thrissur l tuesday l march 25, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION SC sets up task force to address rising trend of student suicides The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a national task force to be formed under former SC judge S Ravindra Bhat to study rising student suicides Culture of neglect in India’s Edu institutes Students form 7.6% of suicides reported A bench of justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said when academic environments fail to address mental health concerns effectively, they contribute to a culture of neglect. The court took note of reports of ragging, academic pressure, caste discrimination, sexual harassment, etc, that were driving students to suicide due to the absence of institutional support ■ ■ According to the 210th report of the Law Commission of India, suicide was identified as one of the most significant factors contributing to the premature and unnatural cessation of human life Student accounted for 7.6% of total suicides in India in 2022, with 1.2% attributable to career problems and 1.2% to exam failures 13,000 Student suicides reported in India in 2022 alone CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Maha demolition justice CASH ROW SC Collegium recommends judge’s transfer SUCHITRA KALYA N MOHA N T Y & N AMITA B AJPAI @ New Delhi / Lucknow Shiv Sena workers vandalise Habitat Studio in Khar, where Kunal Kamra had performed; (right) a bulldozer takes down the home of an accused in the Nagpur riot case | PTI FIR against Kamra, lens on call data, bank account House of prime accused in Nagpur riots razed s u d h i r s u r ya w a n s h i @ Mumbai S u d h i r S u r ya w a n s h i @ Mumbai AN FIR has been filed against stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra for making defamatory remarks against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during a comedy show. As part of the investigation, police will check Kamra’s phone call records and freeze his bank account, said Maharashtra minister of state (Home) Yogesh Kadam. This comes after Kamra courted controversy on Sunday night when he uploaded a video of a standup comic piece he had performed at the Habitat Studio at the Unicontinental Hotel in Mumbai’s Khar area. In the 45-minute video, Kamra used a parody in which he referred to Shinde as a “traitor”, sparking outrage from Shiv Sena workers. As per police, Kamra used a modified version of a Hindi song to mock Shinde over his 2022 rebellion against thenChief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray. Within an hour of the video being uploaded, scores of Shiv Sena workers ransacked the property . The Habitat Studio, where the show was filmed, was demolished by Mumbai’s civic body on Monday for ‘building violations’. A BMC official said THE two-storey residence of Fahim Khan, an alleged mastermind behind the communal violence in Nagpur on March 17, was demolished on Monday by civic authorities who alleged it had been constructed in violation of norms. Two days ago, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said the cost of properties damaged during the violence will be recovered from rioters and the failure to pay up would lead to seizure and selling the properties to recover losses. The operation, which involved bulldozers and a heavy police presence assisted by drones, also saw the removal of an illegally constructed balcony at the house of another accused, Yusuf Sheikh, in the Mahal area. Just hours after the demolition began, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court intervened, issuing a stay on the demolitions and criticising the administration for its “highhandedness.” A division bench comprising Justices Nitin Sambre and Vrushali Joshi questioned why the property owners were not given an opportunity for a hearing before the demolition of the building. The bench indicated that if determined that Govt gets one month to decide on Rahul’s ‘dual citizenship’ row N a m i ta B a j pa i @ Lucknow The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Monday granted the Central government a month’s time to take a decision regarding the status of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘dual citizenship’. A PIL by BJP worker S Vignesh Shishir based in Karnataka sought cancellation of Rahul’s citizenship owing to his alleged concealment of his British citizenship. Deputy Solicitor General of India Surya Bhan Pandey repre, senting the Centre, requested the division bench comprising Justice Attau Rehman Masoodi and Justice Ajai Kumar Srivastava for two months to make a decision on Rahul’s citizenship, but the bench directed that the matter be listed in the week commencing April 21 for the next hearing. Vignesh’s counsel told the court his client had presented a detailed representation-cumcomplaint to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, asking for the cancellation of Rahul’s Indian citizenship. Kunal Kamra 12 sena workers granted bail Mumbai: A local court granted bail to 12 workers of the Shiv Sena for ransacking the venue in Mumbai where Kamra made the ‘traitor’ jibe. The workers were arrested on Monday morning the temporary shed and other structures comprising the studio created in the basement of the hotel have been razed. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sought an apology from Kamra, stating that while the comic has the right to freedom of speech, he cannot insult leaders. “Kamra should read the Constitution ... where it is mentioned that you have freedom of speech, but it should not insult anyone. We demand an apology from Mr Kamra,” he said. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar distanced himself from the controversy, and said that there should be no pressure on the police during the investigation. 8 CPM workers sentenced to life for BJP man’s murder E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kannur The Thalassery Principal Sessions Court on Monday sentenced eight CPM workers to life imprisonment for the murder of BJP activist Elambilayi Sooraj, 32, in 2005. Judge K T Nisar Ahammed imposed a fine of `50,000 on each of the convicts. The court sentenced the 11th accused to three years in prison and fined him `25,000. Among the convicted, T K Rajeesh, E V Yogesh, K Shamjith, P M Manoraj and Neyyoth Sajeevan (accused 2 to 6) were found guilty of murder, while Prabhakaran Master, K V Padmanabhan and Monambeth Radhakrishnan (accused 7 to 9) were convicted for criminal conspiracy. The 11th accused, Puthiapurayil Pradeepan, was sentenced for assisting the other accused in going into hiding after the murder. Manoraj is the brother of CM’s press secretary P M Manoj. The 10th accused, Nagathankota Prakashan, was acquitted after a key witness turned hostile. The murder, which occurred on August 7, 2005, was reportedly driven by political rivalry after Sooraj defected from the CPM to join the BJP  ● More on P4 . Fahim Khan house was built illegally: official Nagpur: Civic body commissioner Harish Raut said they were acting on directives regarding the property illegally constructed on an expired lease from the Nagpur Improvement Trust the demolition was conducted unlawfully, the authorities might be liable for damages. Khan, a leader of the Minority Democratic Party (MDP), is currently in jail and facing charges of sedition in connection with the March 17 riots in Nagpur. The riots erupted after rumour about the burning of a ‘chadar’ featuring religious inscriptions during protests organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in central Maharashtra. According to civic officials, prior to the demolition, Khan had received a notice citing multiple violations, including the lack of an approved plan. The Supreme Court on Monday confir med the transfer of Delhi High Court judge Yashwant Varma, who is under scrutiny after a huge pile of cash was found at his official residence, to the Allahabad HC. “The Supreme Court Collegium in its meetings held on March 20 and 24 has recommended the repatriation of Justice Yashwant Varma, Judge, High Court of Delhi, to the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad,” read the Collegium’s resolution, uploaded on the SC website on Monday . The confirmation came amid stiff opposition from the Allahabad High Cour t Bar Association (HCBA), which said the high court is not a “dumping ground for corrupt and tainted judges”. The HCBA called for the impeachment of Justice Varma and announced an indefinite strike from Tuesday against the Collegium’s resolution. The proposed transfer of Justice Varma, who has now been stripped of all the judicial responsibilities, will become effective if and when the Centre accepts the Col- legium’s recommendation. The HCBA also demanded registration of an FIR and probe by the CBI and ED against the judge, who has denied all the allegations against him claiming the whole affair was a conspiracy to tarnish his image. The association said Justice Varma’s past judgments need to be reviewed to safeguard the integrity of the judiciary It . also called for an overhaul of the Collegium system saying the current practice of appointing judges lacks transparency . Meanwhile, a three-member probe panel set up by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna is looking into the allegations against Justice Varma. The probe panel comprises Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab & Haryana High Court; Justice Gur meet Singh Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court; and Justice Anu Sivaraman, Judge of the Karnataka High Court. While dousing a fire at Justice Varma’s Delhi residence on March 14, firefighters found a huge quantity of partially burnt currency notes. The judge was not at home when the incident took place. Unanswered questions Several crucial points are missing in the cash-at-judge’s-home story. Here’s a look: 1 Who ordered removal of debris from the scene on the morning of March 15. Where is this debris now? 2 According to reports, half-burnt sacks containing cash were seen. Then why wasn’t the scene sealed immediately? 3 Delhi HC CJ’s aide reported seeing debris on March 15 night. How is it possible if it was removed in the morning? 4 A video showing burnt currency notes has gone viral. Has the device on which it was recorded been recovered? BJP’s new state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar wearing a headgear gifted by his predecessor K Surendran, in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday | Vincent Pulickal Rajeev takes over as BJP state president E x p r e s s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ T’Puram Former Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar took over as the state president of BJP on Monday In an apparent in. dication of his focus on the party’s future in Kerala, Chandrasekhar said what the people of state need is not the ‘Nokkukooli Kerala’, but a prosperous, industrious and investment-friendly one which provides opportunities to the youth. “This message should reach every house in the state. Kerala should become developed so that the people will also prosper. For that, an NDA-BJP government should be in power in the state. My task is to bring the NDA government in power in Kerala. I will retreat only after accomplishing this. I will be with the people all the time. The BJP should have political success in the state,” Chandrasekhar said in his first address to party leaders and workers after taking charge as state president, in Thiruvananthapuram. He also invoked Sree Narayana Guru’s verse, ‘Become enlightened through education, strengthen through organisation, and prosperous through ● More on P4 hard work’. Ever‘green’ icon Gopi Asan bids adieu to stage M a n o j V i s w a n at h a n @ Kochi Marking the end of a glorious era for kathakali enthusiasts, Kalamandalam Gopi, the doyen of the classical dance form who mesmerised audiences across the globe with his majestic portrayals for around seven decades, has announced his retirement from the stage. In his last elaborate performance, the artist, revered by aficionados as Gopi Asan, portrayed Bahuka from Nalacharitham Moonnam Divasam (Day 3) at the Guruvayur Sri Krishna temple in February 2024. He went on to essay the role of Kuchela from Kuchalavritham at Kottakkal Viswambhara temple in April. “As an artist who has lived in Kalamandalam Gopi portrays Dakshan of ‘Dakshayagam’, alongside Pallipuram Sunil who plays the role of Vedavally | file pic the limelight, engaging with kathakali enthusiasts throughout my life, I have a passion for the stage. The decision to end my theatre life has been a hard one. But I am unable to perform due to pain in my knees. I had been receiving invites from across the state, but physical ailments made it difficult for me to travel and perform. So, I decided to bid adieu to the stage,” Gopi Asan told TNIE. Known for his portrayal of Nala, the romantic hero of Nalacharitham, Gopi Asan has portrayed almost all kathakali characters, including minukku (woman), pacha (noble hero), kathi (villain), red thadi (ferocious villain), kari (hunter), white thadi (Hanuman), and even Mallan, the wrestler. But, he gained immense popularity for his depiction of romantic heroes such as Nalan and Bheeman of Kalyana Sougandhikam. “I have performed around the globe, including in Europe, America, Africa and West Asia. Perhaps the only place I have not visited is Pakistan. I don’t have an affinity for any character, but enthusiasts prefer my pacha roles. I have enjoyed performing as Hanuman, Baali, Sugreevan and Thrigarthan,” he said. Celebrated as the greatest kathakali artist after Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Vadakke Manalath Govindan Nair, who later became Kalamandalam Gopi, was born in Kothachira, ● More on P4 Palakkad in 1937. Going bananas! ‘Vazhagramam’ digging in to secure country’s banana heritage R a j e s h R a v i @ Kochi In this age of rapid urbanisation — with its penchant for change and a shift from the past — it takes a village to nurture and protect a prized heritage. Picture a village built on the passion of nearly 17,000 enthusiasts of the banana and its starchier cousin, the plantain. Their collective love for the humble fruits has blossomed into a living library, boasting A banana fest organised by Vazhagramam group | file pic hundreds of varieties – a genetic trove that even university research wings would find hard to match. Founded by the charismatic ‘Vazha Chettan’ (Banana Brother), this lush community, which exists solely in the digital space, is on a mission is to cultivate a banana revolution in Kerala. Vinod S of Parasala, Thiruvananthapuram, began ‘Vazhagramam’ several years ago. The Facebook group now has mem- bers worldwide, with a strong core in Kerala. It has ignited a fervent passion for banana cultivation, emphasising the crucial need to conserve local varieties prized for their therapeutic and unique properties. “I began banana farming at the age of 12. Initially, I was driven by a desire to conserve and learn more about this fascinating fruit. My search for a variety called ‘Chingan’, known for its curative properties, including remedies for chicken pox, sparked a deeper interest. As I delved deeper, I discovered that there are numerous varieties of banana, each with unique qualities,” Vinod re- Group members share ideas and plant suckers frequently. Moreover, the collective has played a crucial role in identifying and preserving banana varieties that were on the verge of extinction — Vinod S calls. Today, he cultivates over 600 varieties of banana on his four-acre farm. The motivation behind the group was to promote sharing of knowledge and the cultivation of the fruit in every village. “The group has now expanded beyond Kerala and India, but most transactions still take place among members in the state. Group members share ideas, knowledge, and plant suckers frequently says Vinod. ● More on P4 ,”