THE COMPLETE BUSINESS AND LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2020 | VOL. 50 | ISSUE. 12 PRICE ₹ 100 HEALING RAMACHANDRA BABU CARICATURE: TOUCH KK SHAILAJA BECOMES THE EMBODIMENT OF KERALA’S PRIDE IN HER RELENTLESS CRUSADE AGAINST KIA TO CONQUER THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC WITH SONET FOUNDER EDITOR Thomas Kuthiravattam, Former MP, Rajya Sabha EDITORIAL EDITOR B Balachandran +91 9947013377 BUSINESS HEAD V Uday Kumar +91 9447023135 DESIGN EDITOR Gopakumar Krishnan ON A RESILIENT MODE +91 6282707937 ONLINE EDITOR Lakshmi P S +91 8921751317 s the curtains fall on a year of fear and losses, an analytical DIRECTOR, EDITORIAL J S Indukumar +91 9947031177 introspection into the most challenging phase humanity DIRECTOR, MARKETING Mujeeb Shamsudeen +91 9846298362 has ever witnessed would be a futile exercise. Across DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS P Shyam Kumar theA universe, human life came to a standstill with businesses +91 9947093377 crumbling, productions shut and people confining themselves SUB EDITOR Anu Joseph +91 9947491177 to the four walls of their homes. A sudden arousal from this CAMERAMAN Nishad H +91 9947429977 unprecedented fall would be an unthinkable proposition. Though CIRCULATION K Sreekumaran the governments across the world acted swiftly to soften the pain +91 99474 81177 OFFICE IN-CHARGE Noufia J R of its citizens, we have a long way to go till the world regains its +91 8606179157 lost glory and prosperity from this disaster. RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVES In Kerala, the Covid 19 triggered a never before transformation United Kingdom Thekkumuri Haridas London. 0044 7775833754 in the health care sector which witnessed major changes in all its Canada Swapna Joy routine operations. Telemedicine, online consultations and door Toronto. 001 4372376272 step nursing became the new normal. As routine hospital visits for United States of Mini Nair America Atlanta. 001 6304003885 checkups became a thing of the past, most of the private hospitals Australia Sudhesh Kumar R Sydney. 0061 406476361 were hardly hit with revenues dropping to alarming levels. Kerala UAE Sarju Mathew would have stooped down to a disastrous stage but for the robust Dubai. 00971 502501379 public healthcare system which acted as the saving grace at this Qatar Pradeep Menon Doha. 00974 30055715 juncture. The entire machinery led by the Health Minister K K Kuwait Girish Ottappalam 00965 66523613 Shailaja herself showcased an unprecedented team work which Bahrain Boby Theveril literally saved the God’s Own Country from a colossal health Muscat. 00973 39627155 disaster. INDIA Mumbai Renjini Liza Varghese The complex social challenges posed by this pandemic would 091 8883666372 have a far reaching consequence on the entire social fabric of Bengaluru Saghin 091 9060858567 the State. Jobless expatriates, struggling tradesmen, labourers Renjith Menon K 091 7411219181 without wages and a whole community engulfed in the fear of the Chennai Biju Thomas deadly virus pose a big challenge for the Government machinery. 091 9944562027 The Government though has taken a pro active role in ensuring ADVISORY BOARD Adv. A Santhosh Kumar (Legal) a decent life for its people in these trying times, much more CA. M Ramesh Kumar (Finance) concrete and result oriented plans should be chalked out at the REGISTERED OFFICE Kerala Life, Kuthiravattam House, Kallissery, earliest to lift the morale of the common man and bring him back Chengannur - 689124, Alappuzha, Kerala RNI No. KERBIL00262, Reg. 19950/1970 to normalcy. EDITORIAL OFFICE As we bid goodbye to this odious year, let’s be assured that TC 16/1746, ULRA 55A, DPI Jn., Jagathy, Thycaud P O there is light at the end of the tunnel and work towards a better Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala - 695014 No part of this magazine may be reproduced without tomorrow that can bring back the lost fortunes and freedom of our the written permission of the publisher of KERALA LIFE All rights reserved. Copyright @2020 countrymen. Owned by Thomas Kuthiravattom, Kuthiravattom House, Kallissery, Chengannur - 689124, Alappuzha, Kerala, India Printed and published by INTUS MEDIA PVT LTD, TC 16/1746, ULRA 55A, DPI Jn., Jagathy, Thycaud P O Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala - 695014 B.Balachandran on behalf of Thomas Kuthiravattom Editor Printed at Orange Printers Pvt Ltd Thiruvananthapuram for Tara Offset Printers, Chengannur – 68912, Alappuzha, Kerala Editor: B Balachandran, December 2020 | Vol. 50 | Issue 12 THE COMPLETE BUSINESS AND LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2020 | VOL. 50 | ISSUE. 12 PRICE ₹100 HEALING TOUCH KK SHAILAJA BECOMES THE EMBODIMENT OF KERALA’S PRIDE IN HER RELENTLESS CRUSADE AGAINST KIA TO CONQUER THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC WITH SONET 6 CIRCULATED TEAM SPIRIT IS THE KEY, INSIDE BATTLE STILL ON COUNTRIES Shailaja Teacher’s relentless efforts to reign in the 12 deadly virus won her laurels from across the seas with IN international media harping accolades on the Kerala model of crisis management. She attributes the achievements to the selfless service of her team which stood behind her all through the trying times and the unconditional support and trust showered on her by the general public. DECEMBER 2020 ECONOMICS. 18 12 RECOVERY WILL NEED THE DELHI MODEL OF A NON-PARTISAN EFFORT CONTAINMENT LIFE. 22 As the Covid 19 pandemic A GLIMMER OF HOPE gripped the capital city in IN THE SEA OF DARKNESS a big way, Chief Minister Aravind Kejrival stepped PROFILE. 32 out to fore front and led a PM @ 70 relentless battle AGRICULTURE. 34 THE FARM ACTS TO WHOSE BENEFIT? 24 LIFE HAS BECOME BIOSCOPE. 38 GREENER THE ONE AND ONLY OOMMEN CHANDY The air quality index used to be around 200 which sometimes BUSINESS. 42 rose even to 900 and beyond KFC RECORDS HIGHEST EVER LOAN DISBURSALS TOURISM. 44 RESPONSIBLE TOURISM ART. 48 28 ASHAN'S SKETCHES OF LIFE FROM CHALK & TALK TO DIGITAL CHALK CINEMA. 51 TALK: PANDEMIC & SOORARAI POTTRU, LUDO PEDAGOGY STEAL THE SHOW Online teaching has become the new normal PERSONALITY. 56 LIVING SOUND COVER STORY TEAM SPIRIT IS THE KEY, BATTLE STILL ON Shailaja Teacher’s relentless efforts to reign in the deadly virus won her laurels from across the seas with international media harping accolades on the Kerala model of crisis management. She attributes the achievements to the selfless service of her team which stood behind her all through the trying times and the unconditional support and trust showered on her by the general public. ealth Minister K K Shailaja Kerala , as you know, was the first Teacher in a chat with Kerala State in the country to act swiftly and H Life Editor B. Balachandran, scientifically to contain the spread elaborates on Kerala’s relentless battle of this pandemic. We were the first to against the novel Corona Virus and impose a lockdown and this strategy how the State managed to reign in the actually helped us a lot in curbing mortality rate to a minimal level. the spread in the initial days. All this could be achieved by the meticulous Kerala has set an ideal example and democratic planning procedures before the world in the initial adopted by the Government. We days of the pandemic. How do you ensured the participation of the evaluate the situation now.? people through local self government 6 7 COVER STORY bodies and voluntary organisations, zone, we cannot in any case loosen the State in containing the spread of the Also we ensured that proper and highly caution. We could actually tide over the disease? professional training is imparted to the second spike we had in the previous frontline workers who worked in the months and minimize the fatality rate As you know, we were the first state forefront for contact tracing and other due to this extreme caution. So my in the country to experiment the activities. The commissioning of the appeal to the people is to carry on with potentials of a lockdown. Initially, there FLTCs ( first line treatment centers) the stipulated safety measures till we were scepticism from some quarters has actually helped us a lot in ensuring completely get free from this pandemic. regarding the viability of a complete proper treatment and monitoring of shutdown, but later this was accepted Covid patients. Kerala was the only Kerala’s internationally acclaimed as the only solution for curbing the State in the country which provided health care system has contributed spread of the disease across the nation. free treatment for all Covid patients at in a big way in fighting this We could successfully employ the entire our centres. Right now, we can be at pandemic. How do you evaluate government mechanism to ensure relief since we could bring down the the work done by the Health that the sufferings of the people were test positivity rate to below 10 and the Department and the other frontline minimised during this period. The mortality rate to below 1 percent. But workers? Police department deserves utmost still it s not the time to switch over to mention here since the their work in relaxed mode and all precautions and First of all, I would like to thank the contact tracing and ensuring that protocols related to Covid should be entire Health department for putting people adhered to the Covid protocols strictly adhered to. in a relentless and exemplary work such as social distancing in public during this period. Whatever we places had a far reaching impact Now that the TPR is on a satisfactory could achieve was the result of an on curbing the spread . Moreover, I decline in State, what all measures unparalleled team work put in by the express my gratitude to the people of are the government planning to put entire department. Irrespective of the this State for completely supporting in place a professional mechanism posts they hold, doctors, nurses, officers the government initiatives amidst the to curb another spike. ? and other frontline works worked 24x7 hardships they faced during this period.