India Today Malayalam Magazine - March 5, 2014

In this issue

Highlights of India Today Malayalam issue dated March 5th, 2014. The issue had its cover story on the recent SC verdict to cancel the death sentence of three culprits- Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan- in Rajiv Gandhi murder case. While their relatives warmly welcomed this decision and pin their hopes on Jayalalithaa\'s stand that all of the culprits be freed as they already have served 23 years in jail, some view it is a clear case of politically motivated tactics ahead of the Loksabha elections igniting Tamil sentiments. The big story on \"the worst Loksabha in history\" examined how the 15th Loksabha failed to serve its purpose, falling short in its functions. Only 13% time was spent in legislation and 74 bills are pending as the Sabha witnessed some of its most nasty moments of political hullabaloo and even manhandling. The formation of Telengana and the new-born state\'s challenges ahead is another important story. It focusses on the success of Telengana Rastriya Samithi (TRS) and its leader K Chandrasekhara Rao and explores the fate of Seemandhra- how is it going to cope in the changed political as well as financial scenario. The political fate of Congress, TRS, TDP and BJP can undergo a sea-change, it is observed. The hopes of AAP to come back in power with their brushed up image and their tests and trials in this effort are examined in another important story of the issue. With V M Sudheeran\'s ascension as Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, the group politics may face a blow, observes the political story from Kerala. Another major story was on the allegations of Gail Tredwell aka Gayatri, a former disciple of Mata Amritanandamayi, who has brought out some shocking relevations on Mutt and its functioning- including cases of sexual harassment- through her book Holly Hell: A Memoir of Faith, Devotion and Pure Madness. The newly formed caste organizations in the Malabar region of Kerala and their leverage- both social and political- are explored in another report. In the arts section, the efforts of legendary Kathak dancer Birju Maharaj to revive the dance form\'s Lucknow tradition is checked out. The issue also featured faces like Aiswarya Rai, Bhavana, Vidya Balan, Thrisha, Vani Kapoor, Rima Kallingal, Mallika Sherawat and Pia Bajpai.