Kerala Archives

Is Coronavirus Bringing Out the Worst in Indians?

Yes, coronavirus makes you sick with flu-like symptoms but it also sucks out all the decency out of you. A pandemic that threatens your life as much as it threatens that of others is all it takes for the facade of humanity to slip.

Deepak Gopalakrishnan July 28, 2016

People

Home is Where Ammachi is

You reluctantly leave the city to return home for the holidays. But it’s only when you see the grandpeeps, you realise that the long, sticky train journey is worth it.

Michelle Parayil June 22, 2016

Earth

Kerala’s Fishermen, the Unsung Superheroes of a National Disaster

Perhaps the most enduring image from the Kerala floods is of a fisherman selflessly kneeling to help victims climb aboard inflatable boats. It’s true. Some superheroes don’t wear capes.

Jackie Thakkar June 4, 2016

POV

Sabarimala Protests: Are You a “True Devotee” If You Continue to Attack Women?

A mob protesting against women entering the Sabarimala Temple attacked a cameraperson who was covering the story. In the past too, stones have been pelted at women. Who are these “real devotees” of Ayyappa, who believe in their religious rights without considering the constitutional rights of others?

Kahini Iyer June 3, 2016

Gender

Kerala HC’s Ruling Against Sexist Hostel Rules Has Shown the Way. Time for All Our Universities to Follow

The Kerala High Court recently upheld that women students have the same freedoms as men. The implications of these college rules go far beyond the campus. It goes against the understanding that the potential of young women is up for sacrifice without a second thought, as long as we can keep them in line.

Kahini Iyer May 23, 2016

Gender

The Desperate Housewives of Haryana

Haryana’s sex ratio has a new casualty: Uneducated brides from Uttarakhand and Kerala who are transplanted into villages where they find no comfort or familiarity.

Sat Singh May 18, 2016

Columns

SummArré: Sabarimala, #MeToo Part Two, and a Look Back at the Week That Was

In India, every day presents a new diversion, a new amusement. This week, we discovered the Kauravas were “test-tube babies” in a giant leap backward for science, and Kerala’s “Women’s Wall” protest against the violence at Sabarimala, showed us how to do solidarity.

Karanjeet Kaur May 17, 2016

Pop Culture

Man vs Wild: The Spectacular Horror of Lijo Jose Pellisery’s Jallikattu

The horror in Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Jallikattu feels potent because it is not posited as a horror film. It’s rooted in a world all too real, where cops are wife-beaters and BJP flags loom the streets and men will literally tear each other apart to assert their superiority.

Mohit Patil April 18, 2016

Earth

Kerala Floods: A Gut-Wrenching Disaster Unfolding on Our Timelines

The floods in Kerala, considered the worst in a century, have claimed over 324 lives and displaced over three lakh people. Once Kerala survives this, it’s evident that God’s own country will have to be rebuilt from scratch. And they'll need our help.

Arré Bench April 9, 2016

Bollywood

Meet the Real PadMan Before Bollywood Ruins It

“Menstrual hygiene can’t be tackled by an advertising or a marketing team,” said Arunachalam Muruganantham toward the end of Amit Virmani’s 2013 documentary Menstrual Man. Will Akshay Kumar’s PadMan prove him wrong?

Poulomi Das March 30, 2016