is scarier than even Somalia. Recently, one came across a tragic picture in the media. In Peravoor, which is seen as a stronghold of the Communist party, where it has always won, there, Scheduled Tribe children were seen foraging for food in a garbage dump… it has appeared in the media.”)

Updated: May 13, 2016 8:15 am

-Indian express

Reaction: The reaction to which triggered the posts on twitter #PoMoneModi

Action: Comprehensive probe into Attappadi issue a must: VS

Author: Express News Service

Published Date: Jun 4, 2013 12:15 PM
Last Updated: Jun 4, 2013 12:15 PM

The state government should conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the deaths of children in Attapadi owing to anaemia and malnutrition so that the reasons could be identified and those responsible for laxity are made accountable, said opposition leader V S Achuthanandan.
He was speaking to mediapersons after visiting Nellipathy, Jellippara and Kandiyoor oorus of Attapadi where over 30 children reportedly died of anaemia and malnutrition this year.
The UDF government, by its continued neglect of the pathetic condition of the Tribals of Attapadi, is turning the heartland into a Somalia type situation, he added.
The CPM leader said that the government needs to look into whether the land of the Adivasis is being encroached by outsiders. He said that the Adivasis are not interested in freebies. They should be given cultivable land so that they can work and eat their traditional food. “Though various packages have been announced for the Tribals in the wake of child deaths, it has failed to reach them. The promises are yet to be implemented properly. care should be taken so that the targeted groups benefit from the packages,” he said.
“The assistance from Central schemes for the Tribal people need to be monitored. It remains to be seen if the Chief Minister, on his visit to Attappadi, will only merely announce assistance or see to it in person that his promises will be implemented without fail,” he added.
Achuthanandan visited the Kottathara Tribal Speciality Hospital and interacted with the patients and doctors. Former MP N N Krishnadas, CITU district president A Prabhakaran and former Speaker Jose Baby were present.

-new indian express

Reaction: Attappady: Centre announces special package of Rs. 125 cr

Updated: June 6, 2013 19:22 IST

The Central Government has stepped in to save the grave situation in Attappady tribal belt and announced Rs.125 crore special package here on Thursday.

The Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh addressing a press conference along with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and his four Cabinet Colleges has announced a five-point special package and set up a Special Task Force headed by S.M. Vijayanand, Additional Secretary of the Union Ministry of Rural Development to implement it within a period of 18 months.

Mr. Ramesh has said that “the first and foremost starting point of the tragedy in Attappady is the alienation of over 10,000 acres of tribal land. Unless we solve this crucial issue with a political will no amount of development project will succeed.”

He said that to make the tribal land cultivable an amount of Rs.50 crore will be sanctioned under the Mahila Kisan Shakthikaran Paristhan (MKSP) by encouraging the tribal women.

He said that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme will also be used to the development of agriculture in Attappady.

“This project will be implemented within a period of three years and the Special Task Force for Attappady will monitor it. Two professional will be assigned for the task,” the Union Minister said.

He said that an amount of Rs.50 crore will be spent to strengthen Kudumbasree projects in Attappady to empower tribal women.

“They will also be helped to fight against the menace of wide spread brewing and use of liquor among the tribal people in Attappady”, Mr. Ramesh said.

He said that another Rs.15 crore will be sanctioned for constructing 2,000 houses for tribal people.

“The Centre will provide Rs.75,000 for each houses and the rest will have to be provided by the State government and the local bodies,” the Union Minister said.

He said 30 kms long rural road under the Prime Minister’s Grameen Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) will be constructed in Attappady to connect the tribal hamlets.

He said that a special health package for Attappady will be considered by the Central government. The State government should immediately submit a comprehensive health plan for Attappady.

A comprehensive water supply scheme for Attappady will also be considered by the Central government, Mr. Ramesh said.

He said that “a special programme will be launched to train 500 educated tribal youth and hunting them job outside Attappady. Out of 500 youths 250 will be girls.”

The Union Minister declared that “I will be the Ambassador for Attappady and co-ordinate with various Central government departments to help implement the special packages to solve the crisis in this tribal area where the people are undergoing serious problems.”

The Minister said that he has visited the Paloor and the Nallipathy tribal hamlets (where four infant each died of malnutrition recently) along with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and his Cabinet colleagues on Thursday and came to understand the acute problems of malnutrition, unemployment, lack of health facilities etc.

-The Hindu

More Reaction: Outlook

Kerala’s Shame

Attapady is situated in Palakkad district, the “rice bowl of the state”
With 90% literacy, Palakkad is famous for “cooks, crooks, clerks...and cartoonists”
There are 170 hamlets in Attapady across 745 sq km (3,400 acres)
The Irula, Muduga and Kurumba tribal communities make up 42% of population
Kerala boasts India’s best infant mortality rate (IMR) with 16 deaths per 1,000 (national average 44 per 1,000)
35 deaths of tribal children reported in Attapady since Jan due to malnutrition; 53 deaths in the past year
Betelnut, betel leaf farms left tribals landless, then came the ganja mafia
Murmurs of land mafia eyeing the hills for renewable energy projects
No transport, no electricity, no water supply, no drainage system in Attapady
No medical dispensary, no doctors nearby, no toilets, no hygiene
Children malnourished as they have only rice gruel to eat, no vegetables or lentils
Many hamlets not accessible during rains due to lack of roads, transport

dated July 29,2013

-Outlook

Data shows why Modi got facts wrong in his Kerala-Somalia comparison

Infant mortality in the state is lowest in the country, almost 1/3rd of the national average; comparing that with Somalia, at 85 deaths, shows disconnect

Uttaresh Venkateshwaran | Mumbai May 12, 2016 Last Updated at 09:02 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked up a storm ahead of the May 16 elections in Kerala with his comments comparing the state’s social indicator with that of Somalia. At a rally in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, Modi looked to thrash the ruling Congress-led government for its alleged ‘lost glory’ and said that Kerala’s infant mortality rate among the scheduled tribes was worse than that of Somalia.

“The unemployment rate in Kerala is at least three times higher than the national average. Infant mortality rate among the scheduled tribe (ST) community in Kerala is worse than Somalia. The state can meet only 13% of their requirement of agricultural products. Even after 70 years of independence, Kerala depends on other states for 70% of its power requirements. Similarly, most of the youth in Kerala are forced to leave their home state in search of jobs. Only through overall development, the state could be brought back to its past glory,” Modi said at the rally.

The comparison to Somalia has created a political row, with various parties asking him to withdraw his remark. Incumbent Chief Minister Oomen Chandy has written a strongly-worded letter asking him to have some political decency while making such remarks. The controversy quickly spread to social media with #PoMoneModi (loosely translated as ‘Get a move on, son, Modi’) trending on Twitter.

Kerala is considered to be one of the best states in the county in terms of human development indicators like literacy, infant mortality, among others.

Spouting economic and social data at public rallies and platforms to make a point is not new. What stands out in Modi’s case is that the Prime Minister – in a country where PMs have historically not gotten actively involved in Assembly election campaigns – has been accused of using misleading data. What seems to have stung voters and rivals alike is the comparison of the state with a poverty-ridden nation which is known for its abysmal development numbers. However, it should also be noted here that not all that Modi said was wrong or misrepresented. Unemployment, for instance.

Infant mortality

The Prime Minister said that infant mortality rate among scheduled tribes (ST) is worse than that of Somalia.

An infant mortality rate is the number of deaths per 1,000 live births. The number is a reflection of healthcare facilities in the state, in general, and pre- and post-natal care in particular.

As per latest data available from the ministry of tribal affairs, infant mortality rate among scheduled tribes in Kerala was 60 deaths per 1,000 births. Compared to that, the overall infant mortality rate in the state is just at 12 deaths per 1,000 — the lowest in the country —, according to data stated in the Economic Survey 2015-16. The case for comparison, Somalia, has an infant mortality rate of 85, data from World Bank reveals.

The comparison and the gap is not just incorrect, but it makes you question the motive behind such selective splicing of caste-based data, knowing full well that the general population figures are impressive.

Gujarat, the home state of the Prime Minister, in fact has an IMR of 36, much closer to the national average of 40.

Unemployment

Modi said that the unemployment rate in Kerala was three times than that of the national average.

A quick mathematical calculation of the data on unemployment available would say that he is largely correct in quoting this figure.

The unemployment rate per 1,000 persons for people aged 15 and above in Kerala is 99. The national average, however, is 38, data from Ministry of Labour and Employment reveals.

This can also be seen in context of Modi’s comment on most of the youth leaving Kerala in search of a job. While it is a fact that the rate of immigration from the state is one of the highest in the country, the state’s economy is also seeing big remittances from the Middle East and other regions of the world.

Reports state that from the entire chunk of remittances that come to India, almost 40% of it goes to Kerala. These stood at Rs 1 lakh crore ($14.9 billion) in the third quarter of 2015-16.

Power situation

The BJP leader said that power situation from Kerala was abysmal as the state has had to purchase almost 70% of the power from other states.

While the number may be in question, it is well know that power has been a constant issue for the state, with the consumption going up exponentially.

Power generation in the state has gone from 8,350 million units (MU) in 2011-12 to 7,343 MU in 2014-15, as per this report. Meanwhile, the consumption rose to 80 MU per day in April 2016, and is set to rise to 100 MU per day by 2018. The state’s power ministry had also cautioned regarding the need to buy more power from other states in order to meet the growing demand.

Meanwhile, as per this report in The New Indian Express, in March 2015, daily power imports averaged 42 million units (MU), accounting for more than 60% of the daily consumption. Compared to that, the generation within the state stood at 28.51 million units.

Apart from these, there are other social indicators that paint a very different picture than what Modi’s tone reflected at the rally.

Literacy rate

The literacy rate of Kerala stood at an admirable 94%, data from Economic Survey of 2015-16 states. This is 21 percentage points higher than the national average of 73%.

Human Development Index

This indicator largely talks about the quality of life of people. India’s HDI rank has been lower at 130, with a score of 0.6087 or 0.6089. Interestingly, if this is compared with the HDI score of states in India, Kerala zooms past India’s mark at 0.7117.

By comparing a state that has one of the best development indicators with one of the worst in the world shows the new depths that the Prime Minister has fallen to. While it is true that politicians often use questionable data to make their point, the degree of error in this particular case is alarming.

-Business Standard