Kerala

Law

On the Cardinal’s defence that he was only answerable to the Pope, the court said that it was strange to hear that the law of the land was not applicable to the Cardinal.

Saritha S Balan

Cardinal Mar Alencherry, Pic Courtesy: maralencherry.smcim.org

In a big victory to the Save Archdiocesan Movement for Transparency, the Kerala High Court on Tuesday ordered a police probe against the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Cardinal and others for allegedly effecting a land deal that caused a loss of crores of rupees to the Church. The court on Tuesday came down heavily on the Cardinal and asked whether the "Cardinal is the King.”. The court ordered the police to file a case against Cardinal Mar George Alencherry and three others, including two priests – Archdiocese procurator Joshy Puthuva and Sebastian Vadakumpadan – and a middleman, Saju Varghese, who was the real estate dealer for the land sale. The order came on a petition filed by Shine Varghese – who has been fighting to expose land deals by the Archdiocese, which he says were conducted without any transparency, and cost crores of rupees to the Church, and also loss of tax money to the government. The Ernakulam Archdiocese in 2016 had sold a three-acre piece of land in Kochi to repay a Rs 60 crore bank loan it had earlier taken to buy land in Maddur in Ernakulam, to construct a medical college. The agent appointed by the church to facilitate the deal had estimated the value of the land at Rs 27.30 crore, but priests and local people claimed that the property's real value was at least Rs 80 crore. The allegations raised by the Save Archdiocese Campaign, a forum in which most of diocese priests are members, is that the church had incurred huge losses by selling the land owned by it for lower prices. While the Cardinal and the diocese defended the allegations, the Campaign moved on to further measures, despite being under pressure for coming out against one of the most powerful Christian group of the state. On Tuesday, the court said that the conspiracy, betrayal and the financial manipulations of the deal are evident from the documents submitted by the petitioner. The court also observed that the assets of the Archdiocese are that of the people and the Cardinal is only a representative of them. The counsel of the Cardinal had said on February 29 that as far as the Cardinal is concerned, the appellate authority is the Pope. The court had then said that it was strange to hear that the law of the land was not applicable to the Cardinal. Flaying this stand of the Church, the court while directing police investigation, said that the Cardinal is not king and is one who is liable to obey the law existing in the country. Now with the court ordering the police probe, an FIR would be registered soon in the case. Speaking to TNM Shine said, “I am happy over the court judgment which implies that there is truth in what I have said. I am happy that justice and truth have won. In a democratic country no one should think that they can do anything using power and money. There is even a mafia behind the land deals, that has become nothing before the law.” Reacting to the verdict, Paul Thelekkat, senior priest of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church said that it was a sad and very painful verdict. "Everyone in the Church, including the Pope, is aware of what has happened. But despite the best efforts, it was not resolved. What must be noted is that despite ways and means of a course correction being there in the system – that also was not used. This is a sad and painful verdict," said Thelekkat. With IANS inputs

Medical Negligence

Murugan died in August 2017 after he was allegedly denied treatment by five hospitals in Kerala.

TNM Staff

The Medical Board constituted to conduct an enquiry into the death of Murugan, a native of Tirunelveli who died at the Government Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, has given a clean chit to doctors, whose alleged negligence had killed him. The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has now sought the report from the Medical Board. Murugan died allegedly due to refusal of emergency treatment by several hospitals after he met with an accident in Kollam in 2017. He was allegedly denied emergency treatment by five hospitals including the Govt Medical College as well. Commission member K Mohankumar has directed health secretary Rajeev Sadanandan to submit a report within two weeks. It also directed that the minutes of the Medical Board meeting be presented before the Commission. The Commission’s move comes against the backdrop of media reports which said that the Medical Board found that by the time Murugan was to the hospital, it was beyond the ability of the doctors to rescue him. The Medical Board report also said that Murugan was brain dead when he was brought to the hospital. As per the Commission’s direction, the report and minutes should be presented at the Thiruvananthapuram office of the Commission within two weeks. Earlier, in an enquiry conducted by the health department, it was found that Murugan was initially not admitted at the medical college though there was one VVIP ventilator and 16 stand-by ventilators present at the hospital at the time of the incident. The Commission had taken suo motu notice and filed a case in the death of Murugan. 46-year old Murugan was injured in a road accident at Chathanoor on August 6, 2017 when he was riding pillion on a bike. Nearly three months after his death, the police had filed a report with the Human Rights Commission stating that his death was due to medical negligence. The police also stated that despite senior doctors at the neuro department being present in the hospital at the time of the incident, none of them attended to Murugan.

Human Interest

For three years now, the Kozhikode-based NGO has been working with disabled children aiming to bring them to mainstream.

Saritha S Balan

In December 2017, the Kerala Lalitha Kala Akadey Gallery in Kozhikode witnessed a rare art show. The paintings at the exhibition included those by Sruthin, a teenager who has been fighting autism, and Devika, a girl who was born without arms. Called Swapnachithra, the seven-day exhibition saw as many as 22 young artists with disabilities take part in it. Organised by Dream of Us, an NGO based in Kozhikode, the event was a platform for these children to showcase their artistic talent."All the paintings exhibited were sold out, some for as much as Rs 70,000. We collected the paintings from the houses of the artists and exhibited them at the show. We needed financial support to conduct the show since we did not charge the artists, and a lot of people helped us to make it a success," says Majni Thiruvangoor, a history teacher and an artist, who curated the show."What's even more commendable is that all the participants, who have been fighting various odds in their lives, were also self-taught artists. The show was welcomed with a lot of enthusiasm and the feedback has been great," Majni adds stating that Minister Kadannappaly Ramachandran also visited the gallery.For the talented young artists, the success of the exhibition proved to be a major boost. Five paintings of Balussery native Prisoto, who is battling cancer and is paralysed below waist, were put up in the exhibition. "He is our only child. He paints and plays the keyboard. Swapnachithra was the first platform where he got to exhibit his talent. We were overwhelmed that our son got an opportunity. The disease hit my son when he was studying in Class 1 and now he is preparing to write his Class 10 exams," Prisoto's father Vineeth proudly says. The exhibition was so well received that almost immediately after it concluded, the government-run LBS Centre for Science & Technology hired a hearing impaired teacher at its Kozhikode Centre on a daily wage basis. Simultaneously, a Kozhikode-based friends' group also decided to start a painting school for disabled children. For three years now, Dream of US has been working with children with disabilities in the region with an aim to bring them to the mainstream by eliminating communication barriers they often face. They are at present working on a format to help hearing impaired children communicate easily with their parents. "Parents want their children (who are hearing impaired) to understand their language when actually this should be other way round. Without being able to listen to what their parents say, how can the children understand the language?" asks KS Sukhadev, chairman of Dream of Us. Sukhdev, who has been working as a trainer for hearing impaired children for five years, feels that the existing communication gap can be bridged if parents address the main issue."Currently, children with hearing disabilities face a big communication gap even in their own families and that must be addressed. We try to convince parents that it is them who should communicate in the language of the children," he states. The NGO's next initiative is a nature camp for hearing and speech impaired children towards the end of March at the Guruvayurappan college in Kozhikode. The NGO is associated with Green Community, a addressing environmental issues, and through the nature camp hopes to spread awareness about the environment among the children. Summer fires are a common occurrence in the region and the camp will also focus on how to prevent it and protect trees. "By taking the children to the camp, we hope that they will develop an interest in environmental issues. They will also get to be a part of nature in the real sense as compared to teaching them about nature in a classroom," Sukhadev says.

News

A hundred installations were created by 700 architects with bricks that were used by women as makeshift stoves for the Attukal Pongala festival.

Gopika Ajayan

A hundred brick installations line the stretch between Palayam and Kowdiar in Thiruvananthapuram, as a tribute to the ‘Gandhi of Architecture’, the British-born Indian architect Lawrence Wilfred “Laurie” Baker. What is unique about these artworks is that the bricks used to create them are abandoned and half-burnt ones, which lakhs of women used to set up makeshift stoves for the famed Pongala festival that was held in the city on Friday. Part of the Laurie Baker 100th birth anniversary celebrations, the installations were built by about 700 architects for a 4-day initiative called ‘Beyond Bricks’ that started on Saturday. The Beyond Bricks initiative is sponsored by the state government as a tribute to Baker and, more importantly, to spread the idea of cost-effectiveness and sustainability that Baker advocated. After the programme ends on Tuesday, the bricks will be taken by the Thiruvananthapuram corporation to build houses for the poor under the social housing scheme. One of the installations that stands out is called ‘The Truth,’ which depicts the killing of Madhu, the tribal man from Attapady who was lynched to death last month by a mob. Elaborating on Beyond Bricks, Shaiju Mohammed, Chairman of the Indian Institute of Architects, Thiruvananthapuram chapter, tells TNM that the idea for the installations came from people associating Baker with bricks. “Well, he did play with bricks but he was much beyond that. If Baker were alive today he might not have used bricks, his mind would have stumbled on to something else. That is why we decided to name the initiative – Beyond Bricks,” Shaiju explains. “Baker was a social engineer with multiple facets… he found excellence when he used his tools and techniques for a social cause. His was a mind that ran much ahead of its time. Our effort is only a humble extension of his philosophy,” says Shaiju. According to Shaiju, 100 teams, that included 300 students, participated in the initiative, along with NGOs, masons and other volunteers. They helped the architects plan the structures, collect bricks, transport them and build the installations. Baker’s philosophy was all about understanding the environment that we live in and tweaking our lifestyle to create harmony within ourselves. His mind worked wonders even with abandoned things. From coloured bottles to the clutch plate of an old car, Baker had to ability to turn them into beautiful decorations. Laurie Baker, an architect ahead of his times Laurie Baker was born in 1917 in England, the youngest of three children. One of his initial experiences in architecture came early in his childhood when he was taken to see the ancient buildings around Europe. Baker later joined the Birmingham School of Architecture and graduated in 1938, only to deviate from the established standards of architecture and create a space of his own. Baker spoke of ideas that were unheard of in his times and left behind a legacy that is now followed by many. He turned the spotlight on the concept of sustainability at a time when the idea had not evolved or even struck the minds of people. Baker started building in Kerala only during his mid-career, when he moved to Vagamon in Kerala in 1962 along with his family. In 1969, he moved to Thiruvananthapuram and eventually made the city his home. Here, Baker built homes for the poor at cheap rates. Madhuri, a 5th year B Arch student at the city’s College of Engineering, says: “I remember reading in a book on Baker that once Gandhiji told him that an ideal house in a village has to be constructed with materials available within a 5 km radius of the plot. I mean, Taj Mahal is an architectural splendour but to build a huge structure of that kind with a royal exchequer is easy when compared to building a structure with limited resources.”

News

They attacked State Forest Minister P. Raju over the manner in which his dept "could lose" a huge area of the 7,000 acres of vested forest land to a group of individuals.

IANS

The opposition Kerala Congress (Mani) and the UDF joined hands on Tuesday to slam the CPI for playing into the hands of the land mafia that may cause the loss of a significant amount of land to the Forest Department. In an interesting grouping of political forces, the state assembly witnessed after a long time the Kerala Congress (Mani)-led by veteran legislator KM Mani and the Congress-led United Democratic Front joining forces against the CPI -- the second biggest ally of the ruling Pinarayi Vijayan government. They attacked State Forest Minister P. Raju, a senior leader of the CPI, over the manner in which his department "could lose" a huge area of the 7,000 acres of vested forest land to a group of individuals. Mani on Tuesday with the help of the UDF, sought leave for an adjournment motion stating that the government counsel representing the Forest Department purposely failed to fight with sincerity the case filed by private parties in the Kerala High Court over the forest land. This was the first time that Mani and the UDF joined hands on the floor of the assembly, after the former split with the UDF more than a year back."It has now come to a stage that due to the callous attitude of the government counsel, who failed to present the facts of the case in right earnestness, the title deed to the huge forest cover could well go away from the hands of the state government," Mani said. It was in 1905 that this area was listed as a forest and the case has been going on since then. Finally in 1981, a single bench of the Kerala High Court ruled in favour of the state, which a full bench upheld in 2001."Then these private individuals fighting the case approached the Supreme Court, which directed the High Court to have a re-look and it's here that the Forest Department and the counsel played truant and let down the interest of the state."Forcing the court to give an almost favourable verdict to the individuals which states that the title deeds be given to the individuals while the state would own the land -- this has now turned to be a tricky position," said Mani. He added that if the state government does not employ senior counsels from the Supreme Court, this forest land could well disappear. But Raju played down the allegations and said the state government has already filed a revision petition."The opposition is using this to play politics...We will see to it that we give title deeds to 414 families, who have been living in the area prior to 1977."We will ensure that they are given proper title deeds, unlike the previous Congress-led government which gave false title deeds," said Raju. However, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said Raju's statement is like saying, "operation successful, but patient is dead"."This is a clear-cut case of conspiracy that has been hatched at the highest level. It was during our tenure that we managed to establish that this is forest land."But now it has been handed on a platter to the land mafia. The case has been going on for several decades and this is the first time that the state government counsel played into the hands of the mafia. If the state government fails to act quickly, then precious forest land will be lost, said Chennithala. Later the entire opposition walked out of the assembly. All through the attack against Raju by the combined opposition, it was only the CPI legislators who stood up to defend their Minister, with the CPI (M) legislators not showing much enthusiasm. It was the CPI which has been going hammer and tongs at Kerala Congress (Mani), who along with his group of six legislators, had been contemplating to move to the Left fold. The CPI -- the biggest ally in the ruling Vijayan government -- has been strongly opposed to this move for a while now.

Protests

Though the agitators were arrested by the police, they were later released on bail.

TNM Staff

File Image

The protests over the GAIL pipeline project in Kerala’s Mukkom seems to be picking up momentum again as anti-GAIL activists including women, marched to the project site on Tuesday. The protests resumed with the residents alleging that the government and the administration have failed to avoid heavily populated areas for implementing the government’s ambitious project. Though the situation did not turn violent, the agitators were arrested by the police and later released on bail, reports Deccan Chronicle. The agitators later told DC that minister MM Mani had earlier promised the residents who will be affected by the project that necessary alterations will be made to avoid the thickly populated areas. The leaders of the protests also added that once they get a clearance from the District Collector regarding the issue, they will go ahead and build hamlets on the site of the project. However, the Collector denied the possibility of any such proposal from his office. “There is no such assurance from the district administration”, said Kozhikode district collector UV Jose. The ambitious Kochi-Kootanad-Bengaluru-Mangaluru pipeline aims to connect the southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to the national gas network. The 438-km pipeline running from Kochi to Mangaluru is expected to be completed by 2018. However, the planned project has hit an obstacle in Mukkom, where the pipeline is to pass through residential areas. Protesters allege that the pipeline will require 160 acres of land and will displace nearly 600 families, as it passes through densely populated areas in Kozhikode. They also argue that the project violates the Minerals Pipelines (Acquisition of Right of User in Land) Act 1962, which bars pipelines through residential areas. On November 1, the protests in Mukkom turned violent after police forcibly removed a tent erected by protesters.

Crime

The CBI court noted that there was no evidence or witnesses to prove that Fr Poothrikkayil had been present at the convent the night of the murder.

TNM Staff

Pronouncing judgement on the discharge pleas filed by the three main accused in the controversial Sister Abhaya murder case, the special CBI court in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday removed Fr Jose Poothrikkayil from the accused list in the case. The discharge pleas of Fr Thomas Kottoor and Sr Sephy were dismissed. The court while delivering the judgement noted that there was no evidence or witnesses to prove that Fr Poothrikkayil had been present at the convent the night the murder took place. “I am content with the court’s order. I have never done anything that is against morality, especially in regard with this case. I have always been proud of my priesthood. There is been a divine intervention in the pronouncement of this verdict. I hope my colleagues are also pronounced not guilty. I do not want to comment further on the case proceedings,” Fr Poothrikkayil said to Manorama, after the judgement. Father Jose Poothrikkayil was the second accused in the Sister Abhaya murder case. The case Sister Abhaya, a Knanaya Catholic nun, was found dead on March 27, 1992 in the Pius Tenth Convent in Kottayam. Her body was found in a well in the convent. The local police and crime branch closed the case back then, calling it a suicide. But a year later, in 1993, the case was reopened and taken up by the CBI, after the crime branch investigation was called a sham and the police accused of trying to aid the killers. The investigation was led by the then DySp Varghese P Thomas. It was Varghese who declared the Abhaya case a murder, before he resigned on December 31, 2003. In 2008, 16 years after Abhaya’s death, the CBI made three arrests as part of its investigation. Two priests (Father Thomas Kottoor and Father Jose Poothrikkayil) and a nun (Sister Sephy) were arrested, but released on bail a few months later. In 2009, the CBI submitted the charge sheet in the case, claiming that strong evidence was available against the two priests and the nun. CBI reports submitted to the special court in Thiruvananthapuram stated that according to a witness, Prof Thressyamma, the two priests had illicit relations with the nun. The CBI also claimed in its reports that the two priests and the nun had a physical relationship, and that Sister Abhaya found them in a compromising position inside the hostel and this was the motive for the murder. On January 22, the CBI court added a former crime branch SP, KT Michael, in the list of accused for allegedly destroying key evidence in the case. Michael, who was in charge of the preliminary investigation in the death of Sister Abhaya, had closed the case saying she had committed suicide.

Education

The education department initiated a probe into the incident after parents raised a complaint with the school.

TNM Staff

Image for representation only

Three teachers of a government school in Kerala are under the scanner for 'hiding' liquor bottles in the bag of a student on Saturday. The students from Government UP School in Kozhikode’s Chembukadavu were on an excursion to Vismaya Park in Kannur. On their return journey, three teachers allegedly purchased liquor from Mahe and hid the bottles in the bag of one of the students. According to officials of the Education Department, around 52 students of Class 7 and seven teachers had gone for the excursion. Divisional Deputy Excise Commissioner (Kozhikode) PK Suresh told TNM that the bottles were found during a routine check. Excise officials checked the bus when the group was on their way back to Kozhikode. "Two KSBC liquor bottles were found from a bag, which was dumped on top of the students' bags. But since the quantity of liquor wasn’t much, the teachers will not face any legal issues. We haven't registered a case against them," Suresh said. Meanwhile, the education department initiated a probe into the incident after the parents raised a complaint with the school. Speaking to TNM, EK Suresh Kumar, the Deputy Director of Education (DDE) said that the Additional Educational Officer (AEO) and the headmaster of the school will submit a report on the incident."The Excise department hasn’t registered a case against these teachers. So we cannot do anything on that. However, a few parents have complained to the school and on the basis of this, a probe has been initiated," Suresh Kumar said. He added that the teachers involved in the incident have denied anything to do with the liquor bottles. Lissy Kurian, the Principal of the school told the New Indian Express that she was not aware of the incident, and it was only brought to her notice by a few parents on Monday. “I hadn’t been there for the tour. I came to know about the incident when parents complained to me on Monday. Though I sought an explanation from the teachers, they denied the allegations. I have informed the matter to the AEO. As per his instructions, the teachers facing the allegation have been directed to stay away from work for three days. I also submitted a detailed report to the AEO on Tuesday," the Principal was quoted as saying.

Ritual

The temple, located in rural Thiruvananthapuram, sought human blood donations for a ritual that involves bathing the deity in blood.

Megha Varier

The administration of a Kerala temple has drawn flak from the state government after the temple sought human blood ‘donations’ as an offering to the deity. Deviyodu Sreevidvari Vaidyanatha temple in Vithura in rural Thiruvananthapuram recently put out a notice announcing Kaliyoottu Maholsavam, a temple festival. As part of the festival, rakthabhishekam, a ritual wherein the deity is bathed in blood, was scheduled to be held. As part of the 14-day festival that is set to begin on March 11, Kaali, the presiding deity, will be bathed in blood, the notice announced. Further, the notice said that the temple would accept human blood for the purpose. The notice also said that government recognised doctors will collect a negligible quantity of blood in disposable syringes. However, the Kerala government has strictly directed the temple authorities to abstain from performing the ritual. Slamming the “primitive practice” of making blood donations to the deity, Kerala’s Devaswom Minister, Kadakampally Surendran, said that he had directed the police and the district collector to take action against people who are involved in the practice. In a Facebook post, Minister Surendran said that it was a shame for Kerala that such primitive practices are being brought back. “This practice is trying to make a comeback in a state like Kerala that has long ago shed primitive practices like human and animal sacrifice,” the minister wrote. He said that “certain communal forces” were giving support to such primitive rituals and that Kerala, as a society, irrespective of one’s religion, caste and political affiliation, must resist the move to bring back superstitious practices. Speaking to TNM, Thiruvananthapuram Rural SP Ashok Kumar said that the police have given a strict directive to the temple authorities not to go ahead with the ritual. “We haven’t registered any case in the matter, but have warned the temple authorities against performing the ritual. It is completely illegal and if they go ahead with it despite our orders, we will take action against them,” the SP said. Sub-Inspector of Vithura police station, under whose jurisdiction the temple is located, told TNM that this was the first time that the temple authorities had sought human blood donations. “It is a small temple, generally they mix turmeric and slaked lime to make a liquid that is bright red in colour. They normally use that water for the rakthabhishekam. When we spoke to them, they claimed that they meant to draw only negligible amount of blood from the devotees. Whatever it may be, the ritual will not be conducted now,” the SI said. This incident has come at a time when several temple rituals, including Chooral Muriyal performed at Chettukulangara temple in Alappuzha and Kuthiyottam at the Attukal temple in Thiruvananthapuram, are being criticised for causing harm to the minor boy children involved.

News

The expatriate businessman took his life after the CPI’s youth wing allegedly demanded a bribe from him.

TNM Staff

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced support and assistance on Wednesday to the family of Sugathan, an expatriate businessman who took his life after the CPI's youth wing allegedly demanded a bribe from him for opening a workshop. The announcement came after the family spoke to the CM about their grief and uncertain future on Tuesday's morning. Speaking to TNM, Sugathan’s son Sujith said the CM promised all assistance from the government’s side. “We met the CM on Tuesday afternoon. He promised us that we will not face hindrance from any political party while setting up the workshop. The CM also promised all assistance and support from the government we may need in the process,” Sujith said. Sujith added that the family will be going ahead with the case that has been filed. “Though it is a big relief to get such support from the government, we will go ahead with the case till the culprits are in custody. We are satisfied with the police investigation and they have been helping us all throughout”, Sujith said. Sugathan, a businessman who lived in Muscat for 40 years, returned to India in January 2018 to start an automobile shop in Kerala. The family said that Sugathan chose to take his own life after being harassed by members of the All India Youth Federation (AIYF), the CPI’s youth wing, who allegedly refused to let him start his business even after taking bribes from him. After many failed attempts to buy land, Sugathan rented 15 cents of land to start his business. The family claimed that when they approached the village panchayat, they were given an unofficial confirmation by officials to go ahead with the construction of the workshop. However, the land-use classification was under dispute. AIYF party workers claimed that it was classified as agricultural land under the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act. On February 19, a day after the construction of the workshop was completed, the AIYF planted its flag on the site, which left Sugathan devastated. On February 23, Sugathan was found hanging from the beam of the mechanic’s shed he had built. The police have arrested three AIYF workers - Imesh, Girish and Sathish Kumar - for abetment of suicide. All three accused are in judicial custody. Read: He returned from Oman to start a business, but Kerala’s politics pushed him to death

Crime

The High Court’s decision comes days after CM Pinarayi Vijayan dismissed the need for a CBI probe into the case.

TNM Staff

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday came down heavily on the police for its shoddy investigation into the murder of Youth Congress worker Shuhaib and ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the probe. Shuhaib (29), a block secretary in the Youth Congress, was hacked to death in Mattanur, Kannur. Five people, including two CPI (M) workers, have been arrested so far in connection with his death. On Wednesday, the court observed that those behind the case were refusing to accept responsibility and that the conspiracy angle was not exposed in the Kannur political murders. The High Court was considering a plea submitted by Shuhaib’s parents seeking a CBI investigation into the case. Earlier, talking to the media, the family had expressed dissatisfaction with the state police investigation. The court also observed that there was foul play in the recovery of the weapons that were allegedly used in Shuhaib’s murder. The court noted that though all the accused had been arrested, the police haven’t been able to find the actual weapons used for the murder. Shortly after the High Court’s order, Shuhaib’s sister expressed relief at the verdict. “Right from the start of the investigation the Pinarayi government has been trying to protect some names. There was a serious conspiracy to murder my brother. That is the reason they always opposed an investigation by the CBI. Only truth will win at the end,” she told media. The High Court’s decision comes days after CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s statement dismissing any need for a CBI probe into the case. The Congress in Kannur had thrown its weight behind Shuhaib’s family and senior party leader K Sudhakaran even went on a fast for more than a week. “Now if the CBI does a proper job, it will lead to the real culprits behind this murder,” Sudhakaran said. The family had earlier threatened to launch an indefinite strike if the government did not transfer the case to the CBI. Shuhaib’s father CP Mohammed told the media that he and his family were happy that the court accepted their demand. “The real culprits and those involved in the conspiracy have to be brought to book,” Mohammed said. Meanwhile, the HC’s order attracted quick responses from political leaders. BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan took to Facebook to demand that Pinarayi Vijayan quit the home ministry. “It would only be appropriate for the CM Pinarayi Vijayan to step down from the Home Ministry. This is not the first time that the government has faced such criticism from the HC. The HC verdict comes right after the CM’s statement that dismissed any need for a CBI probe. Why do we need a CM just to battle the backlash he receives for his governance,” reads his post.

Statue vandalism

The man, who is yet to be identified, damaged the glasses and the garland that was on the Gandhi statue.

TNM Staff

A statue of Mahatma Gandhi was vandalized by miscreant on Thursday morning at Kannur. According to police officials, the miscreant is yet to be identified and fled the scene after committing the crime. He destroyed the glasses on the statue and the garland that was on the statue before he left the scene, say the police. The incident occurred around 8:30 am inside the compound of Taluk office at Thaliparamba in Kannur. Police officials in Kannur were informed of the crime by onlookers after the miscreant fled the scene. “The incident occurred around 8:30 am. We are on a lookout for the person. His identity continues to be anonymous,” said Vinu Mohan, Kannur SI. The officer also added that the miscreant ran away once he realised that onlookers would report him. “He destroyed the glasses and a garland that was put on Gandhiji’s statue. The crowd started to get restless by then and after he sensed it he fled the scene,” added Vinu Mohan. Police officials also added that an investigation has been launched in this regard and the miscreant will soon be caught. The latest incident in Kerala follows acts of vandalism reported in several parts of the country. Violence erupted in various parts of the country, including Tripura and West Bengal, after two statues of Russian communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin were razed by the BJP activists in southern Tripura. The razing of the statue followed the Left’s electoral rout by the BJP in Tripura. While several BJP members celebrated the bringing down of Lenin’s statue, party National Secretary H Raja took to Facebook to warn that Dravidian and anti-caste revolutionary EV Ramasamy, who is popularly known as Periyar, would be next. Following protests by several groups with political leaders like DMK’s MK Stalin demanding that he be arrested, H Raja distanced himself from the Facebook post, noting that it was posted by an administrator of his page without his permission. However, hours later on Tuesday, in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district, a statue of Periyar, was damaged by vandals – one belonging to the BJP and another to the CPI. While H Raja has since expressed his heartful regret for his comments, the BJP went on damage control mode. The Home Ministry on Wednesday issued an advisory to states asking them to take all necessary precautions to prevent such incidents. The state from the Home Ministry also noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh over incidents of toppling of statues in various parts of the country post the BJP's victory in Tripura. BJP Chief Amit Shah also issued a statement on Twitter warning of stern action against members who indulged in vandalism.

Awards

Ottamuri Velicham directed by Raul Riji Nair won the award for the best film.

TNM Staff

Powerful performances won big at the Kerala State Film Awards which were announced on Thursday. Parvathy, who played the lead role in the critically-acclaimed as well as commercially successful film Take Off, won the Best Actor (Female) award. In the male category, actor Indrans bagged the top honour for his role of a distraught father searching for his missing son in the movie Aalorukkam. Parvathy has earleir won the award in 2015 for her performance in the movie Charlie. Lijo Jose Pallisery walked away with the award for Best Director for his film E Ma You. It was a film shot in just 18 days and had been invited for screenings in various prestigious international film festivals. Ottamuri Velicham directed by Raul Riji Nair won the award for the best film. The film stars Vinitha Koshy, Dipak Parambol and Devaki Rajendran. AK Arjunan won the award for the best music composer for his work in the film Bhayanakam. Though he is a veteran in the industry, this is the first time he has won the state award. Take Off, a cinematic adaptation of the real life story of 19 stranded Kerala nurses trapped in Tikrit and under the custody of the ISIS, won Mahesh Narayanan the award for the best debut director. The best character actor award was won by Pauly Valsan for her perfomances in two movies- E Ma You and Ottamuri Velicham. Alencier has been chosen as the best character actor (male) for his role of ASI Chandran, in the film Thondimuthalum Drikshakshikalum. Prabha Varma bagged the award for the best lyricist for the song Oolathil Melathal from the film Clint. Gopi Sunder won the award for the best background score for his work in Take Off. Singer Shahbaz Aman won the award for the best singer for the song 'Mizhiyil Ninnum' from Maayanadhi. Singer Sithara Krishnakumar is the best singer (Female) for Vimanam. Here are the other award winners: Best child actors- Abhinad, Nakshthra Best cameraman- Manesh Madhavan for Eden Best screenplay- Sajeev Pazhoor for Thondimuthalum Drikshakshikalum Best script writer - MA Nishad for Kinar Best screenplay adaptation- S Hareesh, Sanju Surendran for Eden Best editing- Appu Bhattathiri for the movies Ottamuri Velicham and Veeram Best Art director- Santhosh Raman for Take Off.

Metro Project

This move comes following the Kerala govt’s failure to sign the agreement with DMRC, even 15 months after the agreement was submitted.

TNM Staff

Nearly four years after submitting the Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the Light Metro project in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode in Kerala, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has withdrawn from the project. This move comes following the Kerala government’s failure to sign the agreement with DMRC, even 15 months after the agreement was submitted to the state government. DMRC Principal Advisor E Sreedharan confirmed in a press meet held in Kochi on Thursday that DMRC has been forced to withdraw from the project, owning to "no progress in work." Addressing the media, Metroman E Sreedhran said that despite multiple meetings with the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, PWD Minister and secretaries of the state government, the government has not signed the agreement. "After submitting the DPR, it usually takes at least two years for it to be approved by the Government of India (GoI). But generally, what all state governments do, is to give sanction for the work to start, after receiving the DPR. In many cases, including metro construction in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, GoI approval was received after the work commenced using the state government fund. But Kerala government did not do this, they took the stand that at least in-principle approval should be received before commencing the work," E Sreedharan said. He said that DMRC then began preparatory works, including land acquisition and land planning, after a government order was issued. "In June 2016, after the new LDF government came to power, they gave the nod for preparatory works to begin. The CM took a stand that we should start the construction work after we get approval from GoI. The Kerala government asked DMRC to go ahead with the preparatory works. In September 2016, a GO (Government Order) was issued, asking DMRC to do the consultancy and preparatory works. In December 2016, we gave a draft agreement to the government," Sreedharan said. Sreedharan also pointed out that in a meeting of Kerala Rapid Transit Corporation Limited (KRTL) in December last year, there were opinions that a tender must be called and the preparatory works be assigned to another company. "When we got that information, we realised that we should withdraw from the scene," Sreedharan said. Kerala Rapid Transit Corporation Limited (KRTL) is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of the Government of Kerala, set up for the implementation and subsequent operation and maintenance of the Metro Rail Systems in the cities of Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. DMRC had set up two offices in the state since 2014, for the running of which, it had to shell out Rs 16 lakh per month. Both these offices are in the process of being shut down, Sreedharan said. "Since we are not able to start the work because the agreement has not been signed, we cannot continue operating the offices. DMRC is a government company; without work, we cannot function the offices. We have sent back the officers on deputation and the offices will be completely shut by March 15 this year," Sreedharan said. Although he reiterated that he was not upset with the state government for the delay, Sreedharan said that the government's delay had forced DMRC to pull out of the project. "I have met the CM, PWD minister and secretaries many times and despite them assuring that they will sort everything, nothing has happened so far. CM did assure that he will solve it, but practically, no step forward has taken place. In May 2017, we had written a note saying that there is no progress in the work," Sreedharan said. He added, "We have no malice against anyone, no complaint against the government. We are only trying to safeguard our financial interest. We cannot run it without adequate work." On January 21 this year, DMRC gave a final notice to the state government, seeking approval to pull out of the project in the wake of delay in signing the agreement. He added that although he wanted to meet the CM to apprise him of the company's decision, "He is still waiting for an appointment.""We have no choice but to pull out of the project," he said, adding that people must know how DMRC was "driven to withdraw" from the project. The Rs 7,446 crore Light Metro project, was proposed to cover 35.12 km in the two cities of Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. Of the total amount, Sreedharan said that the state's revised share was Rs 2700 crore.

Hadiya case

The SC bench said that the court cannot intervene in the case of a marriage between two consenting adults.

TNM Staff

In a major win for Hadiya and her husband Shafin Jahan, the Supreme Court, on Thursday, set aside the May 2017 Kerala High Court order annulling their marriage. The SC has consistently in the last few hearings maintained that Hadiya, a 26-year-old, has the right to make her own choice. Being consistent with their stand, the SC has struck down the Kerala HC's draconian order. The SC also observed that the HC should not have annulled the marriage in a habeas corpus petition. However, according to initial reports, the probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will continue into the accusations of 'love jihad', but not of this particular marriage. The SC said that its decision is based on Hadiya's statement that she converted to Islam out of her own free will. It asked how can the HC annul a marriage between two consenting adults under Article 226 of the Constitution. The SC read out the operative part of the judgement a little after 2pm, after hearing the case in the first part of the day. The Bench was headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, DY Chandrachud and AM Khanwilkar. During the hearing, the SC bench reiterated that the court cannot intervene in the case of a marriage between two consenting adults. The court also told the NIA that it can carry on the investigation, but it shouldn't probe into the marriage. The SC also said Hadiya is free to pursue her future endeavours as per law."Marriage, plurality and individual choices should be zealously guarded from State intervention," the bench reportedly said. The bench also said that however good or bad a marriage is, the HC cannot annul a marriage, saying that "the state cannot be allowed to enter into the marriage whether it approves of it or not." Background of the case In January 2016, Hadiya's father first filed a habeas corpus petition in the Kerala HC. The court, however, disposed the petition, after Hadiya appeared before the court and said that she wanted to study Islam. A few months later in August, Asokan filed a second habeas corpus, alleging that there were attempts to transport Hadiya out of the country to join Islamic terror outfit ISIS. While this case was under the consideration of the court, Hadiya appeared for a hearing in the last week of December 2016, along with Shafin, who she said was her husband. This prompted the court to order a probe on Shafin and led to the subsequent annulment of their marriage in May 2017. Hadiya was then sent to the custody of her parents and was put under house arrest, with no access to a telephone or newspapers. She was also denied access to people. After the Kerala HC annulled Hadiya's marriage to Shafin Jahan in May, the latter moved the SC with a special leave petition against the HC order. A bench of the SC then ordered an NIA probe into the case. Appearing at the apex court in November 2017, Hadiya had said that she wanted to continue being a Muslim and that she wanted to go with her husband Shafin. However, the court had then sent her back to her college in Salem to continue her studies, without commenting on whether the HC can annul a marriage. Hadiya then reiterated her stand in an affidavit filed at the apex court in February, and told the court that she converted and married Shafin of her own free will. She countered her father Asokan's allegations that she was indoctrinated. Despite this, Asokan in his latest counter affidavit filed at the court last week came up with a new "theory" behind Hadiya's conversion to Islam. He had been accusing Hadiya's friends Jaseena and Faseena and their father Aboobacker for having "misled" Hadiya. According to Asokan, Hadiya came in contact with one Shanib from Malappuram through an internet chat in 2015. Shanib in turn introduced Hadiya (then Akhila) to his elder sister Sherin Shahana who was already married to Fasil Musthafa, who offered to make Hadiya his second wife, and take her to Yemen. In February, Sainaba told the court that Hadiya converted of her own will and not all conversions were due to indoctrination. In her affidavit, Sainaba argued that the allegations against her were baseless, and said that this was against the constitutional principle, which guaranteed freedom of religion as a fundamental right. Sainaba was responding to the notice over a plea by Hadiya’s husband Shafin Jahan who challenged the Kerala High Court order annulling his marriage.

Women

The award presented by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development is India’s highest civilian honour for women.

TNM Staff

Three Kerala women have been bestowed with this year’s Nari Shakti Puraskar by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development. Nari Shakti Puraskar is touted as the Government of India’s highest civilian honour for women. President Ramnath Kovind will present the award to Dr Lizymol Philipose Pamadykandathil, Dr MS Sunil and K Syamalakumari from Kerala. The award was presented on Thursday on the occasion of International Women Day. The award was also bestowed upon 39 women and organisations. The awardees receive a certificate and cash prize of 1 Lakh at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Dr Lizymol Philipose is a scientist with over three decades of service and experience in the field of polymers and biomaterials. She received much appreciation for developing a novel bioactive cement, used in medical treatment. This material has been considered ideal for bone graft, bone filling and osteoporosis treatment. This material is also considered as a cost-effective alternative to expensive materials for dental treatment being imported from abroad. MS Sunil is a retired zoology professor and has been an active social worker and stands out in her abiding compassion for the deprived. In the past decade, she has built 83 homes for the destitute. Sunil is a one-woman army and has no organization to back up the social service that she has committed her life to. She gets small donations through post and does the rest of the work on her own - from curating money to instructing the construction workers. She continues to give solar lamps, wheel chairs to marginalized people, school stationary to needy children and also helps people who need assistance with emergency operations. Syamalakumari is the first known female temple mural artist in Kerala. A traditional art that is primarily dominated by men, Syamalakumari has painted, preserved and restored mural arts in the temples of Kerala. Her documentaries have been screened widely.

Politics

Although the Election Commission is yet to give any indication of the by-election, the three rival fronts have already started zeroing down on their nominees.

IANS

The Congress party in Kerala is confronted with a long list of hopefuls for the Chengannur assembly bypoll which it views as a game-changer in the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Chengannur, in Alappuzha district, lost its incumbent CPI (M) legislator K.K. Ramachandran Nair, who passed away in January following an illness. Although the Election Commission is yet to give any indication of the by-election, the three rival fronts have already started zeroing down on their nominees. While the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist Party of India-Marxist have almost zeroed down on theirs, the Congress is finding its selection a "tough proposition" as the list of hopefuls was getting longer by the day. The top state leadership of the Congress is now having a tough time as this is one election which the party cannot afford to lose. Those desirous of contesting the poll include Vijaya Kumar, whose name has surfaced every time elections have come around in the past two decades but who has yet to make it to the list. This time, along with him, his daughter's name Jyothi Vijayakumar has also come up. She is a much sought-after translator from English to Malayalam in public party meetings addressed by former party chief Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi, whenever they visit the state. The name of Jyothi gained strength when she was spotted at the state party headquarters, especially when former Defence Minister A.K. Antony visited. Among others is four-time party legislator from neighbouring assembly constituency M. Murali, who represented Mavelikara constituency for four successive terms before losing in the 2011 polls from Kayamkulam constituency. He did not contest the 2016 polls. Another two-time legislator K. Sivadasan Nair, who lost in the 2016 polls from another neighbouring constituency -- Pathanamthitta -- is also trying hard to get the nod. There are also half a dozen party veterans who have been for long pushing for a seat and they include senior leader Abey Kuriakose besides several energetic youth Congress leaders who are also in the fray. Over the years, the Chengannur seat has always gone to the nominee of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, as in Kerala all along, seats and posts are always divided on the basis of the factions in the party. With just two factions, -- of Chandy and Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala -- in operation in the state, whosoever gets Chandy's nod would become the candidate. When Chandy was asked whether he has made up his mind about who the candidate was going to be, his reply came through in his characteristic smile and a wink. Implying that, in his party no quick decisions are taken."If there is going to be a consensus in the candidature, then there will be just one name that will be put up to the party high command and would get the instant approval...."But if there is not going to be a consensus from here and a list of names is given, then the final call will be made by Rahul Gandhi with the concurrence of Antony," said another senior Congress leader, who did not wish to be identified. State party President M.M. Hassan, however, is hopeful that they will be able to zero down on the nominee in a day or two.

Kerala State Film Awards

8-year-old Chandrakiran won a special mention for his performance in the film 'Athishayangalude Venal'.

Sreedevi Jayarajan

Thursday started off as another day at work for Girish NK, principal correspondent at Manorama News. In the afternoon, he did a live telecast at the Information Department on the Kerala State Film Awards, gushing about the big winners Take Off and Ottamuri Velicham. As he read out the names of the winners of the awards, right there, in the middle, was his son Chandrakiran’s name – he had won a special mention for his role in the film Athishayangalude Venal. “I have been reporting on the State Film Awards for the past 5-6 years now. So when the list of awardees was released, I just went live and reported as I would on any other day. My son had an exam today and he came back home to watch me report the news about his big win. He was very excited about that,” Girish bursts out laughing as he speaks to TNM. Athishayangalude Venal, directed by Prasanth Vijay, is the story of a child obsessed with the idea of invisibility. Eight-year-old Chandrakiran had the honour of having his name mentioned by the jury, along with more experienced stars, such as Vijay Menon for his performance in Hey Jude. “We had no expectations as the movie was not listed in the children’s film category. In fact, Prasanth was particular about not categorizing it as a children’s film. So when the jury mentioned Chandrakiran’s name in the actor’s category, it indeed came as a big surprise for us,” Girish says. Asked how Chandrakiran bagged the role, Girish says that some of his colleagues were involved in the technical side of things in the film and they were looking for a boy around Chandrakiran’s age to play the lead role. “They asked me if he can do it. I told them that he has had no prior experience acting in films. However, he spoke Malayalam very well and that was a prerequisite as the dialogues had to be rendered on the spot, as in they couldn’t be dubbed later. So we decided to give it a shot. It was purely by chance,” adds Girish. Chandrakiran, who is now studying in Class 5, has also acted in a 20-minute short film, shot during his summer holidays. However, the family is yet to decide if the 8-year-old will take up more films in the future. “We decided to do Athishayangalude Venal because it was only a month’s shoot and I had my friends in the crew. So he had a safe place to stay. Further, taking leave from school will be a challenge with each year. But not every project will be so ideal, so we are yet to decide if he will do films in the future,” says Girish. The film premiered at the Mumbai International Film Festival in 2017 and was also screened at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) 2017 in Thiruvananthapuram. It will also be screened at the UK-Asia Film Festival in London on March 16.

Hadiya case

After Hadiya's marriage to Muslim man Shafin Jahan was annulled in May 2017, women activists had taken to the streets on a campaign to set her free.

Megha Varier

The Supreme Court on Thursday set aside an order by the Kerala High Court that annulled the marriage of Hadiya - a Muslim convert from Vaikkom in Kerala. This comes after more than two years of legal battle which Hadiya, born as Akhila, had to undergo, just to establish that she has the right to choice. While the 26-year-old woman had to initially fight a legal battle after her father Asokan objected to her conversion to Islam, the legal trouble soon escalated, after the HC, in May 2017, annulled her marriage to Muslim man Shafin Jahan. Now, after nearly 10 months since that order that attracted widespread criticism, women activists in Kerala believe that Hadiya is free in the exact sense of the term, only now. In the past so many months while Hadiya was under forced house arrest at her residence in Vaikkom, thousands of women came together to assert Hadiya's right to choose and independently make decisions about her life. The ‘Free Hadiya’ movement that began in the state by a small group of people, soon spread to several parts of the country, with students and activists spilling on to the streets to protest the human rights violation against Hadiya. Speaking to TNM, activist and critic Devika J said that the SC order was not just a win for Hadiya, but also for all the women of the country, who independently take decisions about their life. "This case was essentially an adult woman saying that she has the right to choose, be it her religion, or the man she wants to marry. In our patriarchal society, it is the fathers who take crucial decisions about a woman's life including marriage. Now this order is a major win for those women, who want to choose for themselves. It proves that women who don't follow practices of the conventional society are not bad women," Devika said. Devika had been vocal about her criticism against Hadiya's father Asokan, who subjected Hadiya to house arrest for months together and cut off access to her. For Anusha Paul, a former journalist who now works with a publishing house in New Delhi, the SC order has reinstated her faith in the judicial system. "Although late, this does give us hope in the democratic system of our country," Anusha said. Anusha, along with several other women, had in August last year, gone to Hadiya's house in an attempt to meet her. While the group was prevented from meeting Hadiya, the incident also conveyed to the world, the conditions under which Hadiya was leading her life. Recounting how a Facebook reading group of women decided to come together to visit Hadiya at her home, Anusha said: "We had gone there with some sweets, cakes, books and other gifts for Hadiya and her family, since it was Onam that time. What connected us to Hadiya was the kind of torture she was being subjected to at the house. She is a woman who, like all of us, has a life; dreams. And her human rights were being violated then. Imagine she is the same age as most of us in the group and we understood her ordeal." The group was not only prevented by Hadiya's family from meeting her, but they were also arrested by the police and charged with unlawful assembly for trying to meet Hadiya. "What we saw there was Hadiya shouting out to us that she wants to be free and that she is being beaten up. We staged a silent protest outside her home then. I believe that incident helped in striking a chord with the common man, who, till then, saw this case as one of radicalisation. Till then, we only saw isolated news reports on the case, but after this incident, more and more people began to identify with Hadiya," Anusha said. Hadiya is currently completing her studies at Sivaraj college in Salem, after the SC allowed her to continue her studies in November last year.

Ritual

The ‘Mahaghora Kali Yajnam’, was supposed to be held for 10 days from March 12.

TNM Staff

Days after the Kerala government came down heavily on the authorities of the Deviyode Sri Vidwari Vaidyanatha Temple for urging devotees to offer human blood as part of a ritual, officials at the temple have decided to take a step back. The temple is situated at Vithura in the Thiruvananthapuram district. “We will not defy the orders of a democratically elected government. However, the government should study the scientific basis of the ritual before stopping it. Only a drop of blood mixed with water was used for the ritual at a time,” the functionaries of the Deviyod Sree Vidwayari Vaidyanandha temple claimed. Meanwhile the head priest of the temple also said that the government was trying to portray the ritual in a bad light. “We are sad that the government and a section of the society portrayed the ritual in a bad light,” said A Manikandan, the head priest of the temple. He also added that the ritual would help cure diseases. “Mahagora Kali Yajnam will help cure diseases. It is an ancient ritual. The government and the public have a false idea about it. We do not have any hidden agenda. Devotees were requested to collect their blood for the ‘yagna’. The ‘yagna’ fire is holy and when we add a drop of blood to it, it absorbs energy. That’s the reason why Hindu puranas have a number of blood-related rituals,” the priest added. The ritual was supposed to be held at the temple for 10 days from March 12 as part of the annual Kaliyoottu festival. The devotees were expected to donate their blood using disposable syringes. The head priest also added that the temple authorities could have saved up to Rs 50,000 if the ritual was not conducted. Earlier, the ritual was conducted using a drop of blood from the priest who conducted the yagna. The decision to use blood from the devotees came after they themselves expressed their willingness to be part of the ritual, the temple officials claimed.

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