The long tradition of oarsmanship inherited from her father Antony Joseph, has made 20-year-old Honey Joseph the glittering mom in the Kerala rowing team. A day after she helped the state to a gold in the 2000-metre coxless fours event at the Vembanad Lake for the National Games, Honey, the mother of two-year-old Ayin, has staked claimed for further acclaim after the hosts moved into the semifinals of the 500m coxless pairs and coxless fours events on Tuesday.
Antony, an oarsman with UBC Kainakari the prestigious boat club which won the Nehru Trophy Boat race several times, is the true inspiration behind Honey.
Honey Joseph with her daughter Ayin | Suresh Nampoothiri
For Honey, Vembanad lake is a familiar turf ever since her childhood. “My father had participated in the Nehru Trophy boat race 14 times and the team had lifted the coveted trophy nine times. That inspired me to join the rowing team at the age of 14,” she said.
A gold medalist in various state and national competitions, Honey had to take a break from her sporting career in 2010 after she entered into wedlock with Vishnu Prasad who runs houseboat business in Alappuzha.
After giving birth of Ayin, she again evinced interest to join the rowing team. In 2014 Incheon Asian Games, she was back with a bang clinching silver in the coxless pair category and three bronze medals for the nation.
The Sports Authority of India Rowing Centre at Punnamada here has helped her to groom again. In the 2,000-metre rowing her team included Nithya Joseph, Chippy Kurian and M T Nimmy won gold in coxless fours category. In coxless pairs category, the team comprising Honey and Nimmy won silver.“The sad part is that though my daughter fetched many gold and silver for the state and nation, she is yet to get a placement in the government service,” Antony said.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Biju E. Paul / February 04th, 2015
It is not the athletes alone who are going for gold in this year’s National Games. Around 200 women working for Kudumbashree are also there to win the hearts, not on the track and field, but from within the kitchen through their culinary skills.
In their greatest achievement so far, Kudumbashree has been vested with the contract of catering food for Games officials, media persons and spectators at 15 venues in Thiruvananthapuram district.
“This work is said to their greatest achievement so far, owing to the budget of the work undertaken,” said district collector Biju Prabhakar, who also heads the district organising committee of the games. The budget of the work undertaken is nearly Rs 1 crore. Out of this, the district administration has already released a fund of Rs 90 lakh, said Biju Prabhakar.
“We will also be opening food courts at all venues so that spectators can avail the Kudumbashree food,” he said, adding that only games officials were catered the food on the first day of the event.
Members of as many as 30 Kudumbashree from all districts in the state are here as part of the work. “We have set up four messes in the district, at Attingal, Pirappancode, Vellayani and Ambalamukku considering the proximity to venues,” said Sheejo Philip, coordinator of Cafe Kudumbashree, a restaurant brand of Kudumbashree. The women start work from as early as 2am onwards as they have to deliver food from 7 am onwards at the venues. They are providing three meals a day besides tea and snacks in the morning and evening. The menu mainly includes various ethnic recipes across the state such as dosa, idli, idiyappam, appam and even Thalassery Dum Biriyani.
According to Biju Prabhakar, many officials in the Games committee were doubtful on giving the contract to the Kudumbashree, but he managed to gain their trust. “The risk that I took has already started paying result as we are getting positive responses from people,” he said. Besides, the food is very cheap. While a day’s entire meals catered at other districts cost around Rs 1,250, our food costs only around Rs 350, he said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Thiruvananthapuram / by Rejith Balakrishnan, TNN / February 02nd, 2015
If I say the idli was brought to southern India by Arab settlers, it could raise hackles, especially among South Indians. But the truth cannot be suppressed. References to the modern way of making the idli appear in Indian works only after 1250 CE.
K.T. Acharya, the food historian, speculates that the modern idli might have originated in the region that is now Indonesia, which has had a long tradition of fermented food. According to him, cooks employed by the Hindu kings of the local kingdom may have invented the steamed idli there, and brought the recipe to India during the period 800-1200 CE. But this theory is being questioned by modern food historians such as Lizzie Collingham, Kristen Gremillion, Raymond Grew, Makhdoom Al-Salaqi (Syria), Zahiruddin Afiyaab (Lebanon). References available at the Al-Azhar University Library in Cairo also suggest that Arab traders in the southern belt brought in the idli when they married and settled down in those parts. Now the question is: how did that happen? It is known that Arab traders used to come to the southern coast for trade, and that pre-dated even the advent of Islam. The first mosque outside the Arab peninsula was erected by Arab settlers who came here as traders.
The Arab settlers were strict in their dietary preferences; many of them came here when Mohammed was still alive and they were neo-converts to Islam from Paganism. They insisted on halaal food, and Indian food was quite alien to their palate. To avoid all such confusion regarding what is halaal orharaam in food, they began to make rice balls as it was easy to make and was the safest option available. After making the rice balls, they would slightly flatten them and eat with bland coconut paste (Encyclopaedia of Food History, edited by Collingham and Gordon Ramsay of Britain, Oxford University Press, and Seed to Civilisation, The Story of Food, by Heiser Charles B, Harvard University Press, 1990). Later it was improved upon, and from the 8th century onwards, the idli in its modernavatar came into existence.
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source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Opinion> Open Page / by Sumit Paul / February 01st, 2015
Indo-Tibetan Border Police jawan Jomon P G of Cherthala is among 56 people approved for the conferment of Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards, 2014. President Pranab Mukherjee approved the awards on the eve of Republic Day.
Besides Jomon, six others, including four children from the state, too, have been selected for the awards.
Of the 56 awards, 27, including that of Jomon’s, are posthumous. Jomon was killed in a helicopter crash near Gaurikund during a rescue operation in flood-hit Uttarakhand in June 2013. He has been selected for Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak.
Subin Mathew, Akhil Biju, Yadhukrishnan V S, and Rahul T L are the children who will be awarded Jeevan Raksha Padak along with K C Mathew and Shaju P P from the state.
Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards are given to a person for meritorious act of human nature in saving the life of a person.
“Though two years has passed since the departure of our son, we are still being honoured. We are proud of our son and now we also feel great as our son won this award posthumously,” said 66-year-old Georgekutty, Jomon’s father.
Jomon was selected into the border police force in 2010 as a constable, while he was working as supervisor of a construction company in Thiruvanthapuram. The villagers constructed a memorial and a road in his name. They have also started charitable activites in his name.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kozhikode / TNN / January 26th, 2015
HIGHLIGHT: Several inward sloping terraces have been constructed in the farm to conserve water. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
The farm of a young farmer, Mr. Joji P. Daniel, in Chittarickal village, West Eleri panchayat in Kasaragod district of Kerala is like a school for enthusiastic young farmers and agricultural students since they get exposed to a range of intense and diversified farming activities.
His family owns about 9.5 acres and in four acres coconut trees (250 trees), 150 coconut seedlings, 150 nutmeg grafts, 200 banana plants and 400 tuber crops like elephant foot yam, colocasia and tapioca are grown.
Regular income
In another two acres about 800 arecanut trees are grown with cocoa and pepper as intercrops. About 450 rubber trees are planted in another three acres which ensures a regular income.
In the remaining 50 cents of land he cultivates different types of vegetables such as bitter gourd, cabbage, cauliflower, vegetable cowpea, tomato, chilli, amaranthus and little gourd.
Besides being used for household consumption, the vegetables are sold on alternate days for about four months in a year.
The farmer regularly attends farmers’ meetings at the Central Plantation and Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) Kasaragod to get acquainted with latest technologies for sustainable farming.
He promptly follows good agricultural practices like crop rotation, incorporation of leguminous plants for improving soil fertility, organic recycling of farm waste, mulching etc. In the coconut based integrated farming system, he maintains two cows and one heifer, poultry birds and also freshwater fishes like Tilapia and Carp varieties.
Fodder grass variety, Co-3 is cultivated in the interspaces of coconut gardens to reduce the cost of animal feed. Around 15 stingless bee colonies established in the farm ensures enhanced pollination of crops and nutritional security.
Common practice
“The highlight of his farm is that adequate soil and water conservation measures are adopted throughout the farm with around 300 rain pits and inward sloping terraces. Coconut husk burial is a common practice adopted in trenches made between rows of coconut palms for moisture retention,” says Dr. George V.Thomas, Director of the Institute.
Due to proper adoption of soil and water conservation measures, the coconut yield has increased from around 90 nuts to 130 nuts per tree in a year. He has constructed three farm ponds of 15 lakh litre storage capacity and a roof top water harvesting structure of 10, 000 litre capacity.
During peak summer there is no shortage of water in his farm whereas the neighbouring areas are hit by drought as prolonged dry spells are generally experienced in the district.
Waste recycled
In his farm all crop residues are recycled to highly valued vermicompost. A biogas plant is also set up for fuel and slurry for manure purpose.
“His technique of grafting nutmeg plants after attaining sufficient growth was found to be highly successful. Generally more than 50 per cent of plants raised from nutmeg seeds are male plants.
“Grafting was done on such plants, which proved to be fast growing and started yielding from 2-3 years after planting. In fifth year of planting the average production is 200-300 fruits per plant with an average yield of 2 kg mace per plant,” explains Dr.T.S. Manoj Kumar Programme Coordinator.
The farmer is not only known for his passion, devotion and dedication towards farming but also for his innovative ideas for getting maximum returns of more than 10 lakh annually from his farm.
During heavy rainfall, bud rot disease is a major problem in coconut palms in the district. During 2008-2009, disease spread was very severe.
Mr. Joji, on behalf of a coconut cluster club formed by his group took necessary action for timely intervention in about 30 hectares guided by CPCRI specialists.
Several awards
He is the recipient of several awards like Karshaka Sree, block level best coconut farmer award, best coconut farmer award by CPCRI and Regional agricultural research station, Pilicode and is also the first recipient of the Karshaka Mithra award announced by the Government of Kerala in 2014.
“It is time for the farming community to move towards safe farming by way of maximum utilization of organic inputs and minimal or zero usage of chemical inputs. But it is the responsibility of the authorities to ensure proper branding and fair price for such safe products,” he says.
For further details please contact Mr. Joji P.Daniel, Pullancheri House, Paramba Post, Parappa (Via), Kattamkavala, Kasaragod Mobile:09447880525 and Dr.T.S. Manoj Kumar Programme Coordinator, Chowki, Kudlu Post Office, Kasaragod, Kerala 671 124 email: cpcrikvk1@yahoo.com, Mob:09400334940 Phone:04994 232993.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> S&T> Science / by M.J. Prabu / January 29th, 2015
It has been only three years since Vanchippattu was introduced as an event in the State School Arts Festival. The high school category Vanchippattu competition was the last event to finish in the 55th edition of the festival that drew to a close here on Wednesday.
There were 28 teams from across the State in the competition that was finally won by a team from Kozhikode. The team from Alappuzha, the homeland of Vanchippattu, could only finish third.
“Vanchippattu being an art form practised only in Alappuzha district, I have been wonderstruck by the way the rest of the State has absorbed it and managed to excel in it,” Vanchippattu scholar Kainakari Surendran, a judge at the competition, said.
Most teams were very good, Mr. Surendran said after the competition, and expressed hope that the art form would be kept alive through the arts festival.
AKKR Girls Higher Secondary School, Chelannur, Kozhikode, that bagged the first prize in the competition performed ‘Kuchelavritham’ by Ramapurathu Warrier in the Kuttanad tradition. Clad in the costume of the working-class women of Kuttanad, they delivered an energy-packed performance and had the audience singing with them by the end.
The second prize was bagged by the team from SCG Higher Secondary School, Mala, Thrissur, which performed a work in praise of Sree Padmanabhaswamy of Thiruvananthapuram in the Vechupattu tradition.
Mahatma Girls High School, Chennithala, Alappuzha, that bagged the third prize went for ‘Balaleela’ in the Aranmula tradition. Dressed in traditional set dhothies, theirs was one of the most colourful performances in the competition.
Apart from ‘Kuchelavritham,’ ‘Kiratham’ and ‘Santhanagopalam’ by Kunchan Nambiar, ‘Kirathavetta’ by C.P. Ramaswami Iyer, ‘Bali Vadham’ by Kottarakkara Raman Nair, verses from the Ramayana, and parts of ‘Karuna’ by Kumaranasan were also used by the Vanchippattu teams.
‘Ulakka,’ the traditional grinding pole, is an integral part of the Kuttanad and Vechupattu traditions, while the Krishna idol and a paddy-filled measuring barrel are seen during performances in the Aranmula tradition. The teams that followed the Kuttanad tradition were colourfully dressed in printed dhothies and bright-coloured blouses.
The team from Alappuzha, the homeland of Vanchippattu, could finish only behind Kozhikode and Thrissur in the contest.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kozhikode / by Aabha Anoop / Kozhikode – January 22nd, 2015
Union Minister for Agriculture, Radha Mohan Singh, will inaugurate the 51st Asia Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) session at Hotel Crowne Plaza here on February 2. The meeting will review the global coconut situation and hold deliberations on specific issues in the sector. It will evolve appropriate policy decisions with a view to making inroads into the development of trade in coconut and coconut products between the member countries, a press release issued by the Coconut Development Board said.
The APCC is an intergovernmental organisation under the aegis of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP). The organisation has 18 coconut-producing member countries.The APCC member countries account for 90 per cent of the world’s coconut production and export of coconut products, the release said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – January 29th, 2015
A series of competitions will be organised for coir workers and students from February 1-5 in Alappuzha, as part of Coir Kerala exhibition.
Essay writing competitions in English and Malayalam, based on the subject ‘Mechanisation in Coir Sector – Challenges and Opportunities’, will be open to all.
Entries for the competitions should reach The Convenor, Local Publicity Committee, Coir Kerala 2015, Kerala State Coir Machinery Manufacturing Company, Near District Court, Alappuzha -1, before February 2.
A photography competition will be held on the topic ‘Kayarinte Nattile Karalin Thudippukal’.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / January 29th, 2015
The family members, friends and natives of Chennam Pallipuram were full of prayers and gratitude on Sunday after the Central Government declared ‘Utham Jeevan Raksha Pathaka’ to P G Jomon who sacrificed his life for saving hundreds of pilgrims and villagers stranded in Utharakhand during the floods in 2013. Georgekutty, father of Jomon, said that “we are thankful to the country and the Centre for honouring our son by bestowing the highest bravery award posthumously.
Our son helped hundreds of stranded people in the flood-hit area. We cannot bear his loss, but the honour bestowed by the country offers some solace to us”, he said. Jomon,25, and other crew members were killed when the Air Force helicopter crashednear Gaurikund in the Uttarakhand on June 25, 2013.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Dhinesh Kallungal / January 26th, 2015
The Vechur cow, a rare breed of Bos indicus cattle with an average length of 124 cm and height of 87 cm, is all set to join the elite club of the ‘micro-chipped livestock’ in the world on Monday as the authorities have made elaborate arrangements to tag the indigenous cattle species with pet microchips that uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.
The Vechur Conservation Trust, a body formed to conserve domestic animal diversity in the state, will officially begin the drive of electronically tagging Vechur cows and distributing the pedigree certificate to the owners of the cows at a function to be held in Kottayam on Monday.
Dr Sosamma Iype, Professor of Animal Breeding and Genetics, who is instrumental in popularising the Vechur breed in the country, said the Trust came forward with this venture of tagging the animals following widespread complaints of genetic pollution in the rare species of this local cow variety.
The unscrupulous middlemen in this sector have been promoting the sale of calves of Vechur cows that were bred with local ox varieties in the absence of enough Vechur cows because of the high demand for the indigenous cattle population among dairy farmers in the country. The introduction of micro-chipping and distribution of pedigree certificates will not only check the practice of genetic pollution, but also serve as a tool to trace and isolate them in the event of a disease outbreak, said Dr Abraham Varkey, who assists the project.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Dhinesh Kallungal / January 26th, 2015
