Category: Kerala

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Kerala UK News

Kerala-born priest becomes England’s youngest bishop

‘‘I sensed the call to live and work in England. And now, Loughborough feels like home. Our experience is that Leicestershire people are so welcoming,” he said…reports Asian Lite News

An India-born vicar, who grew up in a leprosy hospital in Bangalore where his mother was a nurse, has been consecrated as Bishop in the Church of England with a staff, or crozier, made of Indian rosewood.

The Right Reverend Malayil Lukose Varghese Muthalaly, known as Saju, aged 42 became one of the youngest Bishops when he was consecrated during a Eucharist service at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London by the Archbishop of Canterbury on Tuesday.

“I have been preparing for this service very much aware of what a great privilege it is that people around the world are praying for this moment. There is a very strong sense of the wider church affirming this calling,” said Rt. Rev. Saju.

Two of his four children, Zipp and Abraham, joined him for prayers during the service this week.

While he has started work towards his new role, he will be formally installed and known as Bishop of Loughborough only after a Welcome Service with guests and representatives of the diocese at Brockington Church of England Academy in Enderby, Leicestershire, on February 5.

The service in London marked the feast day of the conversion of St. Paul the apostle, and an insightful sermon was preached on that topic by Dr Selina Stone, tutor and lecturer in theology at St. Mellitus College.

“I absolutely loved the service… There were so many people there cheering you on from here in Leicestershire and from Dubai, from India and other parts of the world,” Rev. Saju told the BBC.

Rev. Saju has previously spoken about how he was born in India and spent the first half of his life there, around the beautiful backwaters of Kerala and then Bangalore. He has spent the last 21 years in England, where he arrived during a gap year and fell in love with Katy, now his wife.

“I sensed the call to live and work in England. And now, Loughborough feels like home. Our experience is that Leicestershire people are so welcoming,” he said.

On his priorities for his new role in the East Midlands region, the reverend added: “The first year I want to just spend time with as many people as I can. I am a stranger to this place, there’s a lot to learn and a lot to listen to.” He also revealed his early to bed, early to rise routine, which includes lots of reading and reflecting. With his four young children, aged between eight and 12, he enjoys playing cricket, which he believes is among the most beautiful contributions the English have made to the world.

As a sporty person, he also enjoys running and has completed a few marathons.

Saju, whose appointment as Bishop in the Church of England was approved by Queen Elizabeth II in November last year, was educated at the Southern Asia Bible College in Bangalore, and trained for the ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He served his title at St. Thomas’, Lancaster, in the Diocese of Blackburn and was ordained Priest in the Church of England in 2009.

Previously, Saju was appointed Associate Vicar at St. Thomas’, Kendal, and St. Catherine’s, Crook, in the Diocese of Carlisle, north-west England, in 2011. He has served at St. Mark’s, Gillingham and St Mary’s Island in the Diocese of Rochester since 2015 – initially as Priest-in-Charge, before being appointed Vicar in 2019.

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Kerala

Kerala minister unfurls flag upside down on R-Day

In Kerala, at the 13 district headquarters, various State cabinet Ministers took the salute, while in the capital city it was done by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan…reports Asian Lite News

In a goof-up, State Ports Minister Ahamed Devarkovil unfurled the Indian tricolour upside down during a Republic Day programme on Wednesday.

The mediapersons pointed out the lapse before the officials, which included high ranking district authorities, could notice.

Soon, it was set right.

Of the 14 districts in the state, Kasargod is the northern most bordering Karnataka.

In Kerala, at the 13 district headquarters, various State cabinet Ministers took the salute, while in the capital city it was done by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.

Celebrations across the state was conducted amid Covid protocols.

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Categories
India News Kerala

Is Vijayan eyeing the CPI-M general secretary post?

The 76-year-old Vijayan by now has re-written quite a few unwritten laws in his party and this has taken place on account of his iron grip over the party that he has today….reports Asian Lite News

With the West Bengal unit of the CPI-M literally wound up and at Tripura also things appear not that rosy, Kerala is the only state where they reign supreme and ever since Pinarayi Vijayan assumed office as Chief Minister in 2016, has become the undisputed word in his party and hence the talk — is he eyeing the post of general secretary?

The 76-year-old Vijayan by now has re-written quite a few unwritten laws in his party and this has taken place on account of his iron grip over the party that he has today.

This, however did not come overnight, instead he built it brick by brick when he was the state secretary in Kerala for the longest term which ended after 17 years at the top in 2015.

And when he laid down office as the state secretary, practically every known leader in the party became his ardent fan and when he took over as Chief Minister in 2016, even though the assembly election was de-facto led by his arch rival V.S. Achuthanandan, in a fine stroke with the help of the national unit of the party, he took over as Chief Minister.

CPIM Pic credits ANI

A media critic on condition of anonymity said the biggest makeover in the Kerala unit of the party that he has undertaken is, till V.S. Achuthanandan was the chief minister (2006-2011), it was the CPI-M state secretary who always reigned supreme and when Vijayan took over as chief minister in 2016, he became the last word, with the state secretary becoming just a figurative head.

“To speculate, if he will take over as the general secretary at the moment is a bit premature. The Party Congress is scheduled to be held at his home turf Kannur in April this year. The present incumbent Sitaram Yechuri technically can continue for another 3-year term. There is no doubt that Vijayan today is the last word in the party. With the party’ state conference to be held at Ernakulam next month, already murmurs have begun at some of the recently held district party meetings, if Vijayan is eyeing the post of the general secretary,” said the critic who did not wish to be identified.

Vijayan presently is in the US and admitted to the Mayo Clinic, seeking medical treatment for an undisclosed ailment and is scheduled to return on January 29.

Why the tongues have started wagging is because the Party Congress which elects the new general secretary is being held at Kannur and moreover his second term as Chief Minister began in May last year and it has by now had a bumpy ride and one will have to wait for a while, if the speculation is to be a reality, or otherwise.

“But, do not forget, a lot of conventions in the CPI-M in recent times have been thrown out of the window,” added the critic.

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COVID-19 Kerala UAE News

Kerala diaspora to protest against new quarantine rules


According to new rules, passengers from the UAE have to carry a fresh RT-PCR test report even if they have taken booster shots….reports Asian Lite News

A Kerala diaspora organisation in the UAE will stage a day-long protest before the state Secretariat here on Saturday against the manner in which passsengers from the Gulf country are being treated by both the Centre and state with all arriving international passengers being asked to undergo a week’s compulsory quarantine.

INCAS Youth Wing is angry because those who arrive especially from the UAE are those who have taken even the booster dose of the vaccines besides they have to carry a fresh RT-PCR test report too.

Kerala

“Look what’s happening here, party meetings are being held throwing all Covid protocols to the wind and the irresponsible handling of the Health Department has led to the Covid spread and the hapless diaspora is being taken to task… this is nothing but declaring war on the diaspora, who often at good times are being referred to as the backbone of the state,” said a protester.

“It’s strange and rather unfortunate that whenever there is a spike in cases, the diaspora is the first to be taxed and this is done by the respective governments to just show some action has been taken to tackle Covid. We want this indifference shown towards us to end and hence we are expressing our displeasure by staging a protest here,” added an office-bearers of the organisation.

Kerala in the past few days has seen a massive daily increase of fresh Covid cases.

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-Top News Kerala Science

Senior scientist from Kerala is new ISRO chief

The previous Malayalees who have held the top post are K. Kasturirangan, G. Madhavan Nair, and K. Radhakrishnan…reports Asian Lite News

Scientist S. Somanath is all set to take over as the new Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), succeeding K. Sivan.

Somanath, who is currently Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in the Kerala state capital, will be fourth Keralite to occupy the topmost post in the Indian space sector.

The previous Malayalees who have held the top post are K. Kasturirangan, G. Madhavan Nair, and K. Radhakrishnan.

Sivan was given a year’s extension and his term is set to end very soon and Somnath’s name was cleared for the top office way back in 2019 itself, by virtue of his seniority in the ISRO hierarchy.

Somanath completed his Pre Degree from the Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam and did mechanical engineering from the TKM College of Engineering, Kollam, near here and in 1985 joined the VSSC centre here and has had no reason to look back after that.

He later did his Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore with specialisation in Dynamics and Control.

At the ISRO, he has been associated with the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) Project during its initial phase.

Later he became the Associate Director (Projects) of the VSSC and also the Project Director of the GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle in 2010. He was also the Deputy Director of Propulsion and Space Ordinance Entity till November 2014.

In June 2015, he took over as Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at Valiamala, Thiruvananthapuram, and served there until January 2018.

Somanath then took over as Director of VSSC from Sivan who became Chairman of the ISRO and now he is all set to succeed him in the top post too.

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Categories
Kerala Sport Sports

‘Meet the Champions’ initiative kicked off in Kerala

The World Championships silver medalist also gave his valuable advice to students on love and passion for the sport, following a disciplined life, and having a ‘Santulit Aahaar’ (Balanced Diet)…reports Asian Lite News

Tokyo Paralympics bronze medallist Sharad Kumar on Friday kicked off Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Meet the Champions’ initiative by visiting Kerala’s Cotton Hill Government Girls Higher Secondary School, here.

Besides members of the host school, student representatives of 75 schools from various districts of Kerala also got the opportunity to attend the event and interact with the high jumper.

Talking about his personal experience with various sports Sharad said, “I for sure didn’t know that High Jump was going to make it so good to me, I chose it because High-Jump called me. I was playing cricket, football, and Table Tennis, I gave myself openly to the sport and never said I am only good in football or cricket and thus will not play this sport.”

“I saw how every game had an impact; chess made me mentally strong, football gave me agility and the High Jump told me what Physics and Science is. I did sports as I loved it and didn’t make a compulsion out of it,” he added.

The World Championships silver medalist also gave his valuable advice to students on love and passion for the sport, following a disciplined life, and having a ‘Santulit Aahaar’ (Balanced Diet).

“The only shortcut to a good and successful life is eating on time, sleeping, the following discipline, and not leaving things halfway,” he said.

“Food doesn’t need to be expensive to give you nutrients, even inexpensive food items can give you the nutrients you require. So have every food item, big or small, expensive or inexpensive, just check it has the nutritional content that you require,” he added.

Sharad, who is a Sports Authority of India (SAI) coach, also went on to give young upcoming athletes tips on being a better high jumper and also showed his own skills in the game of table tennis.

Notably, ‘Meet the Champions’ initiative is part of the government’s ‘Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ that was kicked off by Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra in December, last year and then taken ahead by bronze medalist Bajrang Punia and sailors Varun Thakkar and KC Ganapathy in the coming weeks.

During their visit, the Olympians share their own experiences, life lessons, tips on how to eat right and also give an overall inspirational boost to school children.

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Kerala

Kerala CM to leave for US for medical treatment

Vijayan is being accompanied by his wife and his personal assistant and would return on January 29….reports Asian Lite News

Time and again especially when the Left rules Kerala, there is always a talk on the excellent health system that the state has, but when it comes to taking treatment, their leaders make a beeline to the West and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is all set to leave for the US for expert medical treatment on January 15.

Vijayan is being accompanied by his wife and his personal assistant and would return on January 29.

Vijayan’s predecessors V.S. Achuthanandan and E.K. Nayanar also used to frequent to the western countries for medical care facilities, whenever they needed medical attention.

The state government like in the past is meeting the expenses as always.

Prior to the Covid pandemic began, Vijayan was in the US for receiving medical attention.

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Arts & Culture Kerala

Temple Seeks Aid To Tide Over Financial Crisis

A top person in the family spoke on condition of anonymity that things are not that rosy ever since the Covid pandemic struck…reports Asian Lite News.

The famed Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple located in the heart of the capital city might be the world’s richest temple with an asset base worth over Rs one lakh crore, mostly in gold, silver and diamonds, but the fact of the matter is it has sought help of the Kerala Government for a soft loan to tide over its financial difficulties.

Padmanabhaswamy is the tutelary deity of the royal family of Travancore. The titular Maharaja of Travancore, Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma, is the trustee of the temple.

A top person in the family spoke on condition of anonymity that things are not that rosy ever since the Covid pandemic struck.

“There has been a slide in the temple earnings and a sum of Rs 2 crore has been sanctioned by the State government and it is a loan and has to be given back in an year’s time,” said the top source.

The temple has around 200 employees both permanent and temporary and a sizeable number who are paid pension.

“Approximately the temple has a monthly expenses of around Rs one crore and generally till the pandemic struck, the temple was able to break even, but after the pandemic, things have gone hay wire and hence the temple had to approach the state government for a loan,” added the source who did not wish to be identified.

Since 2011, when an apex court committee stumbled upon six vaults in the temple and with just vault B left yet to be opened, the treasure that has been found in the five vaults has been estimated to be worth over Rs one lakh crore and after that this temple has now become the centre of attraction for many.

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-Top News India News Kerala

Satheesan Unveils Plan For Kerala’s Progress

Neither economic nor social disparities should come in the way of individuals to pursue their dreams. Equal opportunities, freedom and the space for all to live with self-respect and in harmony should be our aim…writes V.D Satheesan.

It is the Opposition’s responsibility to be the voice of the people of Kerala.

It is also our primary duty to work for the welfare of the people and the development of the state.

We have a clear view on how our state should go forward in the coming years and it includes the need for sustainable development, equitable distribution of welfare measures and transparent and democratic public space where any citizens can voice their opinion.

We will strive to be, in theory and practice, pro-minorities, pro-women, pro-SC&ST communities, pro- LGBT and pro-environment.

The weaker sections need to be further assisted to establish their space in the mainstream.

Neither economic nor social disparities should come in the way of individuals pursuing their dreams. Equal opportunities, freedom and the space for all to live with self-respect and in harmony should be our aim.

Kerala has remarkable achievements in the social indices among the states of India. But we need to further our efforts to establish a socialistic, democratic society.

The first aim should be to wipe out poverty from our state.

The recurring, poverty-malnutrition triggered deaths in Attapady are shocking reminders that pockets of severe deprivation are still around in Kerala.

We need a totally inclusive, focused effort to wipe out poverty. Seamless distribution of food, medicines and other support mechanisms should be ensured.

Then comes the special rights of the tribal and coastal communities. Their land should be protected, their rights over natural resources should be ensured.

Somewhere along the way, Kerala’s development initiatives lost track of the coastal people and the Adivasis.

Ockhi in Kerala (Rep Image :ANI)

There have to be stronger enactments to protect these sections in our society. We also need special welfare missions for them.

Sustainable and climate-resilient development is the only way in front of Kerala.

Ever since the 2017 Ockhi cyclone, the State has been experiencing floods, landslides, cyclones etc.

Long rainy seasons have posed very serious questions about our agriculture calendar. Dam safety has become a major concern. Maintenance of our infrastructure facilities is another issue. So where do we go from here?

Carbon neutral development initiatives alone can tackle climate change in the long run. But for the short term, we need to look at issues which are of utmost importance. How will we rebuild the fast-eroding coastline? How can Kuttanad be saved?

The Opposition will not only try to keep these issues in the public eye but also get solutions from experts and local communities and channelise help.

We want to construct a Kerala which will be safe, equality-based and open-minded. Women, children, LGBT community and young people should feel safe and hopeful here. They all have to live, work and come up in life.

Our age-old prejudices have to go.

Respecting an individual’s freedom should be put in prominence. Attacks against women are increasing, horrifying crimes are happening all around. Social media spaces are becoming human rights violation zones.

Kerala’s opposition will work with civil society and enforcement agencies and individual initiatives to make the state a better place for women and children.

Indian Navy join the rescue and relief mission at flood-hit villages in Kerala

The LGBT community needs special protection, care and support systems. We believe in giving them legal, medical and social protection to come up in life and be in the mainstream.

A developed society is one that accepts plurality and freedom. Different voices, opposing stands will have to find space in our public arena.

The Left Government’s stand to brand anyone with a different view as a terrorist and to impose the draconian UAPA on individuals are most despicable.

This state cannot become Stalin’s Russia or Mao’s China.

In an era in which religion, caste, creed, etc., are dominating the political space of the country, defending one another’s freedom, free speech and choices itself is a political activity.

Congress and the UDF are committed to this. We believe that the Legislature is one of the most important places where people’s issues should be discussed, serious debates should be carried out.

We are proud to say that issues from the government’s attempt to keep Covid death numbers under the carpet to IPCC Report on climate change, Kerala’s opposition brought in the most important issues to the floor of the Assembly.

We will act as a constructive opposition keeping in view Kerala’s welfare in focus.

We want to make Kerala Assembly a model for the rest of the country by engaging in serious, relevant and democratic discussions and debates.

To sum up, the Opposition in Kerala will always be committed to the welfare and betterment of our state and act with conviction and honesty.

(V.D. Satheesan is the Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly and a five-time Congress MLA from the Paravur Assembly constituency in Ernakulam district. The views are personal)

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India News Kerala STARTUPS News

Kerala looks forward to 2022 with startup ambitions

Telugu NRIs to Invest In Indian Startups

However, the Left Front that has wrested many seats from the Congress and UDF in the recent bypoll is hoping that it would wrest Trikkakara from the Congress as well…reports Asian Lite News.

Kerala, which faced back-to-back floods, landslides, Covid, Nipah virus, and Ockhi cyclone since 2018, is having high hopes from 2022 as several projects are lined up and youngsters in large numbers are entering into start-up ventures.

After Congress leader and sitting legislator P.T. Thomas passed away on December 22, 2021, battling cancer at CMC Vellore, Trikkakara assembly seat is lying vacant.

The first major challenge for the political class will be an election on this Congress turf. The election has to be held before June 2022 and many senior Congress leaders are eyeing the seat. Uma, wife of Thomas is also a probable candidate for the election.

P T Thomas

However, the Left Front that has wrested many seats from the Congress and UDF in the recent bypoll is hoping that it would wrest Trikkakara from the Congress as well.

Given the huge mass participation at the funeral of Thomas, Congress has high hopes of retaining the seat while Left Front led by CPI (Marxist) is hoping that in the absence of Thomas, it has a chance to win the seat.

Another major political development in the offing in Kerala is end of the Rajya Sabha term of senior Congress leader and former defence minister A.K. Antony.

Antony’s term will come to an end in April 2022 and given the present strength in the assembly, of the three vacancies, LDF can win two and UDF one seat. While Antony has openly said in several interactions that he will not seek re-election and will settle in Kerala.

Political analyst Roy Mathew, while speaking to IANS said: “You can’t predict what is in the mind of a leader like A.K. Antony who can spring a surprise by seeking a re-election and if he throws his hat in the ring, that means he is the candidate and we can’t rule out that possibility.”

Tourism in Kerala is expected to get a boost under the leadership of Minister for Tourism Mohammed Riyas, who is also the son-in-law of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Riyas, who is in-charge of PWD, has thrown open the rooms of PWD rest houses to the general public at a nominal rate, thus earning revenue.

Riyas has already issued a new project ‘Caravan Tourism which is expected to grab a special place in the global tourism map like the house boat tourism that had brought laurels to the state.

The state is also planning film tourism by promoting certain spots that had become popular after being depicted in Bollywood movies like Athirapally waterfalls, Bekal fort, Kovalam lighthouse, Munnar, and other destinations. In effect, Kerala is trying to piggy-ride on the popularity of movies to lure domestic tourists in large numbers through the season.

The FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place in Qatar from November 21 to December 18 and the soccer-crazy population of the state has already booked tickets to see a live performance of legends like Leonel Messy, Napier, and other greats of the football world.

With a huge expatriate population of Malayalees in the Middle East, this World Cup would probably be the first with a predominant Keralite population in the galleries.

The major controversy plaguing the state is the Semi High-speed rail or K-rail that has become a bone of contention between the ruling class and the opposition with the BJP that is ruling the Central government also opposing the project.

With a proposal of more than 1,00,000 crore project, the naysayers are of the opinion that this project would be a white elephant meant only to make fast bucks by the ruling class.

The greens also opposed the project, saying that it would lead to more destruction of wetlands and boring of hills will lead to a further imbalance of the fragile ecosystem of the state. They have advanced apprehensions that this would lead to landslips in the future.

The flagship project of Vizhinjam International Container Transshipment Terminal will not be commissioned in 2022 as the Adani ports have requested the state government for more time and will be commissioned in early 2023 while almost all the remaining work will be completed by 2022. The first international vessel is expected to reach the transhipment project on March 23, 2023.

The first All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is likely to commence construction at Kinalur in Kozhikode and the Wayanad Government Medical college is also expected to kickstart construction in 2022 in the hill district of Kerala with a predominantly tribal population and lacking health infrastructure.

Information Technology has been a driving force for the highly educated state since the mid-1990s and the state is planning more technoparks in both the government and private sectors to increase production.

Interestingly, pandemic period also witnessed huge growth in the IT sector while all the other sectors had taken a back seat and this exactly is the reason why the government is keen to promote the sector.

The Thiruvananthapuram Technopark, the first park in the country is in an expansion mode and the Phase III of the park is likely to be completed in November 2022 with almost all the space already being filled before the work is completed.

TCS, Tech Mahindra, and IBM are also setting up major infrastructure in the state by the end of 2022.

Thar SUV (Photo: @Mahindra_Thar /Twitter)

Agriculture sector that has been on a backburner in state is looking up with several Farm Producer Cooperatives coming up in all areas of the state with the support of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), and many of these Farm cooperatives are involved in making value-added products from tapioca, banana and jack fruit and is earning export revenue.

The Balaramapuram handloom which has been a traditional weaving cluster of the state is also looking up with the Hollywood fashion designer Sanjana John making a documentary and promising the weavers that she would display their product at the Oscar award-winning function. Union Minister of State for External affairs V. Muraleedharan, who hails from Kerala, had taken the initiative in this regard.

While Covid and its new variant Omicron are a cause of worry to the people and the authorities, the state is well poised to move ahead with more vaccinations to older people and children alike.

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