Thiruvananthapuram/Palakollu: An Andhra Pradesh MLA has spent a night all alone in a crematorium to prove that it was not haunted by ghosts. Workers engaged in carrying out renovation had stopped work in the fear of the supernatural. Now, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a Facebook post, has congratulated Nimmala Rama Naidu, the MLA, for engaging in an effort to wipe out superstitions and erase the fears of the workers.
Naidu represents the Palakollu seat in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. He had sanctioned Rs 3 crore from his constituency fund for the renovation of the crematorium. However, there were no takers for the tenders invited for the work twice. Finally, the work was somehow allotted and initial steps launched. But, a partially burnt body was found at the spot which sparked rumours of ghosts.
The MLA had his supper and slept alone in the crematorium Friday night. When he reached there again on Saturday evening to spend the night, around 50 workers were already engaged in the renovation. Still, he went ahead with his plan to sleep there. The only difference was that he used a mosquito net.
Asked about the biggest challenge he faced the previous night, the MLA replied: “Mosquitoes and the horrible odour from the nearby garbage dump.”
With the MLA's adventure attracting national attention, Pinarayi posted his greetings on social media. Excerpts from the post:
“The Andhra MLA’s decision to spend the night in the crematorium may seem frivolous in Kerala, where widespread awareness exists among the people about superstitions. However, in many parts of the country, superstitions, black magic and similar practices are leading to retrogressive tendencies in the political field also. The effort by Nimmala Rama Naidu could be considered as an agitation against such tendencies.”
“Rama Naidu launched his stir to keep the workers together and complete the renovation of the crematorium which had been pending for several years. The Telugu Desam Party MLA had to endure severe mosquito bites and the smell from the stinking garbage dump for the purpose. The renovation, launched eight months ago, had been stalled after the workers kept away fearing ghosts,” said Pinarayi.
“It is reported that the MLA has expressed confidence that his stay in the crematorium would boost the confidence of workers and restart the renovation. This incident should not be considered as a local issue but a part of the resistance against regressive politics,” said the Kerala CM’s post.