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Tag: Kerala news

  • Kerala lady suffocates to dying inside college bus as a consequence of excessive warmth in Doha

    A four-year-old Kerala lady died of suffocation as a consequence of excessive warmth after being locked up contained in the bus in Doha.

    The automobile crew discovered the lady mendacity unconscious contained in the bus. (Representational Image)

    HIGHLIGHTSA lady from Kerala died after being locked up within the bus in DohaShe was mendacity unconscious contained in the automobile when the crew locked the busThe ministry of training in Doha has launched an investigation into the incident

    A four-year-old lady died of suffocation as a consequence of in depth warmth inside a faculty bus in Doha. The lady, recognized as Minsa Mariam Jacob, of Springfield Kindergarten dozed off inside the college bus on Sunday morning.

    The bus crew allegedly locked the bus and left it within the parking zone, with out realising that Minsa was mendacity unconscious contained in the automobile. Later within the afternoon, when the crew opened the bus, they discovered the lady on the ground.

    She was instantly rushed to the hospital in Al Vakra the place she was declared introduced useless.

    As per the preliminary report, police suspect that the lady suffocated to dying within the warmth.

    Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Doha mourned the lack of the mother and father and mentioned that an investigation has been launched into the incident.

    Taking to Twitter, they posted, “The ministry also affirms its keenness to adhere to the highest quality of security and safety standards for its students, and will not tolerate any shortcomings in this regard. It extends its sincerest condolences to the family of the deceased student.”

    The ministry additionally affirms its keenness to stick to the best high quality of safety and security requirements for its college students, and won’t tolerate any shortcomings on this regard. It extends its sincerest condolences to the household of the deceased pupil.

    — (@Qatar_Edu) September 11, 2022

    Her mother and father, Abhilash Chacko and Soumya hail from Chingavanam within the Kottayam district. The physique of the deceased might be taken to Chingavanam after autopsy.

    — ENDS —

  • Co-operative banks in Kerala reel beneath dangerous loans, NPAs crossed 38% at finish of final 12 months

    ALL cooperative banks in Kerala, a majority of that are managed by the ruling Left Democratic Front, reported non-performing belongings on the finish of December 2021, with the overall (Rs 20,324 crore) amounting to as a lot as 38.3 per cent of the advances.

    As per figures launched by the State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC), as a lot as 88 per cent of advances of Kerala State Cooperative Agricultural and Rural Development Bank Ltd had been NPAs, whereas the determine stood at 30 per cent for Kerala State Cooperative Bank (KSCB), often known as Kerala Bank, that features 13 district cooperative banks beneath it.

    By method of comparability, business banks together with PSU banks and personal sector banks reported NPAs of simply 3.99 per cent of their whole advances as of December 2021, the SLBC figures present.

    Both Kerala Bank president Gopi Kottamurickal and vice-president M Ok Kannan are CPM leaders.

    While Kerala Bank had gathered NPAs of Rs 12,403 crore as of December 2021, in opposition to advances of Rs 41,544 crore, Kerala State Cooperative Agricultural and Rural Development Bank Ltd — together with major cooperative agriculture and rural improvement banks — had dangerous loans amounting to as a lot as Rs 6,990.74 crore in opposition to Rs 7,954.73 crore of advances.

    Together, the cooperative banks — together with KSCB and Kerala State Cooperative Agricultural and Rural Development Bank — reported NPAs of Rs 20,324 crore, in opposition to Rs 53,032 crore of loans.

    A banking supply famous that 38 per cent of dangerous loans within the system are very excessive and unsustainable. “Such a high level of bad loans would have forced the RBI to bring the entity under the prompt corrective action (PCA) framework applicable to commercial banks,” the supply stated.

    The merger of the district cooperative banks with Kerala State Cooperative Bank – rebranded as Kerala Bank – occurred beginning November 29, 2019. While the LDF controls many of the cooperative banks, the UDF led by the Congress runs others.
    A banking supply stated this lay on the coronary heart of the issue. “There is widespread interference in loan sanctions and disbursals by party workers. Recovery levels are very low.”

    A mortgage account is taken into account an NPA when the principal or curiosity on it has been overdue for 90 days; a mortgage granted for short-duration crops is handled as NPA if the instalment of principal or curiosity stays overdue for 2 crop seasons; whereas a mortgage granted for long-duration crops is seen as NPA if the instalment of principal or curiosity stays overdue for one crop season, in accordance with RBI norms.

    Kerala Bank Chief General Manager Ok C Sahadevan stated its NPAs had been introduced right down to 12 per cent by the tip of the final fiscal (March 2021-22). “There was a special recovery drive in the last three months. When we started the drive, the NPAs were 25 per cent. These could be brought down to 12 per cent, although our target was 10 per cent. By the end of next March, we want to bring NPAs further down to 7 per cent,” he stated.

    He additionally stated that since Kerala Bank was fashioned in November 2019, no dangerous mortgage had been written off.

     

  • Malayalam cinema and the multiverse of misogyny

    (Warning: This article comprises spoilers)

    Before movies like Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, Ee.Ma.Yau and Moothon, which delved into the depths of interpersonal relationships and ensured a good portrayal of its complexities, Malayalam cinema was as soon as well-known for dispensing a few of the most celebrated household/home dramas.

    Most millennials and members of Gen Z should have not less than heard this as soon as from the elders: “The movies of these days are really bad. The way they endorse bad habits such as drinking, smoking, use of drugs and premarital sex is disturbing. You have to watch the flicks of our time to understand what cinema should actually be like.”

    Ee.Ma.Yau (2018)

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    True to an extent… If we think about films like Irakal (1985), Elippathayam (1981) and Deshadanakkili Karayarilla (1986), they had been certainly game-changers and helped the Malayalam movie trade make a reputation for itself on the worldwide area.

    Irakal (1985)

    However, most of those films that had been a part of the New Wave motion (early Nineteen Seventies to mid Eighties) — a direct results of the rise of movie societies in Kerala — did not eke out a achieve because the members of the identical technology stayed away from watching these films in theatres again then. Needless to say, variety of them bombed on the field workplace.

    Then which films are they boasting about now?

    Enter the Malayalam household dramas… Just by checking the field workplace numbers and reruns of those flicks on TV channels, one can simply perceive that these are the ‘qualitative works’ our older technology is referring to. Though many have, in latest occasions, referred to as out filmmakers and flicks that bolstered the anti-Dalit narratives and likewise the best way ladies had been portrayed on display, we, nonetheless, typically overlook how some filmmakers fortified the ‘good women/bad women’ narrative via household dramas.

    Even because the refrain urging all to “watch cinema as just cinema” is louder than ever, it’s needed to understand that the appreciation these films nonetheless obtain clearly denotes the deep-rooted patriarchy in our society and the way we proceed to stay mute spectators to the identical.

    Sadly, most of those films are crammed with good songs.

    (Note: Without any doubt, there are a whole bunch of different Malayalam films that are much more problematic, in a socio-political sense too. There are films akin to Chunkzz (2017) and Dhamaka (2020) that present ladies as simply eye candies or mere ‘props’ solely present to obtain sexist remarks from males. However, right here we’re going to stick with the movies of only some household drama-makers and see how their feminine characters, although they seem not associated to one another, lead comparable lives with comparable character arcs in numerous ‘cinematic universes’. So, is the multiverse idea truly true? Malayali male filmmakers experimented with the multiverse materials a long time earlier than Marvel did? Maybe, possibly not.)

    Balachandra Menon Cinematic Universe

    An all-rounder who garnered fame not simply by showcasing his expertise in numerous realms of movie manufacturing but additionally by introducing a number of recent abilities, together with Shobana, Parvathy, Maniyanpilla Raju and Karthika, within the 80s, Balachandra Menon was arguably probably the most profitable multi-talented filmmakers of his technology.

    Balachandra Menon

    However, throughout his two-decade lengthy filmmaking profession (since his directorial debut in 1978), Menon time and time once more banked on the patriarchal notions that create a ‘complete family’. As a outcome, most feminine characters within the Balachandra Menon Cinematic Universe (BMCU), although they hail from completely different socio-economic backgrounds, lead just about comparable/parallel lives and find yourself turning into the stereotypical ‘ideal Malayali wives.’ Late lyricist S Rameshan Nair, in certainly one of his songs, clearly describes the qualities of the archetype in his tune Poomukha vathilkkal sneham vidarthunna poothinkal aakunnu bharya from the 1986 film Raakkuyilin Raagasadassil.

    Most feminine characters within the BMCU begin off as daring and unapologetically themselves, possibly with a contemporary (for that interval) trend sense, however quickly fall for the main males who bodily greatest them and ‘correct’ their behaviour by way of humiliation and bodily violence.

    While it could appear that Karyam Nissaram (1983) and Chiriyo Chiri (1982) don’t have something in widespread, a easy evaluation of the character arcs of each feminine leads will show in any other case.

    Karyam Nissaram (1983)

    A glimpse on the manner the characters performed by Poornima Jayaram (Parvathi) and Swapna (Sethu) had been written underline how Menon movies celebrated the “women are/should remain inferior to men” college of thought by bringing within the age-old notion of “if women are not ‘well-behaved’, it would affect the harmony of the family”.

    Through Sethu, Menon gave validation to the idiosyncrasy of Malayali males that even self-reliant and employed ladies dream of a companion who can ‘correct’ their behaviour via modes of bodily punishment (vis-à-vis the great ol’ slaps), in case they do something flawed.

    Parvathi’s mom Amminikutty (performed by Lakshmi) had it worse. Despite the truth that her husband Unnithan (Prem Nazir) was unemployed, she too was schooled, tormented and emotionally manipulated into believing that it was flawed to be a matriarch whereas the hubby was nonetheless round; and irrespective of how the companion heckled and humiliated her, she needed to stay servile.

    In Shekhar’s (Menon’s character in Karyam Nissaram) phrases, “Women should never control or command men. However, it is always advisable that every woman has a man in their life to control and command them.”

    Achuvettante Veedu (1987), one other film from the BMCU, additionally seems to be down upon ladies who stand their floor. It is befuddling that the best way the writer-director provides a gray shade to Aswathy (performed by Rohini) is by making her unapologetic and outspoken, after the story empathised with the soft-spoken, dhavani-draped youthful model of the character for a very long time.

    In quick, most Menon household dramas reinforce that no matter how boastful, abusive, guileful and self-centred the patriarchs are, the onus of saving the household will at all times be on the ladies, who’ve to understand that they don’t have any existence with out the lads of their lives. Sobhana (performed by Shobana) from April 18, Valsala (Shanthi Krishna) from Nayam Vyakthamakkunnu, Parvathi (Annie) from Ammayane Sathyam, and Vasantha (Geetha) and Beena (Parvathy) from Kuruppinte Kanakku Pustakom have all been ‘corrected’ this manner, serving to them turn out to be ‘better women.’

    Thulasidas Cinematic Universe

    Thulasidas, although he hasn’t made as many films because the others on the listing, is one other filmmaker who created a number of superhits by repurposing the identical method.

    Most of his films present ladies as both an extension of the manic pixie dream lady (MPDG) trope or those prepared to undergo any form of struggling to dwell their lives with the protagonist males who’re fully unaware of their emotions (Nandini Raichand, performed by Jaya Bachchan, from the 2001 blockbuster Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham will be taken for instance to grasp this stereotype).

    Thulasidas

    For occasion, Ganga (performed by Meena) from Mr Brahmachari (2003) and Aswathy (Sangita) from Manthrikumaran (1998), all through the flicks, are desperately engaged in grabbing the person’s consideration. While one of many males doesn’t give two hoots in regards to the girl’s existence, the opposite marries the girl solely as a result of he thought she labored as an air-hostess.

    In each the flicks, regardless of the male characters taking the ladies’s emotions with no consideration, the latter find yourself bearing all of the brunt of the lads’s actions only for the sake of conserving the bottom of their respective households intact.

    At the identical time, Thulasidas’ Kouthuka Varthakal (1990) is a basic instance as to how the Casanova trope is usually romanticised and the insensitivity meted out to ladies by such males neglected.

    In this flick, after exhibiting a number of situations that set up the truth that Mathew Ninan Koshy (Mukesh) is a ‘player’, we’re launched to a brand new ludicrous subplot that accentuates Mathew’s ‘talent’ additional.

    In this a part of the film, Mathew’s roommate Ravi (Suresh Gopi) shamelessly locations a guess with the previous by asking him to attempt to make a lady named Ashwathy (Urvashi) fall for him, with out telling Mathew that she is his fiancée.

    Regardless that we’re proven this behaviour by the lads, the complete blame falls on Ashwathy when she tries to assist Mathew win the guess with out realizing that she is getting used as a pawn of their masculine ego battle.

    Here too, the truth that the lads behaved like full narcissists is neglected and on the finish, the duty of saving their relationship falls on Ashwathy.

    Dhosth (2001) is one other Thulasidas flick that celebrates the ‘beauty’ of bromance (absurd) by making the ladies undergo. Though faculty mates Ajith (Dileep) and Vijay (Kunchako Boban) begin off on the flawed foot, they quickly turn out to be BFFs. Meanwhile, Vijay realises that the girl he’s been stalking is Ajith’s sister Geethu (Kavya Madhavan). However, since his love is trustworthy (the filmmaker has made this beautiful clear by making him stalk her always), Geethu too falls for him. In the meantime, Vijay learns about Ajith’s different sister who eloped with certainly one of his shut pals, resulting in Ajith’s father’s dying. As Ajith narrates this as a traitorous act, Vijay, in a bid to save lots of his friendship with the previous, decides to sacrifice his love for Geethu. Neither does he talk the identical with Geethu, nor give her any rationalization as to why he’s behaving in a negligent method. Now, it’s Geethu’s duty to save lots of their relationship.

    Mr Brahmachari (2003)

    The film additionally glorifies patronising ladies and justifies (male) sibling abuse on the pretext of exhibiting additional care.

    Thulasidas’ Sooryaputhran (1998) too is a tough watch, whereby a girl is utilized by an ultra-rich man to get a child adopted and when she begins looking for materials favours in return, he instantly begins plotting methods to do away with her.

    And identical to the 2008 Bollywood hit Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi which reintroduced the “making wives realise their love for husbands by manipulating them” tactic, Thulasidas used the identical motif and created Melevaryathe Malakhakkuttikal in 2000!

    There shouldn’t be a lot to say about this film as the one factor it focuses on is that the spouse is extra subservient to her mom than in the direction of her husband which irks him. The couple’s 4 youngsters, all women, love their father a bit an excessive amount of and therefore, need their mom to cease being subservient to the grandmother and begin being submissive to their father. What makes the film much more grotesque is a plan that the male lead Sethumadhavan (performed by Balachandra Menon) hatches to make his spouse ‘realise’ that he’s significantly better than different males on the market.

    Melevaryathe Malakhakkuttikal (2000)

    As a part of this technique, Sethumadhavan arrives on the home the place his spouse and children dwell, by dressing up as his father, a sexual assaulter and Sethu’s archrival, to assist them combat towards the previous. Sethu, within the guise of the aged man, begins misbehaving with all ladies, together with his spouse, to show the aforementioned level.

    In the top, regardless of realising that it was Sethumadhavan who was residing of their home, all the ladies cheer as they learnt a worthwhile lesson: irrespective of how males attempt to cheat or violate you, if they’re doing it for the sake of defending your loved ones, do flip a blind eye to them being absolutely the worst.

    Anthikad Cinematic Universe

    The most profitable filmmaker within the listing, Sathyan Anthikad, is the creator of a number of commercially profitable movies and is well-known for his collaborations with Mohanlal and actor/author Sreenivasan.

    He too grew to become an expensive title to Malayalis by making a few of the most celebrated household dramas. However, it’s simple {that a} good variety of them are problematic, particularly by way of the portrayal of girls.

    Sathyan Anthikad

    Two films he made in the course of the late 80s – Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu (1988) and Thalayana Manthram (1990) – carried misogyny and brilliantly ‘proved’ that girls are the foundation reason for all issues that males face. Both films have since then stood as a testomony to Chandu Chekavar’s dialogue in Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, penned by veteran author M T Vasudevan Nair: “Women will see things that others don’t; [they] will curse while pretending to be frolic; smile while crying; hate while desiring…”

    Both Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu and Thalayana Manthram function the wonderful Urvashi, delivering incredible performances, like at all times, as the feminine lead. However, her characters in each films are crafty, devilishly devious and egoistic. While she performs Snehalatha, an individual who dumps her boyfriend for egocentric causes , in Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu, her character (Kanchana) in Thalayana Manthram is an avaricious girl who wrecks her husband’s household. While the feminine leads in each the flicks are proven in a gray shade, the writers conveniently whitewash the male protagonists who’re both incapable of beginning a household and fleece their companions, or are those who ignore the humiliation being confronted by the ladies from inside the household. In the top, the ladies are portrayed as those answerable for sabotaging the households.

    Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu (1988)

    In later years, Anthikad shifted to prime gear and began making flicks that spotlight the significance of sustaining familial relationships, it doesn’t matter what. Two films that depict this doctrine are Innathe Chinthavishayam (2008) and Bhagyadevatha (2009). Both the flicks handle to gaily empathise with the male protagonists although they’re clearly conniving and each works conclude that girls ought to at all times forgive their husbands, even though they’re at fault, and provides them (not one or two) however as many probabilities as doable in life, no matter how abusive they’re.

    While Innathe Chinthavishayam offers with the lives of three ladies, who saved themselves from the clutches of their husbands – one a cheater, one other a person who is totally towards his spouse main an unbiased and self-sufficient life and the third an especially possessive, jealous and insecure man – Bhagyadevatha offers with, or extra precisely tunes out the abuse related to dowry harassment.

    In each the flicks, despite exhibiting numerous circumstances from which viewers can conclude that the lads are at fault and may by no means be empathised with, the maker finds the silliest of how to reunite the survivors with their abusers, only for the sake of conserving the bases of the households intact.

    Anthikkad’s Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal (2000) additionally had the same possessive, jealous and insecure man, ruining the lifetime of his artiste spouse. However, even then the maker commiserates with the protagonist exhibiting that he’s a ‘good father’.

    Innathe Chinthavishayam (2008)

    Another certainly one of Anthikkad’s most problematic movies is Yathrakarude Sradhakku (2002). Even after Ramanujan ( Jayaram) ruined Jyothi’s wedding ceremony (late Soundarya), he was portrayed because the one with a golden coronary heart — certain, possibly for his pals. But from Jyothi’s POV, he’s somebody who hid the truth that he had emotions for her, thwarted her marriage, didn’t right/cease his good friend when the latter lied to everybody that they had been in a live-in relationship although they had been simply flat mates, precipitated her father to undergo a coronary heart assault, married her with out looking for her opinion, sneaked into her bed room, and in any case this, gaslit her into believing she’s the petty one.

    Despite all this, Anthikkad and author Sreenivasan reunites them, after Jyothi realises that her husband is an efficient particular person (how did she realise it you ask? Oh, his mom died and… that’s it).

    Rajasenan Cinematic Universe

    Most of actor Jayaram’s blockbusters had been born on this cinematic universe. And Rajasenan was, with no second thought, probably the most beloved comedy-drama makers of the 90s, along with his films having wonderful theatrical runs.

    However, most films from RCU observe the identical sample – first, the ‘humorous’ incidents taking place within the household in focus, adopted by a misunderstanding between a number of members, which within the due course of time will blow up creating main tiffs amongst them, and eventually, a decision by the use of an emotional speech by one of many central male characters within the climax.

    What connects most of those films additional is the best way ladies are portrayed in them.

    Rajasenan

    A take a look at films like Meleparambil Anveedu (1993), Aniyan Bava Chetan Bava (1995), Aadyathe Kanmani (1995), Swapna Lokathe Balabhaskaran (1996), Sreekrishnapurathe Nakshathrathilakkam (1998), Kottaram Veettile Apputtan (1998) and Darling Darling (2000) will show as to how misogynistic most Rajasenan works are and the way the maker, by plugging within the notion that fallouts between members of the family ought to be resolved irrespective of, normalised home abuse confronted by ladies.

    While Meleparambil Anveedu revolves round a gullible Tamil girl (Shobhana) who’s compelled by her husband to work as a servant (actually) at his home since he’s scared to introduce her as his partner in entrance of others, Aniyan Bava Chetan Bava tells the story of a person who woos two sisters on the similar time and make one of the best use of their emotions in the direction of him simply to make sure the protection of his job on the ladies’s home.

    Meleparambil Anveedu goes on to turn out to be extra problematic with all male members of the husband’s household, regardless of their age, attempting to court docket the girl, whereas the husband brushes all of it underneath the rug as ‘funny incidents’. In truth, these scenes from the film nonetheless evoke giggle in most Malayali households, ‘thanks’ to the wonderful performances by late Narendra Prasad, late Meena Joseph, Jagathy Sreekumar, Vijayaraghavan, Janardanan and late Paravoor Bharathan.

    On the opposite hand, Aadyathe Kanmani has a ruthless girl (performed by late KPAC Lalitha) who torments all her daughters-in-law for not having the ability to give start to a child boy. The story is not only misogynistic but additionally crosses all types of traces by joking about feminine feticide fairly a number of occasions.

    While Swapna Lokathe Balabhaskaran has one other casanova who tasks his spouse as an evil particular person for throwing tantrums at him after coming to find out about his premarital affairs which he didn’t open up to her even as soon as, Sreekrishnapurathe Nakshathrathilakkam banks on the age-old patriarchal narrative of “women are naïve, senseless and greedy”. Again, these are two different films that also evoke a whole lot of laughter amongst Malayalis.

    But, not one of the films talked about until now can match the extent of misogyny contained within the subsequent one: Rajasenan’s Njangal Santhushtaranu (1998).

    It seems the film was made simply to announce the makers’ hatred for daring ladies. The flick reeks of misogyny and sexism from tip to toe. Furthermore, the film refuses to empathise with the feminine character till it’s revealed that she is adopted. It additional reasserts all of the male chauvinistic notions akin to “a woman’s life can be considered complete if and only if she knows her mother tongue and how to cook, takes care of her in-laws, wears sanskaari dresses, obeys her husband, and so on”.

    Interestingly, this film too has a tune (Aanalla pennalla adipoli vesham) that describes how a perfect girl ought to behave, written by the identical S Rameshan Nair.

    The Multiverse and the affect it nonetheless has over Malayalam cinema

    Though it might sound unfair to contemplate all these works as a homogenous complete, it could certainly be scrutinised in that manner as all of them, in just about the identical method, have capitalised on sexism. The makers additionally extenuated the identical by slipping the flicks in as those that discuss in regards to the significance of “Parampara, Pratishtha and Anushasan.”

    What makes it even worse is the truth that a few of the most gifted ladies actors within the Malayalam trade made a reputation for themselves by enjoying such characters written irresponsibly by the lads of that interval. Since these had been the one form of characters out there for actors akin to Urvashi, Shobhana and Parvathy, all of them put their coronary heart and soul into it, making these roles timeless and ideal. In a manner, they too had been residing parallel (skilled) lives whereas being caught within the Multiverse.

    Though most of those films got here out earlier than 2008-09, the interval throughout which Malayalam cinema began witnessing a paradigm shift following the discharge of Anjali Menon’s Manjadikuru (2008; although the movie obtained its theatre launch solely in 2012) and Shyamaprasad’s Ritu (2009), these films are nonetheless extensively thought of healthful and should not typically referred to as out for propagating the problematic ‘ideal woman’ archetype.

    Mr. Marumakan (2012)

    A take a look at the household dramas that got here out after 2008 will present us that even newbies are nonetheless counting on comparable themes. In truth, although the younger audiences should not very eager on such age-old problematic narratives, the household drama viewers (on whom a whole lot of filmmakers pin their hopes even now) nonetheless make a beeline for these films.

    The acceptance that the flicks of actor Dileep (an accused in a sexual assault case) like Mayamohini (2012) and Mr. Marumakan (2012), Saji Surendran’s Happy Husbands (2010), Akku Akbar’s Veruthe Oru Bharya (2008), Jibu Jacob’s Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol (2017), and Nissam Basheer’s Kettyolaanu Ente Malakha (2019) obtained certainly factors out that the affect the Multiverse exerted may be very a lot alive.

    The Great Indian Kitchen (2021)

    However, it must be underlined that films like The Great Indian Kitchen (2021) and Kumbalangi Nights (2019), which discover the intricacies of interpersonal relationships (amongst members of the family too), are like a breath of recent air for Malayalam cinema.

    It is hoped that not less than the brand new period filmmakers break themselves free from the multiverse of misogyny’s affect and create inclusive flicks that reject benevolent sexism.

    (Images, courtesy of m3db.com)

  • Nedumudi Venu dies at 73: ‘He always astounded… had something unique to present’

    Nedumudi Venu, a gifted and versatile actor who essayed a variety of roles with a outstanding ease throughout 500-odd Malayalam movies, died after a brief sickness in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. He was 73.
    In a profession spanning 4 many years, Venu performed the roles of protagonist, villain, comic and character artist. He had a singular means to carry out the inside persona of the roles assigned to him and hold the viewers captivated by his stellar efficiency. Apart from being an actor, he was additionally a part of Kerala’s tradition as a singer, dramatist and people musician.
    He is very identified for roles through which he would don varied disguises, reminiscent of within the commercially profitable films Chithram, His Highness Abdullla, Bharatham and Thenmavin Kombathu.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Shri Nedumudi Venu was a versatile actor, who could fill life into diverse roles across many genres. He was also a prolific writer and was passionate about theatre. His passing away is a loss to the world of films and culture. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti.”
    Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan mentioned: “A blessed actor, Venu had left an indelible presence within the minds of the viewers. He liked movie and literature alike. The actor has additionally captured the minds of many in different South Indian languages too.’’
    Priyadarshan, the director of a number of blockbuster films, mentioned Venu had acted in his 33 movies. “As an actor, he has always astounded me. In every film, Venu had something unique to present before the audience. His performance was natural and he did not require much preparation to become a character,” he mentioned.

    Veteran Malayalam actor Mohanlal mentioned: “We have acted in a number of emotional moments, which Malayalam movie audiences have saved near coronary heart. With deep studying and the data gained from it, Venu had been an irreplaceable persona. I can’t even pay a proper tribute to my brother, Venu,’’ he mentioned.

  • Probe on AI Express crash at Kozhikode: Non-adherence to SOP by pilot a possible trigger

    A year-long investigation into the Air India Express accident at Kozhikode airport in August final yr has revealed non-adherence to the usual working process by the pilot-in-command because the possible reason for the aircraft crash. In addition to this, 16 components together with a “faulty” human sources coverage on the disinvestment-bound airline, poor crew useful resource administration, lack of updates for the dynamic climate adjustments and absence of “clear cut guidelines” by the aviation regulator on monitoring of lengthy landings contributed to the crash that killed 21 individuals, together with the 2 pilots.
    The Boeing 737-800 plane from Dubai to Kozhikode with 190 individuals on board on August 7 final yr overshot the tabletop runway at its vacation spot and broke into items, in what was its second try at touchdown in antagonistic climate situations. This flight was working underneath the Central authorities’s Vande Bharat Mission to repatriate Indian residents stranded overseas on account of curtailed worldwide flights on account of Covid pandemic.
    The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), in its 281-page investigation report launched on Saturday, famous that the pilot flying, who on this case was the pilot-in-command, continued an unstabilised method and landed past the landing zone, “half way down the runway”, regardless of a name by the co-pilot to ‘Go Around’ — one thing that warranted a compulsory go round. In the report, laying down the potential reason for the crash, the AAIB has additionally famous the investigation group was of the opinion that “the role of systemic failures as a contributory factor cannot be overlooked in this accident”.

    The investigation physique has issued suggestions looking for change in practices throughout 5 organisations — Air India Express, the Airports Authority of India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the Indian Meteorological and the AAIB itself.
    “A large number of similar accidents/incidents that have continued to take place, more so in AIXL (Air India Express), reinforce existing systemic failures within the aviation sector…these usually occur due to prevailing safety culture that give rise to errors, mistakes and violation of routine tasks performed by people operating within the system. Hence, the contributory factors enumerated below include both the immediate causes and the deeper or systemic causes,” it added.
    For instance, the investigators have noticed that the pilot-in-command “seemed anxious to return to Kozhikode in time and hence his actions and decisions were steered by a ‘misplaced’ motivation to land back at Kozhikode as scheduled”. This was a consequence of “faulty AIXL HR policy which does not take into account operational requirement while assigning permanent base to its Captains”, leading to unavailability of enough variety of captains at Kozhikode.
    In its suggestions, the AAIB has famous that the airline to consider the quantum of flights originating from respective bases and accordingly assign them as ‘home base’, particularly for the captains. At Kozhikode on the time of the crash, there was only one captain to 26 first officers.
    On the a part of the DGCA, the investigation group has noticed that suggestions made with regard to Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) anomalies, submit Air India Express 2010 Mangalore accident, haven’t been addressed for the final 10 years. It has really useful that the regulator revise sure laws to take away sure ambiguities. For the AAIB, the probe group really useful offering satisfactory manpower on the investigation physique, whereas for the AAI, it recommended a number of coaching measures and implementing radar upgrades to supply higher steerage for pilots in antagonistic climate situations.

    For the IMD, the report famous that the tower met officer (TMO), was not current on the ATC tower on the time of the accident, regardless of the climate situations mandating the officer’s presence there. “It is recommended that the presence of TMO be ensured in the tower along with DATCO (duty air traffic controller), especially during dynamic weather situations,” it stated.

  • Kerala information sharp Covid spike with over 23,000 recent instances, TPR at 11.87%

    Kerala on Tuesday reported 23,676 recent Covid-19 instances, pushing the full an infection depend to 34.49 lakh. With 148 extra deaths, the toll as a result of an infection within the state rose to 17,103. The state authorities mentioned that the check positivity charge (TPR) is at 11.87 per cent now.
    A day earlier, the state had reported 13,984 instances after recording greater than 20,000 instances for six consecutive days. But the variety of recent instances rose sharply as soon as once more on Tuesday.
    Some of the worst affected districts within the state are Malappuram with 4276 infections, Thrissur 2908, Ernakulam 2702, Kozhikode 2416, Palakkad 2223, Kollam 1836, Alappuzha 1261, Kottayam 1241, Kannur 1180 and Trivandrum 1133.
    Earlier within the day, the Union Health Ministry mentioned that out of the full instances reported within the nation within the final week, 49.85 per cent had been reported from Kerala. It additionally mentioned that Kerala was one of many eight states the place reproductive quantity, an indicator of how briskly the Covid-19 pandemic is spreading, is greater than 1.

    An R-value above 1 means multiple individual is being contaminated, on a mean, by an already-infected individual, and that results in a surge in instances.
    People queue up at a Covid-19 vaccination centre in Kochi (File/PTI)
    “There are 18 districts, including 10 districts of Kerala where an increasing trend in cases is seen,” Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, mentioned throughout the briefing.
    A central high-level multi-disciplinary crew visiting Kerala had earlier concluded that the state’s Covid-19 surge has been triggered by insufficient monitoring of coronavirus-positive people in house isolation due to pandemic fatigue.
    Kerala has been an outlier as Covid case numbers have stubbornly refused to come back down within the state, at the same time as nearly your entire nation has seen infections abate dramatically after the second wave of April-May.

    Given this case, the Centre on July 29 despatched a six-member crew headed by Dr Sujeet Singh, director of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to Kerala, to take inventory of the state of affairs and advocate vital public well being interventions.
    State-level serosurvey knowledge launched by the federal government had proven that solely 44 per cent of Kerala’s inhabitants above the age of six years had thus far been contaminated by the coronavirus, towards the nationwide common of over 67 per cent.

    This, in impact, implies that a a lot bigger proportion of the inhabitants within the state continues to be prone to the illness in comparison with many different states. Also, the quantity might, a minimum of partially, clarify why Kerala is continuous to report a excessive variety of instances.
    (With PTI inputs)

  • Six-member Central staff to go to Kerala as we speak amid rise in Covid circumstances

    Amid a surge in Covid-19 circumstances in Kerala, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has determined to depute a six-member high-level multi-disciplinary staff to the state to “collaborate” with the state’s well being authorities for administration of the outbreak.
    The Central staff to Kerala is headed by Dr S Ok Singh, Director, National Centre for Disease Control, the ministry stated in a press release. It will attain the state on Friday and go to just a few districts, it stated.
    Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted, “The team will aid state’s ongoing efforts in #COVID19 management.”
    Kerala reported over 22,000 coronavirus circumstances for the third day in a row — it logged 22,064 new circumstances and 128 deaths on Thursday — taking the caseload to 33,49,365 and the toll to 16,585.
    Meanwhile, the BJP and the state’s ruling CPI(M) traded barbs over the scenario, with the previous blaming “politics of appeasement” for the rise in circumstances in Kerala and criticising the state authorities for stress-free curbs.
    “The Kerala government has tried to utilise this pandemic for political benefits and that’s the whole purpose of these relaxations. In fact, there was fake propaganda right from the beginning of the pandemic when the state government claimed that they have contained the Covid-19 due to their effective management,” Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan instructed Republic TV on Thursday.

    “How some irresponsible politicians puts country at risk of COVID19 3rd wave, even as narendramodi govt has worked so hard to defeat Covid19SecondWave,” Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar tweeted.
    BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra on Wednesday blamed “Eid relaxations” for the rise in circumstances, whereas BJP chief Amit Malviya stated the Muslim-majority Malappuram district clocked over 4,000 circumstances in a day.

    Hitting again on the BJP, senior CPI(M) chief and former Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac urged the Centre to offer extra vaccines to Kerala than “free advice”. He stated Kerala has the bottom seroprevalence of 44 per cent, and MP the best at 79 per cent. “It implies that Kerala has managed Covid better. Its multiple of seroprevalence to reported case load is also lowest. Therefore present spike in case load is due to failure of Centre in providing sufficient vaccine,” he stated.
    “Kerala with an active case load of 1.54 lakh is contributing 37.1 per cent of the total active cases in the country, with a growth rate of 1.41 in the last seven days. Average daily cases being reported in the state are above 17,443,” the ministry stated.

  • Opposition ups ante towards Kerala minister V Sivankutty, calls for his ouster

    The Opposition Congress-led UDF and BJP stepped up the demand for the resignation of Kerala’s common schooling minister V Sivankutty, one of many six individuals ordered to face a trial by the Supreme Court within the 2015 Kerala Assembly ruckus case.
    “The UDF asks general education minister V Sivankutty to step down. A man who led from the front to damage Assembly property functioning as a minister in the same Assembly does not bode well for this House. Legally and morally, it does not stand. If he does not resign, the chief minister must ask for his resignation,” mentioned Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan.

    “In keeping with the democratic spirit, V Sivankutty must resign. The chief minister, who allowed the misuse of government funds, is also a culprit. He must think about his morals. He must remember that it’s the state’s funds and money that was misused,” mentioned Ok Sudhakaran, president of the state Congress unit.
    BJP state chief Ok Surendran added, “This is a heavy blow to the state government. The attempts of the Pinarayi Vijayan government to shield the accused in the criminal case by spending money from the treasury have failed miserably. The accused include a minister and MLAs. As the main accused in the case, V Sivankutty has lost the moral and legal right to continue in the cabinet.”
    The SC bench of justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah Wednesday dismissed appeals filed by the Kerala authorities for the withdrawal of felony circumstances towards then LDF MLAs in reference to the ruckus contained in the Assembly in March 2015 through the finances presentation of the then UDF authorities.
    The high court docket dominated that the correct to free speech and privileges of lawmakers don’t prolong them immunity towards felony regulation. It mentioned that destruction of public property can’t be equated to an train important to discharge of capabilities as members of the House.

    On March 13, 2015, a number of LDF MLAs, then in Opposition, had gone on a rampage contained in the Kerala Assembly making an attempt to disrupt the presentation of the finances by then finance minister late Ok M Mani, who was dealing with allegations of corruption on the time. Visuals confirmed the MLAs, together with CPM’s Sivankutty, E P Jayarajan, Ok T Jaleel, Ok Kunjahammed, C Ok Sadasivan and CPI’s Ok Ajith, tearing microphones, hurling and tossing the Speaker’s chair from the dais and destroying digital gear akin to computer systems and keyboards. The high court docket has now requested the six of them to face trial within the case.

  • 4 arrested for mortgage rip-off in Kerala co-operative financial institution

    KERALA POLICE’S financial offences wing on Sunday arrested 4 functionaries of a CPI(M)-controlled co-operative financial institution in Thrissur district, the place a mortgage rip-off of a minimum of Rs 104 crore was detected final week.
    The arrested embrace the secretary, supervisor, chief accountant and a fee agent of Karuvannur Co-operative Bank.
    The police additionally carried out searches on the premises of these arrested in addition to at properties of two absconding workers of the Karuvannur-based financial institution, and seized paperwork pertaining to the unlawful loans. All the accused are CPI (M) members, who had been sacked from the occasion after the rip-off was unearthed on July 19.
    The opposition Congress and BJP, which have focused the ruling occasion within the state over the problem, have alleged that the mortgage rip-off is to the tune of Rs 300 crore. State Cooperation Minister V N Vasavan, nevertheless, stated that an inside inquiry has revealed monetary fraud of Rs 104.37 crore.
    The authorities has additionally dissolved the financial institution’s governing physique, run by CPI(M) for the previous 40 years, and introduced it beneath the administrator.
    Vasavan stated there was no lapse on the a part of the federal government. “When the anomalies came to notice, we suspended the officials concerned and ordered a probe. Civil and criminal proceedings have been initiated. We have nothing to hide,” he stated.
    According to the minister, the accused diverted the loans to accounts created in faux addresses and manipulations within the banking software program. Those behind the fraud could be dropped at e book, he stated.
    The accused financial institution functionaries allegedly siphoned off crores of rupees to some firms, together with two tourism ventures, which did not take off in the course of the lockdown. The accused had been themselves promoters of the tasks.

    In one occasion, sources stated, greater than 100 mortgage accounts had been allegedly created beneath fictitious names and Rs 50 lakh every had been credited to the accounts. It is suspected that accused financial institution workers cast the addresses and paperwork to pocket Rs 50 crore on this method. Many every day wage employees, who had utilized for financial institution loans, by no means received the quantity credited of their accounts, however received restoration notices for defaulting on mortgage reimbursement.
    In such dealings, the financial institution didn’t go for any collateral, the sources stated.
    In some instances, loans had been sanctioned to even those that had not utilized for it. The ceiling on loans on the cooperative financial institution was flouted to allot large quantities to benami accounts of the financial institution officers and native CPI(M) leaders, it’s alleged.

    BJP state secretary N Nagesh stated the financial institution allotted large loans illegally with out guaranteeing collateral safety. “There were middlemen at the bank to facilitate loans. For huge loans, these middlemen pocketed 10 per cent of the amount as commission. Persons who never applied for loans have been allotted Rs 50 lakh each. The bank officials created fake addresses and accounts to loot the money,” he alleged.
    According to knowledge out there, the cooperative financial institution has a deposit of Rs 358 crore and a credit score of Rs 320 crore. A CPI(M) department committee member, Okay Okay Divakaran, has been the financial institution president for the previous 10 years.

  • Transwoman activist, first from her neighborhood to file nomination for polls, discovered useless in Kerala

    A transwoman activist in Kerala, who was the primary from her neighborhood to file nomination papers as a candidate forward of the Assembly elections not too long ago held within the state, was discovered useless in an condo in Kochi on Tuesday. She is suspected to have died by suicide, police stated.
    Anannyah Kumari Alex, 28, was a celeb make-up artist, radio jockey and stage present anchor.
    In the Assembly elections in April this yr, the transwoman had filed nomination papers as a candidate for the Democratic Social Justice Party (DSJP) from the Vengara constituency in Malappuram district.
    However, she had suspended her election marketing campaign earlier than the day of polling alleging that she was being harassed by and receiving loss of life threats from leaders of her personal social gathering. With the final day for withdrawal of nominations being over by then, she publicly issued an attraction asking individuals to not vote for the DSJP.

    Anannyah had not too long ago raised allegations of negligence towards a physician who had carried out a sex-reassignment surgical procedure on her final yr. She had complained that even after a yr of the surgical procedure being completed, she was unable to work as a result of extreme bodily ache. She was additionally reportedly underneath monetary stress.