Kerala

Politics

Thomas and Pillai on Monday met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Kollam and the green signal for their decision was given.

TNM Staff

As part of getting a larger share of power, the Kerala Congress (Skariah Thomas) and Kerala Congress (B) have decided to merge. The official announcement will be made in the state capital on Tuesday. While Skariah Thomas is a full-fledged ally of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by the CPI (M) , the KC (B) led by veteran R Balakrishna Pillai is only an ally of the Left ever since it broke away from the then ruling Congress-led UDF in 2015. Thomas and Pillai on Monday met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Kollam and the green signal for their decision was given."The Chief Minister is our leader and it's quite natural we discuss all things with him," Thomas told the media. While Thomas' party has no legislator, Pillai's party has one – his son KB Ganesh Kumar. Presently, the LDF has six constituents and all of them have been given cabinet berths. The seven allies include the National Secular Conference, Kerala Congress-B, Communist Marxist Party-A and Revolutionary Socialist Party-Leninist (all have a legislator each) while the Janadhipathya Samrakshana Samithi-Gowri, Indian National League and Kerala Congress-Democratic are currently unrepresented in the Assembly. A source in the know of things told IANS that a move to expand the LDF has been on the cards for a while and will come up at its meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday. "What is to happen is this – all the allies would be asked to discuss amongst themselves and report back at the next LDF meeting, when the decision would be arrived at," said the source. Of these affiliated parties, the Kerala Congress-Democratic, led by former Lok Sabha member Francis George, is one which the CPI-M is certainly keen to have on account of its presence in good numbers, especially among the Christian community, in Idukki, Kottayam and Pathanamathitta districts. The LDF leadership however has to ensure a clear-cut understanding with the new entrants, that if they are taken into the fold, there should be no attempts to demand ministerial berths, like Congress-S, whose lone legislator is a minister since the party has been in the LDF for a long time. (With IANS inputs)

Health

While there was a scare of shigella earlier, officials had stated there was no need to panic and that this particular incident was the result of a common virus.

Nimeshika Jayachandran

Image for representation

A day after it was reported that a 2-year-old boy had died at Kozhikode Medical College and Hospital, from shigella, doctors have now confirmed that his death was not due to the bacterial infection. The stool culture was sent to Manipal Institute of Virology. However, the tests for shigella came back negative. Speaking to TNM, Dr Sreekumar Paediatric Surgeon and Children’s’ Medical Superintendent of the hospital said, “The tests have come back and were negative for shigella.” Dr Jayashree, District Medical Officer (DMO) of Kozhikode, confirmed to TNM that the boy had contracted a rotavirus infection, which he had succumbed to. “Rotavirus is an extremely common infection, especially in young children. The same hygiene measures have to be implemented for rotavirus. Washing hands, maintain good personal and environmental hygiene measures,” she stated. The virus causes gastroenteritis and presents in infected persons with symptoms similar to that of typical food poisoning. Children presenting with a rotavirus infection often have loose stools, fever, vomiting, abdominal pain and often appear extremely dehydrated. The biggest indication that a child is suffering from a rotavirus infection is the onset of severe diarrhoea. Rotavirus-induced dehydration can be life-threatening if fluid balance is not maintained. There is no specific treatment for rotavirus infection, as it is a self-limiting condition which usually gets better on its own within a few days, though supportive measures such as intravenous fluids can be given. Two vaccines, RotaTeq and Rotarix, are available for children, which most paediatricians recommend children are given within the first year of life. At present, officials are advising that people continue to boil water, wash their hands regularly, and maintain other such personal hygiene measures. In June, Kerala state Health Department officials had issued a notice to the public, after 2 people from Kozhikode district and 1 from Thiruvananthapuram had lost their lives to shigellosis.

Kerala Floods

The five-member team of Mathrubhumi news channel had gone to Mundar, one of the worst flood-affected areas in Kottayam, to cover the relief camps.

TNM Staff

G Sivaprasad/Mathurbhumi

The boat in which five members of the Mathrubhumi news channel were travelling capsized on Monday in Mundar. While three members were rescued, one body was recovered and the search for the fifth person is still on. KK Saji, who worked as a freelancer for Mathrubhumi, was found dead. Three other media persons, Thiruvalla Bureau camera person Abhilash S Nair, Kottayam reporter KB Sreedharan, and KP Abhilash, who was rowing the boat, have been rescued. Their driver Bipin Babu, who has worked with Mathrubumi for three years, is still missing and Navy personnel from Kochi are still looking for him. According to Mathrubhumi, the crew had gone to cover relief camps in Mundar. The crew had travelled in two small boats, which had motor engines. The reporting team had reached Mundar to cover the relief camps in Parayil Colony. Mundar, which falls under the Kallara panchayat in Kottayam, is the worst hit by the rains. The team was on their way back in a boat when it capsized in the deep end of the Kariyar river. They were able to hold on to the boat for some time, but before the rescue team could come, Bipin and Shaji were swept away by strong currents. The other three managed to climb on to the boat and were rescued by the Navy, fire and rescue personnel and a scuba team. Mathrubhumi has released photographs, in which it appears that the crew had not worn any life jackets. The three people, who were rescued, were rushed to HGM Hospital, Muttuchira. Reports say their condition is now stable. Mathrubhumi remembers Saji as a reporter who tried to bring stories from all quarters of the state. His body has been sent to Kottayam Medical College for a post-mortem examination. Mundar is completely cut off from the mainland and people have to travel by boats for hours to access the mainland. During the floods, most of the agricultural areas had been submerged. Kerala is limping back to normalcy after heavy rains lashed the state. It is reported that over 1.18 lakh people have sought refuge in 606 relief camps across the state. Alappuzha and Kottayam were the worst-affected and over 80,000 people have been affected in these two districts alone.

Crime

The young man was spread-eagled on a bench and crushed with an iron pipe.

TNM Staff

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Court in Kerala on Monday has found five policemen guilty in connection with the custodial murder of Udayakumar in 2005. Udayakumar, then 26 years old, had died after he was tortured in custody in a police station in Thiruvananthapuram. Police constables K Jithukumar and SV Sreekumar who had apprehended Udayakumar have been found guilty of murder. KV Soman, their colleague who was accused of murder had died during the course of the trial. The court has also held and sub-inspector Ajith Kumar, circle inspector EK Sabu and the then Assistant Commissioner of Fort K Haridas have been found guilty of conspiracy, destroying evidence and foisting false case on Udayakumar. Udayakumar’s case had shocked Kerala in 2005. The young man was spread-eagled on a bench and crushed with an iron pipe. In 2005, the Crime Branch arrested three police constables, but witnesses in the case later turned hostile, and the accused policemen were granted bail. In 2007, the Central Bureau of Investigation took over the investigation after a High Court directive, which came in response to a petition filed by Udayakumar’s mother Prabhavathi Amma. Udayakumar and his friend Suresh Kumar were picked up by the Fort Police in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, 2005 when they were sitting at the Sreekanteswaram Park in the city. Suresh was involved in a case of theft and since some money was also found on Udayakumar, both of them were apprehended. They were subjected to brutal torture at the police station, and the injuries Udayakumar sustained is what led to his death. The CBI that probed the case had said that Udayakumar’s death was a case of ‘urutti kola’, a practice of ‘rolling’ a heavy wooden log over the body of an accused. The Kerala police have been in trouble before too for using this method of torture. The CBI had produced an iron pipe as the main weapon and told the court that the weapon was used to hit Udayakumar, especially on his thighs. K Sreekumari, professor, forensic medicine, Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, had told CBI Judge J Nazar that the wounds on the thighs matched with injuries that could have been caused with the iron pipe. The statement of the professor who had done the post-mortem of Udayakumar’s body, turned out to be crucial in the case. Forensic expert Thomas Alex had told the court that he had found blood stains on the bench on which Udayakumar had been tortured. Other police personnel in the station had told the court that they had seen the three accused take out Udayakumar, who looked weak. For Udayakumar’s mother Prabhavati, the judgment after 13 long years, comes as a huge relief.

Human Interest

Yahiya, who runs a thattukada, has become famous for his unique ways of protesting - from police brutality to demonetisation.

Cris

A frail little man sits outside the Kairali Theatre in Thiruvananthapuram. He's wearing a nightie, a dress that's usually worn by women, has a half-shaved head and a half-shaved moustache. Nearly everyone gathered there, at the venue of the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala, knows the old man’s story. So even before you reach him, they fill you in. He wears a nightie as a protest, all that half-shaving is another symbol of protest. The first, after an incident with a policeman, the second for demonetisation. “You should watch the documentary on him, they are screening it here now,” someone says. The original title is Oru Chayakkadakkarante Mann Ki Baat. The festival book has translated it to Mind Matter of a Tea Vendor. Mann Ki Baat might have brought unwanted attention. His name is Yahiya, but people call him Maxi Maman ('maxi' because of the nightie and 'maman' is Malayalam for uncle). He is over 75, reckons Sanu Kummil, the director of the documentary. “I have always seen him around, where I live – in Kollam,” Sanu says. Yahiya has been wearing the nightie for many years. People at Kadakkal, where Yahiya runs a thattukada (roadside eatery), have accepted him that way. It began one day when Yahiya was beaten up by a policeman. He was pushing around his mobile thattukada (before it became big enough to have a permanent place), his lungi folded and tucked in. That’s when a policeman passed by. Yahiya kept his lungi tucked in, and the policeman had a problem with it. “I didn’t know that it would be considered a sign of disrespect,” says the poor man in the documentary. The policeman beat him up and from then on, Yahiya switched to nighties. You didn’t have to tie it up or bring it down, no matter who showed up before you, however big that person was. (Yahiya with Sanu) The documentary is told through a humorous narration and many cartoons to narrate the back-story. Yahiya was born in a poor family, as one among 13 children. He tried going to school but found it impossible to stay hungry for such long hours and dropped out in the first grade. Instead, he found odd jobs to do. One day, he walked into a big house and asked for work. They employed him. Yahiya was given all sorts of work all day long, and in return he got food to eat. He had no complaints. That’s all he needed then. A philosophy he would follow through life - earn only what was needed, no more. So, Yahiya worked hard for 13 years in that big house. He got ‘promoted’, says the narrator, to climbing coconut trees. “One day when he was on top of the tree, he saw a beautiful girl next door, Suhara. He asked her for her hand,” Sanu says, sitting besides Yahiya. Everyone laughs. Yahiya too offers a toothless smile. Suhara’s family was poor and happy to give her hand to Yahiya. Here, Yahiya would again display his unique ways of doing things. He offered to everyone who came for the wedding ‘mookipodi’- tobacco powder - to sniff, because that’s all he could afford. But then, life would not always be so simple. When the couple had a little girl, Suhara began telling him to go to the Gulf and earn a little something. No one would marry their little girl for mookippodi, she said. Suhara sold her property to give him the money to go abroad. So, Yahiya was forced to leave to Saudi Arabia and live a life tougher than the one we read about in Benyamin’s Aadujeevitham. He became a goatherd, ate very little, earned very little. “For years, I didn’t even take a bath or cut my hair,” he says. He went home once, and the couple had another girl. But seeing their misery, Yahiya again took to the Gulf. The money he sent back home got his two daughters married off. It was time to return. By then, however, Yahiya had jumped jobs and didn’t have his original passport with him. When he came to Mumbai with his fake passport, Yahiya was caught and sent to the Pune jail for months. It is after this that he came home and started his thattukada. The nightie days were yet to come. (Poster of documentary) “His thattukada was a success because of all the cooking he had learnt back when he worked at the big house as a domestic help. He wouldn’t use the masalas bought from shops. He would powder the spices on his own and add them,” Sanu says. Naturally, Yahiya’s food was loved. He also had an unusual pricing system. Every meal cost Rs.10. But if you asked for a second helping and then wasted it, you’d be charged a fine of Rs.25. Yahiya talks like a lottery agent when he quickly lists the menu: One chicken free if you buy five chickens (dishes), five dosas free if you buy ten dosas. It was all going well for Yahiya until one night when two men who came to eat at the shop robbed him of all the money. So from the next day, he started burying all the notes in little pits on the ground, and taking them back the next morning. About Rs 23,000 was buried like this when November 8, 2016 came and Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the note ban. Yahiya quickly dug up his notes and went to stand in one of the long queues before a bank. He reportedly stood in the queue for two long days. But at the end of the second day, Yahiya fainted. He was old and unwell. Dejected, he went with his money to the stove of his thattukada and burnt all the notes. He also shaved off half his hair and declared that it would be left like that till Narendra Modi’s government fell. On the first anniversary of demonetisation, he shaved half of his moustache, too. Let Modi go, he’d say, and then he will grow his hair and moustache back. That’s Yahiya’s tale. And when we look for him a second time, he’s gone. Back to his home, to his thattukada, to earn his bit for the day, and only what’s needed.

Cyclone Ockhi

The govt said that the proposal for providing relief of Rs 741.60 lakh was received, and it has sanctioned an amount of Rs 194.40 lakh.

Rejimon Kuttappan

The Union government has categorically stated that it is not considering Kerala’s request for a special package for Cyclone Ockhi affected fisherfolk, over and above the relief that was granted, as per the existing norms of disaster management. In response to a question in Parliament on providing a special package, the government said, “The proposal at a total cost of Rs 741.60 lakh for providing assistance to Ockhi Cyclone affected traditional fishermen in the State of Kerala was received in Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries (DADF), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoAFW) from Government of Kerala during 2017-18, and an amount of Rs 194.40 lakh was sanctioned as per entitlement to meet the Central liability/share under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) on ‘Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries’ for implementation of the above said proposal.” The Union Ministry was responding to a question raised by NK Premachandran, a parliamentarian from Kerala, on Tuesday in the Parliament. Premachandran had asked whether the Union Government proposes to implement special package for the welfare of fisherfolk for compensating their loss due to cyclone Ockhi disaster and if so, the details thereof. Answering to the question, the Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmer’s Welfare Krishna Raj said it is not. In March, replying to a calling attention in the Kerala Assembly, on the necessity to solve the crisis faced in rehabilitation of the victims of cyclone Ockhi due to non-allocation of sufficient funds by the Centre, Kerala Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty had said that the Centre is yet to approve a special financial package of Rs 7,340 crore. This amount was sought by Kerala for rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Ockhi-hit coastal villages. She had said that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would take up the matter with the Centre and exert pressure on it for clearing the relief package. Cyclone Ockhi crossed the sea near Kanyakumari, the southern tip of mainland India, on November 30. An estimated 52 people in Kerala and 11 in Tamil Nadu died in the cyclone, while many others went missing. Though it changed direction near Kanyakumari and headed towards the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea, it caused havoc and destruction in the southernmost districts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, particularly Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu and Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. There were reports that damage throughout Kerala was around Rs 1,843 crore and in Tamil Nadu, damage was estimated at more than Rs 1,000 crores. Meanwhile, National Fishworkers Forum general secretary T Peter told The News Minute that it’s quite disappointing to hear that the government has said no to the special package. “Special Package was one of our main demands. It is unfortunate to hear that they have said no to it. We are having a meeting with parliamentarians tomorrow. We will raise this issue there.” “Financially, fisherfolk are still struggling to cope with the losses. We thought that the special package would help them,” Peter said. Fr Lenin Raj from Latin Archdiocese of Trivandrum confirmed to The News Minute that they had asked for a special package for the fisherfolk. “We had submitted the proposal officially,” the Fr said. It was the Latin Archdiocese of Trivandrum which was leading the rescue and rehabilitation programmes following Ockhi disaster. However, The News Minute was not able to get a comment from the Archdioscese representative, who was coordinating the Ockhi relief programmes when this report was filed. In its reply, the Union Ministry also detailed that as per the details received from the Nodal Ministry for Disaster Management i.e., Ministry of Home Affairs, the Union Government has released an assistance of Rs 76.50 crore from State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and Rs 133.00 crore from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to Kerala to support the affected people. Similarly, an amount of Rs 413.55 crore (Rs 280.50 crore from SDRF and Rs 133.05 crore from NDRF) were released to Tamil Nadu for carrying out immediate relief measures. When Premachandran asked whether the Union government proposes to provide special assistance to the fisherfolk in the cyclone Ockhi affected areas during the trawling season, the reply detailed that no such proposal is under consideration. And when the parliamentarian asked about the details of action taken by the Union Government for compensating the fisherfolk and boat owners for their loss of net and other fishing instrument due to cyclone Ockhi, the Union Ministry replied that an amount of Rs 194.40 lakh was sanctioned by DADF, MoAFW to Kerala for replacement of FRP Boats and providing Sea Safety equipment to the Ockhi Cyclone affected traditional fishermen.

Rains

Sixty-odd families from Nettara in Wayanad district have been cut-off from the mainland as heavy rains lash the state.

Sreedevi Jayarajan

For the past eight days, an entire tribal colony in the Wayanad district of Kerala has been cut off from the mainland following unusually heavy showers in the state this year. Nettara, a tiny colony in Thirunelli, Kalpetta, faces the wrath of the swollen Kalindhi river and swift currents, making it impossible to cross over. However, if today the colony has been isolated by dangerous waters, the seeds of this problem were sown 12 years ago, when a concrete bridge built across the river collapsed on a rainy day in July 2006. The bridge was built by the Thirunelli panchayat in 2005. It connected Nettara, the colony in ward 1 of Thirunelli panchayat to the town in Wayanad's mainland. This was the main passage for Nettara’s 60 odd families from the Adiya, Kurumba and Kurichiya communities to the town. The bridge was their access to the markets, schools and other institutions that their colony lacked. But the very next year, the bridge collapsed into the water when a tree floating down the river collided with it. Following this, Nettara did not have a pathway to cross over to the town. “After the concrete bridge broke, locals would wade through shallow waters during dry seasons. There was no absolute need of a new bridge then. However, during monsoons when Kalindhi swelled up and flowed dangerously, it cut off access to Nettara,” says Lijin John Varghese, a resident for the past four years. And while the local administration delayed replacing the old bridge, the colony’s residents took matters into their own hands. For 12 years, the community got together and constructed wooden makeshift bridges by themselves to cross the river during monsoons. "The makeshift bridge would also have to be strengthened or rebuilt every year if it got washed away by the strong currents of the river. We would use bamboo from the nearby groves, wooden sticks, ropes and eucalyptus wood to build the passage. The colony's locals - from youngsters to old men - provide the labour. They would get together and build the entire structure from scratch on a Sunday when they didn’t go to work,” Lijin adds Over the years, the Thirunelli panchayat has neither lent financial nor technical support in this endeavour, residents say. “When the bridge weakened and collapsed during rains, the colony residents have to walk 3.5 kms north of the river to cross it. They use the Chinnani bridge, a narrow cement pathway connecting the neighbouring village to Thirunelli town every time they had to access the mainland when it rains," Lijin says. Ten years and a flood of petitions later, the Thirunelli panchayat grama Sabha, under local MLA OR Kelu Master, finally took note of the colony’s plight and passed a budget in 2016 to build a new concrete bridge. According to media reports published then, Rs 10 crore was set aside to build a 'hi-tech' bridge that could withstand the river’s currents. However, two years later in 2018, not even a foundation stone has been laid to kickstart the project, as the panchayat officials have been citing technical difficulties, Lijin says. He notes, “During the last grama sabha meet, they said that they were building a hi-tech bridge so plans and drawings would take time. They also said that the approach road to the bridge had to be widened. The colony residents are just asking for a motorable path that would connect them to the main town. They don't want a wider road or a bridge.” Rains and isolation Come 2018, the local community again built a makeshift bridge on May 22 to weather the monsoons. “None of us saw what was coming. We were not one bit prepared for this year’s monsoons,” Lijin says. By May 29, the rains came and stayed for longer than anybody expected. And within a month, rain induced floods inundated the state. Lijin recounts, “On July 16, within just two months of building it, the bridge collapsed and got washed over again. It happened because it rained continuously for 7 or 8 days. The water welled up and started flowing on top of the structure which could not handle the pressure of the currents and collapsed.” For eight days when it was pouring, the colony residents were cut off completely from the mainland. There was no way to build another bridge as the river flowed rapidly. “Those in the colony wouldn’t have been able to fight the currents and fix the poles on the river bed. It was humanly impossible. This required an engineering team either facilitated by the panchayat or the military,” he adds. The heavy showers have weakened now. However, children who attend the government school in the town now have to walk 3.5 kms, through slush, watery fields and dangerous forested tracks to cross over to their school. "School children in Nettara are around 40 and most of them have not attended school since it reopened a week ago," says Lijin. The colony also has 4 patients, who have had to be carried in sheets and taken to the government hospital on the other side, he adds. "There are also two pregnant women among the residents. If they have to cross they have to walk 3.5 kms of forested track along to the river, all the way to the Chinnani bridge to cross over. Elephants too have been spotted in this track earlier. Basic necessities such as buying groceries and visiting the hospital have become a task now," he says Wayanad Collector Ajay Kumar confirmed to TNM that discussions on the issue are ongoing. "We have contacted the Tribal Development Department as well as Panchayat authorities to take further steps on the matter. I wanted to check with all the concerned persons as I was told that a budget was set aside earlier to build a bridge and nothing was done yet. In the next two or three days, we would have a clear idea on how a bridge can be built or other transportation can be arranged for the people," the Collector says.

Custodial Torture

Udayakumar, who died following custodial torture in 2005, was Prabhavathi Amma's only son.

TNM Staff

At the age of 67 and after 13 years of wait and fight, Prabhavthi Amma says she "cannot expect anything more than this." On Tuesday, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Court in Thiruvananthapuram found five policemen guilty in connection with the custodial murder of her son Udayakumar in 2005. In the infamous 'urutii kola' case (taken after brutal practice of ‘rolling’ a heavy wooden log over the body of an accused), the then 26-year-old was spread-eagled on a bench and crushed with an iron pipe. The woman, who lost her only child to such brutality, was devastated after the tragedy, and nothing made her happy since then. Following the court’s judgment on Tuesday, Prabhavthi Amma said she has “suffered the agony a person can undergo in a lifetime.” “I am happy that the court found the culprits guilty, but at the same time, I am sad that my son is not with me. It was a fight for my son and I hope to be where he is,” said Prabhavathi Amma, as she broke down in front of the media gathered outside the court. She repeated that she is not afraid of anyone as she has nothing to lose now. “My life was for my son and with my son; without him, I have no life. But I have come this far,” she said. She expressed her gratitude to everyone who stood by her in the fight that lasted for 13 years. Prabhavathi Amma with her brother Mohanan “No one had asked me to come later whenever I approached them to initiate further steps in the case. I am thankful to the court for delivering justice and to all those who stood by me. Earlier, when I used to come to the court for the hearing, people unfamiliar to me would approach and say that I must not give up. In the past, I never used to go out like this for anything. Now that I had to come out and thought I would stop only after I get justice,” she said. She also retrieved her statement that if mothers, who had gone through similar experience, had fought for justice, such brutality would not have repeated. “I will not say it is for me; it is for all mothers. No other mother, and child should go through this. Mothers, who face similar experience should fight against such brutalities. There were attempts to kill me, so that the culprits could escape. By the grace of god, I have managed to survive these testing times. The goddess at the Mannadiyil temple near my house, was with me. Now if anyone would try to attack me, I would hurl at least a stone at him. I have lost my son, so I am fearless.” She added, “I have not slept in the last 13 years. There were people who have ridiculed me. But I kept praying. We should not be tempted by money, even if we are offered it. Every government coming to power must terminate such policemen from service, because, if they are awarded suspension for three months, they will come back to service.” Prabhavthi Amma is now living with the support of her brother P Mohanan and his family. “She got justice only because of her relentless fight for justice. It is not easy to have CBI investigation on a case,” said Mohanan, who accompanied her to the court. 13 years on, mother of Kerala custodial death victim still waits for justice

Boat Tragedy

A search team found the body around 300m away from the spot of the incident on Tuesday.

TNM Staff

Mathrubhumi News

The body of Mathrubhumi Thiruvalla bureau driver Bipin Babu who had gone missing after the boat which was carrying a five-member crew of the TV channel capsized on Monday, has been recovered. A search team found the body around 300m away from the spot of the incident on Tuesday. He was employed as a driver at Mathrubhumi Thiruvalla unit for the past three years. Relatives have identified Bipin’s body, which will be taken to Kottayam Medical College. Post-mortem and other medical procedures will be conducted on Wednesday. On Monday, the boat which was carrying five members of the Mathrubhumi news channel capsized in Mundar. While three members were rescued, one body had been recovered and the search for the fifth person was still on. KK Saji, who worked as a freelancer for Mathrubhumi, was found dead. Three other media persons, Thiruvalla Bureau camera person Abhilash S Nair, Kottayam reporter KB Sreedharan, and KP Abhilash, who was rowing the boat, were rescued. According to Mathrubhumi, the crew had gone to cover relief camps in Mundar and had travelled in two small boats, which had motor engines. The reporting team had reached Mundar to cover the relief camps in Parayil Colony. Mundar falls under the Kallara panchayat in Kottayam and is the worst hit by the rains. The team was on their way back in a boat when it capsized in the deep end of the Kariyar river. They were able to hold on to the boat for some time, but before the rescue team could come, Bipin and Shaji were swept away by strong currents. The other three managed to climb on to the boat and were rescued by the Navy, fire and rescue personnel and a scuba team. After the incident, Mathrubhumi released photographs, in which it appears that the crew had not worn any life jackets.

Controversy

The Kerala government will formally invite Mohanlal on Wednesday.

Korah Abraham

Despite opposition from many artistes, actor Mohanlal will be the chief guest of the Kerala State Film Awards. The Kerala government will formally invite the actor on Wednesday “Yes, Mohanlal will be the chief guest of the State Film Awards,” Kerala Culture Minister A K Balan confirmed to TNM. This decision by the minister comes two days after several artistes, journalists and activists signed a statement which said that people from the industry should not be made the chief guest of the State Film Awards, and that they should follow the national model for giving the awards. The statement said that it was not acceptable for anyone other than the Chief Minister to give away the awards. Following this statement, AK Balan had earlier said that he had not invited Mohanlal to be the Chief Guest, and the actor also denied receiving an invitation from the government. However, it seems that the government had reverted to its earlier decision, emboldened by the support Mohanlal has been receiving. Mohanlal received support from several film bodies and associations, including the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce, Film Employees Federation of Kerala, Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes, the Producers’ Association, the Distributors Association and the Exhibitors Federation. These head of these associations, in a letter to the Chief Minister, claimed that the statement is a conspiracy to alienate and eliminate the actor who has been in the industry for over four decades. It all began when award-winning director Dr Biju, in a Facebook post, said that he would not take part in the State Awards if an actor was made the chief guest. He also mentioned that the stances adopted by AMMA were disappointing. It was after this that the statement was prepared. The statement, however, did not mention Mohanlal explicitly. Also read: The Mohanlal mess: Film industry split, but was actor invited as chief guest at all?

Crime

Father Job Mathew was granted bail on Wednesday, while Father Johnson V Mathew secured bail on Monday.

IANS

From L to R: Fr Job Mathew, Fr Johnson Mathew

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Father Job Mathew, one of the four priests accused in a rape case of a woman parishioner, attached to the Malankara Orthodox Church. Earlier on Monday, another priest, Johnson V Mathew, an accused in the same case had secured bail. The court asked Job Mathew on Wednesday to surrender his passport, just as it had asked Johnson V. Mathew. Job Mathew was also asked to present himself before the probe officer once every week. He was the first to be arrested on July 12, from near Kollam by the Crime Branch police probing the case. He has been holed up at the Pathanamthitta district jail since. Last week, a magisterial court in Thiruvalla had rejected his bail, following which he approached the high court. In this case, the Crime Branch has charged four Kerala priests, including the two who has now secured bail while Father Sony (Abraham) Varghese and Father Jaice K. George who moved the Supreme Court, have managed to get a stay order on their arrest till their petition is finally disposed. While Johnson V Mathew has been charged for outraging the modesty of a lady, the other three have been charged for rape. The victim who regularly visited the church had accused five priests of sexually abusing her for a decade. Her husband had filed the complaint. It was one priest in the beginning who first exploited her and then started blackmailing her. When she sought help from another priest, he too, threatened her and shared her contact with a fellow priest and she was eventually victimised by five of them. The National Commission for Women is monitoring the case. One of the priests escaped action as the victim had mentioned only four names, according to the police. Read: Kerala church scandal: As long as women are silenced in system, abuse will continue Also read: Madras HC stays reconstruction of Chennai Silks building over safety concerns

Crime

A Special CBI court in Kerala found five policemen guilty, of which two have been given capital punishment.

TNM Staff

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court in Kerala on Wednesday sentenced to death police constables K Jithukumar and SV Sreekumar in connection with the custodial murder of Udayakumar in 2005. KV Soman, their colleague who was accused of murder had died during the course of the trial. The court has also handed out a sentence of three-year imprisonment to sub-inspector Ajith Kumar, circle inspector EK Sabu and the then Assistant Commissioner of Fort K Haridas who were found guilty of conspiracy, destroying evidence and foisting a false robbery case on Udayakumar. Police constables K Jithukumar and SV Sreekumar who were accused number 1 and 2 respectively have also been asked to pay a fine amounting to Rs 2 lakhs. Udayakumar’s case had shocked Kerala in 2005. The young man was spread-eagled on a bench and crushed with an iron pipe. In 2005, the Crime Branch arrested three police constables, but witnesses in the case later turned hostile, and the accused policemen were granted bail. K Jithukumar (left) and SV Sreekumar In 2007, the Central Bureau of Investigation took over the investigation after a High Court directive, which came in response to a petition filed by Udayakumar’s mother Prabhavathi Amma. Udayakumar and his friend Suresh Kumar were picked up by the Fort Police in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, 2005 when they were sitting at the Sreekanteswaram Park in the city. Suresh was involved in a case of theft and since some money was also found on Udayakumar, both of them were apprehended. They were subjected to brutal torture at the police station, and the injuries Udayakumar sustained is what led to his death. The CBI that probed the case had said that Udayakumar’s death was a case of ‘urutti kola’, a practice of ‘rolling’ a heavy wooden log over the body of an accused. The Kerala police have been in trouble before too for using this method of torture.

Sabarimala

The Kerala government recently submitted to the Supreme Court that it is willing to allow women to enter the temple according to the principles of equality mentioned in the Constitution.

TNM Staff

Days after the Kerala government submitted to the court that it supports the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple, Hindu outfits in Kerala have called for a state-wide hartal on July 30. Speaking to the media, the office bearers from Ayyappa Dharma Sena, Sri Ram Sena, Hanuman Sena and Vishwakarma Sabha announced this decision at a press meet held on Wednesday. According to reports, the Hindu outfits also threatened to stop the women devotees from proceeding past Pamba, the base camp in the Sabarimala pilgrimage, if the Supreme Court gives a favourable verdict in the case. The Supreme Court is hearing the case against the ban on the entry of women between the ages 10 to 50 into the hill temple of Sabarimala. The case is being heard by a Constitution Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, consisting of Justices Indu Malhotra, DY Chandrachud, RF Nariman and AM Khanwilkar. During the hearing of the case, the Kerala government had submitted to the Supreme Court that it is willing to allow women to enter the temple according to the principles of equality mentioned in the Constitution. However, the Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the 800-year-old temple, is opposed to the entry of women. It has cited religious beliefs stating that they have been followed by the pilgrims over centuries. The Kerala High Court, in 1991, had upheld the contention of the Travancore Devaswom and had banned the entry of women between the ages of 10 and 50. In 2006, Indian Young Lawyers Association filed a petition citing that this ban was unconstitutional. In October 2017, the Supreme Court referred the case to the Constitution bench. Meanwhile, groups of women devotees have resumed their campaign supporting the Travancore Devaswom’s argument justifying the ban. Titled #ReadyToWait, this campaign shows scores of women devotees expressing their willingness to wait till they turn were 55 to visit the temple.

Child Rights

The boys were taken out of their home by district authorities based on neighbors’ complaints that they were being held captive.

Sreedevi Jayarajan

Image courtesy: Times of India

On Tuesday, three young boys from Kerala who were allegedly held captive for a decade by their parents in North Paravur, Ernakulam, were taken to a government home by the Child Welfare Committee district authorities. While the family has denied that the children were being held captive, and said that they were being homeschooled, the officials are now investigating whether the allegations are true. The boys, aged six, 11 and 12, were rescued based on complaints by their neighbours, who alleged that the children were confined to their house and not allowed to go outside by their parents. The children were being raised in the first floor of a two storey building in Mannanam in North Paravur. Their father Abdul Latheef (47) and mother Lekha were reportedly homeschooling them. However, neighbours claimed that the children were not allowed to mingle with others, and only stepped out to buy vegetables. The father had told the media that he won’t allow the children to learn Kerala state syllabus or any syllabus from India, but he was teaching them syllabus from Arabic countries. Based on the District Collector's order, the Tahsildar and Child Protection Officer from the Social Justice Department took custody of the children on Tuesday. On Monday, the father had refused authorities to enter the house. After much persuasion, the man then opened the gate for the Tahasildar."When questioned, the father said that he did not want his children learning something written by random people. Their mother, who is an advocate, has been teaching the kids," said Sabu, SI of North Paravur station."But for going to their neighbourhood shop, the children were not allowed to step out of the house or socialise with others,” CWC Ernakulam Chairperson Padmaja Nair said. “Homeschooling is allowed. The problem is that these kids were not allowed to socialise with anybody. Even if the children claim that they are happy with the way they were being raised, it is the duty of the CWC to ensure that care and protection of these children have not been compromised," she added. The children and their mother are currently in the temporary custody of a Child Welfare Committee member in the district, Padmaja confirmed. “On Friday, there will be an inquiry. We will conduct tests on the children which include psychological assessments and tests to know if they were being educated, to learn if the parents have flouted the law. Tests will also be conducted on the parents to understand their mindset," Padmaja said. Following the inquiry, a case will be registered on the parents, if they are found to be guilty. A preliminary investigation by authorities had found that the children had not been given any primary education. Reports have also quoted the father saying that he did not believe in the India education system and the children were being raised in an education syllabus being followed in Arab countries. Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2010 stipulates eight years of compulsory formal education for children from 6-14 years in the country. However, parents can opt to home school their children. There is no separate syllabus governing home schoolers. Home schooled students can appear for board exams as private candidates by registering with the National Institute of Open schooling. They can even take any syllabus which allows them to sit as private candidates or attach themselves to a school for taking the exam.

Kerala Floods

In a statement, Kerala Union of Working Journalists urge people to stay away from hateful comments and respect the dead crew members of Mathrubhumi news channel.

Korah Abraham

The Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) on Wednesday released a statement, slamming social media users for showing disrespect to the two crew members of Mathrubhumi news channel, KK Saji and Bipin Babu, who died when their boat capsized in Mundur, Kottayam district, on Monday. The joint statement, put out by KUWJ general secretary C Narayanan and president Kamal Varadoor, said that the social media users in Kerala must not lower their moral standards by disrespecting dead bodies in the name of criticizing the media. “This unbelievable tragedy happened to the people who tried to inform the world about the tragedy of people trapped in an island,” said the statement. “It was a journey they (the news team) took without even thinking about their own lives. Instead of feeling sad and offering condolences, many wanted to mock the spirit shown by the journalists to do their service and celebrate the death of these journalists,” it read. Some of the social media messages that mocked the deaths include “When a disaster happens, we are not supposed to feel happy but how can we not feel happy about this news?”, “Can’t blame anyone, these journalists have irritated us so much.”, “Very good, hoping to hear more good news like these.” A few comments were on the lines of anti-government activities. “The bodies of those journalists who went to write anti government stories have been found”, read one of the messages. The KUWJ, in the statement, said that none of the crew members, including the reporters, who died on Monday “went with the intention to inform the government and government officials about the various issues of these places.” The statement also emphasized that even when criticisms are made against these journalists, there is a need to accept facts. “When an incident occurs, people are curious to know what happened. It is journalists who take the risk of giving people the details and pictures, without considering what time of the day it is,” reads the statement. KUWJ also points out that the journalism reflects what a democracy is all about. “One of the important tasks at hand for the people of this state right now is to help those families affected by the recent disaster,” says the statement. The deceased, KK Saji and Bipin Babu, along with three other members of the reporting team had gone to cover relief camps in Mundar and had travelled in two small boats. The team was on their way back when the boat capsized in the deep end of the Kariyar river. While three members were able to hold on to the boat for some time, Bipin and Saji were swept away by strong currents. Also read: TV news crew's boat capsizes during Kerala flood coverage: One dead, one missing

Urban transport

Officials, however, say that the metro is still in its nascent stages and it’s too soon to judge how cost-effective it is.

Saritha S Balan

This story is the third in TNM's four-part series on last mile connectivity for Metro services in south India. Read the first here, and the second here. In a city with a substantial population, which sees hundreds of thousands of tourists, the Kochi metro was supposed to connect 8 lakh people in the city’s business centre. With promises of cheaper and efficient travel in this busy segment, the one-year report card of the first phase between Aluva and Palarivattom, does not bode well for the last mile connectivity that it promised. Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 17, 2017, this 13-kilometre stretch sees the footfall of an average of 40,000 passengers a day. However, the list of woes that commuters face in terms of accessing the metro and their final destinations from it, runs long. For one, residents say the metro hasn’t really done much to reduce the congestion seen on the roads. MV Varghese, a businessman who gave up the land he owned at Jose Junction for the metro, says that the metro doesn’t connect all those many people as it claims. “It still doesn’t connect areas like Palluruthy, Vaduthala, Chittur and Mattancherry, the most crowded parts of the city. And it doesn’t travel to places like High Court, Revenue Tower and Marine Drive, which sees the maximum footfall,” he points out. According to him, one good thing that came out of the metro is that the roads near the lines were widened, which has eased traffic a little in those areas. Poor connectivity Abhijith Muraleedharan, a research scholar at Cochin University of Science and Technology says that the biggest drawback of the metro service is the lack of feeder services. Every day, Abhijith travels from the Jawaharlal Nehru Metro Station to the Maharaja’s Station. From his house, he walks to the metro station, and then from his stop to his destination. “But on days I am in a hurry, I can’t walk. I have to then take an auto, which then becomes expensive. An affordable feeder service is a must. In Delhi, for instance, there is a network of shared autos to take you from your house to the closest metro station, and then from the metro station to your destination,” he says. The Kochi Metro Rail Limited intends to set up a feeder service, making use of the existing network of vehicles like private buses and shared autos. This way, it isn’t adding to the chaos and pollution seen on the Kochi roads. An integrated service Officials in KMRL say that 15,000 shared autos will be part of the new service, which will be ready in three months. The autos will reportedly be painted a different colour, and the drivers will sport a different uniform. Metro passengers, officials say, will only need to pay Rs 7 for the first two kilometres of the journey, and three people can share a single auto. “We are in the final stage of discussion, and nine trade unions affiliated to different political parties have been included in the service. We have been trying to convince the autos to come under one roof for three years, and we finally succeeded,” KMRL spokesperson Reshmi CR told TNM. Private buses have also been drafted into the service, and seven private companies will be operating services soon. The buses will be installed with GPS, which 700 buses have already been fitted with. The GPS will be integrated with KMRL’s ‘Kochi 1’ app, so commuters can track their buses and trains. Officials also say that the metro card can soon be used in the buses too. “When the Unified Metropolitan Authority, that aims to integrate bus, train and boat services, comes into existence, things will be easier. We will then get the freedom to create a uniform timetable for the buses and metro trains,” Reshmi added. Is it cost effective? Currently, the lowest fares cost between Rs 10 and Rs 50. For commuters with cards, the fare ranges between Rs 8 and Rs 40. Says Abhilash, “The fare one way for me is almost that of an AC low-floor bus. Before the metro came here, I used to take my two-wheeler to campus every day. After calculating the costs, I have realised that the cost of putting petrol in my two-wheeler and travelling to my campus, and taking the metro is almost the same. The government must reduce the rates.” Earlier, residents had complained that the parking charges were too high in the metro stations. Many residents brought their own vehicles to the stations, and then used the metro. However, the high parking charges acted as a deterrent. Listening to the complaints, and in a bid to encourage more people to use the metro, the rates were slashed. The rates for the first two hours is now Rs 25 for four-wheelers, and Rs 10-15 for two-wheelers. After this, every hour Rs 10 is charged for cars, and Rs 5 for bikes. A daily parking pass is available in all stations, except Aluva and Edappally. In a bid to encourage more people to travel in the metro, KMRL waived parking fees in the summers in all stations, except Aluva and Edappally. This initiative is likely to be extended during Onam days as well. Change on the cards Sankara Narayanan, the Director of Qurobit Consultancy Services, which consults for the Kochi Metro, says that the impact of a public transport system can only be assessed in the long run. “The effect of a public transport system can only be assessed when the utility is higher, when the service is upgraded as in the other cases of public transport of the cosmopolitan cities. At this phase, we can’t say that all the public transport flow has been converted to the metro. Also, we haven’t achieved the full alignment as we had conceived the project,” he admits. According to him, a comprehensive plan has been drawn up, with feeder services, to connect boats, buses and metros. However, it’s too early to judge the metro, he says. Especially considering it’s not reached peak utility.

Monsoon

The minister added that an inter-ministerial team will visit the state's flood-hit areas within next 10 days.

IANS

Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday said that the Centre has approved Rs. 80 crore for flood relief in Kerala and added that an inter-ministerial team will visit the state's flood-hit areas within next 10 days. The inter-ministerial team has been constituted and it would have officials from NITI Aayog and the Finance Ministry, said the Minister during a reply in the Lok Sabha on the drought and flood situation in the country."We have already deployed Army, Navy and other central armed forces in Kerala and the state government and the ministry are jointly working in the flood-hit areas," said Rijiju. Responding to an allegation from some MPs that the Central government has not released funds, the Minister said it is not true, adding that there is a misunderstanding with regard to the Rs. 80-crore fund released for the state. Rijiju said that within 10 days a team headed by the Joint Secretary from Home Ministry -- comprising members of NITI Aayog, Finance Ministry and other officials -- will visit Kerala. Assuring that justice will be done to the state, Rijiju said: "Monsoon hit three days in advance, resulting in unprecedented rains in Kerala and other parts. No state would be discriminated against in release of funds. There is a quantum jump in Central assistance." He also mentioned that compensation for the families of flood victims has been raised from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs. 4 lakh. The Minister further said that 21 states and Union Territories have reported damages and losses due to floods and will receive due assistance. The Minister's claims were challenged by Congress MP K.C. Venugopal, who said the promises made during the Okhi cyclone were never met."We are providing immediate relief to people who need it. Disaster management is a priority for the government," said Rijiju. Patting his back, Rijiju said: "I don't want to appreciate myself but I have also been designated as ‘Disaster Champion' for the Asia region by the United Nations for my efforts." He said the funds for State Disaster Response Forces (SDRF) will be allocated as per the norms. Venugopal also wanted the Minister to clarify on the funds which would be released for flood relief in the second instalment. Another MP Suresh Kodikunnil sought to know about the measures taken for Kuttanadu, which was the worst-hit region following the floods in Kerala. The Minister said he has done an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas and visited the relief camps. "I have instructed senior officials to immediately provide basic facilities to the victims." He, however, admitted that some areas need more assistance and it will be provided soon.

Business

Technopark has offered 12,000 sq. feet of property in its premises and job opportunities for 200 people initially.

TNM Staff

Following the entry of leading Japanese car manufacturer Nissan, Indian IT giant Tech Mahindra too will set up shop in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan confirmed through Facebook on Wednesday. The IT giant will function out of Technopark in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. “12,000 sq foot has been granted in the third phase of Technopark’s Ganga IT for the setting up of Tech Mahindra’s IT centre. The Thiruvananthapuram office of Tech Mahindra will become functional within three months,” the CM’s post read. The centre will create 200 jobs in the initial phase. When the company sets up its own campus in the state, 2,000 more job opportunities will be created, the CM announced on social media. “The activities of the global digital hub of Nissan Motors have already begun in Technopark,” the CM posted. The post also observed that it was following Nissan’s move that some of the biggest IT firms in India have expressed an interest in setting up shop in Thiruvananthapuram. Nissan Motors earlier this week signed an MoU with the Kerala government which has offered them 40 acres of land to set up their global centre for R&D and digital operations in India. The IT centre will research on autonomous, connected and electric vehicles for product development, security and connectivity of Nissan’s car.

Crime

Abhimanyu, a Maharaja’s College student, was stabbed to death on July 1 following a clash between SFI and CFI members.

TNM Staff

The Kerala police on Thursday arrested another key accused in the murder of Abhimanyu, a 19-year-old Student Federation of India (SFI) leader. Mohammad Rifa, a law student in Kochi and state secretary of Campus Front of India (CFI) was arrested in Bengaluru, reported New Indian Express. CFI is the student wing of the PFI, while SFI is the student wing of CPI (M). According to a report by Asianet news, police claim that he is the mastermind behind the murder. TNIE reported that it was Rifa, who allegedly called the gang to reach Maharajas College. While 14 people have been detained in connection with the murder, the police are yet to nab the person, who stabbed Abhimanyu to death. Rifa’s arrest comes a week after the arrest of Mohammed, a key accused in the murder of Abhimanyu. On July 15, the police had also nabbed Adhil, a CFI district committee member, in connection with the case. According to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case, Adhil was directly involved in executing the crime. Abhimanyu, who was studying at the Maharaja’s College in Ernakulam was stabbed to death on July 1 during a clash between SFI students and CFI workers. Abhimanyu, a second-year BSc Chemistry student, was allegedly stabbed in the heart by Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and CFI members. This was after an argument over which group gets to paint a wall to welcome the new batch of students. The police also conducted a massive crackdown on SDPI workers earlier in July, reportedly detaining several people across the state. The police had also questioned two SDPI workers – Riyas and Niyas – who were earlier acquitted in Professor TJ Joseph's hand-chopping case. In connection with the murder, the principal of Maharaja’s college received an anonymous letter abusing the slain student. The letter also reportedly criticised the financial help extended by the college authorities to Abhimanyu’s family, according to The New Indian Express. A Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) cadre received death threats from the SDPI, for a Facebook post he put up, criticising the SDPI for their role in the murder of Abhimanyu.

Controversy

From taking tuitions for young children, to doing odd jobs like dubbing, standing as a flower girl at events and acting in plays, Hanan has taken on many jobs to pay her fees.

TNM Staff

Two days ago, Kerala was oblivious to the existence of Hanan Hamid, a student of Al Azhar College of Arts and Sciences, in Thodupuzha, in Idukki. But a story by Mathrubhumi about this resilient 19-year-old, who sold fish in the local market to fund her college education and make ends meet went viral. Today, however, Hanan’s fame has landed her both brickbats and plaudits, all unbeknownst to her. The Thrissur native who studies BSc Chemistry during the day and sells fish in the evenings was having just another day at work when she was spotted by reporters from the Malayalam media who featured her in the next day’s papers. The story showed Hanan in her college uniform and a plastic cap, selling fish in the Palarivattom–Thammanam junction in Kochi. The news did the rounds on social media and Hanan went viral. Following this, channels hounded her and several users applauded the girl for her grit and attitude to life. Hanan’s story struck a chord with many. The daughter of Hamid and Zairabi, an electrician and homemaker, Hanan says her childhood was normal. But Hamid moved out with his wife and children from the house that they lived in with their extended family. Though Hamid started doing small businesses, he got addicted to alcohol, and that’s when troubles started for her family, recalls Hanan. Her mother who had been supporting the family till then doing small jobs became confined to the house after an episode of violence in which Hamid attacked her. Hanan’s story has been one of survival and resilience. From taking tuitions for young children, to doing odd jobs like dubbing, standing as a flower girl at events and acting in plays, she has taken on many jobs to pay her fees. She has also had to work to ensure her brother goes to school and her mother is taken care of. As Hanan’s story went viral, among her well-wishers was director Arun Gopi, who offered her a role alongside Pranav Mohanlal in his second film Iruvathionnam Nootandu on learning about the girl from local newspapers. "Hanan is a good anchor, poet and a dubbing artist. She also knows Kalari. One realising her talent, late actor Kalabhavan Mani used to support her and make her participate in several shows. For a girl like that, I would like to help in whatever way I can. I will also ensure a remuneration that can help her out of the financial problems she is facing currently," Arun Gopi was quoted by local media. However, a few hours after Arun Gopi made the offer, several social media users lashed out at Hanan and the media house which first broke her story. They stated that this was a campaign by the media house just to grab eyeballs. Users on Facebook also said that Hanan's was a staged act and she sold fish for a total of three days just to be on news. Hanan had sold fish in Kochi’s Champakkara market only for three days, but what those trolling her mercilessly did not remember was that this was a girl who had done multiple jobs from the time she was in Class 7, simply to make ends meet. She has sold bajjis at a stall, she had anchored small shows in her town, she had also got a chance to do small roles in movies. Abusing her on social media, many used her selfies with film actors to prove their claim that she wasn’t poor, completely forgetting that she had done small roles in movies, and would have interacted with these stars. One man even did a Facebook Live, alleging that Hanan could not have been poor as she was wearing a gold ring on her fingers. Soon, thousands abused her based on this fact alone, without bothering to learn that the teenager had worked hard for months on end and bought herself something she had always wanted. Hanan was taken to a hospital on Thursday by her friends; she was clearly depressed over the avalanche of reactions on social media. “I have known her for long, how dare people say such stuff about her? Do they know what she is going through? She is my brave friend,” one of Hanan’s friends told TNM.

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Raging river, collapsing bridges: For 8 days this Kerala village has been marooned

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Body of Mathrubhumi driver found, days after boat capsized during flood coverage

Mohanlal to be chief guest of Kerala State Film Awards: AK Balan confirms to TNM

Kerala HC grants bail to 2 priests in Malankara Orthodox Church abuse case

Two Kerala cops sentenced to death in brutal lock up murder of young man in 2005

Hindu outfits call for hartal against Kerala govt’s support for women’s entry into Sabarimala

3 boys allegedly held captive by parents in Kerala for 10 yrs, family denies

Kerala journalists' union slams comments rejoicing death of TV crew members

Accessing the metro: High costs, lack of access turns commuters away in Kochi

Centre has approved Rs 80 crore for flood relief in Kerala: Union MoS Kiren Rijiju

After Nissan, Tech Mahindra to set up shop in Thiruvananthapuram

Abhimanyu murder case: Campus Front of India leader arrested in Bengaluru

Hanan Hamid: How a story about resilience turned into nightmare for one teenager