When the opposition parties of Kerala, found nothing with merit to make an allegation against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, they made it habitual to use caste slurs. It's true that Pinarayi Vijayan hails from the Ezhava community whose traditional job was to tap toddy from coconut palms. His father was a toddy tapper but can this be a disqualification for Mr. Vijayan to become Chief Minister of a state like Kerala which always boasts about its progressiveness in social life and high literacy rate? The vicious campaign Pinarayi by Congress and BJP in Kerala is highly condemnable. 

Kerala is known for its progressive social achievements in the fields of social and cultural life. When news of caste atrocities is a routine in every nuke and corner of India, Kerala is undoubtedly an exception to this. A strong renaissance movement in the first half of the 20th century and widespread land reforms by communist governments in the second half made Kerala's social and political life a unique one.

The social mobility of Kerala's lower caste communities in every field has been noted and surveyed internationally. The influence of caste equations in Kerala's political life, especially in elections is less when comparing to other Indian states. But in n last few years a strange phenomenon of hurling caste slurs had become a trend in Kerala's political life and more interestingly this was all aimed at none other than the democratically elected state chief minister.

It was during the Sabarimala agitation that, the caste slurs against Pinarayi Vijayan came into public attention. The Sabarimala agitation which was organized by RSS and well participated by Congress was in a way a symbolic coming back of old savarna caste politics.

In public rallies, protester cursed the 'chovan' Pinarayi (chovan is a slang used to indicate lower caste people in Kerala) who tries to destroy the 'age-old ritual traditions at Sabarimala temple by implementing the supreme court order enabling the entry of women of all age. Numerous videos were circulated in social media where so-called 'devotees' including aged women abusing Pinarayi mainly by using caste slurs. 

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Later during the recently concluded Assembly election campaign, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee vice president K Sudhakaran asked in a public meeting how come Pinarayi who is the son of a toddy tapper now traveling in a helicopter? (Referring to the helicopter journey Pinarayi Vijayan made in the capacity of Chief minister). Janmabhoomi which is the mouthpiece of BJP in Kerala published a cartoon in which Pinarayi was portrayed as a toddy tapper who is incapable of managing state administrative affairs. Let's have brief look at how Vijayan, a toddy tapper's son became Pinarayi Vijayan who is now considered the most powerful political leader in Kerala

Vijayan was born on May 24, 1945, in Pinarayi panchayat, Kannur district which is a stronghold of the communist party, especially CPIM. His father was Mundayil Koran who was a toddy tapper and his mother Aalakandi Kalyani. Koran and Kalyani had 14 Children out of which only 3 including Vijayan survived. He completed his school education in Saradavilasam LP school and Peralasseri government high school. It was his elder brother Kumaran who introduced Vijayan into left politics. After finishing high school, Vijayan worked as a weaver in a spinning mill for a year then joined the famous Brannan College at Thalassery. He opted for economics as his main pedigree. 

By that time Vijayan was already very active in politics. He was the district secretary of Kerala Students Federation (KSF) which was the precursor of SFI. He later became the state secretary of KSF and state vice president of the youth wing platform Kerala State Youth Federation (KSYF). It later became the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI).

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Vijayan became a party cardholder of CPIM in 1964. In 68 he was a district committee member of Kannur and in 1978 state committee member of the party. In 1986 he was elected as the district secretary of Kannur. In 1998 he was elected as the state secretary of CPIM. 

Vijayan's performance in electoral politics also was impressive. He won as a Member of the state legislative assembly from Kuthuparamb in 1970. He was just 26 years old then. During the emergency period, he was arrested and jailed for 18 months and was subjected to brutal police torcher. He was again elected from Kuthuparamb in 1977 and 1991. In 1996 he won from the Payyanur constituency and became a cabinet minister in the EK Nayanar ministry where he was given the portfolios of electricity and cooperative sector. However, when Chadayan Govindan the then incumbent state secretary of CPIM died, Vijayan was asked to resign from the ministry and was take the top post of the party.

Vijayan's tenure as state secretary of the party was long and turbulent. He stayed at the helm of Kerala CPIM till 2015. In 2016 he contested in assembly elections from Dharmadam constituency and became Kerala's 12th chief minister. His performance as a Chief Minister in times of crisis like flood and covid pandemic earned him the name Captain.

Now the assembly elections in Kerala are over. Almost every pre-poll surveys suggested a second term for Pinarayi Vijayan and his left democratic front. If this becomes true, it will be the first time in Kerala history that a party is getting a second term consecutively. Will Pinarayi create history?

A river's journey

A river's journey

Gori Ganga (also Gori Gad) is a river in the Munsiari tehsil of the Pithoragarh District, part of the state of Uttarakhand in northern India.

Gori Ganga's principal source is the Milam Glacier, just northeast of Nanda Devi along with the Glaciers of the Ralam River, and the Pyunshani and Uttari & Dakshini Balati Glaciers that lie on the western face of the Panchachuli Peaks.

The alpine trans-humant village of Milam is located one kilometer below the snout of the glacier. Here a left-bank stream called Gonka joins the Gori. The valley provides the approach route for access to peaks such as Nanda Devi East, Hardeol, Trishuli, Panchchuli and Nanda Kot.

The Gori is also fed by glaciers and streams flowing from the eastern slopes of the east wall of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary.

The Kalabaland-Burfu Kalganga glacier system also flows into the Gori Ganga Valley from the east.

Many waterfalls are also found in the Gori river on the way from Munsiyari to Jauljibi.

During the rainy days, the Gori river becomes flooded and has also caused many losses.

Gori Ganga joins the Kali River at Jauljibi.

In the local language

The Gori river valley is very beautiful.

The principal rivers joining the main trunk Gori river are Panchu Gad, Burfu Gad, Lwa Gad, Poting Gad, Ralam Gad, Jimia Gad, Suring Gad, Madkani or Madkanya and Ghosi Gad.