News and Views

Thiruvananthapuram: There are 943 cases against various candidates in the Assembly elections.  Of this, 685 are against LDF candidates, 152 against BJP-BDJS candidates and 106 cases against UDF candidates.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said in a press release that the higher number of cases against the LDF candidates showed that the left parties were beneficiaries of politics of violence. There were 617 cases against CPI (M) alone.

Rape cases have more than doubled in Kerala over the last five years. The incidence of such cases in relation to population is higher than the national average and those in the neigbouring States.

The reported cases of rape in Kerala were 1263 in 2015 against 617 in 2010 according to data released by the State Crime Records Bureau. The highest number of cases was reported from Thiruvananthapuram Rural and Malappuram district.

Once again the question of safety of women has become the subject of debate. The wild incident that victimised the law student at Perumbavoor in Kerala has once again created ripples among the general public.

Protests have erupted in Ernakulam where she studied and the neighbouring Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kaladi. A march was taken out to the office of the Inspector General of Police (Kochi Range), Ernakulam.

The net loss of public sector enterprises in the State has increased by 183 per cent in 2014-15 with half of the working units making losses.

A review of public enterprises published by Bureau of Public Enterprises records that the loss incurred by government in running public sector units had increased from Rs.2030.05 crores as against a net loss of Rs. 717.03 crores in 2013-14.

Protests are taking place in different parts of the State, especially in Ernakulam district and State capital Thiruvananthapuram, over possible rape, and brutal murder of a dalit student at Perumbavoor in the district.

In Ernakulam district, students of Law College, Ernakulam, and University of Sanskrit, Kaladi, have staged demonstrations. There are also plans for a march to the Office of the Inspector General of Police, Kochi Range in the afternoon.