The 18 edition of the Kochi International Book Festival began at the Ernakulathappan Grounds here on Saturday evening.
Readers flocked to the venue of the annual festival soon after the inauguration. The festival was inaugurated by Minister for Culture K.C. Joseph and writer Sethu, who is also the chairman of the National Book Trust.
About 240 publishers are taking part in the exhibition, organised by the Antharashtra Pusthakotsava Samithi.
The fete, which began with a dance programme soon after the inauguration, will include several book releases, children’s competitions, talks and discussions by writers, and cultural programmes. Jnanpith Award winners Kedarnath Singh and M.T. Vasudevan Nair are among the few writers scheduled to speak at the festival in the coming days.
Bestselling books, classic titles, children’s literature, and works of writers from all over the world are on display at the fete.
The festival concludes on December 8.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Staff Reporter / Kochi – November 30th, 2014
The house of S L Venkatachala Iyer, maternal uncle of V R Krishna Iyer, in Shekharipuram in Palakkad, which was donated to the ‘gramajana samooham’
Palakkad :
The ancestors of V R Krishna Iyer were ardent philanthropists and have their lineage rooted to the ‘agraharams’ in Palakkad. His maternal family in Shekharipuram had donated their house styled ‘Govinda’ to the ‘gramajana samooham’. The palatial house, a portion of which was rented out to meet the daily expense of the Lakshminarayana Swamy Temple in Shekharipuram– which now owns the property– was gifted by Iyer’s uncle, said Latha Ramanan, a neighbour. She said that Iyer’s uncle S L Venkatachala had donated the house before he left for Mumbai. The three sons of Venkatachala are no more, and one of his daughters is settled in Chennai. She said the grandchildren of Venkatachala had planned to construct a building in the compound of the house so that people could gather and recite vedic verses.
Iyer’s paternal family was from Vaidyanathapuram here. His nephew, Dr S V Ramachandran was a renowned surgeon, who stayed near Government Victoria College.
Jana Jagratha Samithi secretary Dr P S Panicker said Iyer was the president of the Janakeeya Prathirodha Samithi, which spearheaded hundreds of protests on varied issues which affected the adivasis, DPEP to cases relating to land encroachments, and other issues affecting the underprivileged.
Dr Panicker reminisced how at the ‘pattaya mela’, by then LDF Government in Attappadi – in which then Chief Minister E K Nayanar participated– Justice Krishna Iyer had said the land distributed to the adivasis at the pattayamela was unfit for cultivation and they should be provided fertile land instead, causing much embarrassment to the hosts.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by A Satish / December 05th, 2014
Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer used to spend his evenings with a walk along the banks of the Kochi backwaters. He has to his credit around 70 books, mostly on law, and four travelogues. Photo: The Hindu Archives
Eminent jurist and former Supreme Court judge, Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer, passed away at a private hospital in Kochi around 3.30 p.m. on Thursday. He died due to renal and cardiac failure, hospital sources said. He was hospitalised for a fortnight.
Justice Iyer, known for his forthright views, turned 100 recently. He was sworn in as the judge of the Supreme Court on July 17, 1973 and retired at the age of 65 on November14, 1980.
Born to a leading criminal lawyer V.V. Rama Ayyar in 1915 in Thalassery, Justice Iyer had his education at the Basel Mission School, Thalassery, Victoria College, Palakkad, Annamalai University and Madras Law College. After starting legal practice in 1937 under his father in the Thalassery courts, he used to appear for workers and peasants in several agrarian struggle-related cases in his early years of practice.
He became a member of the Madras Legislative Assembly in 1952. He held portfolios such as law, justice, home, irrigation, power, prisons, social welfare and inland navigation in the first Communist government in Kerala headed by E.M.S. Namboodiripad that came to power in 1957. He was instrumental in passing several pieces of people-oriented legislations during his tenure as minister in the Communist government.
He resumed his legal practice in August 1959 and threw himself into the legal profession after he lost the 1965 Assembly election. He was appointed a judge of the Kerala High Court on July 2, 1968. He was elevated as Judge of the Supreme Court on July 17, 1973, and retired on November, 14, 1980. He served as a Member of the Law Commission from 1971 to 1973.
His landmark judgments include the Shamser Singh case which interpreted the powers of the Cabinet vis-à-vis the President, Maneka Gandhi case which gave a new dimension to Article 21, Ratlam Municipality case, and Muthamma’s case. He had pushed for reformative theory, in contrast to deterrence theory in the criminal justice system. He also received brickbats for granting conditional stay on the Allahabad High Court verdict declaring former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s election to the Lok Sabha void.
In 2002, Justice Iyer was part of the citizen’s panel that inquired into the Gujarat riots along with retired justice P.B. Sawant and others. He was conferred with Padma Vibhushan in the 1999. He had unsuccessfully contested to the post of President against Congress nominee late R. Venkitaraman in 1987. He also headed the Kerala Law Reform Commission in 2009. He has to his credit around 70 books, mostly on law, and four travelogues. Wandering in Many Worlds is his autobiography. He has also authored a book in Tamil, Neethimandramum Samanvya Manithanum.
He has been actively involved in social and political life after his retirement, almost till a few weeks when ill-health and advancing age took their toll on him. His 100th birthday was celebrated in Kochi last month and a number of programmes were organised by members of the legal fraternity, citizenry and his friends and well-wishers to felicitate him. Justice Iyer’s wife predeceased him. He is survived by two sons.
The body of Justice Iyer will be taken to the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Kadavanthra, on Friday, where members of the general public will be able to pay homage to the departed jurist, said M.G.Rajamanikyam, Ernakulam district collector. The funeral will take place at Ravipuram crematorium at 6 p.m. on Friday, he said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National / by k. C. Gopakumar / Kochi – December 04th, 2014
Writer C Radhakrishnan and poet S Rameshan Nair have bagged the children’s literature awards instituted by the State Institute of Children’s Literature.
Academy director Nedumudi Harikumar told mediapersons here on Monday that the winning entries were ‘Ammathottil’ and ‘Panchamritham’ in the story and poetry sections respectively. ‘Neelakurinji – Oru Vyazhavattathile Vasantham’ penned by Dr Raju Narayana Swamy and ‘Kuttikazhchakal @ Lakshadeweep’ by S Anitha won the honours in the science and knowledge categories respectively.
The other winners are: Biography: Dr R Satyajith (Sahodaran Ayyappan); drama: Sudhan Nanmanda (Avasanathe Chithram); translation: P Madhavan Pillai and Sreedevi S Kartha; design: N T Rajeev; picture book: N T Rajeev; production: State Institute of Children’s Literature.
Each award consists of a cash prize of Rs 10,000, a citation and plaque.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / December 02nd, 2014
The darshan time at Sabarimala is likely to be increased to handle the rush of Ayyappa devotees to the hill shrine.
Speaking at Sabarimala on the auspicious Vrishchikam 1 (according to the Malayalam calendar) that marked the beginning of the two-month Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, Devaswom minister V S Sivakumar said all preparations have been made to ensure a smooth pilgrimage season.
The ritualistic installation of E N Krishnadas Namboodiri of Paanjal Ezhikode Mana as the new Sabarimala melsanthi, or head priest, was performed on Sunday evening. The morning rituals began with Ashtadravya Ganapati Homam, performed by the new melsanthi. S Kesavan Namboodiri of Mavelikkara was also installed as the new melsanthi of the Malikappuram Devi temple.
About 10,000 devotees reached Pampa on Sunday. Monday witnessed a long queue from Pampa to Sannidhanam, and pilgrims took almost six hours to reach the temple.
The 41-day mandalam festival will conclude on December 27. The temple will reopen for Makaravilakku festival on the afternoon of December 30. The Makaravilakku festival is on January 14.
As many as five lakh pilgrims have already applied for the virtual queue, and they will be given passes at Pampa. Police have deployed 350 personnel at Pampa and 600 men at Sannidhanam. Once Makaravilakku festival begins, police will deploy 2,000 personnel each at Pampa and Sannidhanam.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Thiruvananthapuram / TNN / November 18th, 2014
Muhsin Kasim from BSS Gurukulam HSS, Alathur, with the thread pattern work he made in the upper primary category of the work experience competition held at KHM Higher Secondary School, Alathiyur near Tirur, on Thursday. Photo Sakeer Hussain. / The Hindu
Displays of working models of projects draw huge crowds
The State School Science Festival began at various venues around Tirur on an enthusiastic note on Thursday morning.
Education Minister P.K. Abdu Rabb formally inaugurated the event at Government Boys Higher Secondary School. Director of Public Instructions (DPI) in-charge L. Rajan; MLAs C. Mammootty, Abdurahman Randathani, P. Ubaidulla, and N. Shamsuddin; district panchayat president Suhara Mampad; and Tirur municipal chairperson K. Safiya were present.
While the Government Boys Higher Secondary School (HSS) hosted the science fete, Devadhar Government HSS, Tanur, hosted the mathematical fete.
The social science fair began at Government Higher Secondary School, Niramarathur, and KHM Higher Secondary School hosted the work experience fete. The IT mela began at SSM Polytechnic College.
The working models of scientific projects displayed by students at Government Boys HSS and the live competitions in work experience held at KHM Higher Secondary School, Alathiyur, drew the maximum crowds. More people are expected on Friday and Saturday.
While the students of Ramavilasam HSS, Chokli, presented a working model of a self-sufficient flat system, those from St. Joseph’s HSS, Mathilakam, came up with a multi-functioning pedal power machine.
Safety LPG distribution system, free electricity generator, automatic cleaning toilet, biomass gas production, digital seismograph, high-tech auditorium, and auto headlight dimmer were some of the popular working models on display.
Among the still models, plasma degeneration plant, gas turbine, solar power plant, and Mangalyaan project were some of the popular ones.
The upper primary and the high school science exhibition took place on Thursday. The exhibition of the higher secondary and vocational higher secondary models will be held on Friday. There will be science seminars and quizzes on Friday.
The competition in live demonstration of work experience for high school and higher secondary school category will take place at the KHM HSS on Friday.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Abdul Latheef Nahal / Malappuram – November 28th, 2014
