Kerala

Sabarimala

Low footfall at the temple this season caused the drop in revenue from Abhishekam, Aravana payasam and appam sales.

Sabarimala temple's total revenue dropped by almost Rs 100 crore as compared to last year after the hill shrine saw a steep dip in pilgrim footfall during the 60 days of the Mandala Makaravilaku season, according to Devaswom Minister Kadakkampally Surendran. The poor sales of Aravana payasam, the prasadam sold at Sabarimala, also contributed to the loss. For the season, beginning November 16 and ending January 20, Sabarimala's revenue was Rs 180.18 crore, the minister said at the state assembly session held last week. That number is significantly lower than collections recorded in the previous year -- in 2017-18, Rs 279.43 crores was collected as revenue from the temple. The total difference in revenue is recorded at Rs 99.25 crores. As per a break up of the collections made at the temple this year, sale of Aravana payasam, the prasadam sold at Sabarimala, was the worst hit. Revenue from Aravana payasam sales was recorded at Rs 111.3 crores last year. This year, the collection has dipped to Rs 74 crores. Sale of appam, which was recorded at Rs 18.33 crores in 2017-18, has come down to Rs 7.40 crores this year. Apart from appam and Aravana, dip in collections were recorded in other areas such as Abhishekam token, room rent, RTGS etc. Speaking to TNM, Devaswom Commissioner N Vasu said, "This season, we have lesser footfall in the temple following the Supreme Court verdict and the controversy that ensued. I would say that every aspect of the temple, be it Abhishekam, Aravana and appam sales etc., has suffered in terms of revenue collection, which has led to the overall dip in collection. However, this is only a temporary setback and we will be able to make up for it in the coming seasons." The Devaswom commissioner noted that the low footfall was due to fears of protests in and around the Sannidhanam as well as at Pamba, Nilakkal and other areas near the hill shrine. However, he claims that the temple was safe for pilgrims and that reports of a violent atmosphere were false propaganda. Devaswom Minister Surendran further added that those who visited the temple during this season had a peaceful darshan. He also said that action was being taken against those people who started riots on the temple premises. According to reports, the average pilgrim footfall per day during the Mandala season last year (2017-18) was 80,000 to 1 lakh. However, this season, the aggregate footfall during the first week of the temple reopening for the season (November 16 to Nov 22) was 1.5 lakh.

Body 2:

Death

The 88-year-old was the resident elephant at the Chengallur Mahadeva Temple in Thiruvananthapuram.

Sreedevi Jayarajan

‘Gaja muthassi’ Dakshayini, the oldest captive elephant in all of Asia who was all set to enter the Guinness world record, passed away on Tuesday. She was 88. The peaceful pachyderm, as her owners referred to her, has been the resident elephant at the Chengallur Mahadeva temple, which is part of the Travancore Devaswom Board in Thiruvananthapuram, for the last 70 years. Prior to this, she was at the Attingal Thriuvaaratu Kaavu temple in Thiruvananthapuram which was the property of the Travancore Royal family. She passed away due to age related ailments. “She was resting in her shed near the temple when she passed away around 3.30 pm. Her post mortem will happen on Wednesday after which she will be cremated,” Shajin, assistant Devaswom commissioner of the Travancore Devaswom Board told TNM. Three years ago, Dakshayini entered the United Record Forum (URF) which is one step below Guiness, for being the oldest elephant in Asia. “There was one more elephant in Thailand who was 83 who came second after her. Elephants have the same lifespan as humans. Some male elephants can live up to 120. But Dakshayini has been the oldest in captivity for a while,” he said. Following her URF title, the jumbo also got her ‘Gaja Muthassi’ or Granny elephant title from the Devaswom Board authorities. For the longest time, Dakshayini has been the main attraction at the temple festival in the Shankhamukam Devi temple where she would be brought every year. She also carried the idol of the Devi or goddess on her back on the first day of the festival, which sparked debates about how she should be allowed to retire from actively participating in temple festivals. Dakshayini was fondly known as Dakshu by her mahout and was a well mannered elephant who rarely had any tantrums, the TDB authorities recall.

Body 2:

Sabarimala

Appearing for the Kerala government, advocate Jaideep Gupta made it clear that the government was opposing the review petitions as no grounds had been made out for review.

TNM Staff

Courtesy: PTI

On Wednesday morning, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi started hearing a batch of 65 review petitions and four writ petitions opposing the entry of women into the temple. In the first two hours of the hearing, the court allowed 10 advocates representing various entities like the Nair Service Society, Ayyappa Seva Samithi and the Sabarimala thantri; the court then asked the Kerala government to present its version. Appearing for the Kerala government, advocate Jaideep Gupta made it clear that the government was opposing the review petitions as no grounds had been made out for review. He started his argument by laying out three major points on the basis of which the Supreme Court had decided that the ban on women of all ages needs to be struck down. “The majority judgment had consensus on three points: 1. Ayyappas are not a religious denomination by themselves. 2. When a person's right to worship is violated, Article 25 gets violated. 3. Rule 3(b) of the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rules, 1965, which authorises restriction on women “of menstruating age” is violative of the parent Act itself,” he said. Jaideep Gupta asserted that essential practice of religion and essential practice of a temple cannot be confused and that exclusion of women from a temple was not essential to Hindu religion. “Every temple may be having its own practice. Court cannot go into the essential practices of every temple. That would mean each temple is a denominational temple. That will lead to the destruction of essential religious practise test,” he argued. The Kerala government’s counsel also opposed arguments put forward by various petitioners that it was a private issue. “It is about public law issue unless they argue that women between age 10 to 50 are not a class of Hindus,” Jaideep Gupta said. The counsel also told the bench that it should not consider the tension and violence that followed the judgment. “That social peace has been destroyed is not a ground for reviewing the judgment. Constitutional invalidity cannot be permitted to go on,” Jaideep Gupta argued. The proceedings of the day started with the Chief Justice asking the senior advocates to confine their arguments to the grounds in the review petitions. In the course of two hours, nine advocates, appearing for various petitioners, presented their arguments before the Supreme Court. The first to present the case was senior advocate K Parasaran, who was appearing for the Nair Service Society. Speaking for more than 20 minutes, he submitted that the Constitution bench had failed to deal with the interplay of the Constitution’s Preamble and Articles 15, 17, and 25 of the Constitution. Parasaran highlighted that Article 15 (prohibition of discrimination), which threw open all public institutions of secular character to all classes of person, conspicuously omitted religious institutions and therefore it was an error to strike down a temple custom under Article 15. He also asserted that the Supreme Court’s September judgment did not consider the crucial aspect that Article 15 (2) does not cover religious places. The omission to consider this aspect constitutes an error apparent on record, the counsel submitted. Parasaran concluded saying that the exclusionary practices in Sabarimala are based on the character of the deity, which is that of Naishtika Brahmachari or permanent celibate. Appearing for the chief priest or thantri of the Sabarimala temple, senior advocate VV Giri reiterated that right to pray has been in consonance with the nature and form of the deity. He argued that the restriction in Sabarimala had been based on the character of the deity. Advocate VV Giri argued that any person who asserts right under article 25(2)(b) to worship has to do it in consonance with the nature of deity. On September 28, the Supreme Court in a 4:1 majority ruling lifted the ban on the entry of women between the ages 10 to 50 into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. The SC bench, comprising the then Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman, Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra, observed that Article 25, the right to practice religion, is applicable to both men and women and struck down Rule 3(b) of the Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rules, 1965. Justice Indu Malhotra was the lone dissenting judge who ruled against lifting the ban and had observed that issues of deep religious sentiments should not be ordinarily be interfered by the Court.

Body 2:

Sabarimala

Kanakadurga, who faced stiff opposition from her family over her Sabarimala visit, came home to find that her family had left.

TNM Staff

Two weeks after she got into a row with her mother-in-law for entering Sabarimala, 39-year-old Kanakadurga returned to her home in Angadipuram on Tuesday. However, just before she reached, her mother-in-law Sumathi Amma and her husband Krishnan Unni had left the home with her two children and have reportedly moved into a rented house. Kanakadurga, who had been living at a government home, moved a Gram Nyayalaya (village court) stating that she wished to return home. The village court on Tuesday passed an interim order stating that Kanakadurga had the right to live in her husband's home."I was happy to get the court's order and also happy to come back to my house. I am sure I can meet my children, if not this time, it will happen soon," Kanakadurga said, speaking to the media from her Angadipuram home. When asked about her family moving out, she said, "I want to live with them, they have moved out as they are not ready to live with me. But I am sure all problems will be solved in the near future." A civil supplies employee, Kanakadurga, along with 44-year-old Bindu, became the first two women below the ages of 50 to enter the Sabarimala temple after the Supreme Court lifted the ban on the entry of menstruating women into the temple. As protests broke out across the state over their visit, she and Bindu lived in an unknown location for two weeks. On January 15, Kanakadurga went back home for the first time after her visit and mother-in-law allegedly attacked her by hitting her on the head with a wooden plank. She was admitted to a hospital in Kozhikode. Her mother-in-law had also checked herself into the hospital on the same day as Kanakadurga, alleging that Kanakadurga too had attacked her. She had then moved to a government Sakhi home in Perinthalmana after her family refused to accept her into the house.

Body 2:

Water

Natural drinking water sources like wells in parts of Aluva municipality in the district have been showing severe dip in water levels from the past few weeks.

Neethu Joseph

Image for representation

Even before the summer season begins to cast its dry spell over the state of Kerala, regions in Ernakulam district have already started showing signs of acute water shortage that is likely to occur in the following months. Natural drinking water sources like wells in parts of Aluva municipality in the district have been showing severe dip in water levels from the past few weeks. Aluva was one of the severely affected regions during the recent deluge. According to officials of Aluva municipality, wells in the region had been showing lower water levels since the past one year. Pumping of water for commercial use in tanker lorries, from some wells in the municipality limits, has been cited as the reason for lower levels of water. “To avoid the situation, we had prohibited the practice of pumping water to transport in tanker lorries a year ago, but the district administration intervened in the matter and gave permission to continue this,” said Lissy Abraham, chairperson of the municipality. Meanwhile, top officials at the district administration said that local self-government bodies do not have the authority to stop this distribution of water for commercial purposes. “It is the duty of the district administration to ensure that all parts of the district get equal share of water,” said District Collector K Mohammed Y Safirulla to TNM. The groundwater department constantly monitors the water level and it is as per their data that permission has been granted to supply water from these wells to various parts of the city, added Safirulla. There are about 1,500 tanker lorries in the district which supply drinking water from wells in the rural areas of Ernakulam to different parts of the city. “The officials of Aluva municipality have filed a complaint regarding the matter with the district administration a few days back. The groundwater department has been assigned to look into the issue as they are in charge of deciding the permissible quantity of water that can be drawn from groundwater sources,” added the Collector. “The situation has become extremely difficult for farmers in the region. As water level in the Periyar river is not bountiful, the wells are not getting replenished,” said Jerome Michael, Public Works standing committee Chairman of municipality. Periyar river is the main source of drinking water in the district. According to officials in the district irrigation department and Kerala Water Authority (KWA), the level of water in the river is not very promising for the summer ahead, though as of now it will suffice. “The water level in Periyar river is presently 0.2 metres above sea level, even though that does not pose a challenge presently for the distribution of water, it would have been good if the level was at least 0.3 metres,” said Anil Augustine, assistant executive engineer of KWA. The shutters of various water regulators across the river in the district have also been closed to prevent the salinity intrusion. “When water level decreases, salt water from the sea enters the river making the water saline. This will have a toll on the vegetation cover in the district. We prevent this by closing all the shutters of the regulators across the river,” said Sethu Muhammed, assistant executive engineer in the Irrigation department. Meanwhile, in parts of the city like Vytilla, Ponnuruni, Vyttila Janatha and Poonithura, people have been getting less supply of water for the past two weeks. “There was no continuous water supply for the last two weeks, the distribution was on intermittent days and that too in less quantity,” said PS Shine, councillor of Vyttila ward. Residents of the wards facing water shortage had blocked the water authority official on the way, as a form of protest last Monday. Officials of KWA told TNM that the problem will be solved within two days’ time.

Body 2:

Kerala Floods

Tharoor in his letter to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee points out that fishermen had rescued people at great personal risk.

TNM Staff

Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor in a letter to Ms Beritt Reiss Anderson, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee has recommended that the fishing community of Kerala, who played a pivotal role during rescue operations during the August 2018 floods that devastated Kerala should be awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. In his letter, Tharoor points out that the fishermen at great personal risks and taking out their boats, which is their main source of livelihood, had saved hundreds during the floods. In his letter on January 8, the MP points out, “Even as their own houses fell victim to the deluge, their thoughts and concerns were directed towards the larger safety of strangers When the state government offered compensation in cash and kind for their efforts, many of them politely turned down the offer, pointing out that they found it unseemly to accept a reward for their humanitarian service.” After the floods, people of Kerala had lauded the exemplary efforts of the fishermen who were often dubbed as the superheroes of the state. Tharoor says, “The lasting image of a fisherman bending low in the water so as to allow an elder person he had rescued to climb on his back and get on to his boat is a particularly striking reflection of this spirit that has been etched into the hearts of a grateful community.” The image that Tharoor speaks about is of that of a fisherman named Jaisal from Malappuram who bend in flooded water to help an elderly woman to enter a rescue boat of the NDRF. Jaisal’s picture had gone viral on the internet after which many had come forward to reward him. Pointing out that the entire country owes its unrestrained gratitude to the fishermen, Tharoor said, “It is with this in mind, and in testament to their invaluable and selfless service, that I submit for the kind consideration of the Nobel Committee, that all of these elements are present in Kerala’s fishermen groups, to whom an entire country owes its unrestrained gratitude.” The Kerala Government had felicitated the fishermen in a public function in Thiruvananthapuram in September last year. After awarding Rs 3.000 to each fisherman, the Kerala CM had said, “they did not know of this gift. They did not know if the boats they took out would come back fine. They went out into the floods without thinking of anything, without thinking of money or their own lives or their families, to save the thousands trapped. Giving you a big salute from Kerala. My letter to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee nominating the fishermen of Kerala for this year's Peace Prize in recognition of their courageous service & sacrifice during the #KeralaFloods of 2018: pic.twitter.com/xtPLrTnQBT— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 6, 2019

Body 2:

Sabarimala

The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict after hearing 65 review petitions on the September 28 verdict allowing women entry into the temple.

TNM Staff

The Travancore Devaswom Board, an autonomous body, which manages 1248 temples including the hill shrine of Sabarimala has come out in support of women entry into the temple, in a departure from its initial position. On Wednesday, advocate Rakesh Dwivedi appearing for TDB said that the board was in favor of the September 2018 verdict by the Supreme Court and an application has been filed to that effect."Women cannot be excluded from any walk of life on biological attributes, equality is the dominant theme of the Constitution”, he told a 5-judge Constitutional bench of the apex court which comprised of Justices Indu Malhotra, RF Nariman, AN Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud apart from CJI Ranjan Gogoi. Rakesh also argued that Article 25(1) of the Constitution equally entitles all persons to practise religion. His explanation was preceded by a specific enquiry by Justice Indu Malhotra on TDB’s change in stance. Speaking to media persons, TDB President A Padmakumar stated the board had never filed a review petition in the case, but had only asked for more time to implement the judgment. “We never filed a review petition against the entry of women of all ages into the temple. What we had done is file a petition seeking more time to give a proper explanation. Regarding the court verdict, we have stated that we accept it and we are against any form of discrimination.” Padmakumar added that the Board had not yet decided on a detailed explanation as they were permitted more time by the court. Just a few months before the 2016 assembly polls, the TDB had vehemently opposed a public interest litigation for women entry into Sabarimala filed by the Young Indian Lawyers association. The petition was filed when the Congress led UDF was in power in Kerala. After the LDF government came into power, the TDB changed its stance, as did the government. Following the hearings on Wednesday, the Constitution bench reserved its verdict on 65 petitions asking for a review of the September 28 verdict allowing women of ages into the temple.

Body 2:

Healthcare

The institute, which will come up in Thiruvananthapuram, was announced during the Nipah virus outbreak in May 2018 that claimed 17 lives.

Saritha S Balan

In a major development that could make the timely diagnosis of infectious diseases possible, Kerala is all set to open its first virology institute in Thonnakkal, Thiruvananthapuram. The state government had announced the setting up of the institute during the outbreak of the Nipah virus in Kozhikode that had claimed 17 lives in May 2018. The institute is particularly important for Kerala considering the number of people living outside the state, allowing high likelihood of transmitting viruses from outside. The institute will function under the guidance of the State Institute for Science and Technology. The first phase will be completed by the end of February. “The institute will lay emphasise on research; not just diagnosing a virus and suggesting treatment, but we should also understand why human beings are so vulnerable to such viruses. We also need to have measures by which we will be able to stop infections from spreading by making the human body much more resistant,” GM Nair, Coordinator of the Institute, told TNM. He added, “We need active control measures to produce immunisation vaccines. The major strength of the institute will be that it will be devoted to experimenting and analysing virus per se and the focus will also be on vectors. The unique feature of Kerala is that we have a consistently moving people. This makes the state vulnerable in the case of viruses that are not borne here. Also an understanding of what kind of virus is also important, viruses can change their genetic make-up. Even if it is brought in from outside, it could have modified itself.” The institute will have around eight departments. The state currently depends on the National Virology Institute in Pune to get samples examined with regard to infectious diseases. During the Nipah outbreak, the absence of a Virology Institute in the state was widely discussed. “Viral diseases are very prevalent in Kerala. This may be attributed to a number of reasons. We have a large population of migrants in the state. Several Keralites work in other countries. Frequent travelling between different places can lead to exposure to different viruses and diseases. In a state like Kerala which is densely populated, diseases do have a tendency to spread rapidly,” said health expert Dr B Iqbal. “Viral diseases behave differently in different parts of the world. For example, dengue fever leads to a high mortality rate in the state, so clinical study is necessary to understand how these diseases will affect people and how the virus can mutate here. We had identified the need for a virology institute as early as in 1996. An infectious disease and virology institute was set up in Alappuzha but didn’t become functional,” he added. The government has sanctioned Rs 202 crore towards setting up the institute. But according to officials, at least Rs 500 crore will be needed in the first five years and it may necessitate looking for external funds. “The institute will focus on early diagnosis of viral diseases, improving our understanding of pathogens and planning preventive measures. It will be an institute of international standards capable of developing measures to tackle outbreaks,” says a post on the Kerala Chief Minister’s Facebook page. The completion of the first phase of the 28,000 sq ft building will be completed in the next two weeks. The Uralungal Labour Contract Society is leading the construction of the prefab building. The work of the second phase of 80,000 sq ft has also been progressing under the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation.

Body 2:

Court

Two two women have also filed a contempt petition against the temple thantri, who performed a purification ritual after their entry on January 2.

TNM Staff

Bindu and Kanakadurga, the two women below 50 years who managed to enter the Sabarimala temple and pray inside the sanctum, have resolved to do it again. Speaking before the five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court, the duo said that they will try to visit the temple when it reopens on February 12. Advocate Indira Jaisingh, who appeared for the women, told the bench that the two women had faced social boycott for just entering the temple. She added that the boycott was so bad that even shopkeepers were asking her not to visit their shops. Bindu’s mother even received a death threat for her daughter having visited Sabarimala. Bindu also added that her right to practice and profess any religion is protected under the Constitution and that nothing can stop her from offering prayer to Ayyappa. Following this, she added that the social exclusion that she and Kanakadurga faced was disrespectful and hurt the core principles of the Constitution, according to reports. Both of them have also filed a contempt petition against the Sabarimala Thanthri and other authorities. It was following their successful entry into the temple on the morning of January 2 that the Thantri closed down the temple and performed a purification ceremony. This became a controversy and he was asked to submit an explanation on the same to the Travancore Devaswom Board, an autonomous body that manages several temples including Sabarimala, regarding the same. Advocate Indira Jaisingh also observed that the two women had succeeded in entering the temple and it was only after this that the purification ceremony was held. This violated the court order. Stating that menstruating women were considered polluting and hence were not allowed entry into temples, Indira Jaising said that the purification ritual violated Article 17 of the Constitution, which speaks about untouchability. She also said there were private temples where such restrictions may be put in place but Sabarimala is very much a public place.

Body 2:

Sabarimala

TDB president A Padmakumar, however, clarified that the board did not file a review petition, instead filed a 'delay petition' to defer the SC judgment.

IANS

The Pandalam royal family, the custodian of the Sabarimala temple's jewellery, on Wednesday, slammed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) for changing its opinion and now supporting the entry of all women to the hilltop shrine. This comes after TDB announced its stand in the Supreme Court as it heard numerous review petitions against its September 28 verdict lifting the ban on entry of women of all ages to the Lord Ayyappa temple. The royal family's spokesperson PS Verma said that the "true colours" of the TDB had been revealed."They have toed the line of the Kerala government. When they earlier said they are with the wishes and aspirations of the Sabarimala devotee, it was all a bluff. Today their true colours have surfaced and this means both the government and the TDB are out to destroy the customs and traditions of the Sabarimala temple," said Verma. Noting that the court had now decided to give another seven days for written submissions, Verma alleged that this means that the temple premises were going to witness another showdown when it opens for the monthly pujas on February 12."So, as far as we are concerned, we have not lost hope as we feel that if there is going to be another setback, there is an option to file a curative petition. We will go to any extent to protect the traditions and customs of the temple," he added. TDB president A Padmakumar denied the board had changed its stand."We did not file a review petition. Instead, we filed a 'delay petition' (requesting the court to defer the judgment). What I have been told is that on Wednesday we were asked about our stand in relation to the September 28 verdict. It was to this that our counsel said that they will abide by the court verdict. The court has also given time till February 13 to give in writing if there are any more things that should be brought before the court. We will meet to discuss what needs to be given in writing," said Padmakumar, a former CPI-M legislator, adding, "The TDB will abide by whatever the verdict is." Asked if there was a shift in the stand, the TDB reminded the media that the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) organ had soon after the September 28 verdict ran a headline hailing it as "historic". Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Oommen Chandy said the TDB's somersault showed that it was hand in glove with the Pinarayi Vijayan government. "Just what Vijayan wanted, the TDB has done," he said. State BJP President PS Sreedharan Pillai said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has taken everyone for a ride. "The people have been cheated and very soon the people will give a fitting reply for what has happened," he said. Former TDB president Prayar Gopalakrishnan, who also filed a review petition, said that he was confident the temple customs and traditions will be protected.

Body 2:

Politics

Ravi Pujari was arrested by the West African Police in Senegal on January 19 and will soon be extradited to India..

IANS

Underworld don Ravi Pujari, presently detained in Senegal, has threatened veteran Kerala legislator P.C. George that he will kill one of his sons, said the MLA on Thursday."This happened only two months back, when I was extending my full support to Bishop Franco Mullakal, who was arrested in a sex abuse case of a nun last year," George told IANS."The reason why I kept mum then was because he threatened to finish off one of my two sons," said the seven time legislator, adding that he did instantly inform Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and State Police chief Loknath Behera. While the first caller had identified himself as Pujari, during the second call that he received from the same number, the caller was speaking in Malayalam and said he has been instructed by the mafia don, George said. A subsequent police probe revealed the call came from South Africa and the caller was indeed Pujari, said the Poonjar MLA."On both occasions when he abused me, I gave it back to him. And since then our security has been heightened, especially that of my younger son," he added."Just because I took a stand for the Bishop, I was targeted," the 67-year-old MLA said. George is currently an Independent MLA. He is known for his brashness and reportedly always carries a licensed revolver. He had created quite a furore, some time back, when he pulled out his revolver after being surrounded by people when he was settling some matter in his constituency in the Kottayam district. Pujari's first Kerala connection came up in December last year, when following a shooting incident outside the beauty parlour of actress Leena Maria Paul in Kochi, the police traced it to the mafia don. Also read: How cops traced don Ravi Pujari living under a different name in Senegal

Body 2:

Controversy

The petition was filed by director Uday Ananthan alleging that his story was plagiarised for the movie, which is based on the Nipah outbreak.

TNM Staff

A court has stayed the release of Aashiq Abu directed movie Virus based on a petition alleging plagiarism. Ernakulam Sessions Court on Thursday stayed the release on a plea filed by director Uday Ananthan alleging that his story was plagiarised for the movie, which is based on the Nipah outbreak. However, a person working in the movie told TNM that the claim of a script being stolen is laughable as the movie was based on real-life events and written after elaborate conversations with doctors, patients, government officials and others. Aashiq Abu was unavailable for comment. The director had earlier told TNM that the film deals with real-life stories, the stories that came with the epidemic. "We also heard many stories behind the virus, heroic stories; more heroic than the ones you see in the cinema," he said. The shooting began in December last year and the film is slated for a summer release in 2019. Kozhikode, the district where the disease broke out and claimed 17 lives, was the location of the movie. The shooting began in December last year and was wrapped up recently. Virus has a grand cast including Revathy, Soubin Shahir, Dileesh Pothan, Chemban Vinod, Asif Ali, Rima Kallingal, Tovino Thomas, Parvathy Thiruvoth, Kalidas Jayaram and Remya Nambeesan. Rima Kallingal will play Lini, the nurse who died of the virus after serving at the hospital where the first of the infected people were admitted. Revathy will play the Kerala State Health Minister, KK Shailaja, while Tovino will enact the role of the then Kozhikode District Collector, UV Jose. The scriptwriters of the film are Muhsin Parari, Sharfu and Suhas. Muhsin Parari directed the film KL-10 Patthu and Sharfu and Suhas wrote the script for Amal Neerad's film Varathan. They learned of the experiences of the affected people, spoke to doctors and officials to write the script.'Virus' is about real life heroes of Nipah outbreak: Director Aashiq Abu to TNM

Body 2:

Crime

Afsal Rahman, the school’s Urdu teacher, was the Muslim Youth League's district vice-president and State treasurer of the Muslim Students Federation.

Sreedevi Jayarajan

A teacher in Kerala’s Malappuram who has been accused of sexual harassment by 19 minor students at his school was granted anticipatory bail by the High Court last week. The accused, who had been absconding following the crime, appeared before the Malappuram police after securing anticipatory bail. On November 24, 2018, a public outcry by students of an aided school in Malappuram led to the suspension of their teacher, who was accused of sexually harassing 19 students. Afsal Rahman, Urdu teacher and National Service Scheme (NSS) co-ordinator was first called out by a student from another school, after she attended an NSS symposium in November. She, along with her kin initially complained to the principal who reportedly took no action then. However, when this incident reached the ears of the rest of the school, 50 other students came forward to file a written complaint alleging sexual abuse by the teacher, who was a member of the Muslim Youth League and had been serving as its district Vice President. The students formed a parliament and signed the complaint to get the accused teacher suspended. They even threatened to boycott classes if the management failed to do so. It was following this that the school authorities informed the police and the Child Protection Unit. The accused was then suspended from the school for 15 days and he later went absconding when a police case was filed. Post his suspension, several IUML workers began accusing the principal, KG Prasad, of intentionally trapping the accused. Denying claims that the incident was politically motivated, Prasad's daughter wrote a post on Facebook on November 28 explaining what had happened. “On the morning of November 24, my father, the headmaster of (name withheld*) witnessed protests by students against the accused teacher. There were no political parties involved then. The unanimous demand of the students was that the accused teacher be kicked out. However, when the headmaster said that no complaint has yet been filed against the accused teacher, the students formed a parliament and submitted over 50 signatures supporting the ouster. It is the head of department’s duty to inform the police if a minor (below 18 years age) submits a complaint. The law demands it. Otherwise, he/she can be booked for attempting to protect the accused and even lose their job,” the post read. On December 5, two POCSO cases were registered in the Malappuram district police station, based on the complaint by three students of the school. “The cases were registered against Afsal Rahman under sections 9 and 10 (Aggravated sexual assault) of the POCSO act,” SI Mohammad Rafeek who led the investigation told TNM. The anticipatory bail granted to the accused in a POCSO case has come as a shock to Child Welfare Authorities. Speaking to TNM, Malappuram Child Welfare Committee co-ordinator Anwar Karakkadan said, “The sections under which Afsal was charged were not those which involved penetrative assault (which are the most serious of sexual offences under POCSO). This could possibly explain how he could secure a bail in the first place.” Several students withdraw complaint, political pressure suspected An alumnus of the school and a worker of DYFI, youth wing of CPI(M), Ramshad who had protested against the school's indifference also pointed out that several students had withdrawn their complaints in the subsequent days, possibly due to political pressure. “Out the 19 complainants, many of the girls are from families associated with the Indian Union Muslim league. There could have been political pressure on these families to withdraw the petition. In other cases, families have been convinced that the incident could affect the future of the girls. Currently, only three of the complainants have braved the pressure and stood their ground. However, they are unwilling to speak to the media,” he said. The accused teacher joined the school in 2012 after a special request from the Education Department. The suspension term of 15 days given by the school following the protest has ended. However, the POCSO case against him is ongoing.

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Transportation

Kochi Metro has introduced 16 e-autos for six metro stations - Aluva, Kalamassery, Edapally, Kaloor, MG Road and Maharajas College station.

Korah Abraham

The Kochi Metro Rail Limited’s (KMRL) latest project is expected to attract more commuters to use public transport. APM Mohammed Haneesh IAS, the Managing Director of KMRL, on Wednesday launched e-autos in Ernakulam district with aim of providing first and last mile connectivity to the commuters. As part of finding a solution to get the people of Kochi to use public transport, the Urban Transport wing decided to come up with the idea known as “public transport integration”, where all the forms of public transport are connected to each other. According to an official of the Kochi Metro, a 2015 study showed that only 49 per cent of the commuters in the district used public transport while the rest of the population used private vehicles. The percentage of commuters using public transport was reported to have been declining by 3 per cent every year since 2015. “We decided to connect all forms of public transport in the city and one of the best ways to get from one mode of transport, for example, a metro station, to another form of transport, a bus stand, for example, is to use auto rickshaws,” said the KMRL official. This is also an attempt to reduce the increasing traffic congestion. The e-auto project will be operated by the Ernakulam Auto Rickshaw Drivers Co-operative Society, a body consisting of all the six trade unions in the city - CITU, AITUC, INTUC, TUCI, STU and BMS. Kinetic Green Energy and Power Solutions is in charge of providing 16 e-autos to six metro stations - Aluva, Kalamassery, Edapally, Kaloor, MG Road and Maharajas College station. The first phase began on Wednesday. All the vehicles are coming with customised design, powered by Lithium-Iron Battery. KMRL has also said that 22 e-autos more will be added to the project soon. According to reports, the vehicle uses the latest technology that ensures good performance and with one single charge, it can run more than 70 km. Launching the e-autos on Wednesday, KMRL Managing Director APM Mohammed Hanish said that KMRL, in its leap towards building an environment-friendly space, has created yet another milestone. “We are glad to introduce e-autos in Kochi city as part of our feeder service. The same fuels KMRL’s push for e-mobility,” he added.

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Elections

Kurian Joseph said that Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-led LDF had informally approached him asking if he would be interesting in contesting the polls.

TNM Staff

Former Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph on Thursday dismissed the media reports that he would be contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Kerala. Dismissing the reports as "baseless", Justice Kurian, however, said he was approached by political parties. Speaking to IANS, Kurian, who retired from the apex court last year, said he has been informally approached by people from both the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF)."Several people have informally approached me from both the political fronts asking if I would be interested in contesting polls. From the UDF, it was the Kerala Congress (Mani) that asked my opinion. From the other front also, I was approached. But my answer to all has been I am not at all interested," he said. In an interview to News18, Kurian Joseph, who hails from Kerala, said that the parties asked if he would be interested in contesting from Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Chalakudy constituencies. Interestingly, both the fronts are in search of suitable candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, which is just a few months away. The 65-year-old was active in politics during his student days. In 1996, he was designated a senior advocate and in 2000 appointed judge of the Kerala High Court. In February 2010, he was made the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court. On March 8, 2013, he became a judge of the Supreme Court. Kurian Joseph is one of the judges known to have maintained a clean image and someone who fought for transparency in the judicial proceedings. He was in the news when he, along with three of his colleagues, in January 2018, addressed a press conference against then Chief Justice Dipak Misra. In the press conference held on January 12, 2018, Justice Chelameswar, along with Justices Madan B Lokur, Ranjan Gogoi and Kurian Joseph, had stated that they had written to the then CJI Dipak Misra stating that the administration of the Supreme Court was not 'in order'. The press conference was reportedly in response to the assignment of the Judge Loya case to Justice Arun Mishra's bench. Questioning the unhealthy practice of an individual taking decisions without consulting others, Justice Joseph said, "It was an institutional crisis. Systems and practices are there for a long time. It takes time to change." (With inputs from IANS)

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Sabarimala

Commissioner Vasu told TNM that the visit was to clarify Kodiyeri's queries on the contradicting statements of the TDB President.

Saritha S Balan

Another controversy over Sabarimala is brewing in Kerala after Devaswom Board Commissioner N Vasu called on CPI (M) State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan at the party headquarters AKG Centre on Thursday, amid reports suggesting the removal of Travancore Devaswom President A Padmakumar. Reports indicated that there is a move to remove Padmakumar from the post of TDB President and replace him with Recruitment Board Chairman M Rajagopalan Nair. It is also reported that the President sought a report from the Commissioner on changing TDB's stand on the entry of women of all ages into Sabarimala. Vasu told TNM that he visited the party state secretary as the latter enquired about the TDB President's differing statements on the issue. "The TDB President was appointed by the party right?" Vasu asked to a question on what CPI (M) has to do with it. Padmakumar on his part said that he is not aware how media reports surfaced on the statements allegedly made by him. Some reports said that Padmakumar has said that he will enquire how the TDB changed its stand on the issue when the Supreme Court was hearing the review petitions on Tuesday."I don't know about all these," he said. Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi who appeared for the TDB in the court said that it was in favour of the SC verdict and an application has been filed to that effect. But Padmakumar told media persons that TDB had never filed a review petition in the case but only asked for more time to implement the judgment. “We never filed a review petition against the entry of young women, but filed a petition seeking more time to give a proper explanation. Regarding the court verdict, we have stated that we accept it and we are against any form of discrimination," he said. The TDB, ever after the LDF came to power in 2016, didn't oppose the entry of women of all ages. However, it had vehemently opposed it when the Congress-led UDF was in power in Kerala. "But only those who want to know about such things are trying to figure out the difference. Others are interested in creating a controversy saying that the TDB's stand took a U Turn," Vasu said. It is also reported that Vasu held discussions with Rakesh Dwivedi a day before the review petitions were heard. TDB, which manages 1,248 temples, also runs the Sabarimala temple. The TDB President is a post that is shuffled when alternating governments come to power. And the appointment of the top officials are political. Padmakumar is a former MLA of the CPI (M). Despite being a party person, Padmakumar ever since the Supreme Court pronounced its verdict allowing women of menstruating ages to enter Sabarimala, had been making statements that contradicted the stand of the government.

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Death

Chavara Parukutty Amma was also famous for portraying male roles in Kathakali.

TNM Staff

Eminent Kathakali artiste Chavara Parukutty Amma passed away at a private hospital in Chavara, Kollam, around 10 pm on Thursday. She was suffering from age-related illness. Born to N Shankaran Achary and Naniyamma of Chekkattu Kizhakkethil, on February 12, 1943, Parukutty became a Kathakali artiste at a time when the field was male-dominant. The 76-year-old artiste, who was trained in classical dance during her school days, took to learning Kathakali when she started attending pre-university at SN Women's College and later for BA Economics at Fatima Matha National College. She started her Kathakali training under the guidance of Muthupilakkadu Gopala Panikker, during which she made her debut performance at the Kottankulangara Devi Temple in Kollam district. She had donned most costumes in Kathakali, except the red beard (chuvanna thadi). Her most favourite character was Kacha Devayani. Apart from women roles as a Kathakali artiste, Parukutty has portrayed male roles as well. She was also a recipient of the Kerala Kalamandalam award, the Mathrubhumi Grihalakshmi award and several other awards. According to keralatourism.org, in 2003, she started a dance school at Sankaramangalam, which she named as Kerala Natya Dhara. She used to spend six hours tutoring her students every day at her dance school. At present, nearly 350 students are being trained in various performing arts at the school. Parukutty Amma is survived by daughter Kalamandalam Dhanya. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday condoled the death of Parukutty Amma and said that she was an active female presence in Kathakali for over half-a-century. “Being an active female personality in the Kathakali art form, she also excelled in the male roles that she performed. I take part in this grief along with her family members,” said the Kerala CM.

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Malayalam cinema

Women in Cinema Collective member Beena Paul called the Kerala government’s decision 'an important first step'.

Sreedevi Jayarajan

The Kerala government, in a landmark decision, has allocated a sum of Rs 3 crore for women in the Malayalam film industry. “The amount is to boost gender equality in the field and up the morale of these women,” Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, told media persons on Friday. Tweeting on Friday, the Finance Minister also "Emergence of a women collective has been an important turning point in the struggle for gender equality in Malayalam film world. Kerala budget provides for a special scheme to financially support women film makers." Emergence of a women collective has been an important turning point in the struggle for gender equality in Malayalam film world. Kerala budget provides for a special scheme to financially support women film makers. — Thomas Isaac (@drthomasisaac) February 7, 2019 The decision was made after a proposal was submitted to the government by noted screenwriter and Women in Cinema Collective member Deedi Damodaran on the problems faced by women in the field. “We are happy that the government has taken such a decision. This is the first for any government in India. We have only heard of the European Union and Sweden government announce such schemes in the past,” Beena Paul, noted film editor and WCC member told TNM. Beena says that is not yet clear what this sum will be used for and that the stakeholders in Malayalam cinema are in talks with the government to chalk out a framework for the same. “The fund could be allotted for filmmakers, producers, scriptwriters or other women technicians in the industry. This is still a work in progress. There is no specific body that the fund will be transferred to either,” she added. Following the 2017 actor assault case in Kerala, a faction of women in the Malayalam industry has been vocal about gender discrimination and sexism prevalent in their workplace. The Women in Cinema Collective formed post this development has worked towards providing equal opportunities for women in the industry. “It is very difficult to make a film as it is. And women find it 10 times more difficult to do so. We don’t find producers ready to fund us. We had made the government aware of this and other problems we face and they were ready to help us,” Beena added. A small amount, but a big first step Though the amount allocated by the government is a mere drop in the ocean of big money the movie industry witnesses, WCC members are positive that it is an important first step. “We realise it is a very small amount. But this amount could help at least a few women. These days, documentary makers make films in Rs 30-40 lakh and this amount could be subsidised for them, without compromising on quality. Therefore, such token amounts are important,” Beena added. She also added that the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) which was founded back in 1996, began with a token amount but managed to become successful and make money. “If this works out well, the government has promised to extend the scheme in the future,” she added.

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Campus

Permission was earlier denied stating that CUSAT is a secular campus and religious functions should not be performed in the campus.

Korah Abraham

Following protests by students, the Vice Chancellor of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), has given students hailing from north India studying in the Cochin University College of Engineering, Kuttanad, to perform Saraswati pooja on February 10 and 11 inside the college campus. On February 1, the VC in a circular denied permission to perform the pooja by stating that CUSAT is a secular campus and that religious functions should not be performed in the campus. This decision is said to have irked not just the students, but some of the teachers as well who usually take part in the pooja each year. Speaking to TNM, Dr N Sunil Kumar, the Principal of the college said, “The students of the college especially those from north India have been performing Saraswati Pooja for many years. Initially, the students used to perform the pooja outside the campus.” He then explained why the pooja was shifted to within the campus. "When the pooja was performed outside campus, it used to disturb the local residents. Skirmishes used to occur between the students and the locals. Following this, it was decided to perform the pooja inside the campus, for which, it is necessary to get the permission of the Vice Chancellor of the University each year," he added. Like always, the students of CUSAT, on January 25, approached Sunil Kumar, for permission for conducting Saraswati Puja on February 10 and 11. “As the protocol goes, I forwarded the request to the Vice-Chancellor," the Principal explained. Media reports had speculated that one of the reasons for denying the students permission were the incidents which took place in the college last year. There were reports that vegetarian students of the college were allegedly made to eat beef cutlets by those students who were against them performing the pooja on campus. However, the Principal of the college had denied all these speculations. “There has been fights and issues in the past but this had nothing to do with those issues. This decision by the VC was purely to avoid any religious functions inside the campus,” he said. The VC’s decision lead to protests by the students in the Kuttanad campus on Thursday. “I had informed the VC about the student protests after which he told me that the students can perform the pooja on the given dates as long as classes are not disturbed,” said Sunil Kumar. “The VC did not give any written confirmation to me but he has orally said that the pooja can be conducted on February 10 and 11. Preparations for the pooja will be held on February 9,” he added.

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Farmer suicides

All three farmers who killed themselves belonged to the Cheruthoni area of Idukki, which was hit hard during the floods last August.

Sandeep Vellaram

File photo

On Sunday morning, 58-year-old Nellippuzayil Johny Mathayi’s family found him unconscious at home. A farmer and native of Cheruthoni in Idukki, he had attempted suicide on his farmland and was rushed to the Idukki taluk hospital. Though Johny was shifted to the Kottayam Medical College hospital, it was too late and he passed away on Wednesday night. Johny was an active farmer who had taken land for lease and planted tapioca, banana and vegetables. Like many other farmers in Idukki and elsewhere, Johny had taken a bank loan and also loans from his friends. But he failed to repay the loans on time as his crops had been destroyed by wild boars which raided his farm. This was just months after his agricultural produce and goods had been washed away in the August 2018 flood, which devastated Idukki and other parts of Kerala. Johny’s family says, it was a bank notice reminding him to repay the loan which triggered his suicide. But Johny’s is not an isolated case, in fact, it is the third such similar suicide in little more than a month. On January 2, a debt-ridden young farmer Santhosh (37), a native of Merigiri in Idukki, was found dead on his farmland. Santhosh too had taken a bank loan and chose to kill himself when he was unable to repay the loan. Weeks later, on January 28, Kunnumpurathu Sahadeven (68), a native of Vathikkudy in Idukki, killed himself after he received a bank notice to seize his land. His land had been mortgaged to the Murikkasery Co-operative Bank as guarantee for securing a loan for his son. His elder son had taken the bank loan of Rs 12 lakh after giving one-and-a-half acre of land owned by Sahadevan in 2016. When Sahadevan received the bank notice the farmer took his own life, said his relatives. Abhilash KB, a relative of Sahadevan told TNM, " Till now we didn't get any financial assistance from the government. Sahadevan’s son had taken bank loan and planted tapioca and bananas. But the August flood totally washed out the farms and his he was unable to repay the loans. Presently, we have a debt of Rs 13.68 lakh in the Murikkasery Co-operative Bank and there is no way for us to repay the bank loan." Sahadevan was in a stress after receiving the notice from the bank, said Abhilash. Hitting out at the LDF government for the spike in farmer suicides, District Congress Committee President Ibrahimkutty Kallar said, "The farmer deaths show that the state government has totally failed to provide financial assistance to the farmers in the district." Kallar points out that the three recent farmer suicides were from the Cheruthoni region in Idukki, which was hit hard during the floods last August. “Thousands of farmers in the Cheruthoni, Karimpan, Chelachuvad, Merigiri, Kanjikuzhi and Pazayarikkandam areas are facing huge financial crisis as their agricultural lands were washed out during the August flood," he says. And while the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government had announced a one-year moratorium for repayment of bank loans, Kallar says that banks have recently started sending recovery notices to farmers. The high range areas of the district especially in the Cheruthoni area are largely damaged and need reconstruction. During the floods, Idukki experienced 278 landslides and 1800 mudslides, 57 people being killed in the natural disaster. According to data from the district administration, 279 people lost land and houses, while 1993 houses were fully destroyed, 7,160 houses were partially destroyed in the floods. As per official estimates, 11530.64 hectors of agricultural land were destroyed due to the floods, amounting to Rs 67.24 crore worth of crop loss.

Body 2:

The economics of Sabarimala: How low payasam, appam sales led to losses this season

‘Granny Dakshayini’, Asia’s oldest captive elephant from Kerala passes away

Destruction of social peace not ground for reviewing Sabarimala order: Kerala govt

Sabarimala row: Kanakadurga returns home, but her family moves into rented house

Parts of Ernakulam district in Kerala facing water shortage ahead of summer

‘Give Kerala fishermen the Nobel Peace Prize 2019’: Tharoor writes to Nobel Committee

Sabarimala hearing: Travancore Devaswom Board supports women entry into temple

Kerala to get its 1st virology institute for diagnosis of infectious diseases in Feb

Bindu and Kanakadurga to visit Sabarimala temple again on February 12

Pandalam royal family slams Travancore Devaswom for changing stance on Sabarimala

Mafia don Ravi Pujari threatened to kill my son: Kerala MLA

Court stays release of Aashiq Abu's film 'Virus' over plea alleging plagiarism

Kerala teacher accused of sexual harassment by 19 students gets anticipatory bail

Kochi Metro introduces e-autos for last mile connectivity

'Not contesting LS polls from Kerala': Ex-SC Judge Kurian Joseph dismisses reports

TDB’s changing stance on Sabarimala: Devaswom Commissioner meets Kodiyeri

Noted Kathakali artiste Chavara Parukutty Amma passes away at 76

In a first, Kerala govt sets aside Rs 3 cr for women in Malayalam cinema

Following protest by students, CUSAT allows Saraswati pooja on campus

Unable to repay loans, 3 debt-ridden farmers kill selves in Idukki in a matter of weeks