In Chellanam, Twenty20s ability to play spoilsport holds centre stage
The Hindu
There is no dearth of posters and flags of major political fronts as one entered the coastal panchayat of Chellanam, part of Kochi Assembly constituency, on polling day.Yet, it is the corporate-backed
There is no dearth of posters and flags of major political fronts as one entered the coastal panchayat of Chellanam, part of Kochi Assembly constituency, on polling day. Yet, it is the corporate-backed apolitical outfit Twenty20 which seems to hold centre stage in this idyllic village, seemingly on account of its ability to play serious spoilsport to the prospects of major fronts. “Both the Left and the Right have been in power for decades and still we have to wade through the seawater that seeps into our houses during high tide with no seawall to stop it,” fumed Kunjachan, a fisherman, without explicitly revealing his affinity while stepping out after casting his vote.The fear of being caught for traffic rule violation has indeed compelled many two-wheeler riders to wear helmets. But one cursory look at riders at any traffic junction in Bengaluru shows that more than half the riders have on their heads non-standard helmets, designed solely to evade the eye of law, with little concern for the safety of their own heads.
When Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997, Beijing promised to retain the city’s Western-style civil liberties for 50 years. However, since the introduction of the 2020 law, Hong Kong authorities have severely limited free speech and assembly under the rubric of maintaining national security.