Vinod Mathew

BUSINESS

Congress Manifesto | Challenges and opportunities for Shashi Tharoor

Shashi Tharoor, as he sets about framing the Congress election manifesto in Kerala, will have to factor in realpolitik along with principles and sentiments 

POLITICS

Desperate to win Kerala, Congress is forced to turn to Oommen Chandy

The Congress has approached Oommen Chandy more than four years after it washed its hands of the leader and virtually forced him into political exile after the Congress lost the 2016 elections to the CPI(M)

POLITICS

Ahmed Patel was master conductor of the orchestra called Congress

What made Ahmed Patel a centre of power was his considered decision not to wield it openly. Quelling dissidence was his forte. Understatement was his calling card, and finesse his style

BUSINESS

Is a business-friendly Kerala a mirage?

The Left government’s efforts look promising on paper, but the ground reality is different. Instead of fresh investments pouring into Kerala, existing companies are compelled to pack up and leave

BUSINESS

Gold smuggling to direct fund transfers, Kerala sinking in Dubai’s quicksand

If the story currently unfolding in Kerala holds true to its script, the Rs 20 crore deal powered by Rs 4 crore kickback can only be a prelude

BUSINESS

Has the Kerala government learnt from past mistakes?

It’s raining miseries on Kerala and the tourism department will be in no hurry to run its ‘God’s Own Country’ tagline anytime soon

WORLD

Kuwait’s expat quota bill a big blow to Kerala’s remittances

Depending on when the expats are asked to leave the country, Kerala’s remittances economy could see a shrinkage of up to $4 billion — about 25 percent of its total inward remittances

POLITICS

How COVID-19 has changed Kerala’s NRIs from white knights to bête noires

Is there an underlying political calculus to the Left government’s actions that explains its hostile attitude towards expatriates returning, or trying to return, to Kerala?

POLITICS

Kerala’s double standards towards alcohol sale and liquor consumption

A predominant part of Kerala’s revenue comes from the sale of alcohol, but the State and society have an uneasy relationship with its tipplers

BUSINESS

COVID-19 | Kerala must abandon its old ways and redefine its growth mantra

With remittances tapering and the tourism sector down, Kerala must focus on a scientific and profitable agriculture sector

POLITICS

COVID-19 | India needs to trust its states to fight the virus

Decisions needs to be taken at a state-level or even district-level. The aim should be to contain future COVID-19 outbreaks to local clusters, which do not bring the whole nation to a grinding halt

POLITICS

COVID-19 | Bhilwara and Kerala offer hope during this pandemic

While Bhilwara in Rajasthan has showed how ruthlessly tackling COVID-19 is effective, Kerala has showed how a disciplined approach can bend the curve. This will be handy while relaxing the lockdown norms in a few weeks’ time

POLITICS

Politics | Is the Kerala govt turning a deaf ear to cries of flood victims?

For a government with eye on the 2021 assembly poll clock, muting out desperate cries for rehabilitation by victims may not be a smart move.

POLITICS

Coronavirus | The Kerala story and challenges before India

A robust health administration mechanism running on the wheels of government-run primary health centres, with healthcare infrastructure at affordable rates, on par with the private hospitals, sets Kerala apart, allowing it to rub shoulders with the developed world.

POLITICS

CAA Protests | When political expediency takes on the garb of realpolitik in Kerala

With state elections just over a year away, the CPI(M) seems to be going all out for political gains by shunning the very fringe groups that once were feeder units for the Marxist party, as the numbers no longer favour their proximity.

POLITICS

Society | The things we do in the name of the lord

The Catholic Church is yet to emerge a leader in areas that the corporate world celebrates these days — transparency, gender equality, and, of course, ushering in a flat governance structure where the lay employee has direct reach to the CEO.

POLITICS

Politics | Bollywood can take lessons from Maharashtra’s political drama

It would be prudent to assume that the November 27 floor test in the Maharashtra assembly is just one among the many parts of the ongoing political theatre in the state. Whatever be the result, the show is far from over.

POLITICS

Legal Matters | Sabarimala temple entry is now a larger issue

Entry of women into places of worship will now be addressed from a broader perspective and will not be seen from the prism of customs surrounding one particular temple. However, there will be no stay on the SC order allowing women of menstrual age entering the Sabarimala temple.

POLITICS

Politics | Questions the Kerala Police's actions raise

The actions of the Kerala Police in certain cases pose serious questions about whether the force is able to do its duty in a free and fair manner, and whether it is able to protect the lives of citizens.

POLITICS

Kerala bypoll | UDF wins 3 out of 5 seats, but still the loser; Congress infighting hurts

The UDF will expect the Congress to try and put its house in order, which as usual is a picture of infighting

POLITICS

Kerala bypolls | Winners will lose and the losers will win

The tangled webs that are getting woven by the opposing political camps makes one wonder at how dexterously political yarns get spun in Kerala.

POLITICS

Politics | Supreme Court orders and a Janus-faced Kerala government

The Left government’s readiness to demolish and rebuild a new flyover and its reluctance to demolish an apartment complex violating environmental norms does not show it in good light.

POLITICS

Floods | For Kerala, salvation is in accepting the Gadgil report

Governments in Kerala, led by both the Congress and Left, have dismissed the Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Export Panel, 2011. As the consecutive floods have shown, the government can no longer ignore the state’s fragile ecology.