Mohanlal to act in 45 min documentary

Malayalam superstar Mohanlal is all set to act in a 45-minute documentary that will show girls how they should take care of themselves in public life. Produced by the Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation (KSWDC), the video is titled ‘Yathra’ and it will be shown in all schools across Kerala. P.T.M. Sunish, managing director of KSWDC, told IANS that an expert committee headed by M.K.C. Nair, director of Child Development Centre, has written the script and the video will be ready soon. ‘The aim of the film is to convey to the girls about everything they need to know to tackle issues. We will screen this film in all the rural schools in the state starting next month. We will also give out CDs to all those who need it,’ said Sunish. Of the total enrolment of 44.58 lakh students in the state, girls constitute 49.29 percent and, except in the capital district, boys outnumber girls. The video will contain tips on how girls should safeguard themselves from routine miscreant activities and attempts of molestation of any kind. It will also have useful contact details and helpline numbers of authorities who could be contacted to settle or report grievances of any sort against adolescents.

The Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation Ltd (KSDWC) has mooted the setting up of two advanced finishing schools for women in the central and northern part of Kerala. KSWDC chairperson N K Radha said that the schools would be set up on the lines of the Resource Enhancement Academy for Career Heights (REACH), a KSWDC initiative and Kerala’s first ever finishing school for women, which is celebrating its first anniversary on January 18. With the slogan ‘One year of Reaching Out and Making a Difference’, REACH, functioning at Kaimanam here, has completed one year of operation enabling employment to girl students mostly from BPL families. The highlights of the finishing programme are courses in Communicative English, personality development, IT, Tally, financial accounting and administrative skills. For meeting the demand for qualified girls in retail market, REACH also has a training programme in customer service and billing with Plus-II/graduation as basic qualification. It also offers 45-day training for International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The first anniversary celebrations of REACH functioning at Kaimanam will be inaugurated by Social Welfare Minister P K Sreemathi at a function to be presided over by N Sakthan MLA. The chief guest of the function will be Suresh Gopi. State Planning Board member Mridul Eapen, T N Seema MP, B S Mavoji, and KSWDC director P S Krishnakumari among others will speak.

Produced by the Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation (KSWDC), the video is titled “Yathra” and it will be shown in all schools across Kerala. P.T.M. Sunish, managing director of KSWDC, told IANS that an expert committee headed by M.K.C. Nair, director of Child Development Centre, has written the script and the video will be ready soon. “The aim of the film is to convey to the girls about everything they need to know to tackle issues. We will screen this film in all the rural schools in the state starting next month. We will also give out CDs to all those who need it,” said Sunish. Of the total enrolment of 44.58 lakh students in the state, girls constitute 49.29 percent and, except in the capital district, boys outnumber girls. The video will contain tips on how girls should safeguard themselves from routine miscreant activities and attempts of molestation of any kind. It will also have useful contact details and helpline numbers of authorities who could be contacted to settle or report grievances of any sort against adolescents.

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Court asks Kerala government to explain Sabarimala stampede

The Kerala High Court today pulledup the state government for neglecting its warnings on safety of Sabarimala pilgrims and directed it to file a detailed report by Thursday on the stampede at Pullmedu that left 102 devotees dead. A division bench comprising justices Thottathil Radhakrishnan and P S Gopinathan, monitoring the affairsrelating to the Sabarimala pilgrimage, directed police andforest departments as also the Travancore Deveswom Board,which manages the temple, to furnish reports on the causesthat led the tragedy. The judges recalled that they had given a warning tothe authorities on January five about the need to regulate theflow of pilgrims to avoid disasters like stampede. The court also observed that there had been lack ofco-ordination among various departments involved in conduct ofthe festival at Sabarimala, which attracts millions ofpilgrims during the two-month long season from mid-Novermber. "We want to know what had happened. Explain how themishap occurred," the judges said while giving the direction. The court also sought to know from government detailsof the help provided to the injured and those stranded in thePullumedu route in the forest area after the accident. The stampede, one of the worst pilgrimage tragedies ofrecent times, happened when Ayappa devotees were heading homeon Friday last after witnessing ''makar jyoti'', considered anannual celestial phenomenon, with most victims hailing fromTamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Kerala government has announced a judicial inquiryinto the tragedy. Lack of basic amenities like lighting, water supplyand camping facilities, coupled with insufficient policedeployment were blamed for the incident. Though Pullmedu route has been used by pilgrims fromTamil Nadu for long, the area had never been sufficientlycovered by security and crowd management plans of Sabarimalapilgrimage.

The state government has to file a report by Thursday on the stampede that killed 102 devotees at Pulmedu, about 35 km from the Sabarimala Temple, on Friday night. The Police, Forest Department and the Travancore Devaswom board have been asked by the Kerala High Court to file reports regarding the reasons for the tragedy in Kerala's Idukki district. "We want to know what happened. Explain how the mishap occurred," said the two judges hearing the case. The government also has to explain what help was provided to those who were injured and stranded in the area after the tragedy.

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PM, Sonia Gandhi express shock on Sabarimala accident

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi have expressed deep shock and sent their condolences to the families of those killed in the Sabarimala stampede. The PM has sanctioned an ex-gratia of Rs. 1 lakh for the families of each of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 for those injured. President Pratibha Patil also condoled the death of Sabarimala pilgrims. In a letter to the Kerala Chief Minister and Governor, she expressed grief over the tragedy. Patil wished a speedy recovery to all those injured in the incident. Over 100 pilgrims returning from the shrine were killed and as many others were injured. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has also announced Rs. 1 lakh for the families of stampede victims hailing from his state, Rs. 20,000 for injured.

At least 70 pilgrims returning from Sabarimala Ayappa temple died when a bus ploughed through devotees in a forest at Upputhara near Pampa on Friday night, the last day of the three-month-long pilgrim season. The police said at least 120 other pilgrims were injured in the accident and they were being rushed to hospitals. The presence of wild elephants near the accident spot made the rescue operation more difficult. State home minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said bodies of 45 pilgrims were removed from the accident site. District administration sources said the toll could go up. The tragedy occurred when a bus carrying some pilgrims waded into a crowd of devotees, who were returning from ‘ makara samkrama pooja’ , through a narrow trekking path in a forest, about 200km from the state capital, district administration sources said. “ When the bus turned turtle, it triggered the stampede as the pilgrims ran helter skelter,” the police said. Most of the pilgrims involved in the tragedy were from Tamil Nadu who were returning to their homes to celebrate Pongal after having a darshan of the deity at the hill shrine. As per initial estimates, nearly 1.5 lakh pilgrims had left by this route for home. Relief operations have been delayed due to heavy traffic and narrow roads in the area. Nearly 10 lakh people from various states thronged at the hill shrine for the ‘ makara samkrama pooja ’, on Friday evening, marking the finale of three- month pilgrimage to the famous Lord Ayyappa temple.

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