Category Archives: World Opinion

A documentary on a past that touches a raw nerve

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, World Opinion

Raju E Raphael and Jose Punnamparambil on shoot of the documentary film in a convent in Asbag, Germany.

Ariyapedatha Jeevithangal deals with large-scale migration of Catholic girls to Germany in the 70s

A 40-minute documentary Ariyapedatha Jeevithangal (The Unknown Lives) has opened up the controversy on migration of Catholic girls from Kerala to Germany that had rocked the Syro-Malabar Church and the Catholic Church in Germany in the 1970s.

The documentary made by expatriate writer Jose Punnamparambil, documentary-maker Raju E. Raphael, and media activist and researcher K. Rajagopal is in final stages of production and will be screened in Germany and Kerala  in June this year.

There was a mass recruitment to West Germany from Kerala in the 1960s and 70s of Malayali Catholic girls, who completed matriculation or were studying in senior secondary classes.

The recruitment was to fill vacancies of nuns in convents in Germany as there was severe shortage of nuns there due to lack of ‘vocation’ (the divine call to become nuns).

The recruitment began in 1962 and the first batch of girls sailed to Europe from the then Bombay in January 1963. Following this, many more groups of Catholic girls migrated to West Germany and the figure crossed 800 by 1972.

In 1972, European and American newspapers broke the story, terming it “human trafficking.” The allegation was that Kerala Catholic girls were used as ‘slaves’ in German convents and hospitals and forced to work as cleaners and labourers. Reports even alleged that some were forced into prostitution.

The reports shocked the country, with national and regional media carrying the news.

Churches under cloud

It brought the Syro-Malabar Church and the Catholic Church in Germany under a cloud as bishops of these two Churches were involved in the recruitment.

Their initiative was based on the decisions of the Second Vatican Council of the Roman Catholic Church in 1962. The Second Vatican Council advocated the necessity for the stronger sections of the Church to help the weaker ones.

Fr. Werner Chakkalakkal of the CMI congregation was one of the priests in India entrusted with the recruitment while Sister Ludgardis of the congregation of John the Baptist based in Leutesdorf was one of the coordinators in Germany for the recruitment and migration of Kerala girls.

“We joined hands about a year ago as part of a mission to gather information about the controversy. Punnamparambil and I travelled across Germany and visited many convents that received Kerala girls. Not all convents were ready to discuss the issue but some were cooperative. Our aim was to meet, talk, and understand what happened to the Kerala girls brought to the convents,” said Mr. Raphael.

“It was not an easy task as most of them were leading a retired life, a few in other parts of the world. But our team managed to meet Sister Ludgardis at a convent near Koblenz,” said Mr. Punnamparambil.

About 70% of the migrants continued to live in Germany, mostly as nurses, teachers, and caretakers in old-age homes and orphanages and the rest returned to India for missionary and charity works in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. Some had even left for Africa.

The documentary depicts the life of Malayali migrant nuns in Germany and will be a valuable source of information for researchers, said the Thrissur-born Jose Punnamparambil, who had migrated to Germany and bagged the Kerala Sahitya Academy Award for lifetime achievement in literature recently.

The documentary makers also travelled extensively in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra to document the nuns.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Mini Muringatheri / Thrissur – May 04th, 2018

Naval Air Enclave opens at Kochi airport

Records, All, World Opinion

The Naval Air Enclave at the Cochin International Airport, Nedumbassery.

The Naval Air Enclave (NAE) at the Cochin International Airport was inaugurated by Vice Admiral A.R. Karve, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command, on Friday.

Large military aircraft such as the P8I which cannot be accommodated at the Naval Air Station in Kochi (INS Garuda) due to operational constraints can be accommodated at the new air enclave. It will facilitate not only enhanced surveillance capabilities in the Arabian Sea and the south Indian Ocean for security of maritime areas of interest and coastline against both conventional and asymmetric threats, but also other roles such as search and rescue, monitoring sea lanes of communication and anti-piracy missions, according to a press release.

Trials

The operational trials of naval taxi link and apron of the NAE were undertaken during the function.

Trials included independent ground movement of aircraft and helicopters between CIAL and NAE, parking of the aircraft at the apron and their sequential departure from CIAL.

The NAE has a large hangar, a spacious dispersal (apron) and a taxi link for connecting the apron to the manoeuvring area of CIAL.

The facility has been constructed in close cooperation and with the support of the government of Kerala, the Military Engineering Service, CIAL, Airports Authority of India, Kerala State Electricity Board and BSNL, the release said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – April 28th, 2018

Blown away by the biting Arctic charms

Amazing Feats, Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology, Travel, World Opinion

Niyog traversed the Arctic with 19 adventurers from across the globe. | Photo Credit: HAND OUT

Niyog, the first Indian to take part in Fjällräven Polar, recounts the expedition’s high points

The extreme cold was expected. Niyog had prepared himself for it by spending some days in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, in winter. But, the 26-year-old from Punalur, the first Indian to take part in Fjällräven Polar, a dream expedition of adventure travellers, found that no preparation was good enough to face the wild Arctic wind. “The wind was such that we couldn’t stand on the ground. We had to build ice walls around our tents so that they wouldn’t be blown away. Breathing was tough at some point,” Niyog recalled his journey across the Arctic with 19 selected adventurers from all over the world.

Fjällräven Polar is an annual expedition being organised by the Swedish company Fjällräven since 1997. The participants, selected through an online poll, travelled 300 km in -30° Celsius through the Arctic wilderness in Norway and Sweden on sleighs pulled by six Siberian Husky dogs.

The participants had to adopt different methods to make fire as it was an integral part of survival in the Arctic. “We were provided stoves to cook food, that worked on Super Fuel. We used magnesium coils to make fire and then brought them to compressive mode. On another day we collected fibres from the bark of a tree to make fire,” Niyog said.

Danger in sweating

Cooking using melted ice for water and sleeping in a sleeping bag inside a trench, when the snow could bury them any time, were part of the adventure.

“We had to be careful about sweating, as sweat turning into ice could be very dangerous. The ice settled anywhere in 10 seconds and the wind made the situation worse,” he said.

Niyog found controlling the dogs easier than expected as the animals were trained to follow the well defined path. But he had a hard time balancing the sleigh in the unpredictable terrain and was thrown off many a time.

The trip over, Niyog cherishes watching the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) and enjoying the hospitality of the Sami tribe that served the adventurers with reindeer meat dishes. It took several baths alternatively in steam and ice cold water besides dipping in an ice hole to acclimatise. Now, back home, the young man who is always driven by adventure finds himself unfit for more — for at least a few weeks.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Aabha Raveendran / Kozhikode – April 20th, 2018

Suffragan Metropolitan Athanaseus passes away

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Funeral to be held in Thiruvalla on Friday

Suffragan Metropolitan of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar Geevarghese Mar Athanaseus passed away at a private hospital in Kochi at 4.40 a.m. on Wednesday. He was 74.

The Suffragan Metropolitan was keeping indifferent health for some time and was undergoing treatment for liver and kidney ailments at the Kochi hospital for the past two weeks.

The mortal remains of Mar Athanaseus were brought to the Church headquarters at the Syrian Christian Seminary Hills in Thiruvalla in the afternoon, after being kept at the Elamkulam Mar Thoma Church in Kochi till 11 a.m. for the public to pay tributes to the departed bishop.

He joined the services of the Church as a deacon in 1969 and served as vicar at various parishes, including those of Palakkad, Nelliampathy, Attappady, Kuzhalmandom, Mumbai, Dadar, Toronto (Canada), Venmony, Kottayam-Jerusalem, and Chennai-Chettodu. He became an Episcopa (bishop) in 1989 and first served as Episcopa of the Mumbai-Delhi diocese of the Church.

He was the Episcopa of the Kottayam-Kochi diocese during 1993-2001. He had been serving as head of the Ranni-Nilackal diocese since 2001.

Elevated in 2015

Mar Athanaseus was elevated to the post of Suffragan Metropolitan on October 2, 2015.

His mortal remains will be kept at the Church headquarters for the public to pay homage till Friday and the funeral will be held at the SC Seminary Hills the same day, according to sources.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Pathanamthitta , April 19th, 2018

Kannur native has a ‘brush’ with stardom

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion

Kannur :

Nostalgia. That sentimental longing for his homeland made Sijesh Poyil pack his bags and come back to Kannur. From Dubai. Five years ago. Nostalgia again played its part in turning him into a successful entrepreneur fortunate enough to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On April 11, Sijesh became an overnight hero as a tweet from the PMO named him and mentioned his achievement as an entrepreneur.

The PMO’s tweet said, “Mr P Sijesh from Kannur in Kerala is running a successful unit where herbal tooth powder is made. He presented his product to the Prime Minister during the interaction with various Mudra beneficiaries.”

An excited Sijesh said over phone from New Delhi: “I just cannot believe my luck. How can an ordinary man like me from a village in Kannur think about meeting the Prime Minister and spending around two-and-a-half hours with him?”

The meeting held at the PM’s residence was arranged to felicitate around 100 beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana who have shown extraordinary commitment in scripting successful stories of entrepreneurship. Of the 110 people selected for the meeting, only four were from Kerala. The other three were Sreelal from Koyilandy, Vinod of Kozhikode and Venu of Wayanad. Sijesh had expanded his tooth powder after receiving a Mudra loan of Rs 8.5 lakh.

The financial situation at home having forced him to try his luck in Dubai, where he worked for three years as a security officer with Emirates Airlines, Sijesh flew back home in 2013.“The modern world and its added facilities have never been my priority in life,” said the 32-year-old.“My heart ached for the things I had left at home. The rain, rivers, temple festivals… I realised  I’m not made for a life outside my place.”

Like every Gulf returnee, Sijesh too wanted to start a of his own. Though he had continued with his pharmacy job, which he had left before going to Dubai, he was looking for something new.

“I used to clean my teeth with rice husk ash (Umikkari). But what was available in the market was not up to standards. So I decided to make a product of my own. After researching on it for sometime, I developed it and distributed it among my family members and friends. As they all appreciated the quality of the product, I decided to move ahead,” he said.

As the stuff he made with husk ash, clove, pepper and salt received appreciation, he had decided to produce it on a large scale. At this stage, the Positive Commune Entrepreneurship Club (PC) — a WhatsApp group for young entrepreneurs — stepped in. The association with PC changed Sijesh’s fortunes, for the people at PC helped him redesign the brand logo.

Armed with the group’s valuable inputs and the experience received by participating in the ‘Vijayi Bhava’ training camp conducted by Kochouseph Chittilappilly, Sijesh was out to reap more from his . By that time, he had given a name to his product — Shanthiz husk ash — which he had earlier sold without a name in a plain bottle.“Shanthi is the name of my mother-in-law,” he chuckled.

With a designer look and a brand name, Shanthiz husk ash has become a much sought after product. From a nameless, label-less product, Shanthiz now sells around 5,000-6,000 bottles in Kannur district alone. The price per 25 gm bottle is Rs 30 and Sijesh is keen on expanding to other districts as well.

Along with his family members, especially brother Dhanesh, sister Dhanya and wife Sajina, there are five women helping Sijesh make Shanthiz. He has a three-year old son, Sreehari.
Two years after the first bottle was produced, Shanthiz has now reached the hands of the Prime Minister too. Because Sijesh presented 10 bottles of Shanthiz to him during the interaction.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by M.A. Rajeev Kumar / Express News Service / April 13th, 2018

Conclave may help Kerala startups get more support

Business & Economy, World Opinion

Thiruvananthapuram  :

After the recent #Huddle conclave, startups in Kerala are expecting more support from Startup India and Swacch Bharat Mission.

The three state-based startups—Zenrobotic, SectorQube and Perfectfit Fashion had obtained the initial support from Unicorn India Ventures. They expect further backing to take the ventures forward. A startup based in Jaipur also plans to set up a unit in Kerala buoyed by the massive response received at the conclave organized by the Kerala Startup Mission and Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).

Zenrobotics, which was in the news for creating the world’s first manhole cleaning robot ‘Bandicoot’ here on an experimental basis in February this year is now in the forefront. “In all we plan to roll out 50 sewer cleaning robots in Kerala alone. We are also taking orders from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. For massive production, we expect support from Sharjah government government and Indian government,” said Genrobotics co-founder Rashid Bin Abdulla.

SectorQube which has devised smart kitchen appliances and working on next generation roti makers looks forward for international expansion. “We had the initial capital support from Unicorn Ventures and now expect further support to expand our operations,” said Nibu Alias, CEO and co-founder of SectorQube.

Perfectfit Fashion, a Kochi-based startup that specializes in 3D body scanning systems for fashion and healthcare industry also expects further support from investors. “We are looking for investors to support the new development centre and for R&D to create more value-addition,” said Eobin George, co-founder, Perfectfit. Jaipur-based startup with its innovative product Spiqi, a healthcare electronic device to prevent spondylosis is planning to set up an unit in Kerala.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City News> Thiruvananthapuram News / by Laxmi Prasanna / TNN / April 15th, 2018

Canonisation process of Mary Celine begins

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion

The canonisation process of Mother Mary Celine, former Superior General of the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel headquartered at Thaikkattukara, has been initiated.

She experienced the depth and holiness of God experience, said Cardinal George Alencherry, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church here at the ceremonies organised to declare Mother Mary Celine Servant of God.

Members of the tribunal, which will work on the process of declaring her a saint, took their oaths at the ceremony here on Monday.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / April 10th, 2018

Housing project to be showcased at UN meet

Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, World Opinion

Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty Amma

Part of Kundara constituency development project

A low-cost housing project envisaged as part of the constituency development initiative at Kundara will be showcased as a model housing scheme at a UN international conference to be held in New York on April 10, Minister for Fisheries J. Mercykutty Amma said here on Friday.

The project, a joint effort by the State government and TKM Engineering College, will be presented at the Skills and Technology Achieving Rapid Transformation (START), international conference.

The conference is being organised by the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), a UN initiative to align institutions of higher education, scholarship, and research with the UN.

The low-cost housing project was initiated as part of the Kundara Assembly constituency development project, named ‘Idam, which envisages local development projects with technical assistance and expertise from various sectors.

Pre-cast concrete

The low-cost housing scheme envisages a 400 sq ft house using pre-cast concrete funicular shells at ₹4 lakh.

The project had been developed as a student project of the UNAI chapter at TKM Engineering College to prove how technology can be utilised to improve the life of the common man.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Special Correspondent / Thiruvananthapuram – April 07th, 2018

Port makes turnaround after a decade

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Achieves all-time high cargo throughput of 29.14 million metric tonnes for 2017-18

Helped by a substantial increase in cargo throughput, the Cochin Port Trust made a net surplus of ₹4 crore during 2017-18, a turnaround after 10 years. The port had reported net loss of ₹40 crore during 2015-16 and ₹27 crore during 2016-17.

Port chairman P. Raveendran told a press conference here on Thursday that the port achieved an all-time high cargo throughput of 29.14 million metric tonnes for 2017-18, an impressive growth of 16.51% over 2016-17. The cargo growth rate in Kochi is the highest amongst all the major ports in the country. Container traffic grew 13% during the period.

The port handled a traffic of 29.14 million tonnes of cargo during the last financial year against 25.01 tonnes during 2016-17. Container cargo traffic touched 5.55 lakh TEUs during the last year against 4.91 lakh TEUs in the previous year. The growth is 13%.

Total petroleum oil lubricants (POL) handling improved from 15.79 million tonnes during 2016-17 to 18.66 million tonnes during 2017-18, a growth rate of 18.17%. Kochi is also the most preferred cruise destination port in India with 42 cruise vessels calling at the port during 2017-18.

The port, exploring new business, also handled coastal steel cargo of Rastriya Ispat Nigam, Visakhapatnam with effect from October 2017. The port attracted river sand and ilmenite vessels during the current year and handled 1.33 lakh tonnes and 0.37 lakh tonnes respectively during 2017-2018.

The introduction of incentive and penalty scheme under the berthing policy of the Government of India with effect from June last year has helped achieve higher productivity in handling POL and cement.

Deal with Navy

Meanwhile, the port has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Navy for utilising the Q2-Q3 berths at the Mattacherry wharf of the port for berthing naval ships. The agreement was signed in early January this year and as per the MoU, Cochin Port’s Q2 and Q3 berths at Mattacherry wharf, totalling 228 m of quay length, is being handed over to the Navy for five years for berthing their ships.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – April 06th, 2018

New plant species found in Western Ghats

Agriculture, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All, World Opinion

Fimbristylis agasthyamalaensis.

Grass-like plant, discovered in Ponmudi, has been named Fimbristylis agasthyamalaensis

Researchers from the University College here have reported the discovery of a new plant species from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. Classified as a sedge, the grass-like plant has been named Fimbristylis agasthyamalaensis, after the locality from which it was found.

The researchers, including post doctoral fellow A.R.Viji and Assistant Professor T.S.Preetha, came across the species during an expedition to the marshy grasslands in the Ponmudi hills within the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve. The survey was part of a project funded by the Women Scientists Division of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE). The finding has been published in Phytotaxa, an international journal of botanical systematics and biodiversity.

The authors have recommended a preliminary conservation assessment of the plant as ‘critically endangered,’ according to IUCN criteria. The report says the species is highly prone to wild grazing.

As the habitat falls within a tourism spot and the perimeter of a place of worship, the plant is also subject to anthropogenic pressures that could lead to its extinction in the absence of scientific conservation.

The new species belongs to the Cyperaceae family. In India, the genus is represented by 122 species, of which 87 are reported from the Western Ghats. Many of the known Cyperaceae species are medicinal plants or used as fodder.

During a critical analysis of the specimens, F.agasthyamalaensis was found to be similar to F.onchnidiocarpa in several characters including the nature of infloresence. But detailed studies revealed distinct features which led to the conclusion that it is a new species.

Flowering and fruiting were observed from October to March.

The authors have stressed the need for more scientific studies to determine the potential uses of the new species.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by T. Nandakumar / Thiruvananthapuram – April 03rd, 2018