Kerala, Tamil Nadu highlight unity at time of crisis - a subtle message for Karnataka

Chief Ministers of Kerala and Tamil Nadu have come together to send across the message of “unity and brotherhood” in times of COVID-19, which seems a subtle message from the former to Karnataka over the closure of border roads.

It all started on Friday when Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan junked all rumours pertaining to the state mulling closing of its borders with Tamil Nadu, which has witnessed a sudden spurt in COVID-19 numbers. Vijayan said the people of Kerala view their counterparts from Tamil Nadu as “their brothers” and not just as neighbours.

Follow live updates on coronavirus

A short clip cropping this particular portion of Vijayan’s speech went viral on the social media highlighting the amicable relationship between Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami posted the video with Tamil subtitles on his Twitter page and thanked Kerala for treating Tamils as their brothers. “Tamil Nadu will remain with Kerala in all its joys and sorrows. Let this friendship and brotherhood grow,” Palaniswami wrote tagging his Kerala counterpart.

Retweeting Palaniswami’s tweet, the official Twitter handle of Kerala Chief Minister’s office utilised the opportunity to highlight that both states were fighting the same battle – eliminating COVID-19 cases.

“The relationship between Kerala and Tamil Nadu is bonded in love, brotherhood, history, language and culture. People who make fake news can't fathom the depth of the relationship between the two States. Together we will overcome the challenges. Love & Respect,” the Kerala CMO Twitter handle wrote.

Ever since Karnataka authorities blocked roads to Kasargod and denied entry even to patients from Kasargod to hospitals at Mangaluru, Vijayan used to recollect the historical relationship between Kasargod and Mangalore and bonding between the people across the borders. He has been also stressing the need for states to stand united at times of crisis.

The Kerala CM was all in praise for Tamil Nadu when a major crisis faced by dairy farmers of North Kerala with Tamil Nadu stopping milk procurement from Kerala was sorted out with Tamil Nadu agreeing to convert surplus milk to milk powder.

Kerala gets most of its essential supplies from Tamil Nadu through its border districts of Coimbatore, Tenkasi, Theni and Kanyakumari. Though both the states have enough water disputes on their hands, they have not let the disagreements come in the way of handling a health emergency.

Even when Tamil Nadu decided to close its border with neighbouring states on March 21 when the state had reported just a handful of COVID-19 cases, it had exempted all goods vehicles carrying essential and non-essential items. A similar bonhomie between the two states was witnessed when Kerala was swamped with water during the 2018 floods – Tamil Nadu not just donated money, but sent tonnes of relief materials and essential food items to the neighbouring state.

The bonhomie between the two states come amid a major standoff between Karnataka and Kerala over border roads.