Giving necessary help or benefits to those who deserve them- even without them asking- is not only good manners but also an act of fairness and goodwill. But refusing to help even after being asked is inappropriate. Ignoring repeated requests is nothing but neglect.

Since last July’s Wayanad landslide disaster, Kerala has been appealing to the central government for assistance with rehabilitation work. The state has sent several letters and requests. Even the courts have criticised the Centre multiple times for not responding. Most recently, on Wednesday, the High Court said that the Centre cannot take an indifferent attitude towards helping Wayanad’s disaster victims. Yet, the central government has remained silent, as if it neither saw nor heard anything.

The other day, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, along with ministers KN Balagopal and Mohammed Riyas, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union ministers Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, and Nitin Gadkari in Delhi to discuss various issues concerning Kerala. The Chief Minister personally requested Rs 2,221.03 crore in grant aid for Wayanad’s disaster rehabilitation. He also asked the Prime Minister and Health Minister JP Nadda to approve an AIIMS for Kerala. Nadda said the AIIMS proposal is under active consideration, and Amit Shah mentioned that more assistance for Wayanad could be considered. These are good words- but words alone are not enough. Kerala has heard many such promises before. What is needed now is action, not assurances.

The Centre’s decision to reduce Kerala’s borrowing limit has put a huge financial burden on the state. The government also requested permission to borrow an additional Rs 6,000 crore, considering the state’s share of land acquisition costs (25%) for national highway development, and another Rs 6,500 crore (0.5% of GSDP). Other urgent requests include releasing Rs 221.52 crore pending as subsidy for paddy procurement and Rs 257.41 crore related to transportation costs. Of all these, only the projects related to the Thiruvananthapuram Outer Ring Road and a few other routes received some time-bound assurances from Minister Nitin Gadkari. For the rest, there is no clarity on when or whether they will be considered.

What is unacceptable is the Centre’s generous approach toward NDA-ruled states while showing indifference toward Kerala and other opposition-ruled states. This is exactly why the Kerala High Court said that the Centre cannot take an unfair stance toward Kerala. Even though the Centre has ignored the state’s requests, Kerala has not failed in its relief efforts. The state announced a clear plan for rehabilitation and reconstruction and even laid the foundation stone for the Wayanad township. It is time for the central government to stop treating Kerala unfairly because of political differences. If there is no political bias, the Centre should immediately approve the rightful and just assistance Kerala deserves.