Kerala News Archive: April 2010

`Sura' releases in Kerala

Friday, April 30, 2010 | AA
The deadlock over the decision by Producers Association and Distribution Association not to produce or release films in Kerala, Tamil star Vijay's golden jubilee film `Sura' gets a grand release in Kerala today. Sun Pictures, the producers of ' Sura' and the Kerala distributors of the film Thamins neglected the warning that siege would be imposed on such agencies who take initiative to release picture in Kerala. They have decided to go ahead and released the film along with the rest of the world.
Following the decision Distribution Association convened a meeting on Thursday in Kochi and suspended Thamins Release Company owner Shibu. Distributors Association President Siyad Kokker declared that in future Thamins will not be listed to release Malayalam films. Meantime, three Malayalam films, `Alexander the Great' of Mohanlal, `Pokkiriraja' of Mammooty and `Katha Thudarunnu' of Jayaram, were due for release on April 30 has been postponed. To worsen the situation Producers Association has served a letter to the lab which processed `Pokkiriraja', not to release prints, on Thursday.

Kerala IT floats global RFPs to build Kochi Infopark-II

Friday, April 30, 2010 | AA
Kochi, April 30 (IANS) Kerala IT, a state government initiative, has floated request of proposals (RFPs) from renowned planners of IT parks to undertake master planning of the second phase of Infopark Kochi.

The Infopark phase-II would have a built up space of approximately eight million square feet and, when completed, would provide 80,000 new jobs.

"We are inviting RFPs from consultants of international repute to build Phase-II of Infopark as a facility at par with any facility globally. Like past projects, Infopark will act as a single point developer of basic infrastructure facilities. The work will commence after July 2010," said Infopark CEO Siddhartha Bhattacharya.

Infopark Kochi is already home to over 10,000 professionals working in world class companies like Wipro, Tata Consultancy Services, ACS, US Technologies, IBS, Arbitron, Zerone Consulting, NHR Outsourcing, SIT Mobile and Alcatel Lucent.

According to Ajay Kumar, principal secretary, IT, Infopark Kochi Phase-II has generated a great deal of interest among a large cross-section of the IT industry.

"With the RFPs floated for phase-II expansion, we hope to see some good internationally reputable firms associating with us to establish a world-class campus in Kochi for global IT/ITES companies," said Kumar.

Kerala IT is a government initiative offering single-window clearance to IT companies, professionals, investors, developers and service providers.

Youths still missing at sea, families distraught

Friday, April 30, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 30 (IANS) Three different families from Kerala have been running from pillar to post for over a year because their sons, all into their first jobs in the shipping industry, went missing just a few weeks after joining. Till date they have no clue of what happened.

The relatives of Sanaj Gangadharan, 26, Febin James, 23, and Pradeep Raj, 26, are knocking on all possible doors - right from those of their local legislator to those of senior ministers in the state and the central government - and have also written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for help.

C.V. Gangadharan, Sanaj's father who is based in Kozhikode, is distraught. His son had joined a Kolkata-based steam ship company as fourth engineer Feb 27, 2009. But on March 9 that year, Gangadharan received news that Sanaj had gone missing a day before - shortly before his ship reached the shores of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

"Last April, another son and I reached Visakhapatnam when we heard that the ship on which my son worked had come there. The manner in which the shipping company and the local police behaved irked us and the first thing we did when we returned was to file a habeas corpus petition," Gangadharan told IANS.

"It's been a year now. In February this year, when the case came up, the court asked the Indian embassy in the UAE to send a report in 45 days based on the investigation done by Fujairah Police. The period is over and no report has yet come," he said.

Gangadharan has taken up the issue with Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, who sent a detailed letter to the prime minister Jan 1 this year explaining all the three cases and asked for his intervention.

The case of 23-year-old Febin James is no different. Hailing from Alappuzha district, Febin received training as a cadet and joined a Panama-registered container vessel after being recruited by a Mumbai-based shipping agency.

He went on his first voyage April 10 last year and the ship from Mumbai was bound for Singapore. But on April 14, Febin was reported to be missing.

Speaking to IANS, his father J.K. James said Febin's dream was to serve the country but when he failed to get through to the armed forces, he decided to follow his elder brother and joined the merchant navy.

"Right from the day we received news that he is missing, we have been approaching political leaders to see that an inquiry is conducted so as to ascertain what really happened.

"Since this is a foreign vessel, only Interpol can conduct a probe and we really wish that the centre takes it up because we have received varying reports on what happened," James said.

He met senior ministers in the UPA government to look into the matter.

Raj, who hails from Kasargode, also went missing April 30 last year while on board a Panama- registered container, where he worked as an 'oiler'.

"Raj was reported missing while his ship was on its way to China from a port in the US. After news was first passed to the family that Raj has gone missing, there has been no news from anywhere," said the office of Leader of Opposition Oommen Chandy.

As per rules in the shipping industry, if there is any accident or related issue, a report to this effect has to be sent by the International Maritime Agency to the Director General of Shipping.

"In all the three cases, we are working closely with the Director General of Shipping, but things are not moving as they should in order to provide some solace to the families."

Chandy's office said the families have not got any convincing answer from any quarter, except for "routine letters" from the national capital saying investigation is on.

The others who are seized of the issue include union ministers Vayalar Ravi, A.K. Antony and a few MPs like Shashi Tharoor.

Sindhu Menon getting married

Thursday, April 29, 2010 | AA
sindhumenon

South Indian film actress Sindhu Menon is getting married to Prabhu, a high flying business man of U.K. He hails from Kunnankulam of Thrissur District. Engagement was held at Bowring Club in Banglore on Monday. The date of marriage is not fixed. Most probably it will take place within a month. Sindhu entered the tinsel world as a child artist through Kannada film 'Rasmi'. In Malayalam her films are 'Uthaman' with Jaya Ram, 'Brahmachari' with Mohan Lal, 'Thommanum makkalum' and 'Rajamanikyam' with Mamootty, 'Detective' with Suresh Gopi and Vasthavam' with Prithwi Raj. She has acted in Tamil and Telugu films also. Her family is settled at Bangalore.

Darsanasya Maunam

Thursday, April 29, 2010 | AA
Under the banner of Inner Vision, Sunil Soman is directing the film 'Darsanasya Maunam'. Shoot of the film is progressing at Varkala near Thiruvananthapuram. Main cast includes Mahesh Pillai, Jagathy, Indrans, Vijaya Raghavan, Sreeraman, P. Sree Kumar, Sivvaji Guruvayoor, Aliyar, Narayanan Nair, Hari Manikandan, Faizal Kannur, Rajesh Sarma, V.K Baiju, Shaji Nizar, Krishnan, Ashok Panicker, Sharon Mliakal, Mitha, Kalpana,Ambika Mohan, Roslin, Zeenath and others. Ilaiyaraja has tuned the music. Sunil Laxman is the cinematographer.

LDF ally Kerala Congress-J headed for a split

Wednesday, April 28, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 28 (IANS) A minister's absence from Kerala's weekly cabinet meeting Wednesday triggered speculation here that the Kerala Congress-Joseph, an ally of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), may be headed for a split with a breakaway faction likely to join the Congress-led alliance.

Public Works Department (PWD) Minister P.J. Joseph, who heads the Kerala Congress-Joseph (KC-J) did not attend the meeting and did not give reasons for his absence either, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan told reporters here after the meet.

"We will wait and see and this has occurred because of their internal problems in the party, but the LDF is strong and has the support of the people," Achuthanandan said.

Asked if he would initiate steps to see that the party doesn't split and that Joseph stays on, the chief minister said: "How can anyone forcibly ask someone to stay?"

Speculation has been rife of a possible merger between the KC-J and the Kerala Congress-Mani (KC-M), the second largest party in the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). Both parties have considerable influence in Christian-dominated areas.

Jospeh told reporters in his hometown Thodupuzha that he did not attend the cabinet meet as he was unwell and that his party's state committee would meet Friday to decide on a possible merger.

A section of the KC-J led by former MP P.C. Thomas, however, denied reports of his party merging with the KC-M, and stressed the party continued to be with the LDF. The Left-led front has seven constituents.

"No such decision has ever been discussed in our party and if anyone prefers to leave, they are free to leave and we will be with the LDF. We will be having a nominee in the cabinet also," said Thomas, who is known to have a long-running feud with Joseph.

Senior KC-M legislator P.C. George confirmed that the decks have been cleared for Joseph's entry into his party. The KC-J currently has four legislators.

Leader of opposition Oommen Chandy, meanwhile, maintained that he was not aware of these developments apart from what he had read in the newspapers.

"I can't comment on media reports, but one thing I can say is that we are not going to go with a bag to catch people from the LDF," Chandy said.

Probe ordered into Sreenath's death

Wednesday, April 28, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 28 (IANS) Police have been ordered to probe the death of popular Malayalam film and TV actor Sreenath, Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said Wednesday.

"I have forwarded the request from the actor's family for a through probe into Sreenath's death," said Balakrishnan.

The actor was found dead with his wrist slashed in a hotel at Kothamangalam in Ernakulam district last Friday morning.

On Sunday, the actor's brother Satyanath held a press conference here and said they suspected foul play in his death. Kothamangalam is around 250 km from here.

Sreenath was shooting for Malayalam film "Shikar" starring superstar Mohanlal.

Satyanath said it was shocking that no one from the sets of "Shikar" came to attend the funeral and did not even call the actor's family.

Meanwhile, reports said the actor was omitted from the film "Shikar" since he was not a member of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA).

Actor Thilakan, who was recently thrown out of AMMA, lashed out at the group saying it has become "a mafia organization capable of doing any thing".

"There are allegations that Sreenath was mentally harassed by few people in AMMA. There are many in AMMA who are bearing all the unpleasant experiences silently. They keep quiet out of fear of being ostracized. It is high time the culture ministry intervenes," said Thilakan.

Sreenath, who was in his early 50s, began his film career in the 1980s but faded out after an initial burst of movies.

After a hiatus, he went on to become a popular television actor though he continued to act in films occasionally.

His popular films include "Salini Ente Kootukari", "Ethu Njangalude Katha", "Oru CBI Dairy Kurippu" and "Kireedom".

'Naalaeyaanu Thaalimangalam' completed

Wednesday, April 28, 2010 | AA
The work of 'Naalaeyaanu Thaalimangalam' directed by Lalji Sukritham has completed. The people behind and before the camera are debutants. Sachin Anand, Sarika and Sauparnika are doing the lead. Under the banner of Megha-Shreya Arts, Santhosh Kumar Kottukal has produced the film. The story moves around an employee in a Gulf country, who reaches his native place. He seeks a partner. There he faces certain unexpected situation. Venuji Kadakkal has penned the screen play. Sreenath Sivaram has handled the camera.

V.K. Prakash's next 'Three Kings'

Wednesday, April 28, 2010 | AA
After the success of 'Gulumaal', V.K Prakash is directing 'Three Kings' with Jaya Surya, Kunchacko Boban and Indrajit to do the lead. Vachan Shetty and V.K Prakash are producing the film. Y.V Rajesh has penned the screen play. Shoot will begin in August. Munnar is the location.

Film Chamber mediated talk fails

Wednesday, April 28, 2010 | AA
The talks mediated by Kerala Film Chamber to find a solution to the ongoing crisis failed to evolve a consensus on the differences between the Film Producers, Distributors Associations and Film Exhibitors Federation over various aspects related to ‘hold over' failed. But Exhibitors has called off its decision to shut down theatres from May 1.

Producers and distributors will continue their agitation. There will be no production of new films until a solution is found. As part of the agitation, distributors will not release films made in other languages in the State.

The holdover issue was not settled as the producers and distributors wanted to take into account the noon show collections while fixing the hold over percentage for a film, which was opposed by exhibitors Federation.

Producers also demanded a hike in the percentage of publicity charges shared by exhibitors for the film from 4 percent to 10 percent. Exhibitors rejected this demand claiming that the producers were getting good returns by selling the satellite and other rights of a movie. Some of them reached Rs.1 crore or more, they said.
The Tamil Producers Guild has petitioned the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce against the decision of distributors Association not to release Tamil movies in the sate. Mohanlal's ‘Alexander the Great,' Mamootty's ‘Pokkiriraja,' Jayaram's ‘Katha Thudarum' will be delayed due to the ongoing agitation.

Film Chamber president Dr. Fazal Gafoor, General Secretary Evershine Mani, Film Exhibitors Federation President Liberty Basheer, General Secretary M.C. Bobby, Film Producers' Association president Sabu Cheriyan, Secretary G. Sureshkumar, Distributors' Association President Siyad Kokker were attended.

My work will speak for itself: Shashi Tharoor

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 27 (IANS) Shashi Tharoor Tuesday said his "work will speak for itself", when asked about his future plans after quitting as junior foreign minister over his alleged links to the Kochi Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise.

He refused to elaborate. "I am not giving any media interviews. My work will speak for itself," he told IANS outside parliament house.

Dressed in a white kurta-pyjama with a tricolor scarf around his neck, he looked relaxed and none the worse for the controversy that cost him his job.

The IPL row erupted after its then chairman Lalit Modi revealed that Tharoor had allegedly misused his office to help his close friend Sunanda Pushkar get Rs.70 crore sweat equity in the IPL Kochi franchise.

The issue has snowballed since then, with fingers being pointed at the auctions of two franchises in 2008 and the income tax authorities conducting raids at the IPL offices in Mumbai.

On Sunday, Modi was removed as the IPL commissioner after the final match of the league's third edition.

State Bank of Travancore improves Mid-East operations

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 27 (IANS) The State Bank of Travancore (SBT) will beef up its operations in the Middle East to shore up non-resident Indian (NRI) deposits.

In the 2009-10 fiscal, the public sector bank's NRI deposits fell to Rs.2,455 crore from Rs.2,500 crore in 2008-09.

A.K. Jagannathan, the bank's managing director, told reporters here Monday night that the bank will open more exchange houses in the Middle East.

"Now we have 28 exchange houses in the Middle East, of which two are fully managed by us. Now, we will open five more," he added.

A subsidiary of State Bank of India, the bank closed the last fiscal with net profits going up to Rs.684.27 crore from Rs.607.83 crore in 2008-09.

Strike against price rise hits public transport

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 27 (IANS) Public transport, barring flight services, came to a grinding halt across Kerala Tuesday due to the dawn-to-dusk nationwide strike called by the Left parties to protest against rising prices.

As opposed to previous strikes, the Left parties said they would not allow even trains to ply across the state. Left supporters sat on railway tracks, throwing the normal schedule of trains haywire.

A few passenger trains were cancelled and most long distance trains were running late. Angry passengers engaged in a verbal duel with the protesters at Kozhikode railway station.

"Where is Kerala heading, this is something unacceptable and never happens anywhere else. Why are these politicians so insensitive and what do they gain by putting the common man to trouble?" said an angry passenger who arrived from Chennai and had been stuck for four hours waiting to to go home, about 80 km from the Ernakulam railway station.

State road transport buses did not operate. Only Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) vehicles and buses of IT companies were on the road, that too under tight police security.

All shops and establishments are closed. The public examination and interviews of the State Public Service Commission could not take place.

Leader of Opposition Oommen Chandy said: "This attitude should change immediately because we are living in an age where a favourable climate has to be created for fresh investments for opening up new jobs."

Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, when asked about people's woes because of the strike, shot back saying: "Look all across the country. People are suffering due to price rise."

"This issue is coming up in parliament also. We are concerned about the spiralling price rise that the country is experiencing," Balakrishnan said.

The state secretariat wore a deserted look as state government employees went on a "paid holiday".

Strike hits life in West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 27 (IANS) Thirteen opposition parties led by the Left Front began a 12-hour nationwide protest Tuesday against what they termed as the government's inability to check prices, with major disruption to life in West Bengal, Kerala and parts of Uttar Pradesh.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance, however, decided not to join the protests and, instead, concentrate on embarrassing the federal government by moving a cut motion in the Lok Sabha later in the evening.

In Kolkata and Lucknow, air, train and road transport services were disrupted, while the streets of Thiruvananthapuram bore a deserted look after the closure of all schools and businesses.

In Lucknow, the protesters were seen marching menacingly toward the state assembly, targeting state-run buses and some trains. This apart, several flights and train services had to be cancelled out of Kolkata.

By and large, life was normal in other parts of the country.

The state governments in West Bengal and Kerala adopted a lenient stand towards their employees. While no public holiday was declared, the two governments decided to treat any leave by their employees as casual leave.

"We have made all arrangements and any attempt to stop anything forcibly will be severely dealt with," West Bengal Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakrabarti said.

In Allahabad, workers of the Samajwadi Party (SP) were seen shouting slogans against the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the Bahujan Samaj Party's state government.

Activists of the SP activists stopped the Ganga Gomti train near the Prayag railway station in Allahabad, about 200 km from Lucknow, and also tried to damage a rail track and destroy public property near a prominent college.

"Around 50 SP activists have been arrested in the morning. Additional security has been deployed taking into account the series of protests expected later in the day," said Superintendent of Police S.S. Bhaghel in Allahabad.

The thirteen parties participating in the protests include SP, Left parties, Telugu Desam Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal, Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Lok Janshakti Party. Their main demand is roll back in the prices of fuels, fertilisers and other commodities.

(With inputs from other bureaus)

CPI-M leader Varkala Radhakrishnan passes away

Monday, April 26, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 26 (IANS) Veteran Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Varkala Radhakrishnan died Monday morning, a party official said. He was 82.

Radhakrishnan was hospitalised here last week. His condition worsened Sunday night and he was shifted to the ICU of the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College where he died Monday morning.

"His funeral will take place around 9.30 p.m. today (Monday)," the party official said.

Radhakrishnan began his career in 1952 as a village council head of Varkala in the suburbs of Thiruvananthapuram. He was a member of the Kerala Assembly from 1980 to 1996. Between 1987 and 1991, he was the assembly speaker.

Since 1998, he represented the Chiryankeezhu Lok Sabha constituency in Thiruvananthapuram district and was popularly known as "annan".

Radhakrishnan is survived by three children.

Will Tharoor survive Kerala's charged politics?

Monday, April 26, 2010 | AA
Kochi/New Delhi, April 25 (IANS) Will Shashi Tharoor be able to survive in Kerala\'s highly-charged political atmosphere being the self-confessed novice that he is? While the common people in Kerala are very enthusiastic about the suave former UN diplomat\'s return to state politics and see him as a sign of welcome change, politicians are not too happy.

The rousing welcome given to Tharoor, who quit the government last week over the IPL Kochi row, in Thiruvananthapuram Saturday is perhaps an indication of the popularity the author-politician enjoys in his state and elsewhere too - thanks to his tweeting ways and his international appeal.

In a twitter post on Friday, Tharoor had said that after quitting as junior minister of external affairs he was now looking forward to going back to his Thiruvananthapuram constituency and working there. "It's been a rough week but am looking forward to returning to Thiruvananthapuram. Lots of work needs to be done in the constituency."

His aide, Jacob Joseph Puthenparambil, said Tharoor would now involve himself in active politics.

"He will be there in the active politics. We have launched a lot of developmental initiative in the constituency. A lot of work has to be done, like pushing the Vizhinjam port project. Yesterday (Saturday), he was invited to attend the UDF (United Democratic Front) meeting. It was wonderful," Puthenparambil told IANS.

Tharoor's supporters find him as a breath of fresh air in Kerala's musty political scene, ruled by the Communists with an old-fashioned V.S. Achuthanandan at the helm.

"Tharoor is sincerely trying to bring some positive changes in our society. His efforts to 'twinning' of Thiruvananthapuram and Spain’s Barcelona city has been widely noticed. No wonder, he is projected as the future chief minister of the state," said Stany Thomas, a political science professor.

Tharoor was welcomed at Thiruvananthapuram airport by hundreds of his supporters holding placards and raising slogans. However, no senior state Congress leader was present at the airport to welcome him.

Tharoor had to step down after the opposition alleged he had misused office to help his close friend Sunanda Pushkar get Rs.70 crore sweat equity in the IPL Kochi franchise. He had said in parliament that he had done nothing wrong and whatever role he played in the Kochi franchise bidding was for Kerala.

"Who is Tharoor to argue for Kerala? Is he a politician, or only a celebrity? This is not Europe or America. This is Kerala," a Congress MP told IANS, on condition of anonimity, after his resignation.

After quitting, Tharoor plunged into state politics. He joined a delegation of Kerala Congress MPs to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking changes in the Right to Education Act. They want that the new bill should ensure that schools run by Hindu community groups like Nairs and the Eazhavas should also be included in it.

According to Stany Thomas, a political science professor at St. Thomas College, Pala, "Tharoor has started learning the basic lessons of local politics."

"He actively joined the Congress MPs to create a positive impression among his own community and its leaders. These people had mocked at him last year calling him a 'Delhi Nair'," said Thomas.

Tony. P. Emmanuel, a post graduate, said the people of Kerala don't believe that Tharoor was involved in any corruption in the IPL deal.

"We all know that his only intention was to get the state its own IPL team. He is a wealthy man and is not involved in any kind of corruption," Tony said.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MP M.B. Rajesh, airing the views of his party: told IANS: "Events like the IPL are not a tool to measure the real development that Kerala needs. The state needs educational and infrastructural development. Tharoor as a minister did nothing in this direction. His efforts to bring IPL to Kerala shows that he represents corporate politics."

Rajesh added that Tharoor had boasted before the general elections last year that he would transform Thiruvananthapuram into London, but had done nothing so far.

"After he became minister, he did not pay much attention to Thiruvananthapuram. Now, after losing his job, he wants the support of the people," Rajesh said.

However, Tharoor has refuted allegations that he neglected his constituency.

To a query from a fan on twitter Saturday that he had never heard Tharoor discuss his constituency before in his tweets, Tharoor said: "Go back and read my tweets! Have reported frequently from Thiruvananthapuram on every visit."

Family suspects foul play in actor Sreenath's death

Monday, April 26, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 25 (IANS) A day after the funeral of popular Malayalam film and TV actor Sreenath, his family Sunday said they suspect foul play in his death and will approach the state government for a probe.

Sreenath was found dead in a hotel room in Kothamangalam in Ernakulam district Friday morning with his wrist slashed. His last rites were performed Saturday.

Addressing reporters at the deceased actor's home Sunday, his brother Satyanath said: "No one can believe that he committed suicide and there is no reason for that. It could be that someone is behind this or he was driven to do this. We just can't believe that he will do this."

Sreenath had been in Kothamangalam in Ernakulam district, around 250 km from Thiruvananthapuram, for the past two days and was shooting for Malayalam film "Shikar" starring superstar Mohanlal. According to the police, his body was discovered by the hotel staff.

"It's quite strange that no one associated with the film called up to inform about the incident and neither did anyone come here also," Satyanath said.

Meanwhile, reports have also surfaced that the actor was omitted from the film "Shikar" since he was not a member of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA). He was, apparently, also asked to vacate the hotel room where he was staying at Kothamangalam.

Sreenath, who was in his early 50s, began his film career in the 1980s but faded out after an initial burst of movies. After a hiatus, he went on to become a popular television actor though he continued to act in films occasionally. His popular films include "Salini Ente Kootukari", "Ethu Njangalude Katha", "Oru CBI Dairy Kurippu" and "Kireedom", among others.

At the start of his film career, he worked with actress Shantikrishna in a few hit movies and later married her. But the marriage didn't work and the two parted ways. He married again a few years back.

'I saw death from close quarters on Emirates flight'

Sunday, April 25, 2010 | AA
Kochi, April 25 (IANS) A passenger, who was onboard the Emirates flight which fell almost 15,000 feet in an air pocket Sunday morning, said he was shocked at "seeing death from close quarters".

The passengers suffered anxious moments when the aircraft from Dubai to this Kerala city fell sharply from 20,000 feet to 5,000 feet around 7 a.m. before the pilot could bring the plane back under control.

"Some of the passengers were shouting and crying for help. And for three minutes no one knew what was happening. Many were thrown out of their seats, some had their heads hitting the roof of the aircraft. A child was thrown out of the seat. We felt that everything was coming to an end," a relieved Elsy told reporters here.

He said he was "shocked at seeing death from close quarters".

The incident took place about 60 miles from Kochi when the aircraft descended steeply in an air pocket. An air pocket is a downward air current that causes an aircraft to lose altitude abruptly. It is a localised region of low air density or a descending air current, causing an aircraft to suffer an abrupt decrease in height.

Elsy said the passengers clapped when the aircraft landed safely at the Kochi airport. "It was the most joyous event for all the passengers. There was a huge clapping and all the passengers were grateful as they had earlier thought they were leaving the world."

Another passenger Annie Thomas, who was with her husband onboard the flight, said the aircraft shook violently when it abruptly descended in the air pocket. "My husband's head almost hit the roof. Many passengers suffered bruises. I could see a lot of passengers being taken out on wheelchairs," she said.

After the plane landed at the airport here, a team of doctors examined all those passengers who suffered shock and bruises when the aircraft made the sudden descent in the air pocket.

Meera Jasmine

Sunday, April 25, 2010 | AA
meera

Caparisoned elephants steal the show at Thrissur Pooram

Saturday, April 24, 2010 | AA
Trissur (Kerala), April 24 (IANS) Thirty elephants vying with each other in a colourful display of umbrellas, including some that looked like a seven-storied building, Saturday enthralled lakhs of people who gathered at the Thrissur Pooram, considered the mother of all festivals in Kerala.

The two most important events in the 30-hour-long Thrissur Pooram include the parading of 15 caparisoned elephants each between the Krishna Temple at Thiruvambadi and the Devi Temple at Paramekkavu.

They vie with each other in 'Kudamattam', a colourful display of umbrellas that are raised by the mahout sitting atop the elephant.

"Fifteen people stand besides every elephant and hand over the umbrellas to the mahout. The beauty of this is the design of the umbrellas," said veteran elephant expert Jacob Cheeran, who has seen more than 50 Poorams.

"The colour and design of the umbrellas are top secret and very few people know about it till they are raised," he added.

The umbrellas come in various sizes, shapes, colours and designs. There were umbrellas which looked like a seven-storied building.

"Getting selected to be one of the 30 elephants is a reason to be proud for its owner because it is only the best in size, shape and discipline that gets selected," Cheeran said.

In all, more than 60 elephants take part in the entire festivities.

With the mercury going up, an elephant collapsed around 3 p.m. as the festival events were on.

"The heat is a detrimental factor for these animals. People poured water on the body of the elephant and in 15 minutes it was up on its feet. The organisers withdrew the elephant after that," Cheeran said.

The festival dates back to the late 18th century and was started by Sakthan Thampuran, the maharaja of the erstwhile Kochi state.

The highlight is a performance by 'melam' artistes and magnificent fire works, including a riot of colours, which make the Thrissur Pooram a memorable event.

"For the last few days, the city is in a festive mood. The festival is a combination of colour, culture, tradition and a fabulous display of fireworks," said German tourist Claus Rindle, who is here for the second time in two years with his wife.

The fireworks display is a competition between the Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu Devasoms who present several innovative patterns and varieties of fireworks every year.

The fireworks begin around 3 a.m. and go on till daybreak.

Another feature of the Thrissur Pooram is its secular nature with the active participation of Muslims and Christians.

The local administration made elaborate arrangements with significant importance given to security, with a large number of police and fire brigade personnel on duty.

A good number of veterinarians with tranquilizers were ready to tackle any elephant that played truant.

Officials pointed out that arrangements were made for more than four lakh people who are believed to have attended the festival.

Karunakaran names daughter Padmaja political heir

Saturday, April 24, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 24 (IANS) Veteran Kerala politician K. Karunakaran, who has rejoined the Congress, Saturday named his daughter, Padmaja Venugopal, his political heir.

This was announced at a meeting of well-wishers of the veteran at his house here. A resolution was read out saying that Padmaja will be the political heir of Karunakaran.

The meeting was attended by Congress leaders close to Karunakaran.

Karunakaran's son K. Muraleedharan, who is still waiting to make a comeback to the party, was not present. He had been Karunakaran's heir a few years back when he alongwith his father had left the Congress.

With the latest development, Padmaja seems to have won the battle between the siblings.

Reacting sharply to the development, Muraleedharan said his father was still strong enough to lead the Congress party.

"Just to get power, the father has been taken a hostage, but this cannot go on for long," said Muraleedharan.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister A.K. Antony, asked about the renewed factionalism in the state unit of the party, said it was best that everyone stood united.

"If we are united then we can create wonders. All have to introspect if we want to perish or to reach newer heights," he said.

Task force on elephants to meet April 30

Saturday, April 24, 2010 | AA
Thrissur (Kerala), April 23 (IANS) A task force formed to protect elephants and their habitats across the country is to meet here April 30, an official said.

The task force of Project Elephant, a government scheme, was formed in February and the meeting in Kochi would be its first sitting. Project Elephant, which is being implemented in 13 states, also addresses issues of man-animal conflict and welfare of domesticated elephants.

Elephant expert Jacob Cheeran told IANS that he would be participating in the meet where representatives of all the stakeholders would be present including elephant experts, owners, mahouts and elephant lovers.

"Various suggestions will be put across and this time the vital aspects of the effective management of both wild and captive elephants would be taken up," said Cheeran, who has been a member of the steering committee of Project Elephant twice in the past.

With the mercury shooting up, many elephants in Kerala have gone berserk. One of the reasons cited is that elephants are over-stressed as they are made to work long hours in several temple festivals in violation of rules.

Kerala is home to around 800 captive elephants.

Awaiting thorough probe into IPL: Tharoor tweets

Saturday, April 24, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) Shashi Tharoor, who quit as minister of state for external affairs over his alleged links to the Kochi Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, says in his latest tweet that he looks forward to a "thorough inquiry" into the Twenty20 cricket tournament.

Tharoor, who was very active on social networking site Twitter before the IPL controversy unfolded, tweeted late Friday: "Looking forward to a thorough inquiry into the IPL. If my resignation leads to real reform, it will be worthwhile. Our cricket should be clean."

He added that he now looks forward to going back to his constituency in Kerala and working there.

"It's been a rough week but am looking forward to returning to Thiruvananthapuram. Lots of work needs to be done in the constituency."

He also replied to queries on Twitter.

To one who wanted to know 'how much money he had made from IPL', Tharoor said: "None, not one paisa. That's the point. Just wanted a team for Kerala."

The IPL row erupted after its chairman Lalit Modi revealed that Tharoor had allegedly misused his office to help his close friend Sunanda Pushkar get Rs.70 crore sweat equity in the IPL Kochi franchise.

The row is refusing to die down, bringing Modi also under the scanner. Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate officials have been carrying out searches at the offices of IPL franchises across the country.

Bouquets, brickbats greet Tharoor on Kerala visit

Saturday, April 24, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 24 (IANS) Waving cricket bats, hundreds of Congress activists gave a roaring welcome to former minister of state for external affairs Shahshi Tharoor as he arrived here Saturday on his first visit to his home state after quitting over the IPL row.

But a smaller group of protesters allied to the Communist Party of India (CPI) held posters of the Congress MP and his friend Sunanda Pushkar, whose links to the Indian Premier League (IPL) Kochi franchise triggered the controversy that has turned into the country's worst sports crisis.

But the police kept the two groups apart. Around 50 opposition activists were arrested.

It was the first time Tharoor, a former senior UN official, returned to Thiruvananthapuram, which he represents in the Lok Sabha, since resigning from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government April 18. He has denied allegations of wrongdoing.

As his plane landed at about 12.50 p.m., a huge crowd gave him a boisterous welcome.

Among those at the airport were party leaders from Thiruvananthapuram. As soon as he appeared before them, his supporters mobbed him amid frenzied slogan shouting.

He was presented a headgear made of jasmine flowers and driven in an open vehicle to the Congress office.

Before leaving the airport, Tharoor, who entered politics only last year, reiterated that he had done no wrong.

"I used my influence only to keep my word to the people of Kerala that I will do something for them. In that I have done no wrong," he said, referring to his admission that he was indeed the mentor of the IPL Kochi franchise.

As Congress workers sang his praises, members of the CPI's youth wing waved his and his friend Pushkar's posters. Banners carried by them read: "Should Kerala accept Tharoor's behaviour?"

Similar posters were seen pasted in several parts of the Kerala capital.

Manappuram targets Rs.225 crore profit this fiscal

Saturday, April 24, 2010 | AA
Hyderabad, April 23 (IANS) India's only listed and highest credit rated gold loan company, Manappuram General Finance and Leasing Limited (MAGFIL), has set a target of recording over 100 percent growth in profit of Rs.225 crore this financial year.

In 2009-10, the company made a profit of Rs.100 crore.

"Our loan book will also grow by over 100 percent," MAGFIL chairman V. P. Nandakumar told reporters here Friday.

The company hopes its assets under management will cross Rs.5,000 crore this year. It was Rs.2,550 crore in the last fiscal.

"We have been growing at 70 to 80 percent for last three to four years," he said.

MAGFIL, which started as a small shop in Valapad near Thrissur in Kerala in 1949, plans to expand its business to five more states this fiscal.

It plans to open 400 more branches across the country, including 50 branches in five states of Chhattisgarh, Uttaranchal, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

MAGFIL at present has 1,100 branches in 15 states. It has a customer base of over 550,000.

According to Nandakumar, Indians together own 20,000 tonnes of gold and the total size of mortgaged gold is 1,500 tonnes. MAGFIL is managing over 24 tonnes of mortgaged gold assets.

Tribunal reinstates Tomin J.Thachankary

Saturday, April 24, 2010 | AA
Kochi, April 23 (IANS) The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) Friday stayed the Kerala government's order that suspended Inspector General of Police (IGP) Tomin J.Thachankary and asked for his immediate reinstatement.

The state government last week decided to suspend Thachankary for allegedly going abroad without government authorisation.

The officer approached CAT here with a petition that he was being singled out and was a victim of the ongoing factionalism in the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).

He filed another affidavit Thursday, saying six top officials belonging to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) also had gone abroad but no action was taken against them after they wrote an apology, but he was being victimised.

Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan was adamant that action should be taken against Thachankary for going abroad on leave without taking prior permission.

At Friday's hearing, counsel for the government pointed out that the officer had gone abroad and after media reports about this, he returned and put in a back dated leave letter.

But Thachankary's counsel argued that his client had not violated any rule of law and specifically asked the government to show the exact rule that was violated.

Thachankary was suspended after Achuthanandan found out that he had gone abroad. An inquiry determined that he had gone to the Middle East.

CAT has now posted the case for April 28.

Mamta Mohandas

Saturday, April 24, 2010 | AA
mamatha-mohandas

Katha Thudarum

Saturday, April 24, 2010 | AA
Banner: Two line Cinema
Name of the Film: Katha Thudarum
Main Cast: Jayaram, Mamta, Asif Ali, Innocent, Mamukoya, KPAC Lalitha, Bindu Panicker, Lakshmi Priya, Baby Anakha, Sri Devi Unni, Manjusha, Manu Jose and others
Lyrics: Vayalar Saratchandra Varma
Music: Ilaiyaraja
Producer: Thankachan Immanuel
Director: Sathyan Anthikad
katha-thudarum

Advocate Lakshmanan - Ladies Only

Saturday, April 24, 2010 | AA
Banner: Dhanush Films
Name of the film : Advocate Lakshmanan - Ladies Only
Main Cast: Mukesh, Mallika Kapoor, Jagadeesh, Harisree Asokan, Bijukuttan, Suresh Krishna, Indrans, Lakshmi Priya, Geetha Vijayan, Ponnamma Babu, Gayathri and others
Music: Mohan Sithara
Camera: K. V. Suresh
Lyrics: Anil Panachooran
Screenplay: Padmakumar
Producer: S. Mohan
Director: Pappan Payattuvila
advocate-lakshmanan-ladies-only

Ninnishtam Ennishtam

Saturday, April 24, 2010 | AA
Banner: Star Tale Visual Media
Name of the film : Ninnishtam Ennishtam
Main Cast: Suresh, Sunitha, Priya, Johny, Santhakumari, Kalaranjini, Krishnaprasad, Mukesh, Sreenivasan, Jagathy, Achu, Suraj Venjaramood, Sukumari, Bheeman Raghu, Poojapura Ravi, Kottayam Somaraj, Prasanath Kanjiramattom, Kalpana and others
Camra: Anandakuttan
Music: Dr. C.V. Ranjith
Lyrics: Mankompu Gopalakrishnan
Screenplay: Rajeev
Producer: K. Mohanlal
Director : Alleppy Ashraf
ninnishtam-ennishtam

Not Out

Saturday, April 24, 2010 | AA
Name of the film : Not Out
Main Cast: Nishan, Mithra Kurien, Jagathy, Suraj, Anoop Chandran, Bijukuttan, Sumesh, Joseph George, Githa Salam, Kochupreman and others
Music: Vinu Thomas
Camera: Dileep Raman
Lyrics: Anil Panachooran
Screenplay: Y.V. Rajesh
Producer: Joseph George
Director : Kutty Naduvil
not-out

Malarvadi Arts Club

Saturday, April 24, 2010 | AA
Banner: Grand Productions
Name of the Film: Malarvadi Arts Club
Main cast: Vineeth Sreenivasan, Nedumudi Venu, Innocent, Jagathy Sreekumar, Salim Kumar, Suraj Venjaramood and others
Music: Shan Rahman
Camera: P. Sukumar
Lyrics: Vineeth Sreenivasan
Producer: Dileep
Director: Vineeth Sreenivasan
malarvadi-arts-club

Malarvadi Arts Club Pooja

Film Chamber meets tomorrow to resolve crisis

Saturday, April 24, 2010 | AA
The crisis in the Malayalam filmdom enters into more tension after producers’ Association and Exhibitors Association started to fight each other. To find a solution to the problem Film Chamber will convene a meeting tomorrow (Saturday) in Kochi. Producers’ Association started stir on April 16 boycotting production of new films demanding reduction of remuneration by frontline actors and technicians. Later Exhibitors' Association joined the stir threatening to shut theatres from May 1.

Human Rights commission to inquire Thilakan issue

Saturday, April 24, 2010 | AA
It is reported that the Human Rights Commission member K.E. Gangadhanran had issued an inquiry order last week on a petition against the office bearers of AMMA alleging violation of actor Thilakan's fundamental right to work. Commission has directed the Labour Commissioner to conduct a detailed inquiry into the issue and submit report by next week. The petitioner Sreekumar Nuranaad had contended that AMMA's decision amounted to violation of a citizen's right to livelihood. The petition also demanded cancellation of the organisation's registration and an examination of the minutes of the meetings.

Actor Sreenath found dead

Saturday, April 24, 2010 | AA

Malayalam cinema-serial actor Sreenath, 54, was found dead in the hotel room of Maria International at Kothamangalam in Ernakulam District on Friday morning. He was staying there to act in a Mohanlal starrer film `Shikar'. Early morning a production controller arrived and intimated him that his next schedule would be in next week and he could leave the site. At 8.30 a.m he called reception of the Hotel and told that he was about to die after a suicide attempt. The hotel personnel rushed to the room, broke the door open and found him dead by cutting the vein on the wrist. He was immediately shifted to Mar Baselious hospital at Kothamangalam and declared dead. He is son of the late Bala Krishnan Nair and Kamaladevi of Mala near Thrissur. Sreenath's residence is at Thiruvananthapuram PTP Nagar. He is survived by his wife Latha and son Vishwajith (Kannan 9).
Sreenath entered Malayalam cinema in 80s through Balachandra Menon's film 'kalika'. He bacame fame in the Malayalam film field through his character Unni Krishnan in the film 'Salini Ente Koottukari' . Some of his other films are 'Attimari', 'Uthikkaachiya Ponnu' , 'Visa' , 'Vritham' , 'Sarvakalasala' , 'Jalakam' ,'Moonaam Mura' , 'Devasuram', 'Mangalam Nerunnu' ,'Oru CBI Diary kurippu' ,'Jagratha' , 'Kireedam' ,'Chenkol' , 'kudumba puraanam', and 'Malootti'. 'Ithu njangalude kadha' gave him a break. Sreenath's last film was "Kerala Café", In the last Lok Sabha elections, Sreenath was a Shiv Sena candidate from the Attingal constituency. Recently he was concentrating more on TV serials. Devan, his character of the serial 'Maanasaputhri' made him beloved to home audience. Mohanlal, Kala Bhavan Mani, Lalu Alex, director Padma Kumar, Antony Perumbavoor reached hospital to pay homage.

Tomin J. Thachenkery says he is being singled out

Friday, April 23, 2010 | AA
Kochi, April 22 (IANS) Tomin J. Thachenkery, inspector general of police from Kerala who has been suspended for allegedly going abroad without government authorization Thursday complained that he was being singled out.

Tomin J. Thachenkery filed an affidavit with the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) claiming that while he was punished, other officers in similar circumstances had been let off easily.

He mentioned in his affidavit the names of Indian Police Service (IPS) officer R. Sreelekha and Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer P.C. Sanil Kumar.

According to him, while Sreelekha went abroad without permission on two occasions, Sanil Kumar did so thrice.

"But they gave a written apology and were let off without any action. Sreelekha's trip cost the state exchequer a loss of Rs.67,349 and still no action was taken," the affidavit read.

He also named four other officials who he said had gone without taking permission of the state government.

Thachenkery was suspended last week after Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan found out that he had gone abroad. An inquiry determined he had gone to the Middle East.

Thachenkery approached the CAT last week, complaining he was being singled out due to the faction feud in the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist.

His petition is slated to come up for hearing Friday.

Malayalam actor Sreenath found dead in hotel room

Friday, April 23, 2010 | AA
Kothamangalam (Kerala), April 23 (IANS) Popular Malayalam film and TV actor Sreenath was found dead in a hotel room in this Kerala town Friday morning, police said.

His body was discovered by the hotel staff at about 8.30 a.m., a police official said.

Police have not ruled out the possibility of suicide as his wrist was found slashed, he added.

Sreenath had been in Kothamangalam in Ernakulam district, around 250 km from Thiruvananthapuram, for the past two days and was shooting for Malayalam film "Shikar" starring superstar Mohanlal.

Sreenath, who was in his early 50s, began his film career in the 1980s but faded out after an initial burst of movies. After a hiatus, he went on to become a popular television actor though he continued to act in films occasionally.

His popular films include "Salini Ente Kootukari", "Ethu Njangalude Katha", "Oru CBI Dairy Kurippu" and "Kireedom", among others.

Sreenath's last film was "Kerala Café", a movie that had 10 short films woven around a common theme, which released late last year.

At the start of his film career, he worked with actress Shantikrishna in a few hit movies and later married her. But the marriage didn't work and the two parted ways.

He wed again a few years back.

In the last Lok Sabha elections, Sreenath was a Shiv Sena candidate from the Attingal constituency.

Sreenath was winner of a state award for best TV actor.

Nayanthara

Thursday, April 22, 2010 | AA
nayanthara

Bichu Thirumala honoured

Thursday, April 22, 2010 | AA
Lyricist Bichu Thirumala has been honoured by Nehru Cultural forum in a programme 'Ananthapuriyude snehaadharam'. The programme was conducted at Ghandhi park in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. Journalists T.N Gopa Kumar, K.P Jayadeep, Nisha Krishnan and first M.K Arjunan award winner Elizabeth Raju were among others honoured in the function. Forum chairman former minister Pandalam Sudhakaran presided over the function.

Farewell to Kamalam with state honours

Thursday, April 22, 2010 | AA
Actress Kamalam cremation in Kottayam

The body of M.K. Kamalam, heroine of the first Malayalam talkie Balan, who died on Tuesday evening at Kottayam, was cremated at the Chembithara house compound of her daughter Indulekha at TV Puram in Vaikom, on Wednesday afternoon with full state honours. Kamalam's grandson Rajiv lit the pyre. Actors Idavela Babu and T.P.Madhavan paid homage on behalf of AMMA while Kottayam District Collector Mini Antony placed a wreath on the body of Kamalam on behalf of the Department of Culture. Scenerist John Paul and many people paid homage to her.

Manisha Koirala in Malayalam

Thursday, April 22, 2010 | AA
In Syama Prasad's next project 'Electra', Manisha Koirala plays the role of Nayantara's mother. Prakash Raj will play the role of her husband. It is a story of daughter and father relationship in a Christian family. As the daughter grows she finds a peculiar relationship with her father and this causes fight in the house. Electra is the name of a Greek character. Syama Prasad and Kiran Prabhakar had penned the screenplay. Sanu John Varghese will crank the camera. Vindyan is producing the film under the banner of Rasika entertainment. Nayantara appears in title role. Other cast includes Biju Menon, P.Sree Kumar and others.

First Malayalam talkie actress M K Kamalam dies

Thursday, April 22, 2010 | AA
Actress of the first Malayalam talkie 'Balan', M K Kamalam, 86, died Tuesday evening 7.10 at Kottayam Medical College. The credit of the first playback singer in Malayalam film also goes to Kamalam. She had been under treatment for the last two weeks and also got her leg fractured after she fell from her cot.

Having become a theatre artiste at the age of 10, through the drama troupe `Kairali' of Sebastian Kunju Kunju Bhagavathar, Kamalam entered the Malayalam film industry when she was 14 through the first Malayalam Talkie 'Balan' in 1938, directed by S. Nottani. She also acted in the film 'Bhootharayar'. But that film was not released due to the death of the producer. Her last film was 'Sayanam', which produced 10 years back, directed by M.P. Sukumaran Nair.

She sang 3 songs in 'Balan' and one of them is ‘Jagadeeswara Jaya Jaya’. The notable dramas Kamalam worked with are Anarkali, Saakunthalam, Magdalana Mariam, Sathyavaan Savithri, etc. She is the third daughter of Kumarakam Mangat M.C. Kochpillai Panicker and Karthyayani, born in 1924. She was also an excellent `Kathaprasangam' artiste.

At the age of 25 she got married, but parted after some years and has been living near the house of her brother at T.V. Puram in Vaikom. She was survived by three daughters Radhamani, Beena and Indulekha. She was the first recipient of Kerala Governments pension scheme, formed to help weak and old aged artistes, in 1976.

Kerala to reply on governor's address controversy

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 21 (IANS) The Kerala government will soon reply to Governor R.S. Gavai's letter on allegations by the opposition that his address to the assembly in February had not been approved by the cabinet, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said Wednesday.

Gavai had last week written to Chief Secretary Rudra Gangadharan seeking a clarification after a group of opposition legislators met him to point out what they termed a serious lapse on the part of the cabinet.

They said the cabinet failed to approve the address before Gavai delivered it in the assembly Feb 24.

"See, we checked and found out that there have been precedents in the past and if the chief minister puts his signature, it is as good as the cabinet has approved it. There are no issues in this and we will soon write to the governor," Achuthanandan said.

Joseph M. Puthuserry of the opposition Kerala Congress-M had been informed by the chief secretary under the Right to Information Act that the cabinet meeting Feb 17 did not take up the governor's address.

The Congress-led opposition has pointed out to the governor that this was a constitutional impropriety.

Kerala film exhibitors threaten to shut theaters

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 21 (IANS) With the Kerala Film Producers' Association already on boycott, another important stakeholder in the entertainment industry - the exhibitors --Wednesday threatened that if the present crisis is not solved, they would close down all theatres from May 1.

Speaking to a TV channel here Wednesday, Liberty Basheer, president of the Exhibitors Federation, asked what is the use of keeping the theatres open if no films are being produced?.

"This present stalemate has to end and it has to end at the earliest. There is going to be a meeting of the Kerala Film Chamber April 24 and we expect this issue would be taken up," Basheer said.

The chamber is the body of producers, distributors and exhibitors of the Malayalam film industry.

The producers association is cut up with the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) because despite two rounds of talks with them last year to bring down the cost of production, no concrete steps were taken by AMMA.

The producers association hence decided that no new films would be produced.

Tharoor's cyber-supporters keep growing: 12,000 and counting

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) Three days after his resignation, a portal rallying around the beleaguered Shashi Tharoor has been deluged with over 12,000 pledges of support.

The messages included one from someone claiming to be former UN chief Kofi Annan.

"Hi 1.2 billion+ people of India. If you think you live in a democratic country, then you are 100% wrong," wrote someone introducing himself as Annan in a message posted at http://supporttharoor.org, a portal that was launched to garner support for the beleaguered minister a day before he resigned.

"You vote for the election once in 5 years. And for 5 years the country belongs to your politicians. They enjoy for 5 years. So if you think India is democratic, think again," Annan writes.

He urged Indians to support "good politicians like Rahul, Tharoor, Nitish, Umar."

"Go support them, I as an ex-UN chief will be deeply obliged," he writes.

It can't be confirmed who was the author of the message. But observers pointed out that a seasoned diplomat can't be talking in a casual manner like this.

The portal has now garnered over 12,000 pledges for the former minister and first-time MP from Kerala.

Tharoor served as executive assistant to the then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in the late 1990s. After Annan's term ended in 2006, Tharoor contested for the post of the UN secretary general, but lost it to South Korea's Ban Ki-moon.

Rambha

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 | AA
rambha

Trisha

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 | AA
trisha

PM called Kerala leaders before accepting Tharoor resignation

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh phoned Congress' Kerala unit chief Ramesh Chennithala and senior leader Oommen Chandy before accepting Shashi Tharoor's resignation as minister of state for external affairs, party sources here said.

"The prime minister had spoken to Chennithala and Chandy over the phone before accepting Tharoor's resignation. He telephoned them because Tharoor was elected to Lok Sabha from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram constituency and he quit the minister's post following a controversy over Kerala IPL," a Congress leader told IANS.

Tharoor, who resigned Sunday, met Congress president Sonia Gandhi Tuesday along with a delegation of party MPs from Kerala over the implementation of the Right to Education Act, said a Congress MP.

Tharoor, whose 11-month tenure was stained by controversies because of his personal indiscretions, resigned after the prime minister and the core committee of the Congress found that his continuance could cause more embarrassment to the party.

The controversy began after IPL commissioner Lalit K. Modi said on his twitter account that Tharoor had asked him to suppress information about his lady friend, Dubai-based Sunanda Pushkar, getting a stake in the IPL Kochi franchise.

Tharoor: New age politician who forgot old world values

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 | AA
By Sanjiv Kataria
The youngest doctorate from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, earning his PhD from the hallowed portals of Tufts University in the US at age 22, Shashi Tharoor is known to be an exceptional thinker. In his nearly three-decade-long stint at the United Nations, where he rose to be the under secretary general for communications and public information in 2001, he displayed consummate diplomatic skills as well.

And, yet, this best selling author and gifted orator displayed little of either when he entered the Indian political scene. By speaking without thinking, he failed to retain an unblemished, dynamic and progressive image where many young, ivy league alumnus parliamentarians succeeded.

If his term as a cabinet minister has been cut short to just 10 months, it isn't because of lack of calibre but due to acts that have sullied his image and that of the ruling party and the cabinet. As a communications specialist, he failed to predict the negative fallout of his tweets, speeches and actions.

Tharoor, the parliamentarian, adopted new age tools to portray the image of a dynamic leader (read habitual user of Twitter), something the political fraternity correctly read as brash. As a junior minister, he projected a contrarian image, which his cabinet colleagues again correctly read as a habitual challenge of accepted policies, thus leading to a trust deficit.

So, while the elected representative of Thiruvananthapuram found no impropriety in batting for a cricket team for his state, the public perceived it to be a favour to his 'girlfriend'.

Is Tharoor so naive that his audiences perceived each move to mean exactly the opposite of what he intended? How did he fail to act (or was it intentional posturing) on the feedback from senior colleagues, his constituency and a caustic media? How did he continue to hop between the fire and the frying pan without any of his close advisors pointing out the immense injury caused to his image?

How did he fail to anticipate a crisis each time? And why did he not prepare himself well before it boomeranged? Why did he betray the confidence of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson and the prime minister, who handpicked him for the position of a junior minister even though he was a first time parliamentarian? And how could he burden them with repeated embarrassments with his frequent acts of delinquency?

By showing a lack of sensitivity to his own image he let the shine fade away from the image of his cabinet colleagues and the party as well. When you are a part of the team, it is important to align your goals with those of the company, family or even party goals and value system. Just because you offered a contrary view in the cabinet meeting does not give you the right to tweet your position. Once the cabinet decides, the team of ministers has to implement, unless the environment has changed and calls for a fresh look.

Anyone who has read about Wilbur Schramm's theory of communication knows that you have to speak the language which your audience (in this case, the voter) understands with ease and devoid of any distortion. And you have to learn to accept that your audience cannot read the finer nuances of words that need a dictionary to bring forth all the subtexts. In a sense, Tharoor's frequent tweeting and speeches showed little respect for local considerations.

Tweeting is a medium where you respond instantaneously. The 140-character medium is devoid of ability to offer a deliberated, well-thought out and mature response.

The biggest sacrilege is to go against the social norms of a society that you live in. And we have to accept that the social norms in India will continue to be different from those of the Western world. It would be well nigh impossible for the general public to accept a legally married minister courting his girlfriend and seeking favours for her, openly.

Anyone who is in public life needs to realise that the media does not draw lines between your personal life and official life. And you certainly cannot instigate senior media professionals with questions like 'So what tough questions are you going to ask me today?' Or 'Why does the media not ask me about my work?' Here again, the experienced communicator forgot the strategic value of silence.

Scanning through some of the appointment ads of many UN bodies in the old issues of The Economist throws up a prominent line to the effect: 'any attempt to influence the appointment will disqualify candidature'. How could a UN veteran miss this point when he enquired of the status of Kerala IPL agreement papers from Lalit Modi?

Tharoor should use the time away from ministerial responsibilities to introspect and learn a lesson or two from the experience of multinational brands like KFC, McDonald's or even MTV to replenish the trust deficit he managed to create through his acts.

Achuthanandan government like 'Ali Baba and 40 Thieves': Congress

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 20 (IANS) The Congress in Kerala Tuesday organised a statewide protest campaign against the "anti-people policies" of the ruling Left led by V.S. Achuthanandan and likened the government to the tale of 'Ali Baba and 40 Thieves'.

Inaugurating the campaign in the city suburbs, state Congress chief Ramesh Chennithala said never before had the state seen a government that did nothing for the people.

"The Achuthanandan government is like the tale of 'Ali Baba and 40 Thieves'. It does nothing for the people and everything for the mafia," Chennithala said.

It has come to a stage that neither the people, nor his (Achuthanandan's) party nor the LDF (Left Democratic Front) require him and best is that he quits," he added.

The Congress-led opposition's campaign comes when the Achuthanandan government is set to complete four years next month and the local body polls are also to take place soon.

Leader of Opposition Oommen Chandy inaugurated the protest in another city suburb and stressed that though they would not indulge in violent protests, it would intensify in the coming days.

"Discontentment is writ large across all households because of the inefficient and ineffective rule of the government and this protest is just the beginning and it will intensify in coming days," Chandy said.

The Congress held similar protests at 280 different locations across the state Tuesday.

Tharoor now to concentrate on Thiruvananthapuram constituency

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 20 (IANS) With a "deeply wounded" Shashi Tharoor having quit the government, the former minister is now expected to concentrate on the development of his home constituency of Thiruvananthapuram, a source close to him said.

Tharoor, who quit as junior minister for external affairs on Sunday over the IPL Kochi franchise row, was earlier unable to spend much time in his Lok Sabha constituency due to his ministeial work. He is expected to arrive here Saturday and his fans are planning to give him a rousing reception, the aide said.

"Now his agenda would be to take forward a few projects that are close to his heart, like the twin city project with Barcelona, and of course the mega Vizhinjam port project," said a close aide of Tharoor who did not wish to be identified.

Tharoor won handsomely from the seat during the general elections last April-May - he was two votes short of a lakh majority in beating his rival Communist Party of India candidate.

"We are told he will arrive from Delhi on Saturday and we are going to give him a rousing reception at the airport. As he himself said in parliament today (Tuesday), he is a beginner in Indian politics. What happened to him is a temporary set-back and being a very sensible person, he will learn from his mistakes and we are confident that he will go on to become a very effective Lok Sabha member," said a Youth Congress activist.

When Tharoor was named Thiruvananthapuram candidate by the Congress, it left many party leaders here displeased.

"To be honest not many liked the manner in which he became a candidate. I remember we were waiting in Delhi for more than a week playing our cards and we had lot of expectation that one of us would be a candidate. We stayed put in Delhi and suddenly from nowhere came Tharoor, drove to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, got clearance for his candidature and disappeared. And then after becoming a minister, I don't think he did justice, and now that he has learned the lesson the hard way, I am sure his approach would change," said a senior state Congress leader, who did not wish to be identified.

Meanwhile, former Congress chief minister Oommen Chandy said Tharoor resigned in keeping with the traditions of the Congress party.

But state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president V. Muraleedharan was critical of Tharoor. He said that Tharoor's getting an IPL team for the state does not mean it is a development solution for the state.

"Just by bringing a Rs.1,500 crore IPL team, it cannot be seen as spurring development activities in the state, and in the name of 'development' it is improper for any politician to make financial gains," said Muraleedharan.

Tharoor, speaking in parliament Tuesday after quitting the government, said: "I am deeply wounded by fanciful and malicious charges made against me and I have requested the prime minister to have these charges against me thoroughly investigated."

My conscience is clear, done nothing wrong: Tharoor

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) Shashi Tharoor, who quit his ministerial post over alleged links to the IPL Kochi franchise, said in the Lok Sabha Tuesday that his "conscience is clear" and that he had asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to have the charges against him thoroughly probed.

"My conscience is clear. I have done nothing improper or unethical, least of all illegal," Tharoor said two days after he resigned as minister of state for external affairs.

"I am new to Indian politics, but I have a long track record in public life unblemished by financial irregularities," Tharoor, with a tri-colour shawl draped round his shoulders, told the Lok Sabha amid pin-drop silence.

Refuting "fanciful and malicious charges", Tharoor said that he has told the prime minister to have the charges against him thoroughly investigated.

The former high ranking UN diplomat said he resigned in order to enable parliament to proceed with the legislative business and to focus on greater challenges ahead.

In an eloquent speech, Tharoor, a well-known author, thanked the people of Thiruvananthapuram for electing him to the Lok Sabha and underlined that he believed in "an India of pluralism, tolerance and diversity".

Tharoor quotes Malayalam poet in his defence

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) Former minister Shashi Tharoor quoted lines from well-known Malayalam poet Vallathol Narayana Menon while making his defence in parliament Tuesday on the IPL Kochi franchise controversy.

Tharoor, who quit as minister Sunday, told the Lok Sabha that he had done nothing improper in "mentoring" the Kochi franchise. He quoted from the works of Vallathol, whose poems inspired the nationalist and independence movement in the state.

"When you hear the name of India, your heart must swell with pride. When you hear the name of Kerala, the blood must throb in your veins," the MP from Thiruvananthapuram said while reading out the English translation.

Tharoor praised Kerala's contribution in various fields including education.

Vallathol, popularly known as Mahakavi (1878-1958), was deaf. He had established the Kerala Kalamandalam, now a deemed university, and raised the traditional dance form of kathakali to a great art form.

Hurt Tharoor says he is ready for 'thorough probe'

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) Two days after being forced to quit over his alleged links to the Kochi IPL franchise, former minister Shashi Tharoor Tuesday said he had done no wrong and urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to probe the charges of impropriety and corruption hurled against him.

As the Lok Sabha listened with rapt attention, Tharoor, speaking for the first time after his resignation as minister of state for external affairs, said his conscience was clear but he felt "deeply wounded".

"I am deeply wounded by fanciful and malicious charges made against me and I have requested the prime minister to have these charges against me thoroughly investigated," an emotional Tharoor said amid loud thumping of desks by his Congress party colleagues.

The former UN diplomat and bestselling novelist said: "I have done nothing improper or unethical, let alone illegal. Nonetheless, in view of the ongoing political controversy, I have no desire to be an embarrassment to the government and believe that my departure at this stage will allow the prime minister and his cabinet colleagues to focus on the great challenges facing our nation."

Saying his resignation was in line with "the highest moral traditions of our democratic system", the MP from Thiruvananthapuram said he also wanted to let parliament continue its legislative business stalled by opposition members demanding his sacking.

Tharoor, 54, was blamed for misusing office in favouring his Dubai-based friend Sunanda Pushkar to secure sweat equity in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Kochi franchise worth Rs.70 crore. Some critics alleged that Pushkar was Tharoor's front -- a charge both of them have denied.

Dressed in a spotless white kurta pyjama with a tricolour scarf draped around his shoulders, Tharoor said that his career as a public servant was unblemished by any financial taint.

"I am new to Indian politics but I have a long record of public services, unblemished by the slightest taint of financial irregularity... I have led an unblemished life of personal integrity and probity and it is important to me that my name is cleared (of the charges)," he said.

The former UN official said he had returned to India after long years of international service "because I had always cherished the desire to make a difference in my own country".

"I returned to India because I believe in an India of openness and straightforwardness, not of hypocrisy and double dealing... I believe in an India of pluralism and diversity, not of religious bigotry and caste politics."

He also underlined his connections to Kerala -- his home state.

"I am proud to represent the capital of Kerala, a state that in so many ways is a trailblazer for India's progress, though in other respects it seems to have been left behind in the race for 21st century development."

He said it was a "great privilege" for him to have served the government and the Congress under the leadership of Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson and party president Sonia Gandhi - "two of the finest public servants our country has ever had".

The resignation, he said, marked a new beginning for him.

"I am heartened by the love, friendship and loyalty I have received from well-wishers in Thiruvananthapuram, across my home state Kerala and throughout (the) country. I am determined to continue to do my best for India and for the ideals that brought me back here."

Love for Kerala doesn't absolve Tharoor: BJP

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) Unimpressed by Shashi Tharoor's emotional defence in parliament on the IPL row, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday said his love for Kerala doesn't "absolve" the former minister of wrongdoing.

"His love for Kerala, that was the highlight of his speech, doesn't absolve him of corruption charges," BJP deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde told IANS.

Tharoor, forced to quit over his alleged links to the controversial Kochi Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, spoke for the first time after he quit as minister of state for external affairs. He said his conscience was clear and he had done nothing wrong.

"I have done nothing improper or unethical, let alone illegal... I have requested the prime minister to have these charges against me thoroughly investigated," Tharoor, the MP from Thiruvananthapuram, told the Lok Sabha.

However, the BJP, which has charged Tharoor with impropriety and corruption, said there was nothing substantive in his speech to absolve him of "misusing his office for his woman friend".

"He said nothing in his speech. He said he has done nothing wrong, but can he justify how his friend got the stake worth crores," Munde added.

Tharoor, 54, was blamed for misusing office in favouring his Dubai-based friend Sunanda Pushkar to secure sweat equity in the IPL Kochi franchise worth Rs.70 crore. Some critics alleged that Pushkar was a front for Tharoor -- a charge both have denied.

Thilakan back to drama field

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 | AA
Thilakan was a drama artiste before entering the tinsel world. Four decades after he is going back to drama field. He announced the decision on Saturday at Kodungallur at T.N. Kumaran award distribution function. Thilakan said, he wanted him to be known more as a drama artistise than a film actor. ``An actor should have strength to raise his voice against wrong deeds. But there is no such freedom in Malayalam film industry. Many persons who do not have talent in acting are seen revolving around the superstars as satellites'', he added. P.K Medhini presented the T.N Kumaran memory award to Nilambur Aysha. The award was instituted by `Ranjini' in memory of T.N. Kumaran, a freedom fighter and social woker. K.G. Sivanandan presided over the function.

Saji Surendran's next 'Four Friends'

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 | AA
Saji Surendran, after the success of two films 'Ivar Vivahitharaayaal' and 'Happy Husbands', is directing his third film 'Four Friends' with Jayaram, Jayasurya and Kunchacko Boban to do the lead. Heroine is not yet finalised.Krishana Poojapura has penned the screen play. Earlier he palnned to do a Prithwiraj film 'Ulakam Chuttum Vaaliban'. But due to some other reason this film will be delayed. His film 'Happy Husbands' has completed 100 days and the team has planned to celebrate this occasion at Dubai in June.

Tharoor's case has likeness with Chidambaram's 18 years ago

Monday, April 19, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) The resignation of Shashi Tharoor as minister of state for external affairs has striking similarity with another incident 18 years ago when Home Minister P. Chidambaram had stepped down from the commerce ministry.

The issue then involved alleged investments by Chidambaram's wife Nalini in the scam-tainted Fairgrowth Financial Services that had been promoted by banker Bilgi Ratnakar, a close associate of rogue broker Harshad Mehta.

In Tharoor's case, the controversy involves sweat (free) equity issued to his friend Sunanda Pushkar in the Kochi franchise of Indian Premier League (IPL) and the minister's alleged interest in expediting the paperwork involved with the auction process.

Yet, the striking difference between the two episodes is Chidambaram had sent in his resignation in July 1992 without being asked to by his bosses, while it took Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's personal intervention to force Tharoor to step down.

In both cases it was a matter of shares issued under questionable circumstances.

In Chidambaram's case, it was alleged that he and his family had secured 10,000 shares of Fairgrowth out of the promoter's quota at the face value Rs.10 when their market price was much higher.

In the twist and turns of Indian politics, the person who helped Chidambaram come out clean was Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Bharatiya Janata Party's Arun Jaitley, a lawyer on the other side of the political divide.

Then prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao re-inducted his colleague in his ministerial council in 1995. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was handling the finance portfolio then.

Jaitley successfully defended Chidambaram, leading to the Delhi High Court dismissing the petition by Janata Party that sought a probe by the Central Bank of Investigation into the alleged irregularity.

In Tharoor's case, what is being alleged is that his Dubai-based friend Pushkar secured "free" shares in the Koshi franchise of Indian Premier League (ILP), called Rendezvous Sports World, allegedly flouting norms laid down under the Companies Act.

What is now being probed is if due permission, indeed, was sought from the corporate affairs ministry while issuing the sweat equity, as under law such shares can only be allotted to employees or directors of a company.

According to corporate law experts, sweat equity can also be issued only if it is passed by a special resolution and the company has been in existence for more than one year.

For unlisted companies, the guidelines also require a "valuer" to determine the monetary worth that the intended recipient of sweat equity proposes to bring in after consulting relevant experts.

But more importantly, if the value of such sweats equity exceeds 15 percent of the paid-up capital or Rs.5 crore, it also requires prior permission of the central government.

Lakshmi Rai

Monday, April 19, 2010 | AA
lakshmi-rai

Netizens rally in support of Tharoor in cyber world

Monday, April 19, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) "We want Shashi Tharoor back!" screamed a virtual campaign on the popular social networking website Facebook.

Calling the former minister of state for external affairs "the face of Indian politics that the young generation wants to see", many netizens, especially youngsters, said that India had lost one of its most capable ministers after his resignation Sunday.

A group of youngsters are also circulating an online petition to seek Tharoor's return to the council of minister and gathering signatures which they plan to submit to President Pratibha Patil.

Nivedita Nair, one of Tharoor's several supporters on Facebook, said: "We need politicians like him (Tharoor). The media was never interested in his work. All they like is gossip and creating controversies. India was, is and will always be a country run by old men with old thoughts."

Anupam Agarwal, an engineer and one of the 6,000 supporters of the Shashi Tharoor fan club in Orkut, another networking site, added: "If we continue to lose the few well-read and knowledgeable leaders who choose to come back home, then God save us from the abyss of Indian politics."

After an 11-month controvery embroiled tenure, Tharoor quit Sunday over an Indian Premier League (IPL) row. The controversy erupted after IPL chief Lalit Modi said on his twitter account that Tharoor had asked him to suppress information about his friend Sunanda Pushkar's stake in the IPL Kochi franchise.

Notwithstanding the allegations, the web world seems to be overflowing with support for the former minister.

Ramaswamy Iyer, another netizen, started an online petition titled 'We want Mr. Shashi Tharoor back'. He plans to submit it to the president once it gathers enough signatures.

"...India rarely gets politicians like Mr. Tharoor. We want change and we want him back...," the petition read.

On Twitter, another networking site where Tharoor himself is very active and where the entire IPL controversy started with Modi's tweet, the emotion is similar.

Praveen Kumar, a resident of Delhi, tweeted: "Indians are not so dumb that they don't understand whi you are being targeted."

Another tweet from an Indian in Bahrain read: "Life is about ups and downs. You have to bounce back... because we need professionals like you to lead the country. All the best."

The feelings were opposite for Modi, whose twitter account attracted antagonistic remarks.

There was even a 'hashtag' invented in which twitter users "guessed" Lalit Modi's password.

"ShashiChoorChoor #lkmtwitterpassword," said a twitter user 'chitraraj'. Another user tweeted, "kochikochinahinhotahain #lkmtwitterpassword".

A website, www.supporttharoor.org, has also been lobbying to collect "pledges" from netizens since Sunday. By late Monday afternoon, it had collected nearly 1,700, with its message board flooded with supportive words, most of them Keralites from India and Gulf.

Jojy Alex from Kochi wrote on the site: "I was happy that there was one more minister that really is worth of being a minister."

Plea for CBI probe in Tharoor controversy dismissed

Monday, April 19, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Monday dismissed a plea seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into former union minister Shashi Tharoor's alleged stake in the Kochi IPL franchisee.

Dismissing the petition, a bench headed by acting Chief Justice Madan B. Lokur said: "There is no merit in this case."

The petitioner, advocate Ajay Agarawal, alleged that the former minister of state for external affairs, who resigned from his post Sunday in wake of the growing Indian Premier League (IPL) controversy, had used his official position to get sweat equity of around Rs.70 crore for his friend Sunanda Pushkar.

The controversy rose when IPL commissioner Lalit Modi recently disclosed names of the free equity holders, including Pushkar, of Rendezvous Sports World (RSW) consortium, which bought the Kochi franchise for $333.33 million (approximately Rs.1,533 crore).

Cochin Port registers record cargo throughput

Monday, April 19, 2010 | AA
Kochi, April 19 (IANS) Cochin Port achieved a record high cargo throughput of 17.43 million tonnes in the last fiscal, the Cochin Port Trust said here Monday.

This was almost two million tonnes more than the 15.49 million tonnes of cargo the port handled in 2008-09 -- a growth rate of 12.50 percent, the port said in a statement.

Though the port's traditional cargo like coal, fertilizers and industrial salt fell by about 10 per cent, the deficit was more than compensated by higher volumes in liquid bulk, especially petroleum products, and in general cargo like cement, iron scrap and timber logs.

During the period, an increase of about 11 per cent in container traffic was registered with a total of 289,817 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) containers as against 260,784 TEUs handled in 2008-09.

The vessel traffic also registered an increase of 18 per cent, while the average turn around time of ships showed an improvement of three per cent. The average ship berth day output also registered an improvement of two per cent.

Cochin Port hosted 44 cruise ships on international calls and seven high-seas overnight voyages, which is the highest among all Indian Ports so far.

The port has set a target of 19.11 million tonnes of cargo throughput for 2010-11.

'PM was emotional when Tharoor offered to quit'

Monday, April 19, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) When Shashi Tharoor went to meet him and offered to quit Sunday afternoon, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appeared emotional and told him he believed he was clean, but he had no choice in the face of an unrelenting opposition that was determined to embarrass the government and hold up important legislative business, sources said here.

"The prime minister was emotional when he offered to resign. He has a personal liking for Tharoor," sources with access to the former minister of state for external affairs said.

"But he was forced to let him go as a hostile opposition was clamouring for his resignation. His hand was forced as Tharoor's resignation was the only way to break the parliamentary logjam," the sources told IANS.

Had it not been for the parliamentary session, Tharoor would have ridden out the storm, the sources felt.

The prime minister's reluctance to take a stand on Tharoor's alleged link with Kochi's IPL franchise amid a growing uproar was evident during his overseas trip to the US and Brazil last week. In Washington, the prime minister treaded cautiously when he was asked Wednesday on his comments about the Tharoor row, saying he will decide on the issue only after ascertaining facts.

Again, while returning from Brasilia Saturday, he was cryptic in his reply when asked about the hullabaloo in parliament over the Tharoor issue. "In politics, ups and downs keep happening," was all Manmohan Singh would say.

In fact, as sources pointed out, it was Manmohan Singh, along with Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who decided to make Tharoor, a first-time MP and a former UN diplomat who contested for the post of the UN secretary general with India's backing , a junior foreign minister after he won the Lok Sabha elections from Thiruvananthapuram in May last year with a big margin.

Usually, first-time MPs dont get ministerial jobs, but an exception was made in Tharoor's case because of his international experience and acknowledged professional calibre.

Tharoor run out...but gathers fans along the way

Monday, April 19, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 19 (IANS) He came, conquered the hearts of Keralites a year back only to stumble and fall due to his own indiscretions. Shashi Tharoor was the buzz of the town Monday, a day after he resigned as minister of state for external affairs, with some in this constituency upset and others confident he would bounce back.

Credited for bringing the Indian Premier League (IPL) team to Kochi, the Thiruvananthapuram MP stepped down Sunday night over allegations that he had "mentored" the Kochi IPL franchise that involved his Dubai-based friend Sunanda Pushkar getting sweat equity worth Rs.70 crore.

"Initially, my family felt he would survive the IPL fiasco, the way he survived all the issues created by his excessive tweeting. But, then we had doubts because of the allegations that surfaced about his friend Sunanda Pushkar. The moment the involvement of a lady surfaced, his downfall was certain," said school teacher Shiny Benjamin.

Tharoor, a former high ranking UN diplomat who made a lateral entry into politics as Congress' Lok Sabha MP, had Friday clarified that he had not misused his official position and his "mentoring" the Kerala consortium of the Kochi IPL franchise was "within the bounds of appropriate conduct".

Biju Varghese, an engineer, said he developed a "strange" attachment to Tharoor the moment it became clear that he would contest from Thirunvananthapuram. "For some strange reason, I felt attached to him, may be because of his personality."

"I was confident of his victory because many of us felt he is a cut above the usual run of the mill politicians and one who would do something different. And when he became a minister, our excitement increased. Tell me who else would have got Kerala an IPL team?" he asked.

"We are crestfallen that the Congress asked him to resign, but wait and see he will bounce back," Varghese added.

Others, including those from his party, felt that Tharoor should have addressed grassroots problems.

"See, the problem with Tharoor was that he failed to connect well with the local party leaders who work at the grassroots. This setback will help him understand the nuances of how a Congress leader needs to behave," said a Youth Congress activist on condition of anonymity.

Ernakulam Lok Sabha member and senior Congress leader K.P. Dhanapalan added: "If the party wanted, it could have asked him to continue, but our party thinks differently. There is no need for him to resign as Lok Sabha member. He can always return as a minister, if he comes out clean."

Irrespective of what is in store for Tharoor, it is clear that he has won the hearts of many cricket lovers in Kerala looking forward to the next IPL season when their team would also be playing. Speculation has begun on greats like Brian Lara, Michael Clark and Lance Klusener joining the Kochi IPL team.

"I feel sorry for him. Just because he does not have the quality of a politician, who can always wriggle out of any situation by hook or by crook, he did not get the support from his own party," said a cricket enthusiast and Kottayam businessman Babu Jacob.

IPL 'glorified gambling with black money'-Vayalar Ravi

Monday, April 19, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi Monday alleged that the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament was "glorified gambling" run with black money.

Accusing IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi of being "very close" to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ravi told reporters: "What is IPL? It is glorified gambling with black money."

He said it was for the government to look into the role of big money in the IPL cricket championship. "It is a matter of serious concern."

Asked about the role of cabinet ministers like Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel, the minister said they were linked more to cricket and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). "The IPL is something else."

Ravi's comments came a day after Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor resigned over his controversial link to the IPL Kochi franchise.

Where is Shashi Tharoor?

Monday, April 19, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) Shashi Tharoor, the former minister of state for external affairs who quit over the Indian Premier League (IPL) row, was conspicuous by his absence in parliament Monday.

As parliament began at 11 a.m., mediapersons waiting for the former minister, who stepped down late Sunday, were disappointed when the MP from Thiruvananthapuram did not turn up.

The former UN diplomat did not attend question hour either.

"He is not at home... Has gone out with someone," one of his aides said when IANS contacted his residence at Lodhi Estate.

Mediapersons keen to talk to the former minister had gathered outside his official bungalow, but the gates remained shut.

Tharoor, whose 11-month-long tenure was embroiled in controversies, resigned Sunday night after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the core committee of the Congress party found that his continuance could cause more embarrassment to the party.

Tharoor Friday had put up a spirited defence of himself in the Lok Sabha, claiming he had done no wrong and not used his office to promote the interest of close friend Sunanda Pushkar. The Dubai-based businesswoman got sweat equity worth Rs.7 crore in Rendezvous Sports World, a member of the consortium that won the IPL Kochi franchise.

On Sunday, Pushkar announced that she was giving up her stake in the IPL franchise.

The controversy began after IPL commissioner Lalit K. Modi said on his twitter account that Tharoor had asked him to suppress information about Pushkar getting a stake in the IPL Kochi franchise.

Mired in IPL row, Tharoor steps down

Monday, April 19, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) Embattled Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor Sunday night stepped down, the Prime Minister's Office said, ending a weeklong political drama surrounding a controversial IPL financial deal involving his Dubai-based friend Sunanda Pushkar.

"Shashi Tharoor... has submitted his resignation to the prime minister, stepping down from the union council of ministers. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has forwarded the resignation to President Pratibha Patil with the recommendation that it may be accepted," a statement from the PMO said.

Patil also accepted the resignation.

Tharoor, 54, a former top UN official, submitted his resignation to Manmohan Singh in a nearly half-hour meeting, the second during the day that saw hectic political activity following the prime minister's return after a weeklong trip to the US and Brazil.

The resignation came soon after top Congress leaders held a meeting with the prime minister and party president Sonia Gandhi and concluded that Tharoor had to go.

The Congress party held a flurry of meetings Sunday attended by senior union ministers, over the row at the centre of which was Tharoor and his "mentoring" of the Kochi IPL franchise.

Only on Friday, Tharoor had put up a spirited defence of himself in the Lok Sabha, claiming he had done no wrong and not used his office to promote the interest of Pushkar, a businesswoman who got sweat equity worth Rs.7 crore in Rendezvous Sports World, a member of the consortium that won the Indian Premier League (IPL) Kochi franchise for the cash-rich Twenty20 domestic cricket tournament.

In a statement to IANS Wednesday, Pushkar had claimed she too had done no wrong and denied being a proxy for Tharoor - charge reiterated Sunday by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Tharoor's position became untenable however after Pushkar Sunday gave up her IPL stake, which media reports said had been allocated to her in violation of company law.

The opposition, which had been demanding the removal of Tharoor, welcomed the move.

"This is the victory of truth," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

Another party leader Nirmala Sitharaman said his position had become "untenable and it was only appropriate that he resigned".

"There was so much evidence against him. The lady giving back her equity does not absolve him of the charges," Sitharaman said.

Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D. Raja said the exit of Tharoor was "inevitable".

"Since there were serious allegations of Tharoor's involvement in the Kochi IPL franchise, his continuance in the government became untenable. The decision of Sunanda Pushkar surrendering her stake is an admission of guilt," he said.

The Tharoor drama was one of the worst political crisis to hit the Congress-led government since its return to power in 2009.

It was the year when Tharoor, who in 2006 tried to become the UN Secretary General, returned to India and contested the Lok Sabha election, winning handsomely from Thiruvananthapuram, capital of his home state Kerala.

IPL commissioner Lalit Modi ignited the controversy a week ago when he revealed the ownership pattern of Kochi IPL, stating that Pushkar owned free equity in Rendezvous . Modi accused Tharoor of asking him not to reveal the ownership details -- a charge the minister denied.

Pushkar, who is originally from Kashmir, alleged she was being targeted because she was a woman. "As a woman professional, I am shocked to find how easily certain parties with vested interests questioned my credentials mainly because I am a woman," she said.

EARLIER: Tharoor: From youngest doctorate at Tufts to beleaguered minister

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Shashi Tharoor, who Sunday quit as the minister of state for external affairs following an ugly IPL financial row, was the youngest doctorate at 22 at Tufts University in the US.

The following is the brief bio of the former UN diplomat who went on to contest election for the UN Secretary General in 2006:

- Tharoor was born in London March 9, 1956.

- Educated in Kerala, Mumbai and Kolkata. Graduated from St. Stephen’s college in Delhi.

- He has two masters and a doctorate from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, US. He became the youngest doctorate at Tufts at 22, with doctoral thesis on "Reasons of State".

- He joined the United Nations in 1978, rising to become under secretary general for communications and public information in 2001.

- He was nominated by India for the post of UN Secretary General in 2006. He lost to South Korea’s Ban Ki-Moon. Left the UN April 1, 2007.

- Tharoor contested the 2009 Lok Sabha election on a Congress party ticket from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, and won by a margin of 100,000 votes.

- He was sworn-in minister of state May 28, 2009.

EARLIER: Tharoor's fate uncertain, Pushkar gives up IPL stake

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor's continuance in the government remained uncertain Sunday amid unending demands for his resignation even as his friend Sunanda Pushkar gave up her controversial stake in the IPL Kochi franchise.

The Congress also held a crucial meeting of its core committee to decide the future of Tharoor in the government. Tharoor is at the centre of a row regarding the Indian Premier League Kochi franchise business in which Pushkar got sweat equity worth Rs.70 crore.

But there was no official word about what happened in the nearly two-hour meeting, held at the Prime Minister's House at 7, Race Course Road.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her political advisor Ahmed Patel, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Defence Minister A.K. Antony were present at the meeting to discuss the row which comes in the middle of parliament's budget session.

Tharoor, who has been in the line of fire of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left, also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh earlier in the day to explain his side of the story over the IPL controversy involving him and Pushkar.

The minister did not speak to reporters after the 50-minute meeting with Manmohan Singh. Neither was there any word from the Prime Minister's Office on what was discussed.

The issue has turned out to be an explosive crisis for the government with the BJP and communist parties charging the beleaguered Tharoor with corruption.

The BJP argued that Pushkar's action to surrender her stake Sunday was an admission of guilt.

"The surrounding suspicious circumstances outline that he (Tharoor) abused his authority for undue enrichment for his friend (Pushkar)," BJP leader and spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

Prasad alleged that Pushkar was a front for Tharoor in the IPL deal. "He (Tharoor) is the beneficiary, and that is why in haste all these laws were violated and sweat equity was issued (to her)."

The BJP threatened to stall parliament Monday if the government didn't sack Tharoor.

IPL commissioner Lalit Modi ignited the controversy a week ago when he revealed the ownership pattern of Kochi IPL, stating that Pushkar, who is based in Dubai, owned free equity in Rendezvous Sports World, a member of the consortium that won the Kochi franchise.

Modi accused Tharoor of asking him not to reveal the ownership details -- a charge the minister denied.

Pushkar's lawyer Ashish Mehta announced Sunday -- hours after a television channel claimed that she got the equity in violation of Company Law -- that she was giving up the stake to Rendezvous Sports World.

"I had been looking forward to contributing over the next 10 years to building the team's brand... However, I can no longer imagine being able to find the enthusiasm required to associate myself with any IPL activity in the foreseeable future," Pushkar said in a letter to Rendezvous.

In the letter read out by her lawyer, Pushar said she was "deeply distressed at the violent, malicious reporting" surrounding her role in Rendezvous.

Mehta insisted that her decision was not related to Tharoor. "She herself is very hurt as a woman, as a professional. It has got nothing to do with Tharoor."

Pushkar, who is originally from Kashmir, alleged she was being targeted because she was a woman.

"As a woman professional, I am shocked to find how easily certain parties with vested interests questioned my credentials mainly because I am a woman," she said.

But the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) was not impressed.

Its leader Nilotpal Basu said the Left parties wanted Tharoor to quit. Pushkar's surrender of her stake doesn't help, Basu said. "If Pushkar had done no wrong, as she has claimed, why should she give up her stake?"

Communist Party of India's D. Raja said in similar vein: "If there was nothing murky, why did Sunanda (Pushkar) surrender?"

Politicians, businessmen manipulating IPL bids: BJP

Kolkata, April 18 (IANS) Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Murli Manohar Joshi Sunday said the much-talked about Indian Premier League (IPL) controversy clearly showed an unscrupulous relation between politicians and businessmen in India.

"The IPL scandals have seriously exposed how political leaders and businessmen are participating and manipulating the bids on the teams," Joshi told a press conference here at the Kolkata Press Club.

"At a time when our country is facing serious problems like Maoist violence and terrorism, ministers are busy converting the IPL into an agency to loot the public money," he added.

Joshi said the BJP would demand dismissal of Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor from the ministerial berth and appeal to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to look into the matter.

"We want a thorough investigation into the whole issue," he added.

Joshi also criticised the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, saying: "The central government has no road map ready to control price rise."

"The BJP will hold a mass rally in New Delhi April 21 to protest the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities across the country," he added.

Congress core committee meets to decide Tharoor's fate

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Hours after Minister of State of External Affairs Shashi Tharoor met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a meeting of the Congress party's core committee is taking place Sunday evening to decide on his future in the government.

The meeting is being held at the Prime Minister's House at 7, Race Course Road, and started around 7 p.m.

Besides Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, and Defence Minister A.K. Antony are among those attending the meet.

Earlier in the day, Tharoor met the prime minister for 50 minutes to present his side of the story over the IPL controversy involving him and close friend Sunanda Pushkar.

Tharoor friend Pushkar gives up IPL Kochi equity

Sunday, April 18, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Just four days after she accused the media of hounding her, Dubai-based Sunanda Pushkar Sunday gave up her stake in the IPL Kochi franchise amid a row involving her friend and Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor.

Her lawyer Ashish Mehta read out a statement saying Pushkar had on her own given surrendered the sweat equity offered to her by Rendezvous Sports World, a member of the consortium that won the Kochi Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise.

"The decision has nothing to do with Tharoor. This is her own decision," Mehta said. He added that if Tharoor, who is under intense pressure to quit over the controversy, was the reason, she would have taken the same decision a week ago when the matter hit the headlines.

In a statement read out by Mehta on her behalf, Pushkar said she was giving up the equity because "given the deeply unpleasant publicity surrounding my involvement (in IPL Kochi franchise), I can no longer be able to find the enthusiasm required to associate myself with any IPL activity in the foreseeable future".

She said she was shocked that "certain parties" were questioning her credentials merely because she was a woman and that she did not intend to seek compensation for the efforts she had put in for Rendezvous.

Mehta insisted that the decision by Pushkar was taken Saturday, a day before revelations that Rendezvous had violated the Company Law by giving her sweat equity.

The controversy erupted after IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi revealed the ownership pattern of Kochi IPL, stating that Pushkar, a friend of Tharoor, owned free equity in Rendezvous Sports World.

Modi accused Tharoor of asking him not to reveal the ownership details -- a charge denied by the minister.

Pushkar had told IANS April 14 that she was approached by Rendezvous asking her to associate "with them as a consultant in their various sporting activities and particularly in their potential bid to acquire the franchise of an IPL team".

"In view of my extensive international experience as a business executive, marketing manager and entrepreneur, I was invited to assist Rendezvous particularly in the areas of fund-raising, networking, elsewhere; event management; and brand building.

"Because this is a start-up effort, I was told that in lieu of a salary they would grant me minor equity in Rendezvous in return for my efforts - which is a common practice across the world for start-ups and projects of this nature."

She went on to say that she was no proxy for the minister and she was "outraged at the distortions and outright lies about me, my background and my life that have appeared in the press".

After controversies, 'Dam 999" heads to Dubai

Sunday, April 18, 2010 | AA
Kochi, April 17 (IANS) "Dam 999", a $10-million-film project boasting of an Indian and Hollywood cast, had its share of bad publicity while shooting in Kerala. But with the initial India leg of its shoot over, the crew is all set to head to Dubai and Hong Kong.

The film tells the tale of a cracking dam built during colonial rule and revolves around nine characters and their emotions. And the lives of all the nine characters revolve around the central edifice - the pressure-mounted dam.

The film's spokesperson said they would start shooting in Dubai, which would be the best location for capturing maritime activities as it is a big maritime hub.

"After Dubai, the unit then moves to Hong Kong and then returns to Kerala before winding up at Hyderabad, where the climax would be filmed. The film would be released worldwide this year itself," the spokesperson told IANS.

The film is produced by Middle East-based Marine BizTV and directed by Sohan Roy, CEO of Aries Telecasting Ltd, the parent company of Marine BizTV in Dubai. "Dam 999" will be released in both English and Malayalam.

The cast includes National Award-winning actor Rajit Kapur, Ashish Vidyarthi, Linda Arsenio, Joshua Fredric Smith, Jaala Pickering, Megha Burman, Vimala Raman, Vinay Rai and Jineet Rath.

Roy, a naval architect by profession, said the film is an emotional thriller inspired by many real-life incidents.

"One cannot go on for long without expressing one's feelings. Like a pressure-mounted dam, concealed emotions will explode at some point of time. Words are not enough to convey the aftermath of this outburst. The audience will relate to the symbolic representation of a dam to the mind," said Roy.

By the time the film's shooting in the state was completed last month, it had overcome two roadblocks. First, thespian Malayalam actor Thilakan, who was set to play the lead role, was dropped.

The actor was dropped after stiff opposition to his being part of the project by the Association of Malayalam Movies Artistes (AMMA) and the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), a body of technicians comprising 19 different organisations. Thilakan was replaced by Rajit Kapur.

As the shooting began, actress Tulip Joshi walked out of the sets due to differences with the unit. She later decided to come back, but members of FEFKA refused to work with her. She was replaced by Megha Burman.

The crew includes Ajayan Vincent (director of photography), Sreekar Prasad (editor), Thotta Tharani (production designer), Ouseppachan (music) and singers K.S. Chithra and P. Jayachandran among others.

The Hollywood names associated with the project include Eric Sherman, the project consultant who is a direction and production consultant to Universal Studios and Paramount Pictures besides Rob Tobin, who is the movie's script doctor.

Reprieve for Vijayan in SNC Lavalin case

Sunday, April 18, 2010 | AA
Kochi April 17 (IANS) Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Kerala state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, who is among the accused in the Rs.374 crore SNC Lavalin scam, Saturday earned a major reprieve when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said there is no evidence to prove that he had made any financial gains.

The CBI's stand came in an affidavit filed in the CBI court after the original petitioner in the case, 'Crime' editor T.P.Nandakumar approached the court to find out the status of the case after Vijayan secured bail December last year.

The affidavit also pointed out that there was no basis of the allegations leveled by the petitioner that Vijayan had traveled to Singapore several times.

Vijayan, who is currently on a trip to the Middle East, said that the truth has finally come out and he was happy about it.

"It is now clear that a section of the media was out spreading canards about me after joining hands with vested interests and that is why my party stood solidly behind me," he said.

The case had generated huge interest because it was the first time ever that a CPI-M politburo member had to appear before a court in a corruption case. The CBI filed charge sheets against nine accused, including Vijayan, in June last year.

Vijayan, as the then state power minister, had inked the final agreement in 1997 for renovating three power plants in the state.

Meanwhile, the CBI also informed the court that the investigation was underway on whether former Congress minister G. Karthikeyan, who held the electricity portfolio in the A.K. Antony cabinet (1995-96), had any role to play and the final report would be submitted shortly.

It was Karthikeyan who had signed the initial agreement with Lavalin and Vijayan took it forward and inked the contract with the Canadian company.

Kerala ayurvedic masseurs roped in for Games

Sunday, April 18, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) India may not have enough masseurs and physiotherapists with specialised sports oriented training, but filling the gap at the Commonwealth Games will be ayurvedic masseurs and therapists from Kerala and West Bengal.

Thousands of athletes and players are expected to take part in the Oct 3-14 event -- the 19th edition of these Games -- during which sports masseurs and therapists will be needed.

In India, however, sports masseurs are very rare to come by and in fact the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has around 10 of them working under it at any given time. So to meet the deficit, organisers have looked outside the state and have chosen those involved in ayurveda - an Indian system of medicine - which experts say could be an added advantage.

"Around 150 ayurvedic masseurs from the Indian system of medicine have been identified to be trained in sports massages. The Delhi government shortlisted the names from Kerala's Directorate of Health Services and we have recently given the names to the Games Organising Committee," J.P. Singh, the Delhi government's health secretary, told IANS.

In addition, the Delhi government has identified 100 more people from Kerala and West Bengal for physiotherapy requirements also.

However, these ayurvedic masseurs will undergo rigorous training conducted by foreign experts before the sporting event.

"Since a sports massage is a very different concept from the Indian system of medicine-based massage, the selected candidates will undergo training from foreign experts. After the Games they can be inducted for the domestic demand also," Lalit Bhanot, the organising committee's spokesman, told IANS.

The foreign experts will teach the candidates massages like 'Petrisage' (massage based on pressure application for relaxing), 'Efflurage' (for warming up muscles before a sporting event) and many more, he said.

"Typically, this type of specialised training is made available in countries like the United Kingdom and Australia. The training will be an 11-day module. This is likely to held in Kerala and the experts from abroad will be flown down there. After that, the masseurs will be tested through a written exam ahead of the Games," the official added.

Explaining the importance of masseurs in any sports event, Alakananda Banerjee, head of the physiotherapy department at Max Hospital in Saket, told IANS: "They are a very important aspect of the training for sportspersons and are required in all sports like hockey, football and others. Masseurs are required before, during and after any sporting event.

"When sportspersons play, their muscles get tightened which can lower their performance. The sports massage helps in blood circulation, ultimately helping the sportspersons."

According to sports medicine expert P.S.M. Chandran, the concept of sports massages is still unknown in India.

"Sports massage is an unknown entity in this country. As of now under the Sports Authority of India (SAI), we have just 10 of them and they too have knowledge of the ayurveda system. Even without the Games, there was a demand for them but no supply," Chandran, who is also director of sports medicine at the SAI.

"If you know some massaging technique, it is better since you can be easily trained. Ayurvedic massages are used for certain diseases and have different training. The masseurs already know how the hands are used and have knowledge of the human anatomy," he added.

Young Kerala author debuts with mass fiction

Sunday, April 18, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Young India is opting for "mass fiction" that is easy to read and at an attractive price, though the winning script is different in the global context, says first-time author Mathew Vincent Menacherry, a native of Kerala.

The price of an "Indian mass commercial thriller should not exceed Rs.100", said Menacherry whose book "Arrack In The Afternoon" was released in the capital last week.

"It ensures bulk sale as in the case of Chetan Bhagat's books. His books connected to a lot of non-readers and have lured them towards reading," Menacherry told IANS.

But in the global context, the winning script is "a little different", he said. The writer feels "an English fiction by an Indian author based abroad strikes a chord with the audience when narrated from a Western perspective".

"The spectrum of the audience is wider because it includes the large population of expatriates and the diaspora. But I chose to narrow my focus to India for my first book," he said.

Menacherry's book is about failure. It narrates the eclectic saga of Verghese Konnikara who has failed at just about everything. Depressed and suicidal and an alcoholic to boot, he decides to end it by throwing himself under a speeding truck on the highway. He fails at this too, but through a strange set of circumstances, is propelled into a new way of life which he could not have imagined even in his wildest dreams.

From a failed poet, Verghese is transformed into a "new age godman" sought after by some of the most powerful people in the country. Over the years, his unlikely journey wields its way through the underbelly of the metropolis and "into the homes and mansions of the rich and famous".

"The character Verghese is a leaf out of real life. My private tutor, to whom I was very close, was an alcoholic and a dabbler. He tried his hand at many things, including journalism, but in the end hung himself. That affected me deeply. His death was the source of inspiration," the writer said.

The novel is set in Mumbai because he felt that "the megalopolis was like a melting pot - a city that was changing rapidly with great disparities between the haves and the have-nots".

"A new aspirational culture is gradually emerging in Mumbai. One can call it the Page 3 culture in which people with little ability can find themselves in positions of power through luck and circumstances. I wanted to explore whether they found fulfilment in success or were they as empty as they used to be despite their happening lifestyles," he said.

Mumbai is also a city which has a story beckoning you from every streetcorner, Menacherry said. "It provides the entire mix - poverty, the movie industry, gangsters, corrupt cops and politicians. The only city that matches Mumbai in spirit is New York," the novelist said.

Verghese is "like a twig tossed in the rain" in the chaos of Mumbai. "I did not want to make him a strong protagonist," Menacherry said.

The novelist is now writing a love story. "It is set in Goa with a hero painted in dark shades like Verghese. He is an alcoholic ex-soldier, who goes to meet his girlfriend to give a last shot at their relationship," he said.

Why is no Kerala bigwig coming out in support of Tharoor?

Sunday, April 18, 2010 | AA
Kochi/Thiruvananthapuram, April 18 (IANS) There has been little support forthcoming for Shashi Tharoor from Kerala, the state he belongs to, over the IPL controversy despite the popular excitement after he "helped" bring an IPL franchise to Kochi.

In fact, the entire Kerala unit of the Congress, which congratulated Tharoor for bringing an Indian Premier League team to Kochi, has not come out openly to defend the beleaguered minister.

Tharoor, who was elected to the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabah seat, belongs to the upper caste Nair community. The Nair Service Society (NSS) has refused to back the minister on the issue.

NSS assistant secretary G. Sukumaran Nair said the community's stand on Tharoor has not changed. Sukumaran had mocked at Tharoor, calling him a "Delhi Nair" last year after he was appointed a union minister against the community's wishes. The NSS, traditional Congress supporters, were openly unhappy with Tharoor being chosen for the minister's post. They had been pushing for K.C. Venugopal, a former state minister, who was elected from the Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency.

Tharoor had Friday clarified that he had not misused his official position and his "mentoring" the Kerala consortium of the Kochi IPL franchise was "within the bounds of appropriate conduct". He had said "I am proud to have helped the consortium come to Kerala, a state which has long been excluded from participation in India's cricketing resurgence."

The opposition is demanding his resignation, accusing him of misusing his official position to help his friend Sunanda Pushkar get sweat equity worth Rs.70 crore in the IPL Kochi franchise.

However, a strong section in the state feels that the present controversy is "a conspiracy against Tharoor and Kerala".

A Congress MP from the state said no MP from the state is backing Tharoor, who has a global footprint, "because they are jealous of him".

K.S. Manu, head of Creative Content Hibiscus Digital Media, a company based in Thiruvananthapuram, told IANS: "The attack against Tharoor is a clear example of how competent political leaders are cornered. It is the Congress party which has to be vigilant, rather than take action against Tharoor."

He added: "The opposition's statements prove the malicious and unethical political practice prevailing in India today and it is very embarrassing that such a dynamic leader is drawn into controversies for protecting personal enmities and interests."

Eldo. M, a university student, said: "Tharoor, as a politician, should have spoken for the BPL (Below Poverty Line) section in the state, instead of bringing IPL to Kochi.

"It is of course a litmus test for the Congress, and not for Tharoor, whether political sidelining and mudslinging should be encouraged or not," said Aju Gopalakrishnan, a physical education teacher working in Malappuram district.

State Finance Minister Thomas Isaac slammed Tharoor, saying it would have been better if Tharoor had taken interest in getting allotment of more rice for the state from the central pool than bringing an IPL team for Kerala.

"It would have been much better had Tharoor taken half the effort that he took to bring an IPL team to get more rice from the centre. He thinks he has done a great thing by getting an IPL team. What did he do to bargain for a package for the state in the wake of India signing the ASEAN trade pact," asked Isaac at a seminar.

On Wednesday, while the CPI-M politburo called for Tharoor's resignation, saying he must step down till his name is cleared of any impropriety in the IPL Kochi team, the local CPI-M leaders maintained silence aware of the huge excitement there was when Kerala got an IPL team.

Will Antony come to Tharoor's aid?

Sunday, April 18, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Many in the Congress party are wondering if Defence Minister and senior Congress leader A.K. Antony will once more bat for his beleaguered colleague from Kerala, Shashi Tharoor.

Antony may have a major say in any decision on Tharoor's continuation as minister of state for external affairs in the wake of the Kochi IPL franchise controversy. After all, they say, it was he who strongly supported Tharoor's candidature from the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency last year.

The sources say Congress president Sonia Gandhi relies heavily on Antony in matters of Kerala and his views will influence the party's course of action to wriggle out of the unsavory IPL happenings.

‘Neelambari’, a musical tribute to Girish Puthenchery

Saturday, April 17, 2010 | AA

‘Neelambari’, a musical show and fund raising programme, in memory of the beloved poet Gireesh Puthenchery, by his friends and wellwisherse, was peroformed at the packed Swapna Nagari Ground in Kozhikode last Saturday. The function commenced with the lines of Ashtapathi ``Vande mukunda hare..’’ sung by Nikhil, which was presented in `Devasuram’. Yesudas, P. Jayachandran, M.G. Sreekumar, Chithra, Sujatha, Ilaiyaraja, Johnson, Ouseppachan, M. Jayachandran, Raghukumar, Rajamani, Mohanlal, Dileep, Nedumudi Venu, Kavya Madhavan, Padmapriya, Samvritha Sunil, Manoj K. Jayan, Biju Menon, G. Venugopal, Sreenivas, Swetha, Manjari, Gayathri, Rimy Tomy, Devanand, Vijay Yesudas, Biju Narayanan, Afzal, Sathyan Anthikad, Ranjit, Jayaraj, Kamal, Lal Jose and V.M. Vinu were there to pay homage to Gireesh.

Though the show was a star-studded one, there weren’t any revelry. Evening at 7.15 Mohanlal lit the `nilavilak’ to inaugurate the function. Later Ilaiyaraja appeared on the stage. He shared his memories with Girish, “When we joined to compose the songs for ‘Kaala paani,’, an impressed Girish asked me to accept a gift for having tuned favourite songs. But I only wanted a promise from him that he would not drink alcohol. But he didn’t keep his word.’’ For the memory of Girish, he requested to sing the song `Attirambile Kombile...’’ in the film `Kaala Pani’. M.G. Srekumar and Chitra sung the song and the hours long programme began.

Several songs were rendered as flowers of love. Among those were ‘Amma mazhakarinu…’ (Yesudas), ‘Kannu nattu…’ (Jayachadran), ‘Deena dayalo…’ (Gayatri), ‘Kanakamunthirikal…’ (Venugopal), ‘Thamara kurivkku…’ (Manjari)., ‘Ethrayo janmamayi…’ (Sreenivas and Sujatha), ‘Aarorol pular mazhayil…’ (Vijay and Rimy Tomy) ‘Karimizhi kuruviye…’ (Devanad and Sujatha) and ‘Yamuna veruthe…’ (Swetha).

A song written by Kaithapram and composed by Thej Mervin as a tribute to Gireesh was sung by Sudheep Kumar.

Director Ranjit, who had conceptualised and coordinated the show said that it was a huge success that they could meet their target of Rs. 50 lakhs, an amount to be presented to Gireesh's family.

'Advocate Lakshmanan, Ladies only' progressing

Saturday, April 17, 2010 | AA
This film directed by Pappan Payattuvila revolves around an Advocate named Lakshmanan, who undertakes divorce cases only. Any lady after divorce needs job would get a job in his pickles making factory. Only divorced ladies can seek a job there and those who wanted to continue education can also do it. He will render any help to these ladies. One day he met a girl and gradually their relationship reached to love. The problems he had to face after the relationship has picturised in a comedy line. Under the banner of Dhanush films, S. Mohan is producing the film. Mukesh dons the role of advocate and Mallika Kapoor as his heroine. They are supported by Jagadeesh, Harisree Asokan, Biju Kuttan, Asokan, Suresh Krishna, Indrans, Lakshmi Priya, Githa Vijayan ,Ponnamma Babu and others. PadmaKumar has penned the screenplay. Mohan Sithara has tuned the music and Anil Panachooraan has penned the lyrics. K.V Suresh is the cinematographer. Shoot is progressing at Thiruvananthapuram.

Allegations are baseless, ill-founded, ill-motivated: Tharoor

Saturday, April 17, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor Friday clarified that he had not misused his position to influence the IPL Kochi franchise's bid and dismissed the opposition's allegations as "baseless, ill-founded and ill-motivated".

Amid a rising clamour for his resignation by opposition MPs, Tharoor was unable to read out the statement and laid it on the table of the Lok Sabha.

"The allegations against me which have been seized upon by honourable members of the opposition are baseless, ill-founded and ill-motivated," Tharoor said in a written statement to the Lok Sabha.

"No misuse of my official position was involved," he said, adding that his role in mentoring the Kerala consortium was "throughout within the bounds of appropriate conduct for a Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram and a member of the union council of ministers".

He said the suggestion that he had "indirectly received personal benefits from this enterprise because the Rendezvous management team, who hold stakes in the venture, includes a close friend of mine... is particularly wounding.

"I have had a three-decade career in international public service that has never been sullied by the slightest taint of financial wrongdoing.

"Those who know me are aware that money has never been a motivating factor for me in any of my actions or decisions."

The minister is alleged to have helped his Dubai-based friend Pushkar get sweat equity worth Rs.70 crore in the IPL Kochi franchise. There are also allegations that Pushkar, who is originally a Kashmiri, was a proxy for Tharoor in the consortium. Pushkar has already denied it.

The minister retorted: "The notion that somebody is some sort of 'proxy' for me is frankly insulting to me and to the professionalism and business ethics of the investors and their associates, particularly since I could not have any role in influencing the final outcome of a sealed bidding process.

"It is unworthy of any member of this august house to imply that a reputed business professional and entrepreneur with a long track record of business success can, because of her gender, only be seen as a front for someone else."

Not denying his "personal relationship" with Pushkar, Tharoor said: "Irrespective of my personal relationships with any of the consortium members, I have not benefited, and do not intend to benefit, in any way financially from my association with the team now or at a later stage."

Ruling out that the issue had anything to do with his ministry, he said: "As a minister, I was in no position to influence the bid process, let alone its outcome. I did not grant any favours or benefits within the purview of my ministry to the members of the consortium.

"No one could have any idea what the various participants in the auction process would bid, and my official position gave me no advantage in this regard that could have been used to benefit the Kerala bid. Indeed my ministerial position was altogether irrelevant to the bid and so could not have been used or misused to ensure its success."

He said the "unexpected success" of the Kerala consortium was "not acceptable to some interested parties". This led to the allegations about the composition and ownership of the consortium and his role in it.

"It has been clear for some time that the real motive behind the public controversy that has been created around me is to make the Kochi team unviable and to assign this IPL franchise elsewhere than Kerala," he said.

However, the clarification left the opposition unimpressed as the BJP declared that nothing short of Tharoor's resignation was acceptable. The din made Speaker Meira Kumar adjourn the house till 2 p.m.

My behaviour within bounds of appropriate conduct: Tharoor

Saturday, April 17, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor clarified Friday that he had not misused his official position and his "mentoring" the Kerala consortium of the Kochi IPL franchise was within the "bounds of appropriate conduct".

"No misuse of my official position was involved," Tharoor, who is at the centre of a row for alleged involvement in the Kochi franchise of the Indian Premier League, said in a written statement.

"My role in mentoring the Kerala consortium was throughout within the bounds of appropriate conduct for a Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram and a member of the union council of ministers."

Tharoor was forced to lay the statement in the Lok Sabha after protesting MPs created a ruckus over the row alleging that the minister had misused his official position to help his friend Sunanda Pushkar get sweat equity worth Rs.70 crore in the IPL Kochi franchise.

Tharoor could not read out the statement with opposition MPs, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), gathered near Speaker Meira Kumar's podium, creating noisy scenes forcing the presiding officer to adjourn the house till 2 p.m.

According to the minister: "The unexpected success of the Kerala consortium was apparently not acceptable to some interested parties..." This led to allegations about the composition and ownership of the consortium and his role in it.

He said the issue had nothing to do with his ministry. "As a minister, I was in no position to influence the bid process, let alone its outcome. I did not grant any favours or benefits within the purview of my ministry to the members of the consortium.

"No one could have any idea what the various participants in the auction process would bid, and my official position gave me no advantage in this regard that could have been used to benefit the Kerala bid. Indeed my ministerial position was altogether irrelevant to the bid and so could not have been used or misused to ensure its success."

Tharoor later read out the statement to the media outside Parliament House.

Text of Shashi Tharoor's statement

Saturday, April 17, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) Following is the text of Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor's statement, clarifying his position on the Kochi franchise of the Indian Premier League, in the Lok Sabha Friday:

I am grateful to you for the opportunity to set the record straight on my role in the recent issues relating to the IPL Kochi cricket team, which have raised by Honourable Members of the Opposition.

The Indian Premier League, or IPL, recently auctioned two additional city franchises under the auspices of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, BCCI. As a passionate cricket fan since my childhood in Mumbai, and as an MP from Kerala, I have nurtured a desire to see the sport flourish in my home state.

A consortium led by Rendezvous Sports World was set up to bid for an IPL team. They approached me for help and guidance and steered them towards Kerala. My role was as an informal mentor to the group. I had no role whatsoever in setting up the consortium itself or in any of its business decisions, including its decision to bid for the franchise.

The consortium won its bid successfully, in an auction process conducted by the BCCI. Its victory has been widely hailed in Kerala as a triumph for the state and an unrivalled opportunity for young players and cricket-lovers to enjoy the benefits of direct participation in a world-class tournament through a Kerala team.

However, the unexpected success of the Kerala consortium was apparently not acceptable to some interested parties. This has led to a number of public insinuations about the composition and ownership of the consortium, and of my role in it. Two serious allegations have been made against me: that my involvement in mentoring the group was inappropriate, that I misused my public office to help the consortium win the bid, and that I received benefits for so doing, in the form of "sweat equity" given by Rendezvous to its associates. I should like to address these allegations in turn.

First, my role in mentoring the Kerala consortium was throughout within the bounds of appropriate conduct for a Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram and a member of the Union Council of Ministers. No misuse of my official position was involved. The issue has nothing to do with my Ministry. As a Minister, I was in no position to influence the bid process, let alone its outcome. I did not grant any favours or benefits within the purview of my Ministry to the members of the consortium. No one could have any idea what the various participants in the auction process would bid, and my official position gave me no advantage in this regard that could have been used to benefit the Kerala bid. Indeed my ministerial position was altogether irrelevant to the bid and so could not have been used or misused to ensure its success.

Second, it has been suggested that I have indirectly received personal benefits from this enterprise because the Rendezvous management team, who hold stakes in the venture, includes a close friend of mine. This allegation is particularly wounding because I have had a three-decade career in international public service that has never been sullied by the slightest taint of financial wrongdoing. Those who know me are aware that money has never been a motivating factor for me in any of my actions or decisions.

Rendezvous has clarified that it issued "sweat equity" to its associates in lieu of a salary, which is a common practice around the world for start-up ventures. No money has changed hands and associates are expected to earn equity by promoting Rendezvous’ activities over the next ten years.

In other words, whatever benefits might accrue to the "sweat equity" associates in the future depends on their work for Rendezvous and has nothing to do with me. It is an arrangement internal to the consortium and between the investors and Rendezvous. The notion that somebody is some sort of "proxy" for me is frankly insulting to me and to the professionalism and business ethics of the investors and their associates, particularly since I could not have any role in influencing the final outcome of a sealed bidding process. Madam Speaker, it is unworthy of any member of this august House to imply that a reputed business professional and entrepreneur with a long track record of business success can, because of her gender, only be seen as a front for someone else.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to have helped the consortium come to Kerala, a state which has long been excluded from participation in India’s cricketing resurgence. I have neither invested nor received a rupee for my mentorship of the team. Irrespective of my personal relationships with any of the consortium members, I have not benefited, and do not intend to benefit, in any way financially from my association with the team now or at a later stage.

Madam Speaker, it is essential in our democracy that institutions of interest to the general public are run openly, rather than restricting their opportunities to a favoured few. For India to change and prosper, it must be an India for all Indians, not one where a few rich and powerful individuals can dominate all activities of interest to them. Cricket is now our most popular national pastime, attracting a following of crores. The game and the benefits accruing from it should not be retained only by an influential coterie with interests in a few privileged centres.

A Kerala IPL team is a dream of many young people and cricket lovers of all ages in and from the state. It has the potential to bring great material and psychological benefits to Kerala's economy and society. The unethical efforts that have been made to thwart the Kerala franchise are disgraceful. They are also dangerous to the health and credibility of a sport that has captured the passions and the loyalty of a majority of Indians. Indeed, such behaviour brings the IPL itself into disrepute.

It has been clear for some time that the real motive behind the public controversy that has been created around me is to make the Kochi team unviable and to assign this IPL franchise elsewhere than Kerala. I believe all fair-minded Indians would hope that such tactics will not be allowed to prevail. The allegations against me which have been seized upon by honourable members of the Opposition are baseless, ill-founded and ill-motivated."

IPL is not a sport: Achuthanandan

Saturday, April 17, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 16 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan Friday said the Indian Premier League (IPL) was not a sport but big business involving money.

"IPL is not a sporting event instead it is a big business involving money. The details of the present controversy are being studied," Achuthanandan said while interacting with reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting. The chief minister was asked about the alleged involvement of Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor in the Kochi franchise of the IPL.

Achuthanandan, however, did not respond when he was asked if Kerala would lose a minister on account of this fiasco.

Tharoor represents the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency and Achuthanandan and Tharoor do not share the best of relations.

IPL row stalls parliament, Tharoor denies impropriety

Saturday, April 17, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) The controversy over Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor's alleged involvement in the IPL franchise business stalled parliament proceedings Friday with angry opposition members demanding an explanation from the minister, who denied any wrongdoing.

The furore over the matter saw both the houses being adjourned till Monday.

On Thursday, parliament had witnessed uproarious scenes when opposition parties cornered the government over the April 6 Dantewada massacre.

Tharoor, who came to make a statement in the Lok Sabha at noon, was unable to speak due to the din by opposition members. He laid a copy of his statement in the house while Home Minister P. Chidambaram did so on his behalf in the Rajya Sabha.

Earlier, as the Lok Sabha resumed at 11 a.m. Friday, opposition members rose to demand an explanation from Tharoor, who is alleged to have misused his official position to help his friend Sunanda Pushkar get sweat equity worth Rs.70 crore in the IPL Kochi franchise.

Amid noisy protests by Left and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said in the Lok Sabha: "The members are raising a particular issue. I assure them that the concerned minister will be asked to make the statement after the question hour. He will give his personal explanation in the house during the zero hour (after 12)."

With the protesting MPs demanding suspension of the question hour, Speaker Meira Kumar first tried to let this proceed as Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad was replying to questions. However, with the MPs refusing to quieten, the speaker was forced to adjourn the house till noon.

When the house reassembled, the protests continued and unable to read out his statement, Tharoor laid it on the table of the house, even as opposition members advanced to the speaker's podium. The house was then adjourned till 2 p.m.

When the house reassembled, the uproar continued, forcing the speaker to adjourn the house till Monday.

Similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha as it assembled, with S.S. Ahluwalia and Ravi Shankar Prasad of the BJP, supported by MPs of the Samajwadi Party, the Janata Dal-United and the Asom Gana Parishad demanding that question hour be suspended to discuss the Tharoor issue.

Chairman Hamid Ansari, however, refused to relent and he adjourned the house till noon as the protests continued.

A procedural wrangle ensued when the house met again, with Deputy Chairman K. Rahman Khan saying he was prepared for a discussion but that no notice had been received.

"We will not discuss this during zero hour. We want a proper discussion," Ahluwalia thundered.

Chidambaram tried to placate the members but the opposition was in no mood to relent, and a group of MPs led by Vinay Katiyar of the BJP advanced to the chairman's podium.

Khan then called on Chidambaram to read out Tharoor's statement. He read its opening two paragraphs before tabling it as the noisy scenes continued. Khan then adjourned the house till Monday.

Tharoor, in his statement, clarified that he had not misused his official position and his "mentoring" the Kerala consortium of the Kochi IPL franchise was within the "bounds of appropriate conduct".

"No misuse of my official position was involved," Tharoor said in the statement that he later read out to reporters outside Parliament House.

"My role in mentoring the Kerala consortium was throughout within the bounds of appropriate conduct for a Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram and a member of the union council of ministers," Tharoor said.

Tharoor said "the unexpected success of the Kerala consortium was apparently not acceptable to some interested parties" that has led to the allegations about the composition and ownership of the consortium and his role in it.

He said the issue had nothing to do with his ministry. "As a minister, I was in no position to influence the bid process, let alone its outcome. I did not grant any favours or benefits within the purview of my ministry to the members of the consortium.

"No one could have any idea what the various participants in the auction process would bid, and my official position gave me no advantage in this regard that could have been used to benefit the Kerala bid. Indeed my ministerial position was altogether irrelevant to the bid and so could not have been used or misused to ensure its success."

Did Kerala cabinet fail to clear governor's address?

Saturday, April 17, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 16 (IANS) Kerala Governor R.S. Gavai has written to the state government over allegations by the opposition that his address to the assembly in February had not been approved by the cabinet as required.

Gavai has written to chief secretary Rudra Gangadharan.

The governor decided to seek clarification after a group of opposition legislators April 7 met him to point out what they called the serious lapse on the part of the cabinet. They said it had failed to approve the address before Gavai read it out Feb 24 in the assembly.

Senior opposition legislator Joseph M. Puthuserry (Kerala Congress-M) says he got details from the office of the chief secretary under the Right to Information Act.

It said the cabinet that met Feb 17 did not take up the clearing of the governor's address. The Congress-led opposition pointed out to the governor that this was a constitutional impropriety.

Last week Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan had denied that any such thing happened.

Tomin J. Thachenkery shifted for foreign trip without permission

Saturday, April 17, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 16 (IANS) Kerala's Inspector General of Police Kannur Tomin J. Thachenkery was shifted from his post Friday after Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan received a report that he had violated rules by going on a foreign trip without permission.

Sudheesh Kumar has been appointed as the new inspector general, while Thachenkery is yet to get a new posting.

This decision came hours after Achuthanandan told reporters here that he got a report Wednesday from Additional Director General of Police Siby Mathew, whom he had asked to probe the matter after learning that Thachenkery had gone abroad, and a report from state Director General of Police Jacob Punnoose Friday.

The chief minister confirmed that both the reports had indicted Thachenkery for violating rules by going on a foreign trip without taking permission.

"A decision on the report will be taken soon and it can happen anytime," said Achuthanandan.

Thachenkery, considered close to Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, was in the Middle East last week - the same time Vijayan and other senior party men were touring there as part of a fund collection drive.

On a visit to north Kerala last week, Achuthanandan was peeved when he did not find Thachenkery and on asking, found he had gone abroad on a short leave. The chief minister immediately asked Mathew to conduct an inquiry.

The issue had caused a major political storm with the Congress-led opposition Wednesday demanding action against Thachenkery.

Thachenkery was also in news in July 2007 when he was suspended by Achuthanandan in the wake of a first information report (FIR) filed in a vigilance court, accusing the cop of amassing assets worth Rs.9.5 million between Jan 1, 2003, and March 31, 2005, when he was managing director of the state-owned Books and Publication Society.

No misuse of official position: Tharoor

Saturday, April 17, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor Friday clarified that he had not misused his official position and his "mentoring" the Kerala consortium of the Kochi Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise was within the "bounds of appropriate conduct".

Tharoor, at the centre of a row for alleged involvement in the Kochi franchise, said in a written statement: "My role in mentoring the Kerala consortium was within the bounds of appropriate conduct for an MP from Thiruvananthapuram."

Tharoor was forced to lay the statement in the Lok Sabha after opposition members created a ruckus over the row alleging that the minister had misused his official position to help his friend Sunanda Pushkar get sweat equity worth Rs.70 crore in the IPL Kochi franchise.

Tharoor could not read out the statement with opposition MPs, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), gathered near Speaker Meira Kumar's podium, creating noisy scenes.

The speaker then adjourned the house till 2 p.m.

Tharoor pleads innocence, but is bowled out by opposition

Friday, April 16, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor Friday said he had not misused his position to influence the IPL Kochi franchise but found few takers in the opposition that continued to bay for his resignation while the clouds of suspicion over the cricket extravaganza darkened.

It was the combustible mix of Tharoor, cricket and money that stalled both houses of parliament, which were finally adjourned till Monday. If Thursday was devoted to protests about the Maoist massacre in Chhattisgarh, Friday was Tharoor's day.

With only a day to go before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returns from his weeklong trip to the US and Brazil to decide on his political future, Tharoor pleaded innocence to allegations that he was linked to the Kochi franchise through his friend Sunanda Pushkar, a shareholder who received free equity.

He tried to read his statement in the Lok Sabha but the clamour for his resignation drowned him out. He could just lay his statement on the table.

"The allegations against me which have been seized upon by honourable members of the opposition are baseless, ill-founded and ill-motivated," Tharoor said in the statement.

"No misuse of my official position was involved," he said, adding that his role in mentoring the Kerala consortium was "throughout within the bounds of appropriate conduct..."

The former high ranking UN bureaucrat said the suggestion that he had "indirectly received personal benefits from this enterprise because the Rendezvous management team, who hold stakes in the venture, includes a close friend of mine... is particularly wounding.

"I have had a three-decade career in international public service that has never been sullied by the slightest taint of financial wrongdoing."

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was unimpressed.

Threatening to disrupt parliament on Monday as well, party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said the prime minister "must explain why Tharoor has not resigned so far".

While the political waters got murkier, the tax administration, which paid a visit to the Mumbai offices of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Thursday night in a bid to probe the source of the money, proposed similar investigation in other cities to ascertain the source of funds of the various franchises.

"This will be an ongoing process...," a top official in the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) told IANS in New Delhi after the nightlong examination of documents and records related to the IPL and its commissioner Lalit Modi, who was questioned for over seven hours.

According to top officials here, the operation in Mumbai was primarily to establish that the source of money involved in the cricketing extravaganza was "clean" with no loss to the exchequer on account of evasion.

Officials said their main concern was black money abroad and tax evasion. They added that just as they try to prevent such ill-gotten funds from going out the country, they also try to probe if it is channelled back into India illegally.

Who are the people behind the multimillion dollar IPL franchise? The question gained more urgency after the franchise for the Kochi team was won in an auction last month by Rendezvous Sports for over $330 million.

Along with the Sahara group, which bagged the franchise for the Pune team, the Kochi team is scheduled to join the eight other teams from the next edition of the cricket tournament.

The man at the centre of it all, IPL czar Lalit Modi told reporters in Dharamsala where he landed for an IPL match: "The IPL matches would continue and we would provide each and every information that is required by the government."

He told a television channel: "We have a promise to the stakeholders, owners, broadcasters and fans and we will not allow that to be derailed under any circumstances."

As the details of the exciting mix of cricket, politics and entertainment unravelled, bit by bit quite like an onion, cricket fans were, however, more focused on Kings XI Punjab vs Deccan Chargers in Dharamsala.

The game, after all, must go on, said one cricket fan.

Makeup Man

Friday, April 16, 2010 | AA
This film is directed by Shafi which tells about a makeup man named Balu. Earlier he was engaged with an event management company. But its business collapsed and he became jobless. Later he joined as a makeup man of a debut ante actress Surya. Actually he did not know any thing about makeup, but being in debt, he was direly in need of a job and became personal makeup man of Surya. To overcome the situation he had to undergo certain hardships that were brought before the audience in a comedy line. Sachi-sethu team has penned the screenplay. Jayaram plays the role of Balu and Sheela Kaul as Surya. Siddique dons the role of director Sidharth, Janardhanan as producer Paul Vanakaaadan and Suraj as production controller Kichu Manjali. Azhakappan is the cinematographer. Under the banner of Rajaputhra films, M Ranjjith is producing the film.
Banner: Rajaputra Visual Media
Name of the Film : Makeup Man
Main Cast: Jayaram, Prithwiraj, Kunchacko Boban, Lakshmi Rai, Sheela Kaul, Siddique, Janardhanan, Suraj, Jagadish, Vijayaraghavan, Balachandran Chullikad, Manian Pillai Rajui and others
Camera: Azhakappan
Screen play: Sachi-Sethu
Producer: M. Ranjit
Director: Shafi
makeup-man

Ring Tone (Suresh Gopi)

Friday, April 16, 2010 | AA
Banner: Panchajanyam Cine Creations
Film : Ring Tone
Main Cast: Suresh Gopi, Bala, Sandhya, Saikumar, Mekha Nair, Asish Vidyarthi, Anoop Chandran, Bijukuttan, Kalasala Babu, Abu Salim, Sasikumar Nattokam, Vanitha and others
Lyrics: Vayalar Saratchandra Varma
Music: Shan
Camera: Bejoice
Producers: Swaminathan, Prabhukumar and K.D. Sreekumar
Director : Ajmal
ring-tone

Kerala turning blind eye to shark killings: PETA

Thursday, April 15, 2010 | AA
Panaji, April 15 (IANS) The Kerala government is turning a blind eye to large-scale butchering and sale of sharks, which is banned in India, a top animal rights NGO has claimed.

Addressing a press conference in Panaji Thursday, Nikunj Sharma, a senior campaign co-ordinator for the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said a government- owned port facility in Kochi, Kerala was being used as a nodal point to trade sharks harvested from the sea.

"The government-owned port at Kochi in Kerala bans visitors carrying cameras inside. We did an undercover operation using a spy cam and found out that sharks were being sold there," Sharma said.

"Sharks are protected under the wildlife protection act of 1972. But sharks and dolphins are being killed openly at these ports and sold for as cheap as Rs.2,000 per piece," the PETA official said.

PETA also released a 10-minute long video based on the footage from the Kochi port and other footage, which showed how protected species of fish were bred in unhygienic conditions and often tortured and left to die.

"During 1999-2000 alone, as many as 591 sharks were slaughtered for consumption and for their liver oil," Sharma said, adding that not much was being done by the government to stop the over-exploitation of marine resources.

"We are the third-largest harvesters of fish in the world. India accounts for almost 64 lakh tonnes of fish harvested worldwide," he said.

"Bottom trawling is one of the most damaging, unsustainable fishing practices in India. It involves dragging huge, heavy nets along the sea floor," he said, adding that entire habitats of deep water life forms ended up being destroyed by the heavy nets.

IPL is glorified gambling: Vayalar Ravi

Thursday, April 15, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi Thursday described the Indian Premier League as "glorified gambling" and said he did not consider it to be a sport.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Know India programme for visiting diaspora students of his ministry, Ravi told IANS: "IPL is glorified gambling and I do not like it. I don't consider it to be a sport. It is not One Day International (ODI) or test cricket. This is for the elite group who cry when the fuel prices go up but spend lavishly on IPL"

When asked about Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor's alleged role he said: "I cannot comment on that. It is his personal interest."

Gloom at ISRO's Kerala units as cryo engine launch fails

Thursday, April 15, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 15 (IANS) There was palpable excitement among the scientists of an Indian space agency centre here in Kerala as they watched live on screens the launch of GSLV D3 with indigenously built cryogenic engine Thursday. But the mood turned to gloom within minutes as the rocket deviated from its path and the mission failed.

A senior official of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) said more than 600 scientists watched as GSLV D3 blasted off with a GSAT 4 satellite around 5 p.m. from Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh.

"Tension was mounting and it was joy when the rocket blasted off. But soon things became gloomy," the official said on condition of anonymity.

"This failure has happened after a long time, and obviously the mood is sombre. It was dejection all-round," he said.

At the Indian Space Research Organisation centre at Valiyamala, on the city's suburbs, where the cryogenic upper stage project took shape from the design stage to the assembly, the scientists were crestfallen.

"Yes, we have come to know that there the scientists are sad because of the efforts that they had put into building the engine. But then it is failures like these that has helped us to emerge stronger. We are certain that we will put this failure behind," the official said.

ISRO chairman K. Radhakrishan, who was at the launch site at Sriharikota, said the mission did not perform as planned as two Verinier cryogenic engines failed to ignite though the main engine lifted off.

"The vehicle started tumbling and started losing altitude, because two engines would not have ignited," he said.

A successful launch would have propelled India into an elite club of five countries - the US, France, Japan, Russia and China - to have successfully developed their own cryogenic engines.

Tharoor meets Sonia, Pranab, Antony over IPL row

Thursday, April 15, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) Under fire for his alleged involvement in the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise affairs, Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor Thursday met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and again senior cabinet ministers Pranab Mukherjee and A.K. Antony.

The meetings with Gandhi and the ministers came against the backdrop of opposition demands for Tharoor's scalp following allegations that he had misused his official position to help his friend Sunanda Pushkar to get sweat equity worth Rs.70 crore in the IPL Kochi franchise.

Tharoor's meeting with Gandhi was brief, a source privy to the development said as the Congress refused to speak officially about the meeting.

Tharoor is said to have explained to the Congress president his side of the story, which started with media reports that the minister may be marrying Pushkar, who is member of Rendezvous Sports World - a part of a consortium that won the Kochi franchise.

Tharoor earlier met Mukherjee and Antony. The meeting lasted 30 minutes. He had met the two senior Congress leaders Wednesday night too.

However, the issue did not find a mention in parliament Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Tharoor ducked questions from inquisitive media persons in parliament.

As he left Parliament House in the morning, Tharoor found himself almost mobbed by journalists and photographers. The journalists bombarded him with questions - all related to the IPL row and if his party was supporting him.

Otherwise media-friendly, Tharoor remained mum. He got into his official vehicle without answering any questions or even smiling at the media.

The controversy emerged after IPL commissioner Lalit Modi Sunday alleged that Tharoor had told him not to reveal the ownership pattern of the IPL Kochi franchise. Pushkar has denied the allegation that she was acting as a proxy for Tharoor in the franchise deal said Tharoor was simply trying to help Kerala get an IPL team.

New twist in Kochi IPL saga as Narendra Modi, Pawar figure in it

Thursday, April 15, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) The saga around the ownership of Indian Premier League's (IPL) Kochi franchise took a new turn with the owners attacking Gujarat chief minister Narandra Modi for pressurising them to give up their rights and former Indian cricket board president Sharad Pawar, an union minister, advising the stake holders to stay put in Kerala.

Satyajit Gaekwad, spokesperson of the Rendezvous Sports World, which is a member of the consortium that won the franchise for Rs.1530 crore, said the stake holders were being pressurised by the IPL supremo Lalit Modi, on the insistence of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, to give up their rights so that they can shift the franchise to Ahmedabad.

"Lalit Modi is trying to please Narendra Modi and asked the stake-holders to give up their rights so that the franchise could be shifted to Ahmedabad. The distressed stake holders then went to Mr. Pawar, who gave them his blessings and asked them to stay on with Kochi," said Gaekwad here Thursday.

Pawar said that four members of the consortium met him after last month's auction and asked for his help in transferring the Kochi team to Ahmedabad. "I said if you want my advice you should stay in Kochi," Pawar said.

Gaekwad said that Lalit Modi is being influenced by Narendra Modi.

"The inaugural IPL bidding happened when Vasundhara Raje Scindia was Rajasthan's chief minister. Vasundhara and Narendra Modi may have put pressure on Lalit (Modi) to bring a team to Ahmedabad. There is politics involved," he added.

The Gujarat government, however, denied the allagations and said that the chief minister had nothing to do with the controversy.

"Some promoters had met the chief minister but that meeting does not decide the bidding process where the highest quote becomes successful. Gujarat will welcome any team for holding matches in the state," said Amit Shah, Gujarat home minister.

Gaikwad, however, said that Lalit Modi should disclose the ownership details of all the IPL teams.

"I ask the government to reveal the ownership details of other IPL teams under the corporate law. Government should investigate. We are clean and we have nothing to hide", he said.

The controversy over the ownership of Kochi franchise came out after Lalit Modi Monday revealed the details of the stakeholders in the new Kochi franchise, which is to join next year's edition. The team that was last month sold for Rs.1,530 crore has Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor's friend Sunanda Pushkar owning 18 percent free equity.

Rendezvous Sports World, one of the partners in the consortium, has 25 percent of the franchise for free; of this, 18 percent is given to Sunanda and the balance is divided among three other Rendezvous members. Modi in his tweets claimed he was asked not to get into who owns the Rendezvous.

Tharoor denied the charges and said he had called up Modi to ask why he was further delaying the approval of the franchise when all the legal requirements had been fulfilled.

`Pulliman' and 'T.D. Dasan, Standard V1 B' in theatres

Thursday, April 15, 2010 | AA
Director Lal Jose's assistant Anil K.Nair's film 'Pulliman' and debutant Mohan Raghavan's film 'T.D Dasan Standard V1 B' were released on Thursday.

Mukesh, Kala Bhavan Mani and Meera Nandan are doing the lead in `Pulliman'. Other cast includes Innocent, Ravi Kumar, Jaffer, Ponvannan, Prathap Pothen, Suraj, Saranya, Bindhu Panicker, K.P.A.C. Lalitha and others. Under the banner of Ruben Media International, Antony Paimbilli has produced the film.

The main cast in 'T.D. Dasan, Standard V1 B' includes Jagadheesh, Biju Menon, Jagathy, Indrans, Suresh Krishna, Maala Aravindan, Sree Hari, Swetha Menon, Sruthi Menon, Sona Nair, Valsla Menon, Tina Rose and others. Rafeeq Ahammed penned the lyrics and Sree Valsan J. Menon scored the music. Arun Varma has wielded the camera.

Kerala Television Federation formed

Thursday, April 15, 2010 | AA
Representatives of various Television channels operating from Kerala formed an organisation on Tuesday at Thiruvananthapuram with the objective to face jointly the problems and challenges of visual media. The organisation has been named as Kerala Television Federation (KTF). Represntatives of Asianet, Surya, Kairali, Jeevan, Amritha, Jaihind,India vision and Manorama news attended the meeting . The meeting elected K. Madhavan (Asianet) as president. Ajay Vidya Sagar of Surya is the vice president, John Brittas of Kairali has been elected as the general secretary, K.P Mohanan of Jai Hind and Sreekantan Nair of Asianet are the secretaries, M.V Nikesh Kumar of India Vision and S.Anil Kumar of Amrita TV have been elected as Joint secretaries. Baby Mathew of Jeevan is the treasurer. The federation members will meet every month. The joint forum will take up issues concerning the visual media in the state. A governing council, which consists of high ranking officials from the channels will formulate policies. The forum discussed the recent issue, directing cine artistes to refrain from appearing in Television channels by the Film Chamber.

Who all own IPL teams

Thursday, April 15, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) The spiralling controversy over the shareholders of the Kochi franhisee has led to questions over the ownership of the eight franchisees now playing in the Indian Premier League.

Though most of the names of the shareholders of the franchisees have been in public domain, the spat between IPL chairman Lalit Modi and Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor brought focus back on them.

If Modi has questioned the ownership fo the new franchisee Kochi, the Kerala team's shareholders want to know the owners of all the franchisees if there is no confidentiality about them. The other franchise sold last month was bought by Sahara India.

A couple of franchisees sold a small stake here and there, but most of the chief promoters of the eight franchisees remain intact.

The list of the franchisees and their owners:

Rajasthan Royals: The Jaipur team was bought by UK-based company Emerging Media for $67 million to own the team for a period of 10 years. Suresh Chelaram, Lalit Modi's brother-in-law and a Nigeria-based businessman, has 44.1 percent stake, UK-based businessman Manoj Badale has 32.4 percent stake while the rest is controlled by two companies promoted by Raj Kundra, actress Shilpa Shetty and media mogul Lachlan Murdoch.

Chennai Super Kings: The Chennai team was bought by India Cements for $91 million to own the team for 10 years. India Cements is headed by Indian cricket board secretary N.Srinivasan.

Bangalore Royal Challengers: The Bangalore team was bought by Vijay Mallya's UB Group for $111.6 million.

Kings XI Punjab: The Mohali team was bought by Bollywood diva Preity Zinta, her former industrialist beau Ness Wadia, along with renowned industrialists Karan Paul and Mohit Burman for $76 million. Mohit is the brother of Modi's step-son-in-law Gaurav.

Kolkata Knight Riders: The team is owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, actress Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta, who bought it for $75.09 million.

Deccan Chargers: The Hyderabad team was bought by Deccan Chronicle, a media house, for $107 million.

Mumbai Indians: The Mumbai team is owned by Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Limited for $111.9 million.

Delhi Daredevils: The Delhi team is owned by GMR Holdings for $84 million.

Combative Tharoor denies Modi charges, says won't resign

Thursday, April 15, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) Embattled Shashi Tharoor, India's minister of state for external affairs, Wednesday said he would not oblige his critics by resigning as he had done no wrong in the billowing controversy over the Kochi IPL franchise. As the crackling mixture of politics, sports, money and sleaze gripped a cricket-crazy nation's collective attention, even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was forced to promise from Washington full inquiry into the matter.

"If I had done anything wrong, I would have resigned. To resign because people have chosen to deliberately misrepresent you or misperceive you means that you are giving more importance to other people's perception than to your own character and your own integrity. I am not going to resign," Tharoor told NDTV in a half-hour long interview.

Commenting for the first time since the controversy broke out two days ago, Manmohan Singh said in Washington that he was not aware of the facts of the case.

"I don't have all the facts. When I go back, I will get the facts and will take action ... if required," he told journalists. "We can't go by hearsay and media reports."

The prime minister's remarks came a day ahead of the resumption of the budget session of the Indian parliament where the opposition is determined to corner the government over the IPL controversy.

Tharoor asserted in his interview telecast live on the channel that the charges were motivated by political and business interests.

"In fact, the fact of the matter is I have done nothing wrong. I stand with my head held high," he added.

Tharoor said that he will brief both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the matter.

Tharoor added that his involvement with the IPL team had nothing whatsoever to do with Sunanda Pushkar, who has a stake in the company that is a co-owner of IPL Kochi franchise, and with whom he has only been "recently close".

On Wednesday, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) echoed the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) demand that Tharoor be thrown out of the Manmohan Singh ministry.

The BJP went even further, asking for the prime minister to sack Tharoor, without waiting for evidence.

"Everything is now in the public domain. By abusing his ministerial position and authority, Tharoor ensured that his friend Sunanda Pushkar is richer by Rs.70-75 crore without investing anything," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.

IPL commissioner Modi stuck to his position, saying there was a question mark over the ownership of Kerala team.

"Tharoor called me and asked me to keep the identity of Sunanda Pushkar under wraps. The conversation with Tharoor is minuted," he said.

He also dismissed reports that he had offered money to the consortium to not bid for the Kerala team. "I never made a $50 million dollar bribe," said Modi.

Earlier in the day, Pushkar also hit out at her critics and denied being a proxy to the minister. Breaking her silence, Pushkar told IANS: "My own business interests and assets are substantial, and efforts to besmirch Tharoor by presenting me as a proxy for him are personally insulting for me as a woman and as a friend."

Pushkar said she had been contacted by Rendezvous Sports World, one of the consortium members of the Kochi IPL franchise, to take advantage of "my extensive international experience as a business executive, marketing manager and entrepreneur".

"Because this is a start-up effort, I was told that in lieu of a salary they would grant me minor equity in Rendezvous in return for my efforts, a common practice across the world for... projects of this nature."

Modi made an explosive revelation Sunday that Pushkar had got free equity in the Kerala franchise worth Rs.70 crore (around $15 million).

Tharoor, a former UN official who joined the Congress last year and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Thiruvananthapuram, has been under the scanner ever since he became a minister.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said that the Directorate General of Investigation in Kochi had ordered a probe to ascertain if money had been channelled illegally into the Kochi IPL team from tax havens abroad.

Will brief PM, Sonia on IPL row: Tharoor

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor Wednesday said he will talk to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi over the controversy surrounding his alleged involvement in the IPL Kochi franchise.

"Obviously, I will be certainly conveying all of this to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is busy doing important work for the country, when he comes back. I have already asked to see him," Tharoor said in an interview with NDTV.

Tharoor said: "I would very much like to talk to him on all that has happened. And certainly the congress president (Sonia Gandhi) is my party leader and I would like to place myself at her disposal."

Tharoor has been in the midst of a controversy after Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi claimed that the minister's close friend Sunanda Pushkar had equity share in a company that is part of the consortium which got the IPL Kochi franchise.

Modi also alleged that Tharoor had asked him not to reveal the ownership of the company that won the bid.

"In fact, the fact of the matter is I have done nothing wrong. I stand with my head held high," he added.

On being asked whether he is prepared to face opposition in parliament that is reconvening Thursday, Tharoor said: "Yes. We will see. I respect parliament. It is the temple of our democracy."

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh commented for the first time since the controversy broke out two days ago.

"I don't have all the facts. When I go back, I will get the facts and will take action... if required," Manmohan Singh told journalists in Washington.

"We can't go by hearsay and media reports."

The opposition has been demanding Tharoor's resignation alleging that he misused his official position to secure a stake in the multi-crore rupee IPL deal for Pushkar.

Police probe alleged SMS threat to Tharoor

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) A police team Wednesday visited Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor's residence here to investigate an SMS threat he has received, police sources said.

Officials from the Tughlak Road police station went to the minister's Lodhi Estate residence and spent about an hour.

"We (came) to inquire SMS threats to the minister after seeing reports in the media. We were not called by the minister," a team member told reporters.

Officials said no case had been registered. A Delhi Police spokesman, however, denied knowledge of any such development.

Jacob Joseph, the officer on special duty with the minister, told reporters that Tharoor had received the SMS threat and the home ministry and police had been alerted.

He did not reveal the SMS content.

Tharoor is caught in a row with Indian Premier League (IPL) chief Lalit Modi after the latter accused him of telling him not to reveal the ownership pattern of the IPL Kochi team. Tharoor has denied the charge.

Happy over IPL team, Kerala gives controversy a miss

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 14 (IANS) It was pure joy when Kerala got its own IPL Kochi team last month, thanks largely to the efforts of dapper union minister and local MP Shashi Tharoor. And even now they would rather bask in the glory of that rather than get caught in the storm between him and IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi.

Minister of State for External Affairs Tharoor and Modi are engaged in a spat over the ownership of Rendezvous Sports World, one of the stakeholders in the consortium that bought the IPL Kochi franchise for Rs.1,530 crore.

Kerala Sports Minister and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader M. Vijayakumar said he was aware of what his party had said in Delhi Wednesday but he himself did not wish to make any statement.

"Yes, we have our own opinion, but sorry we do not wish to say anything on the happenings now," said Vijayakumar.

Vijayakumar's statement comes at a time when the CPI-M politburo called for Tharoor's resignation and said he must step down till his name is cleared of any impropriety in the IPL Kochi team.

One reason why the CPI-M here has taken a cautious approach is understandable because cricket, like elsewhere in India, is a passion in Kerala. Over the years, it has become a much watched game on TV and is a favourite among the old and young alike.

State Congress president Ramesh Chennithala told reporters here Wednesday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) need not decide on the affairs of the Congress. He was referring to BJP's demand for Tharoor's resignation over the row as a close friend of his has a stake in IPL Kochi.

"We have our party high command and they are quite aware of what is happening and there are no issues in the party here over the involvement of Tharoor," said Chennithala.

Cricket in Kerala over the years has been a low key affair because of poor infrastructure. It got its first boost when Tinu Yohanan became the first Keralite born and brought up in the state to represent the country in Test cricket in 2001. He, however, faded out after just three Tests.

Then it was a long wait until S. Sreesanth broke the shackles. Since 2006 he has been in and out of the Test team, but certainly his arrival sparked new interest in the game.

From the view of the spectators also, watching an international match has been a rarity with Kochi hosting less than half a dozen international one dayers, with the capital city hosting the first ever one day international way back in the mid 80s.

Kurian Thomas, a high school student here and a keen cricket enthusiast, spoke of his admiration for Tharoor and not the controversy.

"I have been fascinated by Tharoor right from the day he filed his nomination to contest from here. He may not be a politician, but I knew he had the stuff. If not for his efforts, I doubt if a regular politician would ever have thought of bringing an IPL team to Kerala," said Thomas.

Similarly, MBA student Susy Thomas, another cricket fan from Kottayam, said the news that Kerala had got an IPL team was one of the best in recent times.

"Just look into the numerous players who have made a mark in the three editions of IPL. Ranji Trophy matches are being held for several years but does it evoke any interest? Just see the popularity of the IPL.

"You just wait and see, there is immense talent in Kerala. Through the Kerala IPL team, we will see several Sreesanths and Yohanans surfacing. My only wish is that controversies should not spoil our chances," she said.

The state secretariat here witnessed two protests, one by the Youth Congress that burnt Lalit Modi in effigy for attacking Tharoor, and another by BJP youth activists who burned Tharoor in effigy asking him to come clean on the ownership issue of the Kochi IPL team.

Kerala cop's foreign visit raises political storm

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 14 (IANS) Kerala's main opposition Congress party Wednesday demanded action against an Inspector General of Police (IGP) for allegedly visiting the Middle East last week without official sanction even as the IGP sent a legal notice to a politician for making defamatory remarks against him.

IGP Tomin J. Thachenkery, against whom Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan had ordered an inquiry over the foreign trip, Wednesday sent a legal notice to a Kerala Congress (Jacob) leader.

He sent the notice to T.M. Jacob, former minister and chief of Kerala Congress (Jacob), an ally of the Congress-led opposition, over his allegedly defamatory remarks Tuesday. Jacob had also demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry intoThachenkery's foreign visit.

The inquiry ordered by the chief minister against the IGP was conducted by Additional Director General of Police Siby Mathew, who sumbitted his report Tuesday.

Media reports claimed the Mathew report has confirmed that Thachenkery had gone abroad without official permission.

State Congress president Ramesh Chennithala Wednesday told reporters that Achuthanandan should take action against the IGP in the wake of the Mathew report.

"Achuthanandan should be courageous to take action within 24 hours of the inquiry report and suspend Thachenkery, who proceeded on a foreign trip without prior permission," said Chennithala.

Thachenkery was also in news in July 2007 when he was suspended by Achuthanandan in the wake of a first information report (FIR) filed in a vigilance court.

He was accused of amassing assets worth Rs.9.5 million between Jan 1, 2003, and March 31, 2005, when he was managing director of the state-owned Books and Publication Society.

Income tax probe starts on funding of Kochi IPL team

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) The tax administration has begun a probe into the Kochi team of Indian Premier League (IPL), engulfed in a major controversy over ownership issue, to ascertain if its money had been channelled illegally from tax havens abroad.

"The Directorate General of Investigation in Kochi had discussed this issue with senior officials in New Delhi yesterday. The department has ordered a probe into the issue," a senior official of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said here Wednesday.

"This issue has now come in the public domain. So we are bound to investigate. At the moment, the probe is basically a paper-based investigation. It does not involve any formal complaint as of now," said the CBDT official. "We don't fix any time frame for such probes."

According to a senior official in the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, a wing under the finance ministry's Department of Revenue, the probe on such cases mainly dwells on whether the money involved is from "clean" sources.

"Our main concern is black money parked abroad. Just as we try to prevent black money going out our country, we also try to probe if such money is channelled back into the country illegally. At the end of the day, the exchequer should not suffer," he said.

The franchise for the Kochi team, which will play from the fourth edition of the IPL Twenty-20 cricket extravaganza, was won in an auction last month by a firm called Rendezvous Sports for $333.33 million.

Along with Subroto Roy's Sahara Group, which bagged the franchise for the Pune team and the second of the two new teams, the Kochi team is scheduled to join eight other teams from the next edition of the cricket tournament.

These are: Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Deccan Chargers, Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab.

The tax probe Wednesday followed a political row in recent days after allegations that Sunanda Pushkar, a shareholder in the Kochi IPL franchise and a friend of Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, received free equity in it.

IPL commissioner Lalit Modi maintained that there was a question mark over the ownership of the Kochi IPL franchise since the owners themselves did not know some of the people involved with it.

"With regards to the eight franchisees, we know about all the stakeholders. But there are still some doubts over the ownership of the Kochi franchise. Even the people who signed the tender documents don't know who they are," Modi said.

Outraged by media lies, am not proxy for Tharoor: Sunanda Pushkar

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) Outraged by "outright lies" in the media, Dubai-based businesswoman Sunanda Pushkar, in the spotlight for her association with the Kochi IPL franchise, Wednesday lashed out those who had projected her as "a proxy" for her friend and Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor.

In a stinging statement made available to IANS, Pushkar appealed for the media to respect her privacy. "I am not a public figure and I am outraged at the distortions and outright lies about me, my background and my life that have appeared in the press."

She accused the media of ignoring her professional background and international business experience and focussing "obsessively" on her personal life "as if a woman cannot be capable of professional or financial success".

"My own business interests and assets are substantial, and efforts to besmirch Tharoor by presenting me as a proxy for him are personally insulting for me as a woman and as a friend.

"I have built up a respectable and successful career while coping with widowhood and raising a child as a single mother. Yet I have been reduced to a caricature in the media, portrayed with inaccuracies and falsehoods."

Hitting out at the media, Pushkar said she had "lived a life of integrity and committed no crime".

"Yet I am treated in a humiliating manner. My parents, friends and family members have been hounded by intrusive journalists.

"My personal life is nobody else's business and if I have a marriage to announce, I will do it myself, rather than leave it to strangers. I would request the media to respect my privacy," she said in the impassioned statement.

Pushkar said she was issuing the statement "to set the record straight" about her role in the "public controversy surrounding the Kerala IPL Team franchise".

The controversy erupted after Indian Premier League (IPL) Commissioner Lalit Modi revealed the ownership pattern of Kochi IPL, stating that Pushkar, a friend of Tharoor, owned free equity in Rendezvous Sports, which is a part owner of IPL Kochi team.

Modi also accused Tharoor of asking him not to reveal the ownership details -- a charge denied by the minister.

Pushkar said she was approached last year by Rendezvous to associate "with them as a consultant in their various sporting activities and particularly in their potential bid to acquire the franchise of an IPL team".

According to her, she had previously been approached by Karim Morani of Kolkata Knight Riders to join them in a similar capacity but had regretted that the timing was not convenient.

"In view of my extensive international experience as a business executive, marketing manager and entrepreneur, I was invited to assist Rendezvous particularly in the areas of fund-raising, networking, elsewhere; event management; and brand building.

"Because this is a start-up effort, I was told that in lieu of a salary they would grant me minor equity in Rendezvous in return for my efforts - which is a common practice across the world for start-ups and projects of this nature."

Clarifying her position in the team in the statement, she said she had accepted no salary or expenses and was "conscious that the equity remains only on paper for the foreseeable future".

"However, with the equity comes an opportunity to participate in the management and promotion of Rendezvous and in particular of its IPL team, a challenge I welcome."

All quiet at Sunanda's 'Pushkar Niwas' in Jammu

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | AA
Jammu, April 14 (IANS) It was all quiet Wednesday at the house of retired army officer P.N. Dass, whose daughter Sunanda Pushkar is at the centre of the Indian Premier League (IPL) row for her reported free share in the Kochi franchise. Sources in the neighbourhood said the family has shifted to a relative's place.

There was a stony silence and the black iron gates of the house 'Pushkar Niwas' in sector 5 of Channi Himmat locality were closed, a stark contrast to Tuesday when journalists, who had gathered for a quote or a soundbite, were greeted with abuses from Sunanda's father, Lt.Col. (retd) Dass.

On Wednesday, no one answered the doorbell and immediate neighbours were reluctant to say anything.

"I have nothing to say," said a neighbour.

But sources in the neighbourhood said Dass and his wife have shifted to his relatives' place as they felt they were being harassed by scribes' queries about Sunanda's role in the Kochi IPL franchise and her purported links with Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor.

Sunanda, the Dubai-based businesswoman in the media spotlight, Wednesday hit out at her critics and said the media and others were insulting her by projecting her "as a proxy" for her friend Tharoor.

In a strongly worded statement made available to IANS, she accused the media of ignoring her professional background and international business experience and focussing "obsessively" on her personal life "as if a woman cannot be capable of professional or financial success".

She said she was issuing the statement "to set the record straight about my role in the public controversy surrounding the Kerala IPL team franchise".

The controversy erupted after IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi revealed the ownership pattern of Kochi IPL, stating that Sunanda owned free equity in Rendezvous Sports, which is a part owner of IPL Kochi franchise.

Modi also accused Tharoor of asking him not to reveal the ownership details -- a charge denied by the minister.

No new projects for Kerala film producers from April 16

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 14 (IANS) With production cost of movies soaring up, no profits at the box office and AMMA not co-operating, the Kerala Film Producers' Association Wednesday said that they will not produce any new films from Friday.

Speaking to IANS G. Suresh Kumar, general secretary of the association, said that last year we had two rounds of discussions with the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) on the issue of rising production cost.

"The talks took place in April and November with AMMA last year. They said they will do it but did not sign the agreement. This sort of indiscipline in financial aspects cannot go any longer. So we have decided that not a single new film will begin from Friday," said Kumar.

For a film to be produced in the state, it is the producers' association that has to give a no objection certificate.

"Producers are going bust. Last year 78 films were made and a mere six made profit. How long can this sort of indiscipline go on? On the technical side, everyone wants their things to be perfect and they demand more and more. It seems they aren't worried that with each demand the cost mounts. They have to be concerned about the producer," said Kumar.

Malayalam films have a small market to recover the cost.

"Today a superstar's film costs more than Rs 3.50 crore and the remuneration is one of the biggest expenses. I agree not all films will be successful, but costs can be brought down through an austerity drive and that is what we want," said Kumar who has given quite a few hits and worked with superstars lke Mohanlal.

But from last year he has started working with new faces.

"My last year's film 'Neelatamara', which was a remake of a yesteryear film, was made with new faces. It cost me above Rs.1 crore and I recovered my money. Including the salary of all the stars, the cost of my film was much less than the remuneration taken by a superstar," said Kumar.

Another demand of the producers has been to see that there is a maximum limit to the length of raw film to be used, besides also a reduction in the number of crew from 150 to 80.

"No dates of talks with AMMA have been decided. We will decide on that at the appropriate time," added Kumar.

This year so far 22 no objection certificates have been given and shooting for less than 10 films are currently on and the association will allow the existing films to finish shooting.

Actor santhosh Jogi found dead

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | AA
santhosh-jogi

Malayalam film actor Santhosh Jogi, 35, found dead in his friend Baiju's flat at Thekkedam Road in Thrissur on Tuesday. After the shoot of 'Christian Brother's' he arrived flat on Monday evening. Next morning Baiju reached the flat. But it was closed and no response. After intimation police arrived and broke open door. There they found him hanging on a fan using curtain. For the past few months he was staying alone since he had some family problems. He is survived by his wife Jiji, a teacher of Nedupuzha poly technique and daughters Chitralekha [6] and Kapila [3]. His friends reported a suicide attempt by Jogi some time back. His role in `Keerthichakra' was a notable one. He had acted in more than sixty films including Smart City, Maya Bazar, Mayavi, Big B, Chota Mumbai, Nasrani, Malabar Wedding, Puli Janmam, Raja Manikyam, Khaki, Iruvattam Manavatti, Ali Bhai and Mulla. Christian Brothers, Pokkiri Raja and Apoorva Ragam are his films to be released. Son of Uravum Purathu Sethumadhavan and Komattil Malathi Amma of Eravimangalam, Jogi had started his career as a singer.

Padmarajan award for Zacharia and 'Madhya Venal'

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | AA
Zacharia's story 'Alphonsamayudae Maranavum Samskaravum' published in Mathruboomi weekly has bagged Padmarajan story award instituted by Padmarajan Foundation Trust. Madhu Kaithapram's `Madhya Venal' was selected as best film. Best story award includes a cash prize of Rs 10,000 and statuette. Director of the best film will be given a cash prize of Rs 20,000 and statuette and screen play writer Anil Mukhathala will get a cash prize of Rs 10,000 and a statuette. Awards will be given away on April 23, on the birthday of Padmarajan, at Thiruvananthapuram .The awards were announced by secrataries of the Padmarajan foundation trust, B. Babu Prasad, K.Padmanabhan and K.R Mohanan at Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.

Paappi Appacha

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | AA
`Paappi Appacha' of Mamaas reached theatres on Wednesday 14 April 2010. Anoop has produced the film under the banner of Priyajali. Dileep and Kavya Madhavan are doing the lead. Other cast includes Innocent, Suresh Krishna, KPAC Lalitha, Asokan, Rajeev, Kochu Preman, Majeed Edavanakaad, Manikandan, Chembil Asokan, Thesni Khan and others. Sanjeev Shankar handled the camera.
Name of the Film: PAAPPY APPACHA
Banner : Priyanjali
Producer: Anoop
Screenplay/Direction: Mamaas
Main Cast: Dileep, Kavya Madhavan, Suresh Krishna, KPAC Lalitha, Asokan, Rajeev, Kochupreman, Majeed Edavanakad, Manikandan, Chembil Asokan, Thesni Khan, Manju Raghavan
Camera : Sanjeev Sankar
paappy-appacha

Congress stays away from Tharoor row

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) The Congress Tuesday stayed clear of the Indian Premier League (IPL) row involving Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor even as his boss S.M. Krishna met party president Sonia Gandhi, apparently over the controversy.

As the row appeared to be snowballing into a major controversy with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanding Tharoor be sacked and causing embarrassment for the ruling Congress, Krishna met Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence here around 4 p.m.

Krishna drove past waiting mediapersons outside Gandhi's house and refused to answer any question. Nobody in the party confirmed what transpired during the brief meeting which lasted less than half-an-hour.

Congress member of parliament Rajeev Shukla, who is also vice president of the Indian cricket board, also met Gandhi.

Shukla denied that he talked to the Congress president about the IPL controversy involving Tharoor. "This issue was not discussed," Shukla told reporters.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the party won't comment on the business of cricket.

"It is for the person concerned to clarify it if he feels like. It is not our business to comment on the business of cricket," Tewari said.

Tharoor landed in a fresh controversy when IPL commissioner Lalit Modi accused the minister of stopping him from revealing the names of the owners of Kerala team which he helped set up.

Tharoor was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram.

The IPL is the latest row surrounding Twitter Tharoor, who had previously annoyed party higher ups with his tweets triggering avoidable controversies.

Tharoor received brickbats for his Twitter comments on India's strict tourist visa rules and the possible role Saudi Arabia could play in India-Pakistan relations.

Modi-Tharoor IPL row snowballs, BJP wants Tharoor sacked

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor Tuesday angrily rejected charges of impropriety as his row with Indian Premier League (IPL) chief Lalit K. Modi intensified over the Kochi franchisee and his own friendship with a Kashmiri woman, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanding his sacking from the government.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said it would convene a meeting of the IPL Governing Council to discuss the free-for-all after Modi accused Tharoor of telling him not to reveal the stakeholder pattern of one of the partners in a consortium that won the IPL Kochi franchisee and the minister rejected the accusation.

Modi had made the explosive revelation in his tweets Monday, clearly linking Tharoor, a former high-ranking UN official, with Rendezvous Sports World, the controversial partner in the consortium.

On Tuesday, Tharoor issued a detailed statement, claiming that Modi had acted in "bad faith" in a bid to transfer the IPL franchisee from Kerala, the minister's home state, to some other place. "It has been clear for some time that the real motive is to assign this IPL team elsewhere than Kerala," he said.

Tharoor denied having asked Modi not to reveal the identity of the stakeholders of Rendezvous, especially of Sunanda Pushkar, a woman who the minister admitted he knew well. Pushkar had 17 percent 'free' equity in the Kochi team, which was bought for Rs.1,530 crore.

Claiming that Modi held up approval to the franchisee agreement, Tharoor said that the consortium members had flown down to Bangalore to meet Modi for "what they had been told would be a routine exercise".

"Instead they were submitted to a barrage of questions which led some to suspect that Modi was seeking a further excuse to delay approval. This was the reason for my intervention with Modi. Had he conducted himself in good faith throughout, no call would have been necessary," Tharoor said.

He described Modi's behaviour as "unethical" and said it was aimed at spiking the Kerala franchisee.

BCCI vice-president and spokesman Rajiv Shukla said Tuesday that board president Shashank Manohar would call a meeting of the IPL governing body considering the seriousness of the controversy.

Shukla also delinked the ruling Congress from Tharoor on the row, saying the party has nothing to do with it and that it was a matter between Modi and the minister.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi met External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, Tharoor's boss, at her residence in the afternoon. But it was not clear if they discussed IPL and Tharoor's role.

The BJP went on the offensive, urging Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is now in the US, to sack Tharoor and order a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the Kochi deal.

"The BJP is of the clear opinion that Tharoor cannot continue in the government even for a moment after this gross impropriety. The prime minister should immediately sack him and order a criminal inquiry into the deal," said BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad.

The BJP alleged that Thaoor had misused his official position to secure a stake in the IPL deal for his friend Pushkar. The minister has admitted he played the role of a mentor and helped the consortium grab the Kochi franchise but denied he had gained in any manner.

Pushkar has a shareholding worth Rs.70 crore in IPL Kochi. The BJP said she got the share "without paying because she is close to Tharoor". It said Pushkar was not a known businesswoman and had admittedly rendered no service to cricket or to the Kochi franchise.

Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed put up a weak defence of Thaoor, saying "as a MP from Kerala, his desire to have an IPL team from there is not illogical or unwarranted".

Tharoor slams Modi's 'unethical efforts' to thwart Kochi IPL

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor Tuesday denied Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi's allegations that he had told him not to question the composition of the consortium that had bought the Kochi team.

Slamming Modi, Tharoor said: "The unethical efforts that have been made by Modi and others to thwart the Kerala franchise which had been won fair and square in a transparent bidding process are disgraceful.

"I deny Lalit Modi's allegation that I called him during his meeting with investors in the Kochi consortium in Bangalore Saturday night in order to press him not to question the composition of the consortium," the minister said in a statement.

Modi Monday revealed the details of the stakeholders in the new Kochi team, which is to join the next year's edition. The team that was last month sold for Rs.1,530 crore has Tharoor's friend Sunanda Pushkar owning 18 percent free equity.

Rendezvous Sports World, one of the partners in the consortium, has 25 percent of the franchise for free; of this, 18 percent is given to Sunanda and the balance is divided among three other Rendezvous members.

Modi in his tweets claimed he was asked not to get into who owns the Rendezvous.

"I was told by him (Tharoor) not to get into who owns rendezvous. Specially Sunanda Pushkar. Why? The same has been minuted in my records," he tweeted.

Will Kerala's snake boat sail down the Thames?

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 13 (IANS) Kerala's famed snake boats attract thousands to the annual boat race in Punnamada Lake. Now, if all goes well, one of the over 100-ft-long boats may take to the waters of the Thames River as part of a trial run of the inaugural ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.

The huge boat unique to Kerala along with around 120 oarsmen would be showcased June 9 at an event attended by the Queen.

The proposal to include the snake boat in the ceremony along with boats from other parts of the world was mooted by Keraleeyam, a cultural organisation that has members in the state and across the globe, including Britain, said state Sports Minister M. Vijayakumar.

"It would be a trial run with important dignitaries like the Queen witnessing the event. They approached us and we decided to do our bit. We have been told by Malayalis coordinating the event in London that the first round of sanctions have come from the British government," Vijayakumar told IANS.

But there are some stumbling blocks like the logistics involved in shipping the boat and the oarsmen apart from the required funds.

"The state government has in principle decided to lend its support and the sports, industry and tourism ministries have decided to bear a portion of the cost. We have forwarded a letter to the union tourism minister to help us in this endeavour. They have the resources and we have requested that the event be included under the Incredible India (tourism) campaign. We are now waiting to hear from them," Vijayakumar said.

Organisers working towards the event here say it would cost more than Rs.5 million to ship the snake boat from here to London.

"A snake boat now costs more than Rs.3 million and since it would cost close to Rs.5 million to transport it, we have decided that we will gift this snake boat to Britain after the trial run is over," the sports minister added.

If the trial run goes well, the boat race could be included in the inaugural ceremony of the 2012 Olympics.

A snake boat's length is usually anywhere between 120 to 140 feet. The popular annual race held in Kerala is associated with former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's visit to the state in 1952 when a boat-pageant accompanied him on his trip from Kottayam to Alappuzha.

Its origin was an impromptu race conducted in Nehru's honour. Nehru was thrilled by the performance of the oarsmen and jumped into a snake boat.

On returning to New Delhi, Nehru donated a silver trophy, a replica of a snake boat placed on a wooden abacus with an inscription and his signature. And this is the trophy that the winner gets in the Nehru Trophy Boat Race held at Alappuzha every year.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) legislator C.K. Sadasivan, a former coach and captain of the Kainankary Boat Club that won a record 12 times at the Nehru Boat Race in the 1970s and 1980s, said the snake boat being presented on the Thames would be a huge recognition for the state.

"I don't think it would be a problem to get a snake boat and 120 oarsmen to do duty at the Thames river. As organisers of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race Society, we will extend full support to this and if needed we can select the best oarsmen available to be sent to London," Sadasivan told IANS.

Kerala's snake boat being rowed down the Thames river could become a reality if the central government also agrees to chip in and coordinate with the state government and Keraleeyam for the event.

BJP guns for Tharoor, wants CBI to probe IPL deal

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to sack Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor for allegedly misusing his official position to secure a stake in a multi-crore rupee Indian Premier League (IPL) deal for his friend Sunanda Pushkar.

BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad also demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in the Rs.1,530 crore IPL deal in which Tharoor has said he played the role of a mentor and helped the consortium that won the franchise of the Kochi team.

Pushkar, who is said to be close to Tharoor, has a shareholding worth Rs.70 crore in the IPL Kochi and the BJP leader alleged that she has been given the share "without paying because she is close to Tharoor".

"The Kochi franchise has made it known to the IPL that a sweat equity (free equity stake) has been issued in favour of Sunanda Pushkar," Prasad told reporters at a media conference.

He said Pushkar is not a known businesswoman and has admittedly rendered no service to cricket or to the Kochi franchise.

"It is obvious that the quid pro quo for this equity is the service rendered by Shashi Tharoor to the Kochi franchise. Tharoor has charged a consideration for his service to the franchise and the said consideration is valuable shareholding parked in the name of someone who has a close personal proximity to him," the BJP leader said.

Such conduct, Prasad said, "is improper and a criminal offence. Tharoor has misused his position as a minister".

"The BJP is of the clear opinion that Tharoor cannot continue in the government even for a moment after this gross impropriety. The prime minister should immediately sack him and order a criminal inquiry into the deal," he demanded.

The controversy was triggered after IPL commissioner Lalit Modi stated on a social networking site that the minister had requested him not to reveal the name of the stakeholders of the consortium. Tharoor has, however, denied this and accused Modi of making "unethical efforts" to thwart Kochi IPL.

Will act against Tharoor only after checking facts: PM

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 | AA
Washington, April 14 (IANS) The fresh controversy brewing around Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor reached Washington with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday saying he will decide on any action against his junior foreign minister for his alleged meddling in the IPL franchisee business only after checking facts and not on the basis of "hearsay and media reports".

"I don't have all the facts. When I go back, I will find out the facts and will take action, if required," Manmohan Singh told journalists here when asked about growing clamour for the resignation of Tharoor in India.

"We can't go by hearsay and media reports," a circumspect prime minister said.

A major political row has exploded in India after allegations surfaced that one of the shareholders in the Kochi IPL franchise, Tharoor's acknowledged friend and reported romantic interest Sunanda Pushkar, reportedly received a "free" equity in the team of the India Premier League worth about Rs 70 crore (around $15 million).

Tharoor has denied he tried to influence the deal and had called IPL commissioner Lalit Modi only to inquire about the delay in finalising the Kochi franchisee.

The controversy has erupted on the eve of the parliament's session starting Thursday.

India's chief opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was quick to seize on the issue and has demanded the resignation of Tharoor "improper behaviour" for allegedly "misusing" authority for helping Pushkar secure equity in the Kochi team.

Tharoor, a former UN executive who unsuccessfully contested for the post of UN secretary general against present incumbent Ban ki-Moon, was elected by a huge margin to the Lok Sabha from Thiruvanathapuram in Kerala on his political debut in India in the general elections last year.

Kerala's IT firm to help enhance Virgin Racing's performance

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 13 (IANS) Kerala's biggest IT company, UST Global has partnered with new Formula One racing team, Virgin Racing to provide IT services to support and enhance their performance on the track.

UST Global's initial contribution is a real-time race management system, for which it has built an integrated control panel display that assimilates wireless data from the cars on the track, GPS feeds, trackside camera feeds, external weather information, and other data, according to a UST release Tuesday.

The technical analysis is delivered in real time to the trackside support team and allows the team engineers to monitor vital data points, identify calibration of car parts and raise alerts in case of critical faults.

Apart from the RMS, the IT company is on two other projects which include an integration of data for the racing car with the Wirth Research simulator, ensuring a constant, two-way correlation between the two and offer an efficient test-point for technical experimentation.

Discrepancies between actual race conditions and the simulated environment - due to weather, wind conditions, and physical variables like ride height, tire, suspension, gearbox, and engine settings - will be integrated with the simulator settings will facilitate near-perfect replication.

The second one is an automotive parts life management database to track the details of each component of the racing car, including the changes and replacements it undergoes throughout its lifecycle. The application will generate automatic notifications to the race team engineers as a component nears the end of its predicted lifecycle.

Virgin's marketing director Jim Wright said that the best Formula One partnerships are based upon commercial and technical commitments and in UST Global, Virgin Racing has found an ideal partner.

UST Global president Joe Nalkara said they will continue to help our clients gain competitive advantages through technology and process innovation.

UST Global, headquartered in California, was one of the first IT companies to set shop in the Technopark campus here. It subsequently opened operations at Kochi and has emerged as the biggest employer in the IT sector in the state with now over 3,000 professionals.

Swetha Menon

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 | AA
Swetha-Menon

Swetha Menon in akashagopuram - Malayalam Movie

Swetha Menon in laptop - Malayalam Movie

Kaviyoor Ponnamma honoured

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 | AA
kaviyur ponnamma

Mother of Malayalam, Kaviyoor Ponnammma completed her fivedecades in Malayalam film industry. To celebrate the occassion and honour Ponnamma, a function was conducted at Kochi Ambedkarstadium on Sunday. Many celebrities from Cinema, Politics and other fieldsattended and recalled Ponnamma's immense contributions to the filmworld. Programme started by lighting fifty small earthen lamps [cherathu]by fifty celebrities. Mohan Lal kissed Ponnnamma and gave her sweet andcongratulated her. He has acted as her son in several movies in which mostof them were super hits. Mohan Lal said, ``I am the son who wasnot born to her. So I dedicate myself to her on this occassion''. Veteranactor Madhu in his keynote address said that it was indeed a suprise thatin such a small state like Kerala, an actress could complete fifty years infilm field and he sees it with great honour. Union minister Vayalar Raviobserved that Ponnamma is an actor who could keep up the Malayalimother concept allalong her films and that is the reason why she has been accepted as Amma bythe audience. Minister M.A Baby said, she has the ability to absorb hercharacter in the total sense. In her reply speech Ponnamma said, she stillcould not believe that she has been in her career for the last fifty years.At present she is engaged with activities of a charitable society, JanasevaSisu Bhavan and so she is only doing work for selected films. A trust willbe formed shortly and in future she will be concentrating more on thesecharitable activities. When the function was about to get over, playbacksinger K.J. Yesudas rang up Ponnamma and spoke. His felicitation overphone could be heard in speaker phone that he couldn't attend the programmeas he was busy with his Hridayathaalam programme at Kozhikode. KochiMayor Mercy Williams presided over the function. Ministers Benoy Viswam,S.Sarma, Justice S.Gopinathan, I.G B. Sandhya, Sreerehka, KPAC Lalitha,Gokulam Gopalan, Manoj K. Jayan, Evershine Mani, Kukku Parameswaran, ZareenaWahab, Kaithapram, Madhu Balakrishnan, Devan, Jyotsna attended the function.V.R Gopinadhan welcomed the gathering. The show was also a part of the fundraising programmes organised by the Safe Life Charitable Trust led byPonnamma and Little Flower Hospital at Angamaly.

'Makeup man' progressing

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 | AA
'Makeup man' of Shafi is progressing at Thiruvananthapuram. Jayaram,
Prithwiraj and Kunchacko Boban are the heroes. Sheela and Lakshmi Rai are heroines M.Ranjit is producing the film under the banner of Rajaputhra films. Malaysia is another location. Sachi-Sethu team had penned the screen play.

Now kite festival to promote Kerala tourism

Monday, April 12, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 12 (IANS) Known for its backwaters, coconut palms and lush greenery, Kerala is now set to woo more tourists by hosting a three-day international kite festival starting May 1 at Kappad beach in Kozhikode district.

"Top kite-flyers from 10 countries, including India, will display their talents in flying kites at the Kappad beach for three days," state Tourism Secretary V. Venu told reporters here Monday.

Venu said Gujarat was the only state in the country to host such a kite festival so far.

Those participating in the fest would include people from Kuwait, Malaysia, Singapore, China, the UAE, France and Britain apart from India.

"There would be two participants from each country besides 10 teams from various parts of the country which would have five members each and the total number of participants would be 70," said Abdullah Malieakal, who heads Annals Sports and Leisure Management, an event management company.

Kappad beach finds mention in history books as Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama landed here in 1498.

"This beach has a history and we wish to promote that. We decided to organise this unique kite festival because the winds here on the sea shore are extremely favourable for flying kites," said legislator P.Viswan.

Besides kite flying, there would be a seafood festival and a cultural fest in the night that will showcase the local art and culture, he said.

There would also be a classroom session for all those interested in learning how to make and fly kites, he added.

"A kite that would be flown there would cost anything from Rs.25,000 upwards. The materials for making kites would be supplied free of cost. Kites that are going to be flown would be of various sizes and shapes and they would be as big as a two-storey building," said Malieakel.

Modi tweets details of Kochi's team's stakeholders

Monday, April 12, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 12 (IANS) Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi has revealed the details of the stakeholders in the new Kochi team which is to join the next year's edition.

The team that was last month sold for Rs.1530 crore has Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor's close friend Sunanda Pushkar owning 18 per cent free equity.

Rendezvous Sports World, one of the partners in the consortium, has 25 per cent of the franchise for free; of this 18 per cent is given to Sunanda and the balance is divided among three other Rendezvous members.

Modi in his tweets claims he was asked not to get into who owns the Rendezvous.

"I was told by him (Tharoor) not to get into who owns rendezvous. Specially Sunanda Pushkar. Why? The same has been minuted in my records," he tweeted.

Modi says he will soon be presenting a report on the issue to the IPL's governing council.

The Kochi franchise has intrigued all and sundry about the people involved in buying the team.

Tharoor had emerged as a surprise wellwisher of his state team but has maintained that his role is restricted to one that of "a mentor."

Kerala's eco-friendly serpent abodes disappearing

Monday, April 12, 2010 | AA
Kochi, April 12 (IANS) They are age-old ecological havens - groves with thickly foliaged trees, shrubs, lizards and frogs in abundance and snakes like the cobra as the reigning god. Now these sacred 'sarpa kavu', or shrines dedicated to the serpent god dotting the Kerala countryside, are fast disappearing and the state government has stepped in to conserve them.

Thousands of these sacred serpent groves - small forests attached to temples surrounded by agriculture land - owned mostly by Nair and Brahmin families through generations are facing a threat to their existence due to collapse of the joint family system and the changing socio-economic scenario.

"The major threats to the existence of the sacred groves in Kerala are the disappearance of the old joint family system (tharavadu) and partition of the family property as well as the changing socio-economic scenario," says a state forests and wildlife department report.

In most cases, the shrine and its surrounding areas are inherited by people who have no faith in the serpent god or no interest in maintaining the sanctity of the kavu, it said. "In such instances, either the kavu will be totally denied or sometimes only the deity will be retained and the big trees and the habitat will be totally converted for other purposes," it said.

In some cases, the new generation keeps only a symbolic representation of the grove by keeping just the oldest or the largest tree in the grove.

In the olden days, when the joint family system was in vogue, maintenance of the kavu was easy because the pooled-in family wealth went towards upkeep of the temple and its rituals.

The Kerala government is keen to preserve these groves.

Environment and Forest Minister Binoy Viswam told IANS: "We are going to launch a state-wide campaign next week to create awareness among the people about the importance of the sacred groves in our eco-system."

In the first phase of the campaign, the state government would give Rs.20,000 to trusts that own sacred groves. The money would go towards identifying the rare trees and herbs found in the groves, Viswam said. The state government is also planning such aid to families that own sarpa kavus.

"On a rough estimate Kerala has about 5,000 small and big sarpa kavus," the minister said.

P.N. Kesavan Nair, a retired school principal, said the decline of the sarpa kavu is a severe blow to the ecological system of the state. "Most of the sacred groves owned by traditional Nair families in my village have been destroyed," said Nair, who is now settled in Kochi city.

The size of the sacred groves vary from small patches of land to as much as 20 hectares.

"The vegetation in the groves is luxuriant and with multi-layered trees mixed with shrubs, lianas (woody vines) and herbs. The ground is humus-laden and abundant with fungus and ferns," says the forests and wildlife department report.

The sacred groves act as an abode for many rare, endemic, endangered plant species as well as those with medicinal properties. Besides preserving biological diversity, these groves are also responsible for water and soil conservation.

"This is evident from the perennial nature of ponds, wells and tanks, which are situated near the sacred groves. The fertility of the agro-ecosystems is very high due to the humus and nutrients generated in the sacred groves," it adds.

Rambha Marriage Reception

Monday, April 12, 2010 | AA
rambha-marriage-reception

Inquiry ordered into Tomin J. Thachenkery foreign trip

Sunday, April 11, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 11 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has ordered an inquiry into an alleged foreign trip without permission by state police's Inspector General Tomin J. Thachenkery, who is considered close to the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan.

Achuthanandan, who reached New Delhi Sunday, told media persons there that he has asked Additional Director General of Police Siby Mathew to look into the matter.

Contacted by IANS, Mathew declined to comment on the issue.

Thachenkery's "trip" was revealed by former legislator and chief of a Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) faction M.P. Veerendra Kumar, who is arch rival of Vijayan, at a public meeting Saturday.

Incidentally, Achuthanandan, who was on a trip to north Kerala Saturday, was also upset when he was told that Thachenkery was on leave for the past 10 days.

According to the rules, an inspector general of police-rank officer, before proceeding on leave and more particularly a foreign trip, has to get it cleared by the chief minister. With Achuthanandan ordering an inquiry, it seems clear that Thachenkery did not get the clearance.

Meanwhile, Thachenkery told a TV channel that he was on leave till Monday and was right now in Kashmir along with his family. He said that he would return to the state later Sunday.

Thachenkery has been in the news for the wrong reasons more than once. In July 2007, he was suspended by Achuthanandan after the vigilance department submitted a report recommending he be kept away from service after a case filed at the Trissur vigilance court against him. The case came on a complaint that he had amassed Rs.9.5 million wealth between Jan 1, 2003 and March 31, 2005, when he was managing director of the state-owned Books and Publication Society.

However, his suspension was later revoked and last year he was deputed to interrogate the self-styled south India chief of Pakistani militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba T. Nazeer and his accomplice, who were arrested at the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya and brought to Bangalore for questioning.

Thachenkery's association with Vijayan strengthened in the late 1990s. Last year while heading the state police's cyber division, he tracked down the people who had sent an email with the photograph of a mansion said to be Vijayan's newly-built home.

Mammootty to pen dialogues for his bilingual film

Sunday, April 11, 2010 | AA
Bangalore, April 11 (IANS) Mammootty's bilingual movie will go on floors in May and producer K. Manju says the superstar will write the dialogues for the Malayalam version of the film.

The Kannada version is titled "Shikari", but the title for Malayalam version has not yet been finalised.

"He was so impressed with the script that he offered to write the dialogues of the film himself. We were excited when he accepted the responsibility of writing the dialogues. His book 'Kazchapadu', a collection of essays in Malayalam, has been widely appreciated," said Manju.

Film's director Abhay Simha said: "I had contacted Mammootty a year ago with the script to make a film in Kannada. He took time to read the complete script and was impressed. Though he had agreed to work in my film, the dates were not finalised."

"Meanwhile, I got well-known Kannada film producer (Manju) to make the film and Mammootty also suggested to make it in two languages, including Malayalam, as the script was strong and universal."

Simha says that the film will go on floors once Mammootty is back from his vacation.

"We also worked out other details. Just last week I met Mammootty in Mumbai, he has agreed to work in my film from the month of May. He has gone abroad for a holiday. He will return in the first week of May. We may start shooting in Bengaluru from May second week," Simha, who won National Award for his debut film "Gubbachchigalu", told IANS.

The makers haven't finalised the actress. Earlier, Konkana Sen Sharma was approached and she had even agreed to be part of the film. But Simha says it would be doubtful if Konkana renews her interest in doing this film as she is busy working in other movies.

"The heroine and other technical cast will be finalised in a few days," said Simha.

Daddy's Kinder Garden with 101 children

Sunday, April 11, 2010 | AA
daddys kindergarten

Baiju Kottarakara is making a film for children, by including 101 children below 5 years as actors. Its shoot will begin in this summer vacation. The name of the film is ‘Daddy’s Kinder Garten’. Story is scripted by Mahesh and Judy. Visual India film will produce the film.

Parents of 4800 children sent their consent to perform in the film. A team comprised Baiju Kottarakara, Mukesh, Jazzie Gift and Anil Panachooran selected 350 children. 101 children have been short listed to act. Out of which 12 are doing important characters and keeping continuity. A camp conducted in Kochi for them. As the title denotes, the story tells about a Kinder Garten. Jagathy and Mukesh are teachers working with that institution. The film focuses on the mischievous behaviours of children and how the teachers lead them to the right path. Heroine is not yet finalised. Other cast includes Suraj, Guinness Pakru, Maidhili, Kalpana and others. Five songs to be included in the film. This is Baiju’s eleventh film. Earlier he was engaged in an American TV, ‘Channel 4’. Baiju has directed a film ‘Back to the street’ for this channel. His last Malayalam film was ‘James Bond’. His wife Sonia who is also an actor will do an important role in the film.

Urmila Unni's daughter in Tamil film

Sunday, April 11, 2010 | AA
Actress Urmila Unni's daughter Uthara is the heroine in the Tamil film 'Vavvaal', directed by Suresh. Debutant Rahul is the hero. The shoot is progressing at Kumbakonam. His film 'Arash' was a hit in which Sarat Kumar was the hero. Uthara was engaged in modeling and one of her commercials with her mother captured the attention of director and invited to do the film. Her cousin Samyuktha Varma is a popular actress in Malayalam and after marriage she left the industry.

'Jewel of Muscat' sails off from Kochi for Galle

Saturday, April 10, 2010 | AA
Kochi April 10 (IANS) The 'Jewel of Muscat' - a replica of a ninth century dhow - left for Galle in Sri Lanka Saturday after a nearly four-week stay here.

The vessel, a gift from the Sultan of Oman to Singapore, left the shores of Oman Feb 16 and arrived here March 15.

State Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who was impressed by the dhow, had a close look at the vessel before waving goodbye to the 17-member crew, which includes two people from Kerala.

Built of wood and coconut ropes, it was modelled on a timber and coconut rope dhow whose wreck was salvaged 12 years ago off Indonesia's Belitung islands.

The discovery of the wreck excited maritime scholars, who viewed it as solid proof of a maritime silk route from Middle East to China.

The 18-metre-long wooden dhow displaces 55 tonnes. The wood for the boat was brought from India, Myanmar and Africa while the coconut ropes were procured from Kerala and the sails from Zanzibar. Not a single nail was used in building it

In earlier times, it was through these dhows that trade flourished between Middle East and India with spices being exported from here.

M.C.Roy, director of shipping agent Opel Asia, which handled the dhow here, told IANS that it was an experience for all those who saw the vessel.

"The crew of the dhow had a number of interactions with a cross section of the society here. They also visited a school and conducted quizzes and painting competitions. Their basic aim was to create awareness," said Roy.

Inspecting the vessel that was berthed in the dry dock of the port, the crew was surprised to find out that the anti-fouling coating - made out of goat fat and lime mixture - on the hull was intact despite the journey from Muscat to Kochi.

"They were expecting that the coating would have peeled off, but much to their surprise, nothing happened. They also gave a fresh coat of fish oil on the outside of the vessel. Their next stop is Galle, then they go to Malaysia and wind up their trip at Singapore some time in June," Roy added.

Best of luck

Saturday, April 10, 2010 | AA
Banner: A & M Entertainment company
Name of the Film : Best of luck
Main Cast: Jagathy, Prabhu, Urvasi, Bheeman Raghu, Baiju, Rima Kallingal, Archana Kavi, Kailash, Asif, Suraj Venjaramood, Tini Tom, Suby and others
Music: Euphoria Music Group
Camera: Sanjeev Sankar
Lyrics: Santhosh Varma
Dialogue: Vinu Kiriyath
Production: A & M Company
Director: M. A. Nishad
best-of-luck

KCA rubbishes rumours about IPL's Kochi franchise

Friday, April 9, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 9 (IANS) The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) Friday rubbished news reports that Indian Premier League's (IPL) Kochi franchisee, Rendezvous Sports World Ltd, offloaded its 25 percent stake to some unknown entity for free.

KCA secretary K.C. Matthew told IANS Friday that he had spoken to Vivek Venugopal, co-owner of the Kochi franchisee, and Venugopal had told him that "everything is fine".

"Vivek has denied media reports of selling any stake to anyone and promised that everything will be sorted out when the Rendezvous Sports World partners meet the IPL officials," said Mathew.

"I was also told that they have followed the rules laid down in the tender document. Everything is in order," he said.

Rendezvous Sports World, a consortium of five companies, won the Kochi franchise for Rs.1,533 crore. Along with Kochi, Pune is the other team that will make their IPL debut next season.

Media reports also said that a minister, a former national captain and a current India cricketer are also a part of the consortium.

Kozhikkode SEZ project approved

Friday, April 9, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 9 (IANS) The Board of Approval (BOA) of the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) Friday cleared seven proposals, including three projects in Andhra Pradesh.

The approved proposals for Andhra Pradesh include two projects for biotech and other related activities at Anantpur and Medak and another at Ranga Reddy district.

An airport-based SEZ by Cochin International Airport Ltd. at Ernakulam in Kerala, a solar SEZ project at Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh and a copper project of the Sterlite Industries at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu are the other three SEZ projects approved by the BOA.

The seventh proposal is for an SEZ for which in-principle approval was given earlier. The BOA approved it formally.

According to a statement issued by the ministry of commerce and industry, the government has till date formally approved setting up 581 SEZs, of which 353 have been notified.

The SEZs have offered direct employment to over 4.89 lakh people, it said.

The BOA also approved seven proposals for grant of co-developer status for SEZs. These include projects in Noida, Nellore (Andhra Pradesh), Kozhikkode (Kerala).

Kozhikkode SEZ project approved

Airport employee commits suicide over fear of polygraph

Friday, April 9, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 9 (IANS) Fearing a polygraph test on the events related to the bomb that was found on the Bangalore-Thiruvananthapuram Kingfisher flight last month, a former airline employee committed suicide here Friday morning.

The victim committed suicide even though the prime culprit in the case is in custody.

Sunil, 26, who lives near the airport here was found hanging at his home, following media reports that the police were planning to subject employees to a lie detector test in order to identify more people involved in the crime.

The explosive device was found in the cargo section of the Kingfisher plane after it landed here March 21. The flight had 27 passengers and four crew members.

After the passengers and the crew deplaned, a routine security check of the aircraft led to the detection of the bomb which was wrapped in a school question paper and a Malayalam newspaper.

Incidentally Sunil who worked as a casual employee in the cargo section of the airline was one of the three who was picked up by the Bangalore police a few days after the incident.

The immediate provocation for Sunil to take his life was that a lie detector test would be done on a few people who had been questioned before.

In his suicide note, however, Sunil gave a clean chit to the police officers who had questioned him.

The locals who had gathered at Sunil's home, however, were not willing to buy this theory and were in an agitated mood. They blamed the police for Sunil's death.

They also said that Sunil was in a depressed mood after the police questioned him. He was told by officials that he would not be able to leave the city till the case was closed.

The police had questioned several people who work at the airport, including officials of Kingfisher airlines, and those who work in the cargo section.

The police have, however, ruled out any terrorist related operations and have said that it was personal enmity between employees of private firms that operate inside the airport.

Kadaaksham

Friday, April 9, 2010 | AA
Name of the Film: KADAAKSHAM
Banner :AVA productions
Producer: A.V.Anoop
Dialogue: Murali Krishna
Story/ Script/ Direction:Sasi Paravoor
Main Cast: Suresh Gopi, Swetha Menon, Swetha Vijay, Baby Manasa, Siddique, Jagathy, Vijayaraghavan, Sivaji Guruvayur, Rekha, Indrans, Kottayam Nazeer, Narayanan Kutty, Sree Dhanya
Music: M. Jayachandran
Camera: Ramachandra Babu

kadaaksham

Rambha marries Indra Kumar

Friday, April 9, 2010 | AA
South Indian film actress Rambha got married to Indra Kumar, a Canada based entrepreneur on Thursady at Thirumala in Karnataka’s Kalyana Mandapam. A grand reception will also be arranged at Rani Meyyammai Hall in Chennai on 11th. Rambha's original name is Vijayalakshmi. Her first film is `Sargam' in Malayalam. She had acted in more than 100 films including Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Bengali and Bhojpuri.
rambha marriage

Chamber restrains film artistes; Not to appear in TV shows, serials

Friday, April 9, 2010 | AA
A meeting of the organisations affiliated to the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce held a meeting in Kochi on Thursday decided to restrict film artistes who participate in television shows, reality shows, serials and award functions from May 1. Those who violate the existing agreement from May 1 will have to face severe actions including ban on release of their films. The restriction is also applicable to singers and lead technicians in the industry.

Chamber secretary Evershine Mony said, the move was part of efforts being taken to save the Malayalam film industry from the current crisis. AMMA had signed an agreement with the Chamber in 2002 which stipulated that artistes would stay away from television shows, private award functions, reality shows and serials except the award distribution ceremony of state government. But the agreement was being constantly violated. Several leading artistes participate in TV shows as judges and guests even now, Film Producers Association president Sabu Cherian said. Chamber also demanded that giving awards to actors in other languages should also be stopped. Chamber will institute award to promote artistes and technicians in the industry. It will discuss the issue with other organisations in the industry and prominent TV channel directors. Representatives of the Kerala Film Producers Association, Cine Exhibitors Federation, Cine Exhibitors Association and Film Distributors Association attended the meeting.
The response to the decision of Chamber was not positive. Most of the artistes found the decision against their interest. Singer M.G. Sreekumar said, if the decision of the chamber is to ban him for appearing in TV shows, better he would prefer channel shows. Because the meagre income from the cinema field is not enough to survive. Mostly a singer gets four or five songs in a year. So this decision is not acceptable, he said.
Music composer Sarat also expressed similar feeling. He asked chamber whether they could guarantee work for twenty five films per year. Then he is ready to quit the reality show programmes. It is not possible. So this decision is not practical. The findings of chamber was not true. People watch TVs, even after the reality shows becoming monotonous, because there were no good films in theatres. When they make good films, people would watch it without any compulsion, he said.
Prominent actors and AMMA president Innocent did not comment on the issue as they need time to study the decision of the chamber.

`Janakan' and `Kadaksham' released

Friday, April 9, 2010 | AA
Janakan Poster

Two films of Suresh Gopi reached theatres this week. `Janakan' directed by N.R. Sajeev under the banner of Line of colours released on Thursday. Mohan Lal is doing an important role in the film. S..N Swami has penned the screen play. Arun has produced the film.

'Kadaksham' is released on Friday. Sasi Paravoor has directed the film. Under the banner of AVA Productions, A.V Anoop produced film. Ramachandra Babu handled the camera. Sureshgopi was supported by Swetha Menon, Swetha Vijay, Baby Manasa, Siddique, Jagathy, Vijaya Raghavan and others.

No appearing on TV, Kerala Film Chamber diktat to actors

Friday, April 9, 2010 | AA
Kochi, April 8 (IANS) The Kerala Film Chamber Thursday asked all film artistes, singers and technicians not to appear on television for doing shows from May 1.

The Chamber is the body of producers, distributors and exhibitors in the Malayalam film industry.

Addressing reporters here after a meeting of the Chamber, one of the office bearers said that a similar decision had been taken in 2002 but nothing happened.

"This time we will see that the order is obeyed. From May 1 all artistes, singers and technicians should not appear on programmes in televisions or other stage programmes. If they do that their films will not be screened," said the office bearers.

One reason why such a decision is going to be implemented sternly is that there has been a drop in theatre collections, which has affected the stake holders of the Chamber.

However, veteran singer M.G. Sreekumar dismissed the move as "ridiculous".

"This year I have sung just four film songs and all what I have earned is Rs.25,000. If they are so particular that this new rule has to be implemented then let them ensure that I get to sing songs in every film that is released," said Sreekumar.

The ban extends to reality shows, being judges on TV shows and such programmes. However they can appear on TV if it is meant to promote a film which they have acted in, the Chamber clarified.

Pokkiri Raja (Mammootty, Prithviraj)

Friday, April 9, 2010 | AA
Banner: Mulakupadam Films
Name of the Film : Pokkiri Raja
Main Cast: Mammooty, Prithwiraj, Shreya Sharan, Swetha Menon, Nedumudi, Siddique, Riyaz Khan, Suraj, SalimKumar, Kalasal Babu, Sai Kumar, Jagannatha Varma and others
Lyrics: Kaithapram
Music: Jazzy Gift
Story/Screenplay/dialogue: Sibi-Udayan
Producer: Tomichan Mulakupadam
Director: Vaisakh

Malarvadi Arts Club

Friday, April 9, 2010 | AA
Banner: Grand Productions
Name of the Film: Malarvadi Arts Club
Main cast: Vineeth Sreenivasan, Nedumudi Venu, Innocent, Jagathy Sreekumar, Salim Kumar, Suraj Venjaramood and others
Music: Shan Rahman
Camera: P. Sukumar
Lyrics: Vineeth Sreenivasan
Producer: Dileep
Director: Vineeth Sreenivasan
malarvadi-arts-club

Kanyakumari Express (Suresh gopi)

Friday, April 9, 2010 | AA
Banner: Pyramid Film International
Name of the Film : Kanyakumari Express
Main Cast: Suresh Gopi, Sarayu, Saarika, Urmila Unni, Jagathy, Innocent, Babu Antony, Harisree Asokan, Suraj, Bheeman Raghu, Shanavas, Kiranraj, Gouri Nanda nad others
Music: Sarat
Camera: U.K. Senthil Kumar
Lyrics: Vayalar Saratchandra Varma
Screenplay: Dennis Joseph
Director: T.S. Suresh Babu
kanyakumari-express

Avan (Bala, Vijay)

Friday, April 9, 2010 | AA
Banner: Sree Parthasarathy Films
Name of the film : Avan
Main Cast: Bala, Vijay Yesudas, Muktha, Anup Menon, Jagathy Sreekumar, Devan, Shammy Thilakan, Riyaz Khan, Kottayam Nazeer, Risabawa, Indrans and others
Music: Ramesh Narayanan, Rajamani and Anil Gopalan
Camera: K.P. Nambiathiri
Lyrics: O.S. Unnikrishnan
Story/Screenplay/Dialogue: Sumodh Gopu
Producer: M.G. Surya Narayanan
Director: Nandakumar Kaavil

avan

Alexander the Great (Mohanlal)

Friday, April 9, 2010 | AA
Banner: Anugraha Cine Arts
Name of the Film : Alexander the Great
Main Cast: Mohanlal, Siddique, Saikumar, Innocent, Jagadeesh, Ganesh, Vijayaraghavan, Nedumudi Venu, Kottayam Nazeer, Bala, Sudha Chandran, Meenakshi, Lakshmi, Kiran Kher and others
Music: M.G. Sreekumar
Camera: D. Kannan
Screen Play: Balachandran
Lyrics : Gireesh Puthenchery
Producer: V.K.B. Menon
Director: Murali Nagavally
alexander-the-great

Janakan

Friday, April 9, 2010 | AA
Banner: Line of Colours
Name of the Film: Janakan
Main Cast: Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi, Kaveri, Biju Menon, Hari Sree Asokan, Jyothirmayi, Vijayaraghavan, Vijayakumar, Ganesh Kumar, Sambath, Ranjit Menon, Krishna, Sivani, Parvathy and others
Script: S.N. Swami
Producer: Arun
Director: N.R. Sanjeev
Janakan Poster

Court stays government-aided Islamic banking

Thursday, April 8, 2010 | AA
Kochi, April 8 (IANS) The Kerala High Court Thursday in an interim order restrained the government or state-run organisations from starting Islamic banks, but allowed a private company to start its operations.

The bench headed by Chief Justice J. Chalameshwar allowed Al-Baraka Company to go ahead with its operations.

Former union minister Subramaniam Swamy and one more person had petitioned the court against state-owned Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation starting an Islamic bank with private collaboration.

The court asked the state government to freeze all such activities till a final verdict on the issue.

Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said the state government will look into all aspects of the court's interim verdict and then decide what needs to be done.

"We have to see if such a thing happens, will it be good for the people or would it be detrimental. So at the moment I do not wish to make any comments. We will study all aspects and then decide," said Achuthanandan.

Director of Al-Baraka, prominent businessman E.M. Najeeb said, "In the wake of this verdict, the board of the company will soon meet and decide the future course of action."

Al-Baraka has 14 promoters who have contributed Rs.4.2 crore and a

17-member board with prominent Middle East businessman P. Mohammed Ali as its chairman and another businessman, C.K. Menon, as the vice-chairman.

With the latest verdict, three government officials who are on the board of the company will have to step down.

According to the company, the proposed bank will give no interest and a sharia board will decide on what sort of investment to make.

Muslims are the second largest community in the state with close to 24 percent of the 3.2-crore population.

TTPL posts net proft of Rs.21.21 crore

Thursday, April 8, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 8 (IANS) City-based Travancore Titanium Products Ltd (TTPL) has come out of the red and posted a net profit of Rs.21.21 crore in the 2009-10 fiscal, Kerala industries minister Elamaram Kareem said Thursday.

The Kerala government-owned TTPL is a producer of titanium dioxide (anatase grade) which is a vital component for production of all types of white and pastel shades of paints, car tyres, glazed paper, plastics, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and leather products.

Kareem said the total sales of the company had reached Rs.136.60 crore.

"One of the reasons behind this is that sulphur prices in the international market came down to less than Rs.10,000 from Rs.35,000 per tonne," he told reporters.

"We have been in the red with accumulated losses crossing Rs.33 crore for four years prior to 2009-10. This was just because of the huge price hike in sulphur," K.S. Sreenivas, TTPL chairman and managing director, told IANS.

The company has increased its capacity over the years and closed the last fiscal with a record turnover of 15,472 tonnes of titanium dioxide. It also produced 64,050 tonnes of sulphuric acid for its own consumption.

"Another reason why we have done exceedingly well is we complained to the anti-dumping court in Delhi that there have been huge imports from China which affected us seriously. They were selling titanium dioxide around Rs.10,000 per tonne, less than our market price. Last June, the court ruled in our favour and decided to hike the import duty on imported products. This helped us hugely," said Sreenivas.

A tonne of titanium dioxide at present costs around Rs.90,000.

Sreesanth fined for breaching IPL code of conduct

Thursday, April 8, 2010 | AA
Jaipur, April 8 (IANS) Kings XI Punjab pacer Sreesanth has been fined $9,000 for showing "dissent" at an umpire's decision during their Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Rajasthan Royals Wednesday.

"Sreesanth has been fined for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct. Sreesanth pleaded guilty to a level 1 offence which relates to showing dissent at an umpire's decision," IPL said in a statement.

Match referee Srinivas Venkataraghavan fined Sreesanth 20 percent ($9,000) of his match fee for the offence.

The incident took place in the third over of the Rajasthan Royals innings when Sreesanth was twice no-balled and was hit by Michael Lumb for a four in the free-hit. This infuriated the bowler who first clapped at Lumb and then at the umpires.

Resul Pookutty slams Jury

Thursday, April 8, 2010 | AA
Oscar award winning sound technician Resul Pookutty strongly reacted to the opinion of State Film Award jury, which announced awards on Tuesday, for denying him the award for his work in the film `Pazhassi Raja’, directed by Hariharan. ``The jury has every right to deny awards. I do not think I deserve it simply because I won the Oscar. But the reason cited by the jury headed by Sai Paranjpe was childish. The jury said that the background music of the period drama sounded more like Hungarian music and lacked the Malayalam touch. This shows the jury does not have the basic sense of sound and music.”, he said.
The sound, music and theme music in a film were decided by the director. So this is not the way things should have been evaluated., he added.

Asked about AMMA’s action against actor Thilakan, he said that he has no opinion about the decision of an organisation and nobody can prevent a talented person with these type of actions.

Suraj in 'Female Unni Krishnan'

Thursday, April 8, 2010 | AA
Suraj Venjarammoodu is doing the lead in the film 'Female Unnikrishnan' directed by K.B Madhu. Under the banner of Shenoy movies international, Shejoy Varghese is producing the film. Sudheesh John has written the story, dialogue and screen play.

It is comedy time for Shakeela

Thursday, April 8, 2010 | AA
After a break, Shakeela, who performed sexy characters, is making her entry into Mollywood, presenting a different character with comedy, in the film 'Onnarakallan' directed by Raviraj. Under the banner of Abeena films, the director himself is producing the film. Vallikode Vikraman has penned the screen play. Lal Kannan is the cinematographer. Bichu Thirumala and his son Suman are joining together for lyrics and music.

Mammooty, Swetha best actors, 'Pazhassi Raja' bags Eight awards

Wednesday, April 7, 2010 | AA
Kerala State Film Awards 2009

State film awards for 2009 were announced at Thiruvananthapuram by Cultural minster M.A Baby on Tuesday. Mamootty has bagged the best actor award for the film ' Paleri Manikyam Oru Pathira Kolapathakathinte Katha' and Swetha Menon has adjudged best actress for her role `Cheeru' in the same film directed by Ranjit. `Paleri Manikyam' has adjudged the best feature film and ‘Raamaanam' directed and produced by M.P. Sukumaran Nair has won the award for the second best feature film. ‘Pazhassi Raja,' written by M.T. Vasudevan Nair and directed by Hariharan has won eight awards including the best director award. Manoj K. Jayan is the best supporting actor for the film 'Pazhassi Raja' and Padma Priya is the best supporting actress for the same film. M.T Vasu Devan Nair is the best screen play writer for the film' Pazassi Raja'. Other awards won by ‘Pazhassi Raja' are the following, best film editor : Sreekar Prasad, best art director: Muthuraj, best costumer: Natarajan and best dubbing artiste: Shobby Thilakan.

Jagathy Sreekumar has won the special jury award for his contributions to various films. Debutant director award has won by P. Sukumar for the film 'Swale' and ‘Ividam Swargamanu,' directed by Roshan Andrews won the award for the best popular film. Baby Nivedita who acted in ‘Bhramaram' is the best child artiste. Suraj Venjaramoodu has been adjudged the best comedian for his performance in the film 'Ivar vivahitharaayaal' directed by Saji Surendran.

Film 'Kesu' directed by Sivan has bagged the best children's movie award. Best lyricist award is for Rafeeq Ahmmed for the song ‘Thekkini kolayil chumaril…' in the film 'Soofi paranja kadha' and best music director award goes to Mohan Sithara for the same film. Yesudas has bagged the best male play back singer award for the film 'Madhya Venal ' for the song `Swantham Swantham baalyathiloode.., penned by Kaithapram and the best female play back singer is Shreya Ghoshal for the song `Chaandu thotille chandanam thotille...' for the film 'Banaras', directed by Nemom Pushaparaj. Best choreographer award is for Dinesh Kumar. Sasi Paravur has bagged best story writer award for the film ‘Kadaaksham'. K.G. Jayan has won the best cinematographer award for ‘Sufi Paranja Katha'. Best background score award goes to Rahul Raj for ‘Rithu'. Sarath has won the best classical singer award for the song ‘Bhavayami paadumente…' in ‘Megha Theertham'. N.Harikumar has bagged the best sound recorder award for the film 'Pathaam nilayilae theevandi'. Best documentary of the year is 'Ezhuthaatha kathukal' of Vinod Malangara. Best reporting award is for P.S Radha Krishnan. G. P. Ramachandran has bagged the bast author award.

The jury headed by noted filmmaker Sai Paranjpe chose the awards. Other members of the jury were K Madhu, B. Ajayan, S. Saradhakutty, Mukhathala Sivaji, K.G. Soman and Vidhubala

Earlier News: http://www.my-kerala.com/cgi-bin/n/viewnews.cgi?newsid1270612783,91969, | http://www.my-kerala.com/cgi-bin/n/viewnews.cgi?newsid1270551482,19955,

Bombay Mithai

Wednesday, April 7, 2010 | AA
Bollywood actress Dimple Kapadia enters Mollywood through the film 'Bombay Mithai' directed by debutant Ummer Karikaad. Vinu Mohan and Sree Lankan actress Neelaambari Perumal are in lead. Dimple Kapadia is presenting an important character in the film. The film is progressing at Guruvayoor. Other cast includes Harisree Asokan, Jagathy, Suraj, Salim Kumar, Kalasala Babu, Kottayam Nazeer, Bheeman Raghu, Narayanan Kutty, Mamukoya, Kochu Preman and others. Under the banner of IMM films U. Pradeep and Rajesh Malakka are the poducers. Nisam Raawthar has penned the screen play. Paris Chandran has tuned the music. Rafeeq Ahmed and Mukesh Lal are the lyricists. Lokanathan is handling the camera.

Mammooty and his films shine at Kerala film awards

Wednesday, April 7, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 6 (IANS) Malayalam superstar Mammooty and his films dominate the Kerala State Film Awards 2009 which were announced by State Minister for Culture M.A. Baby Tuesday.

Mammooty is named the best actor for his roles in "Paleri Manikam Oru Pathirakolapathakam", while his film "Pazhassi Raja" won the best director award for Hariharan.

Together both the films bagged 12 awards, with "Pazhassi Raja" winning eight and "Paleri Manikam..." four, including the best film award.

"'Pazhassi Raja' really merited all these awards because it was a technical masterpiece and was breath-taking evoking a bygone era," said Sai Paranjape who headed the jury that saw 36 feature films, two children's film and two documentaries.

Mammooty, who is on a month-long holiday, was not available for comments. But Renjith said that it is great moment for him because his efforts have been appreciated well.

Swetha, who was declared the best actress for her performance in "Paleri Manikam...", said initially she was apprehensive about the role because the character was slightly older than her age.

"Renjith was adamant that I should do it because it was a character that had lot of potential. Just because he insisted, I took it and I am so happy that I have won an award," she said.

Another Malayalam superstar Mohanlal's film "Ividae Swarghamanu" was named the best popular film.

But Paranjape feels that the quality of Malayalam films has come down.

"Of all the films which we saw, it was just under 10 films that had the required quality. I hope this situation would improve," she said.

Mammootty & Swetha Menon bag Kerala State Film Awards

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 | AA
Kerala State Film Awards were announced today.
Best Actor: Mammootty (for the performance in Paleri Manikkyam)
Best Actress: Swetha Menon (for the performance in Paleri Manikkyam)
Best Director: Hariharan (for directing Pazhassi Raja)
Best film: Paleri Manikyam Ouru Pathira Kolapathakathinte Kadha (Directed by Renjith, Produced by AV Anoop and Maha Subair, Bagged 5 Awards include Best Actor and Best Actress)
Most Popular Film: Ividam Swargamaanu (Directed by Roshan Andrews, Produced by Antony Perumbavoor )
Best Story: Paleri Manikyam
Best Script: M T Vasudevan Nair
Second Best film: Raamanam
Janapriya Chithram: Ividam Swargamaanuuu
Special Jury Award: Jagathy Sreekumar
Supporting Actor: Manoj K Jayan (Pazhassi Raja)
Supporting Actress: Padma Priya
Best Child Film – Kesu
Best New Director: P Sukumar (for Swale)
Best Editor: Sreekar Prasad
Music Director: Mohan Sitara
Best Singer Male: Dr. KJ Yesudas (for Madya Venal, Song: Swantham Swantham Balyathiloode...)
Best Singer Female: Shreya Ghoshal (for Banaras, song: Chanthu Thottille...)
Back Ground Score: Rahul Raj (for Rithu)
Dubbing Artist: Shobi Thilakan (For Sharat Kumar in Pazhassi Raja)
Best Comedian: Suraj Venjarammud (for Ivar Vivahitharayal)
Special Jury Award: Jagathy Sreekumar
Art: Muthu Raj (pazhasiraja)
Music: Mohan Sithara (for Soofi Paranja Katha)
Child artist : Niveditha (for Brahmaram)
Makeup: renjith Ambadi (for Paleri manikyam)
Choreography: Vineesh Kumar (for Sagar Alias Jacky)

Nasscom lists Kerala IT company as top innovator of 2009

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 5 (IANS) Trade forum National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) has listed Kerala-based IBS Software as one of the top 50 innovators in India for the year 2009.

The company is a technology solutions provider to the travel, transportation and logistics industries. It was nominated in the "market facing innovation" category for its product Road Safety Management System (RSMS), an accident database management system that redefines the way road accident data is managed.

"There is a tremendous opportunity for innovative technology solutions to make road management more efficient and safer. RSMS is one such solution. The recognition by NASSCOM is a huge encouragement for us to pursue further initiatives that harness the power of IT for the common good" said V.K. Mathews, IBS chairman and CEO.

With increasing accidents and fatalities on Indian roads, several stats are turning to technology to improve the functioning of their transport and police (traffic) departments.

RSMS, currently used by some governments, is the only proven web-based solution in its category designed for large-scale accident data system implementations for planning, managing and controlling accident data.

The UK-based Transport Research Laboratory, a world leader in research and consultancy, has signed an agreement with IBS to develop technology solutions to improve safety and efficiency of road transport.

I was a victim of CPI-M's conspiracy: Rajmohan Unnithan

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 5 (IANS) Days after his party revoked his suspension, senior Congress leader Rajmohan Unnithan Monday lashed out at the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) for "spreading canards" about him on his alleged involvement with a woman and termed the Left leaders as a bunch of "pseudo moralists".

Unnithan vented his anger at the CPI-M, its feeder organization, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI, the youth wing) and the Janadipathiya Mahila Association (JMA, the women's wing), saying he was trapped by them after he was held with a woman, said to be a Congress Seva Dal worker, at a house in Malappuram district Dec 20.

On March 31, the Congress revoked the suspension of Unnithan, former general secretary of the party in Kerala, absolving him of charges of immoral trafficking. He insists he was trapped by the ruling Left party activists and their allies.

"I was a victim of a conspiracy hatched by the CPI-M and DYFI and I was trapped by them. I have now been exonerated by my party which conducted an inquiry and I was given instant bail by a court (in Malappuram), because I did no wrong," Unnithan told reporters Monday.

He said the DYFI is gripped with an "Oedipus complex" and the JMA "which claims to safeguard the rights of women did the worst thing when they printed my picture and of the lady who was with me and pasted it all across the state".

"The JMA forgot that the lady who was with me has a family and the CPI-M should also not forget the personal side of leaders like Karl Marx, Lenin and Chairman Mao and it is no different with some CPI-M leaders here. I have been exonerated but the damage that has been done to me and the lady is irreparable," Unnithan, an All India Congress Committee member member.

Kerala responds well to Commonwealth Games roadshow

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 | AA
Kochi, April 5 (IANS) The first in the series of nationwide Commonwealth Games road shows concluded here Monday.

Jiji Thomson, special director general, 2010 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Delhi, said the response to the first road show has been excellent.

"It is the biggest sporting extravaganza for India and is being held nearly three decades after the Asian Games. It is important to sensitise the youth of the nation towards sports," said Thomson.

The road show was kicked off with a painting competition, which saw participation from children of various age group.

Paintings depicting Shera, the Games' mascot, sports and harmony were on display. State Sports Minister M. Vijayakumar also gave awards to children for their efforts.

Malayalam actor Thilakan dismissed from film forum

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 | AA
Kochi, April 5 (IANS) Veteran Malayalam actor Thilakan who has angered the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) with his utterances against film celebrities was Monday dismissed from the film organisation on grounds of indiscipline.

His dismissal came after an angry exchange between the veteran and members of the executive committee of AMMA at a meeting here in the night.

Addressing reporters, its president Innocent said that Thilakan has been removed from the rolls of AMMA.

"The executive committee was not convinced about the explanation given by him. His conduct and his statement against the members of AMMA and the organization was an act of indiscipline and he did not apologise for that. So to keep the discipline of the organization intact, we have removed him from the membership of AMMA," said Innocent.

He added that Thilakan could continue to act in films.

"He can continue to act and there is no bar on AMMA members to interact with him," said Innocent.

Reacting to his dismissal, Thilakan told reporters that he was not surprised.

"I knew that this was bound to happen. I am aged 74 and am an actor for the past 54 years and I have never been in such a position. They did not look at my age, my failing health and my seniority in the industry," said Thilakan.

On March 1 Thilakan was suspended from the AMMA after failing to appear before the committee on two occasions.

For the past two months Thilakan is in dispute with various film workers' organisations, including the AMMA, for his utterances against some superstars and select directors.

"I will decide my next course of action after finding out if the executive committee of AMMA has the powers to dismiss a member. If I find they do not have the powers then I will approach the court of law," said Thilakan.

Earlier: AMMA expels ThilakanThe executive committee of AMMA decided to expel Thilakan from the Association on Monday as the committee found his explanations dissatisfactory . Thilakan also refused to apologise for the comments and criticism that he made against superstars and AMMA. He presented his grievances attended by 14 members of the executive committee convened at Hotel Abad Plaza. Innocent, president of AMMA, told in press meet that this ban would not prevent him from acting films and members of AMMA would not be restricted in acting along with him. Thilakan arrived at Hotel Abad Plaza in Kochi around 6.15 p.m. The executive committee headed by president Innocent started meeting at 6.30 p.m. After two hours Thilakan came out of the hall boycotting the meeting. Later the executive committee unanimously decided to revoke the membership and cut benefits like `kaineetam' provided to him.
Thilakan alleged that he was insulted after being invited for presenting his case. Siddique and Idavela Babu showed disrespect by using harsh words. Siddique raised voice and asked him to get out of the room. He said that he was denied justice at the meeting and the decision to expel him was predetermined. Innocent rejected these allegations in the press meet.

Ceremonial switch-on of the Movie on Kayyur struggle

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 | AA
Movie Kayyur Switchon

The story of Kayyur struggle gets the movie version. The movie narrates a saga of fight against imperialism before the independece of India. CPM State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan performed the ceremonial switch-on of the production of film last week at Ernakulam Town Hall. Biju Vattapra is directing the film. The movie will start rolling on May 2. The film is being produced by Rafi-Mecartin. Several film actors and political leaders graced the function. Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Captain Raju, M. Rajeev M.P, FEFKA general secretary B. Unnikrishnan, Prof. M. K. Sanu, John Paul, CPM Ernakulam District Secretary Gopi Kottamurikkal were among those present.

Kerala's appam and karimeen on American channel

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) Kerala's culinary specialities have won over master US chef Anthony Bourdain who will showcase food like appam, puttu and karimeen curry on the popular American travel and food show "No Reservations" on the Travel Channel.

The sixth season of Travel channel's culinary programme hosted by Bourdain will telecast the specialities of Kerala cuisine in July.

Bourdain has already shot the episode in Kerala for "No Reservations" which is in its sixth season.

"By showcasing authentic Kerala food in the homes of ordinary people, Anthony Bourdain is also reaffirming that delicious food and hospitality is not just special to upscale restaurants and hotels but is something that is customary throughout the state," said Kerala Tourism secretary V. Venu.

"It was wonderful to have such a high profile television host championing street and home cooked food," he said.

"When it comes to spices and variety, Kerala is right up there in my alley," the release said quoting Bourdain, 53, the author of "A Cook's Tour-In Search of the Perfect Meal".

For the Kerala episode, the master chef landed in Kochi at the fag end of March and travelled to Alappuzha to savour the backwaters cuisine. He stayed in a houseboat where he tried mussels and kappa (tapioca), a Kerala sadya (feast) and the spicy karimeen or pearl spot fish, the release said.

"I am also very impressed with the high standard of food in Kerala, especially the street food," says the chef, who earlier hit the streets in Kochi to taste the varieties.

Bourdain also enjoyed home cooked puttu (a steamed rice powder preparation), meen curry (fish cooked in coconut milk) and some other vegetarian dishes (made with coconut) with Malayalam celluloid icon Mammootty, when he visited the superstar during the shooting of his forthcoming film "Pokkiri Raja", the release said.

This monsoon, head for Kerala's healing ayurveda touch

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 6 (IANS) How about a warm herbal oil massage that lulls you to peace as you lounge in a traditional thatch-roofed houseboat on a rainy day with lush green rice fields and coconut groves spreading away into the distance? Feeling rejuvenated already?

Holidaying in 'god's own country', Kerala is not just about serene beaches, tranquil stretches of backwaters and exotic wildlife but also about a healing touch -- that of ayurveda, a system of traditional medicine in India that evolved around 600 BC.

Kerala's abundance of forests with a wealth of herbs and medicinal plants and the cool monsoon season -- June to July and October to November -- are best suited for ayurveda's curative and restorative packages.

Even though the arrival of monsoon is nearly two months away, resorts in Kerala are making last-minute arrangements to welcome the new 'ayurvedic season', the most sought after tourism product when the rains lash Kerala for several weeks.

K. Muraleedharan, one of the chief physicians at the famed Kottakal Aryavaidya Sala in Malappuram, says ayurveda is most effective during the monsoon because the body gets weak during that time.

"Hence, any ayurvedic treatment taken during the monsoon time boosts the immunity and it has a long-lasting effect. It also takes into account the vagaries of the weather," Muraleedharan told IANS.

Moreover, ayurveda believes in the treatment of not just the affected part, but the individual as a whole. It is the natural way to refresh oneself by eliminating all toxic imbalances from the body and thus regain resistance and good health, he said.

Over the years, resorts across the state have come out with tailor-made ayurvedic packages. The duration could go up to three weeks and the cost from as low as Rs.500 to as high as Rs.30,000 (500 euros).

Though the most preferred treatment is a rejuvenation package of massages, tourists also look forward to body slimming, stress management and beauty care packages.

John Muthoot, managing director of Muthoot Hotels here, said over the years they have had an incremental business in bookings at the Taj Green Cove hotel near Kovalam during the monsoon season.

"In our state-of-the-art spa here, we use high quality ingredients which make ayurveda treatment a pleasurable experience," Muthoot told IANS.

Of late, tourists are seeking ayurveda packages for treating various modern- day ailments like obesity, mental tension, spondylosis and skin problems.

The various treatment protocols in ayurveda include various types of massages -- pouring of a herbal liquid through a special vessel on the forehead and other parts of the body, application of herbal leaves and powders (that are made into pouches and immersed in warm medicated oil) all over the body and herbal juices and medicated oil applied through the nose.

Tomy Pulikattil, who owns a fleet of houseboats, has remodelled one for tourists to get a massage as they leisurely cruise the lake.

"I have one boat with two rooms where I offer clients a day's package which includes massages and food. For two people, the rate is Rs.6,800 all inclusive. Last season, we had more than 30 bookings and this time we are planning to roll out one more boat, because the bookings appear good," said Pulikattil.

Malayalam film "Chithrakuzhal" to make kids aware about environment

Sunday, April 4, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 3 (IANS) Malayalam film for children "Chithrakuzhal" (The Bird Watcher), told in the form of an adventure thriller, intends to make kids aware of global warming, climate change and deforestation.

The yet-to-be released film's director Majeed Gulistan, cast and crew attended its preview show here Saturday.

Gulistan, an award-winning film-maker, told reporters after the first screening that his film was aimed at connecting children to nature.

"I have told the story by incorporating aspects like global warming and the need for preserving nature. Children have to be made aware of these topics and to make it interesting it has been told as an adventure thriller," he said.

Incidentally, this is the first Malayalam film to be made in Dolby digital sound, giving good sound effects to the forest scenes.

Ace cinematographer M.J. Radhakrishnan said: "It was a huge challenge for all of us because we shot the film deep inside the forests. We used very little light because using generators was a problem. We are all so happy that the beauty of the forests has been captured, virtually as it is."

The film tells the story of three kids who get lost in a forest and learn about nature and the value of precious herbs.

Meera Nair, who played one of the kid's role, said it was a rare experience for her as she was seeing forests for the first time.

"It was a bit frightening too but with many people around it was OK. We could learn a lot," she said.

The film will have a state-wide release in July and has been sent to some international film festivals.

Easter celebrated in Kerala

Sunday, April 4, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, April 4 (IANS) Christians made a beeline to the churches in Kerala early Sunday to celebrate Easter, signifying the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and take part in the mass before the onset of sunshine.

The Easter mass came to a close before sunrise in most churches with the serving of a piece of cake, made of egg and milk, by the priests.

On Easter, especially in Christian strongholds of Kerala, families come together to celebrate the most important event of the day - the traditional Easter breakfast.

The traditional 'appam' made of rice powder and fresh toddy or yeast is the main meal on the breakfast table. The other delicacies include baked bananas, egg curry and the more popular stew made with either mutton, chicken and beef.

The rise in the prices of Easter items like chicken, mutton and other items have failed to dim the celebrations as people were seen preparing and eating elaborate meals.

Also, long queues were seen in front of the shops of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation Saturday as the shops opened after two dry days.

Christians account for 23 percent of the 3.20 crore population in Kerala.

Road shows to popularise CWG 2010

Sunday, April 4, 2010 | AA
Kochi, April 3 (IANS) With six months to go for Commonwealth Games, the organising committee Saturday kicked off a series of road shows in this Kerala city to mobilise people to be a part of the mega sporting event.

The road shows were launched by Jiji Thomson, special director general of the Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010.

"With six months to go before the Games, the time has now come for all Indians to come together and join in this historical event. It is time for each Indian to realise that the Games are for each and every one of us," said Thomson.

He said the road show is an effort to galvanise and mobilise people across the country and encourage them to be a part of the event.

During next six months several road shows, cultural events, paining competitions, quiz programmes and dance festivals will be organised across the country.

Thousands of jobs await Indians in Gulf: NRI industrialist

Sunday, April 4, 2010 | AA
New Delhi, April 4 (IANS) The Gulf is on the verge of a boom and there will be thousands of jobs for skilled Indians, especially in the petrochemical sector, says Ravi Pillai, managing director of the Saudi Arabia-based Nasser S. Al-Hajri Corporation.

Billions of dollars are being invested in major projects in the Gulf, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the UAE emirate of Abu Dhabi, and nearly 300,000 new jobs will be created in the next five years, said Pillai, who hails from Kollam district of Kerala.

"The Gulf is on the brink of another boom," Pillai told IANS in an interview here, citing new projects that include two $12 billion Jubail Export Refinery and Yanbu Export Refinery projects in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi's new refinery and nuclear power projects.

"Skilled workers from India will get maximum opportunity to work in these projects. I hope among the total workforce more than 60 percent will be Indians," said Pillai, whose company has a 35,000-strong Indian workforce, making it one of the largest employers of Indians in the Gulf.

He was in the capital to receive the Padma Shri award conferred on him by the president of India in the trade and industry category.

Pillai's company is engaged in construction at oil and gas refineries in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.

"Among our management and engineering personnel are Americans, British, Italians, South Africans, Koreans, Filipinos, and of course, Indians," he said.

"We are also equipped with the services of highly skilled and well experienced supervisory staff."

According to Pillai, the real estate sector in Dubai is also changing, for the better.

"Only Dubai's real estate sector was affected by the recession. Now, there are signs of positive change. The Gulf will remain a dream destination for Indians," Pillai said.

Pillai, who is also head of the R.P. Group of Industries, says it is planning to invest Rs.500 crore in India's power sector.

"My R.P. Group is interested in investing in India's power sector. I have a Rs.500-crore plan for this."

"I have already invested Rs.150 crore to set up a five-star hotel near the scenic Ashtamudi lake (in Kollam). The nature-friendly hotel-cum-resort is surrounded by beautiful backwaters," he said.

Pillai, a Pravasi Bharatiya Samman winner, is also engaged in charities. He has set up the Upasana Hospital and Research Centre in Kollam to give free treatment to the poor.

He is also planning to hold community marriages in Kerala.

`No Reservations’ of Travel & Living with Mammooty will broadcast in July

Saturday, April 3, 2010 | AA
bourdain with mammooty

The Kerala episode of ‘No Reservations’ will air in the United States on the Travel Channel in July 2010. It will air on the Discovery Travel & Living channel around the world following that.

Anthony Bourdain, the American author, chef and host of Discovery Channel’s culinary and cultural adventure programme ‘No Reservations’ was in Kerala recently checking out the state’s unique cuisine and Keralite tastebuds. Bourdain also enjoyed home cooked `puttu' and `meen curry' with Mammooty, when he went to visit the movie star at the film set of his film ‘Pokkiri Raja’.

For the Kerala episode he traveled to Alappuzha and the Kuttanad area sampling the backwaters cuisine. He experienced the hospitality of a local boatman and his family where he tried mussels and ‘kappa’; a Kerala ‘sadya’ at another family home and spicy ‘karimeen’ and prawns at a toddy shop. He has come to love the rich culture, history and cuisine of India.

“I am not too crazy about toddy but the food at the toddy shop was very flavoursome. I am also very impressed with the high standard of food in Kerala, especially the street food here,”.- Bourdain said.
The Secretary of Kerala Tourism, Dr Venu said that it was wonderful to have such a high profile television host championing street and home cooked food.

“By showcasing authentic Kerala food in the homes of ordinary people, Anthony Bourdain is also reaffirming that delicious food and hospitality is not just special to upscale restaurants and hotels, but is something that is customary throughout Kerala”.

Spain, Italy and France are the most well known destinations for prospective gourmets, while long haul destinations including India, China and Thailand are getting to be increasingly popular. Recent research by World Travel Market found that 86 per cent of travelers from the UK enjoy local food while abroad, with 83 per cent willing to miss meals in hotels and resorts to venture out and find local cuisine in restaurants and homestays.

Known for consuming exotic and daring ethnic dishes, Bourdain is famous for eating ant eggs in Mexico, sheep testicles in Morocco, and a whole cobra in Vietnam. According to Bourdain, the most disgusting thing he has ever eaten is a Chicken McNugget and was pleased to note that there were no western fast food outlets in Kerala.

Teacher held for inflammatory question paper

Saturday, April 3, 2010 | AA
Idukki (Kerala), April 2 (IANS) A college professor has been arrested for preparing a question paper that had inflammatory references to Prophet Mohammed, police said Friday.

T.J. Joseph, a Malayalam teacher at Thodupuzha New Man College near here, was held Thursday for preparing the question paper with an objectionable reference to the Prophet for the internal examination of second year B.Com Malayalam students, a police officer said.

The teacher was on the run since last week after various Muslim groups protested in Thodupuzha, a town near here. Thodupuzha remained tense after clashes broke out in the town and district authorities ordered a ban on the assembly of people.

A case was registered against Joseph following Education Minister M.A. Baby's intervention after the issue surfaced in the Kerala assembly March 26.

The police officer said Joseph was Friday presented before the Kattapana magistrate, who remanded him in custody for 14 days.

Joseph's son, an engineering graduate, is being treated in a private hospital. He is believed to have been roughed up by the Thodupuzha police to put pressure on Joseph to surrender.

A.R Rehman teams up with Amy Tinkham

Friday, April 2, 2010 | AA
Oscar-Grammy award winner A.R Rehman has teamed up with the well known choreographer-director Amy Tinkham for his upcoming concert 'Jai Ho'. His first live musical concert in the `Jai Ho' series conducted at Kozhikode for the welfare of HIV positive children in May 2009. It was the first and the only show in India in the series, which follows many shows in the next five years all over the world. It will kick start from Newyork on June 11. Amy has earlier worked in live concerts with pop icons Britney Spears, Madonna and Paul Mc Cartney.

Docu Director Saratchandran dies

Friday, April 2, 2010 | AA
National award winner in Documentary and environmentalist C. Saratchandran, 52, and Sebastian, 45, a native of Ambalawayal in Wynad were found dead on railway track in between Thrissur and Alwaye on Wednesday night. They were travelling in the heavily packed general compartment of Guruvayur-Chennai Express and fell from around 10.30 p.m. Saratchandran was on his way to his residence in Lakshmi Nagar, Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram. He is son of N. Chandrasekharan Nair, renowned Hindi scholar and founding president of Kerala Hindi Sahitya Academy and Sarada, daughter of Gandhian M.P. Manmadhan. Saratchandran had come to Thrissur from Kochi on Wednesday to attend a marriage. He is survived by his wife Sudha, administrative staff at M.G University. The body would be cremated at Thycaud, in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. Saratchandran had directed many documentaries like `No to Dams: A Pooyamkutty Tale', `Save the Western Ghats March: The Kerala Experience', ` `Ellaam Asthamikkum Munpe', `Kanav', a film on a tribal children's commune in Wynad, `Evicted from Justice' – a video report on Muthanga massacre; `Your's Truly John', a video essay on director John Abraham and `To die for land – the ultimate sacrifice', on Chengara land issue.

Suresh Gopi and Priyanka in 'Home science'

Thursday, April 1, 2010 | AA
Debutant Dileep Menon is directing the film `Home Science'. Suresh Gopi and Priyanka are in lead. Other cast includes Baby Neveditha, Kannada film actresss Pavithra Lokesh and others. The film is produced under the banner of Five Men Corporates.

Mukesh and LakshmiI Sarma in 'Ladies Only'

Thursday, April 1, 2010 | AA
Mukesh and Lakshmi Sarma are doing the lead in 'Ladies Only' directed by Pappan Payattuvila. Padma Kumar has penned the screen play. S. Mohan is the producer. Suraj and Jagathy are also appearing in important roles. Pooja of the film was performed at Thiruvananthapuram

'Avan' starts rolling

Thursday, April 1, 2010 | AA
The film `Avan' directed by Nanda Kumar Kavil deals with a different subject. It is about a reality show specialy arranged for criminals. It was the turn of Krishnan in the show. He presents the murder scene of a famous playback singer named Ramanujan. When Krishna presented the show the audience were anxiously waiting to hear about the motive behind the murder. He explained the reason and it shocked the audience. Vijay Yesudas plays the role of Ramanujan and Bala as Krishna. Pooja of the film was performed at Kalabhavan theatre at Thiruvananthapuram and shoot is progressing. Thalaivasal Vijay and Bala attended the opening day shoot. Muktha is the heroine. Other cast includes Devan, Anoop Menon, Jagathy, Shammi Thilakan, Riyaz Khan, Kottayam Nazeer, Rizabava and others. Sumod Gopu has penned the story, screen play and dialogue. Under the banner of Parthsaradhi films, Surya Narayanan is producing the film.

`April Fool' releases today

Thursday, April 1, 2010 | AA
Viji Thampi's 'April Fool' is reaching in 50 theatres across Kerala today. Actor Jagadeesh has written the screen play. The story moves around Rakesh Menon and his wife. Rakesh is a high flying businessman and his wife is a homely person. She comes from a middle class family. Rakesh Menon loved to lead a posh life but his wife who loved painting is interested only in simple style of life. Rakesh goes to club and stays in five star hotels. His wife always advised him to keep the mentality to help the poor and needy instead of being pompous. One day both of them attended a function organised by the club. In the function an untoward incident occurred. Followed the issue the couple parted. Siddique plays the role of Rakesh Menon and debutante Nayana as his wife. Other cast includes Jagadeesh, Jagathy, Biju Menon, K.PA.C Lalitha and Maidhili. Sanjeev Sanker has wielded the camera. Under the banner of Damar Cinema, Santhosh Damodar has produced the film.

Keralites are major liquor guzzlers

Thursday, April 1, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, March 30 (IANS) Tipplers in Kerala are set to make an all-time record as the fiscal year ends, with rum being their favourite drink. Officials are expecting the highest ever sale of liquor and beer at an estimated Rs.5,500 crore.

In the last fiscal (2008-09) Rs.4,631 crore worth of liquor and beer was sold, N. Shanker Reddy, managing director of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (KSBC), told IANS.

"A record 185 lakh cases of liquor and 85 lakh cases of beer will be sold by the end of this fiscal, up from 170 lakh cases of liquor and 70 lakh cases of beer," said Reddy.

Every year, liquor and beer sales have been rising and the total sales of liquor and beer during 2007-08 was Rs.3,669 crore, which means in two years the total sales went up by a staggering Rs.1,831 crore.

The more the liquor and beer gulped down by Keralites, the more revenue the state government gets and this time with record sales, the total taxes that the government will get is also an all-time high.

"Last fiscal the total revenue by way of taxes that came in through the sale of liquor and beer was Rs.3,621 crore and by March 31 this fiscal, it would touch Rs.4,150 crore," said Reddy.

Rum continues to be the most preferred drink, accounting for more than 55 percent followed by brandy with a share of close to 40 percent. Four percent are vodka drinkers and gin, whisky and wine account for the rest in the liquor category.

Tipplers in Kerala appear to have got a "gift" from Finance Minister Thomas Isaac when he announced that "as part of social commitment, de-addiction centres will be started in selected district offices by KSBC" in the coming fiscal.

Suspension of Rajmohan Unnithan revoked

Thursday, April 1, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, March 31 (IANS) The Congress Wednesday revoked the suspension of Rajmohan Unnithan, former general secretary of the party in Kerala, absolving him of charges of immoral trafficking.

Unnithan was suspended from the party after he was held with a woman, said to be a Congress Seva Dal worker, at a house in Malappuram district Dec 20 evening. The leader, however, insists he was trapped by ruling party activists and their allies.

"It was a trap that was laid by Communist Party of India-Marxist and the People's Development Party (PDP) activists. The party inquiry has given me a clean chit. I was informed by state party president Ramesh Chennithala that I have been taken back into the party," said Unnithan.

Police took Unnithan and the woman into custody and subjected them to medical tests. After being kept in the police station Dec 20 night, both were taken before the Manjeri first class judicial magistrate next day and given bail.

"Truth cannot be kept under the carpet for long. I am thankful to my party for their swift action and giving me a clean chit," Unnithan said.

Only four Kerala ministers use Ambassador cars

Thursday, April 1, 2010 | AA
Thiruvananthapuram, March 31 (IANS) The Ambassador car, India's traditional official vehicle, remains favoured by only four Kerala ministers, including Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan -- though less than four years ago, the full 19-member cabinet publicy flaunted their red-beaconed white Ambassadors.

In May 2006 when the cabinet took office, TV channels showed 19 gleaming Ambassador cars lined up near the basketball court of the Central Stadium here where the swearing-in ceremony took place.

Now, almost four years after the ceremony, these cars have been dumped by 15 ministers, with only Achuthanandan, S. Sarma (Fisheries Minister), M. Vijayakumar (Law) and G. Sudhakaran (Cooperation) still using them.

Of the 15 ministers who have chosen to be driven in cars other than the Ambassador, 11 can be seen using various models of Skoda while four others use Innova.

Achuthanandan had Tuesday informed the Kerala assembly that a total of Rs.2.34 crore has been spent on buying luxury cars for the ministers.

News Archive

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Kerala News Archive: April 2010

`Sura' releases in Kerala

Kerala IT floats global RFPs to build Kochi Infopark-II

Youths still missing at sea, families distraught

Sindhu Menon getting married

Darsanasya Maunam

LDF ally Kerala Congress-J headed for a split

Probe ordered into Sreenath's death

'Naalaeyaanu Thaalimangalam' completed

V.K. Prakash's next 'Three Kings'

Film Chamber mediated talk fails

My work will speak for itself: Shashi Tharoor

State Bank of Travancore improves Mid-East operations

Strike against price rise hits public transport

Strike hits life in West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh

CPI-M leader Varkala Radhakrishnan passes away

Will Tharoor survive Kerala's charged politics?

Family suspects foul play in actor Sreenath's death

'I saw death from close quarters on Emirates flight'

Meera Jasmine

Caparisoned elephants steal the show at Thrissur Pooram

Karunakaran names daughter Padmaja political heir

Task force on elephants to meet April 30

Awaiting thorough probe into IPL: Tharoor tweets

Bouquets, brickbats greet Tharoor on Kerala visit

Manappuram targets Rs.225 crore profit this fiscal

Tribunal reinstates Tomin J.Thachankary

Mamta Mohandas

Katha Thudarum

Advocate Lakshmanan - Ladies Only

Film Star

Ninnishtam Ennishtam

Not Out

Malarvadi Arts Club

Malarvadi Arts Club Pooja

Film Chamber meets tomorrow to resolve crisis

Human Rights commission to inquire Thilakan issue

Actor Sreenath found dead

Tomin J. Thachenkery says he is being singled out

Malayalam actor Sreenath found dead in hotel room

Nayanthara

Bichu Thirumala honoured

Farewell to Kamalam with state honours

Manisha Koirala in Malayalam

First Malayalam talkie actress M K Kamalam dies

Kerala to reply on governor's address controversy

Kerala film exhibitors threaten to shut theaters

Tharoor's cyber-supporters keep growing: 12,000 and counting

Rambha

Trisha

PM called Kerala leaders before accepting Tharoor resignation

Tharoor: New age politician who forgot old world values

Achuthanandan government like 'Ali Baba and 40 Thieves': Congress

Tharoor now to concentrate on Thiruvananthapuram constituency

My conscience is clear, done nothing wrong: Tharoor

Tharoor quotes Malayalam poet in his defence

Hurt Tharoor says he is ready for 'thorough probe'

Love for Kerala doesn't absolve Tharoor: BJP

Thilakan back to drama field

Saji Surendran's next 'Four Friends'

Tharoor's case has likeness with Chidambaram's 18 years ago

Lakshmi Rai

Netizens rally in support of Tharoor in cyber world

Plea for CBI probe in Tharoor controversy dismissed

Cochin Port registers record cargo throughput

'PM was emotional when Tharoor offered to quit'

Tharoor run out...but gathers fans along the way

IPL 'glorified gambling with black money'-Vayalar Ravi

Where is Shashi Tharoor?

Mired in IPL row, Tharoor steps down

EARLIER: Tharoor: From youngest doctorate at Tufts to beleaguered minister

EARLIER: Tharoor's fate uncertain, Pushkar gives up IPL stake

Politicians, businessmen manipulating IPL bids: BJP

Congress core committee meets to decide Tharoor's fate

Tharoor friend Pushkar gives up IPL Kochi equity

After controversies, 'Dam 999" heads to Dubai

Reprieve for Vijayan in SNC Lavalin case

Kerala ayurvedic masseurs roped in for Games

Young Kerala author debuts with mass fiction

Why is no Kerala bigwig coming out in support of Tharoor?