TNIE presesnts a recap of names, places, animals and things that made news i 2022
Hic, hic hurray!
The Malayali tippler made a grand comeback after two years of pandemic gloom. Liquor sales records were shattered with Malayalis spending Rs 624 crore on liquor in the week leading up to Onam this year. As the football World Cup frenzy peaked, Bacchus devotees in the state spent Rs 50 crore on booze on the final day alone. And, in the days leading to Christmas, Bevco notched up sales worth Rs 230 crore. On Christmas day, the figure stood at Rs 90 crore.
Viral word of the year
Amal Neerad’s blockbuster Bheeshma Parvam with Mammootty in lead was celebrated for many reasons, including the mega star’s performance. But the one thing which stood out was the viral ‘chambikko’ scene. Originally delivered by Mammootty’s character Michael, the word bolstered with Sushin Shyam’s beguiling BGM became a sensation. It literally made scores of Malayalis and non-malayalis to do the ‘chambikko’ act. A distant runner-up was ‘karnabhoothan’, a word from the CPM’s Thiruvathira song in praise of Pinarayi Vijayan. The word, which roughly means ‘primal cause’, was quickly tweaked as ‘karanabhootham’ by meme factories.
Gender bender U-turn
Gender neutrality and uniforms were a hot topic in Kerala this year. Be it some schools adopting common uniforms for students across genders or the government briefly deciding to adopt gender-neutral uniforms and seating systems in schools, the subject was in news throughout the year. After objections from some Islamic organisations, however, the government dropped its ‘gender-neutral’ plans.
Shaky start
The Kochi-Muziris Biennale made a comeback this year, and it brought some controversies along. Starting with delays in the launch of primary venues and complaints raised by a section of Kerala artists, who allege financial irregularities, the art extravaganza made a shaky start. On top of that, about 50 participating artists complained about lack of communication and proper planning, prompting Kochi foundation president Bose Krishnamachari to issue an open apology letter.
Street food star turns ‘villain’
Shawarma grabbed headlines for the wrong reasons. ‘Shawarma deaths’ were reported in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode in 2012 and 2013, respectively. This year, too, the street food snack came under the scanner with the death of a 16-year-old girl, Devananda, who succumbed to food poisoning after eating chicken shawarma in Kasaragod on May 1.
#MeToo
Rape allegations by an upcoming artist against actor-producer Vijay Babu and sexual harassment charges against social activist Civic Chandran saw renewed discussions on #MeToo. While Vijay revealing the survivor’s name via FaceBook Live became a subject of debate, a district court judge pointing fingers at the victim’s dress while hearing a case against Civic drew widespread ire that led to his transfer.
Pothole potshots
Potholes in Kerala trended on social media, with Malayali netizens venting their ire against the deplorable condition of roads in the state. Meme fests and political debates ensued. From offbeat wedding photoshoots to images of people doing yoga or fishing in potholes went viral. One such wedding photoshoot went viral with over 40 lakh views. Taking note of the mess, the Kerala High Court, too, rapped the government.
Kerala tops in new species discovery
The recent Zoological Survey of India’s 2022 report says 406 new species were discovered in the country in 2021, of which 86 were found in Kerala – the highest among states. New species included snakes, lizards, frogs, dragonflies, wasps, butterflies and insects.
Dogged down
Stray dogs became a subject of debate with numerous rabies cases and a few deaths triggering panic among the public. As per the Justice S Siri Jagan Committee report, as many as 21 rabies deaths and 1.96 lakh dog bite cases have been reported in the state this year. Animal Husbandry Minister J Chinchurani recently said that as many as 11,651 stray dogs were administered anti-rabies vaccine in Kerala since September 20.
A letter bomb
Initially celebrated as the youngest mayor in India, Arya Rajendran has been in the eye of the storm for all the wrong reasons. Besides allegations of financial scams, the mayor was caught in one of the biggest political scandals in the state – ‘the letter row’. Protests erupted in the state following an alleged letter by Arya – in which she requested the CPM district leadership to give a list of candidates to be appointed to various temporary vacancies in government offices – surfaced on social media.
Messi as son of the soil
Lionel Messi’s fan-following in Kerala reached epic levels this World Cup season. Giant cutouts of the star were spotted in the middle of a river and 100ft under the Arabian Sea. By the end, no one could resist the Atomic Flea’s wizardry. What took the cake was Messi in Mallu naadan avtar.
Kantara magic
Rishab Shetty’s Kannada film Kantara made a big bang this year. Some called it a cinematic spectacle. The film made news for the wrong reasons as well, with Kerala music band Thaikkudam Bridge filing a lawsuit alleging that cult hit ‘Varaha Roopam’ was a rip-off of its track ‘Naravasam’. Meanwhile, the film netted revenue of Rs 19.2 cr at the box office. Worldwide collection stood at Rs 400 cr.
Outstanding, outlandish
This year, shine starred in multiple hits. On the one hand, he has impressed audiences with outstanding performances. On the other, he irks them with his outlandish ‘performances’ off screen – be it uncouth outbursts or controversial statements on drugs. The most recent one was trying to enter a commercial jet’s cockpit.
Love story of the year
It was an epic love story that began in Saudi Arabia. Adhila Nasarin and Fathima Noora met in school and became lovers. Their families took extreme measures to separate them this year. But they refused to give in, and approached the High Court. In a historic decision on May 31, the court allowed the couple to reunite.
Keep it going, champ
Hockey ace P R Sreejesh brought home global laurels this year too. He became the first Indian man to win the ‘World Games Athlete of the Year’ title and also bagged FIH’s ‘Goalkeeper of the Year’ award. He is gearing up for 4th World Cup.
Star rises from a slum
The Kerala state film award for best child actress was presented to Sneha Anu, a 15-year-old resident of Rajaji Nagar, once a notorious slum in the capital city. A Class 9 student, Sneha won the award for her performance as Mullu in the film ‘Thala’ by Khais Millen.
Raising the bar & bench
TNIE reporter P Ramdas shares diary notes from Kerala High Court, which saw a year punctuated with judgments and observations of vital social relevance
- Directed the Union govt to consider formulating a common matrimony framework for all religions
- Directed to ban excessive honking and overtaking by private buses in Kochi
- Initiated a suo motu public interest litigation titled ‘Protection and Rehabilitation of Children in Streets’
- Justice Devan Ramachandran held that reformation in the conduct of police officers could not be achieved unless the officers inculcate the culture of recognising citizens as masters
- Directed to pay a compensation of J1.5 lakh to an eight-year-old girl, who had been harassed by a Pink Patrol officer in Thiruvananthapuram
- Slammed the government’s apathy and directed it to immediately disburse salaries of KSRTC staff
- Stung the government on the deplorable condition of roads in the state
- Asked CBSE and state govt to make “prevention-oriented programme on sexual abuse” mandatory in curriculum
Compiled by: arya u r, steni simon, george michael, nayana nair, krishna p s, shainu mohan & Meeval Ginet Design: Devan
