Latest news with #Bhoomi
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Hunter's Rhapsody
By: Sooraj Kerala is humming with disquiet. A heavy fatigue—both political and emotional—settles over the state. Once shaped by sharp ideological clarity, grassroots movements, and impassioned public debates, Kerala now feels adrift. Governance has become procedural rather than visionary. The ruling Left, once the voice of redistribution, often seems bureaucratic and inert. The Centre feels absent, distant from the state's social dynamics. Meanwhile, the Right gains ground by exploiting identity and anxiety, stoking tensions. In this context, traditional politics no longer speaks to lived experience. Especially for the youth, disaffection is tangible—it shows in skipped meals, in quiet breakdowns, in the pain of watching parents age as job applications go unanswered. The disconnect is real, and it has no clear outlet. But out of this silence, a voice has emerged—not from party offices or TV debates, but from music. Vedan, a rapper, is a defining presence at the heart of this. Born Hirandas Murali, Vedan is not just a rapper—he is a rupture. His presence doesn't offer solutions, but it articulates discomfort. His music reflects the emotional undercurrent of a state that remembers its radical past but struggles to live it. His voice comes from that aching space where you want to scream, but aren't sure anyone's listening. 'Vedan'—Malayalam for 'hunter'—was a slur hurled at him as a child. He didn't flinch. He claimed it. Like 'Black,' 'queer,' or 'punk,' he turned stigma into statement. He began rapping in his teens, recording on borrowed phones with second-hand mics and first-hand anger. His early verses were raw, unfiltered, and defiantly alive—not art for galleries or playlists, but sonic bruises with dirt under their nails. What sets Vedan apart is not just what he raps, but how. No Sanskritized high-brow diction, no accented hip-hop posturing. He raps in the cadence of bus stops, corner shops, and student protests. This is the Malayalam of the overworked and overlooked. Take 'Bhoomi' (Earth), a watershed track now part of Calicut University's MA Malayalam syllabus. From slum to classroom in five years—that's a tectonic shift. In it, he raps: Ningalude bhoomi njan illatha idathu/ ente bhoomi ithil njan nilkkunnu/ njan maathramayittu (Your land is where I am absent. Mine is here, where I stand alone.) No clever wordplay—just a gut-punch. An assertion of presence in the face of erasure. He doesn't pander to politics, but rebellion trembles through every verse. And people are listening—across caste, religion, gender. One of the most telling images of his impact? Headscarf-wearing Muslim girls lip-syncing his verses on Instagram , some with tears, others with clenched fists. They're not chasing trends. They're hearing themselves in him. Vedan's sound has evolved from lo-fi raps recorded on borrowed phones to intimate studio sessions, though he resists overproduction. The texture may be cleaner, but the bruise remains visible. He works with minimal gear and tight circles—peers who understand the mood more than the market. Lines arrive on bus rides, mid-argument, or in half-sleep. Lyrics come first, forming in murmurs, keeping with his landscape's vocal culture. Beats follow, built from familiarity: Crackle of old speakers, hiss of frying oil, street vendor calls, dawn parai drums. His tracks aren't engineered—they're assembled from overlooked fragments. His music has transitioned alongside the artist. 'Oru Naal' carried urgent rawness—skeletal production, minimal layering, crackling vocal takes with adolescent defiance. Lyrics were emotionally naked, oscillating between rage and hurt, laying bare childhood taunts and alienation without filter. Newer songs like 'Bhoomi' and 'Urangatte' maintain emotional charge but show restraint and craft. The interiority remains, now textured. Lines are deliberate, structure composed. If 'Oru Naal' was explosion, these are smouldering fires—they wait, build, consider. Personal folds seamlessly into political. The early work bled to be heard; new work demands listening on its terms. Though rooted in independent scenes, Vedan has crossed into film playback—'Nayattu', 'Padavettu', 'Manjummal Boys', 'All We Imagine As Light'. These choices reflect a certain working-class quality, extending his worldview rather than betraying it. He samples Michael Kiwanuka and shouts out Kalabhavan Mani , remaining fluid in counter-space tastes. The state now listens—inviting him to panels, reframing his work as cultural capital. But Vedan refuses clean institutional folding. His music still snarls, still scratches. His aesthetic—black outfits, handmade accessories drawing from tribal memory, revolutionary stubble—channels outlaw energy. It's ancestral armour, not fashion. He moves parallel to MC Kash, Arivu, chroniclers carving sound into space, invoking unease, demanding listening that feels before it agrees. But Vedan is no unblemished icon. In 2023, allegations of sexual assault surfaced, shaking his standing in the arts scene. The response was complex—neither full cancellation nor blind defence. It forced uncomfortable but necessary conversations about power, gender, and accountability in alternative spaces. There's also his performance style—chest-forward, aggressive—a wounded pride that sometimes mirrors the very machismo he critiques. While this posture resonates with the disempowered, it also risks reproducing dominant tropes, raising questions about who gets to embody vulnerability in protest aesthetics. Then came the cannabis possession charge, just weeks after an anti-state track dropped. Whether coincidence or crackdown, the optics were clear: Speak too loudly, and the state will listen for reasons to silence you. His clothes and pendants became 'evidence' of deviance. But Vedan isn't disappearing. If anything, these moments sharpen the image. To write about Vedan is not to document a musician. It's to mark a moment—a fracture. He exists in the hollow created by political disappointment, cultural fatigue, and a longing to scream when no one seems to listen. The writer is a Young India Fellow at Ashoka University and a visiting artist with Adishakti Theatre, working at the intersection of multidisciplinary performance, pedagogy, and culture
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Digital land survey fourth phase to begin in August: Minister
The final notification in 60% of the 312 villages where digital land survey has been completed will be published by August, Minister for Revenue K. Rajan has said. At a press conference on the sidelines of the Bhoomi national conclave on smart land governance at Kovalam on Friday, the Minister said the final notification had been delayed owing to certain amendments to rules. The final notification had been issued for two villages in the State – Ujarulvar in Kasaragod and Mankad in Kollam. The survey in three phases covered 639 villages. The fourth-phase survey covering 200 villages would begin in August, the Minister said. Provision to be made A provision would be made in the proposed Settlement Act for giving ownership of surplus land in possession of individuals that did not belong to the government and had no claimants to the individual. The Minister pointed out that complaints related to the digital survey were fewer in number. Complaints could be submitted on the Ente Bhoomi portal at three junctures – at the start of the survey, when the 9(1) notification was issued, and the final notification was published. Complaints could be submitted to the District Collector concerned later. ₹7 crore sanctioned The Minister said the Union government had sanctioned ₹7 crore for setting up continuously operating reference stations for the digital survey. Funds had also been sought under the NAKSHA scheme for survey in urban areas. Survey would be conducted in Attappady village to return the illegally possessed land belonging to the Scheduled Tribes back to them, the Minister said.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Core changes not necessary in Land Reforms Act, says Minister Rajan
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala does not face a situation that warrants core changes in the Land Reforms Act, including a ceiling on possession by an individual, Revenue Minister K Rajan has said. He was speaking after inaugurating the delegates' session at the Bhoomi national conclave organised by the revenue and survey departments here on Thursday. Land Reforms Act paved way for social change in the state. Timely amendments and changes have already been made to the act. Though several states enacted similar acts after Kerala, they lack the strength and scope of the Kerala legislation. The Land Reforms Act helped in effective land distribution that brought in social change. The act has provision to empower government to implement industrial, commercial and development activities. The minister said the ongoing Digital Resurvey in Kerala is a revolutionary step. It ensures accurate and transparent land documents which prevent border disputes. Unique Thandaper initiative was launched in villages where digital survey is complete. The Ente Bhoomi portal that provides services of revenue, Registration and Survey Departments is a commendable model in e-governance. Central Land Resources Secretary Manoj Joshi presided over. In his address Joshi said Kerala's digital land resurvey project was a model for the country. Kerala has a high population density and digital resurvey is progressing efficiently. The state is using a fool-proof software system for the survey. Though several states have launched digital resurvey, Kerala is noted for the accuracy of the process. Himachal Pradesh Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi addressed the function. He said Himachal Pradesh has launched digital resurvey on the model of Kerala. The state has started panchayat-level committees on the model of Kerala for the effective implementation of the project, he said.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
No changes needed in LR Act: Min
T'puram: Revenue minister K Rajan on Thursday asserted that there is no need for any major amendments to Kerala's landmark Land Reforms Act, reiterating its enduring relevance and strength in ensuring social justice and equitable land distribution. His remarks come in the wake of state industries department proposing to revise the existing land ceiling limits to facilitate large-scale industrial projects, triggering concerns of possible dilution of Land Reforms Act. The minister inaugurated the representative session of the four-day national conclave on digital resurvey titled 'Bhoomi', organized by state revenue and survey-land records departments at Kovalam. During the session, he stated that while minor amendments and context-driven changes were made to the law in the past, there is currently no need for any major reform. "The Kerala Land Reforms Act laid the foundation for the state's transformative social progress. Though several states emulated our land reforms, none matched the strength and breadth of Kerala's law," Rajan said. "The law ended tenancy and helped actual tillers become landowners. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo It also empowers the govt to assign land for industrial, commercial, educational and charitable purposes," he added. Rajan clarified that reports suggesting Kerala was preparing to alter the land ceiling provisions were "misleading" and stemmed from a superficial understanding of the law's objectives. "Any reading of the Act must be rooted in its core intent of social equity," he said. He pointed out that even as sweeping changes occur across the country in land use and demographics, the governance of land hasn't seen corresponding innovation. Kerala, he said, is now moving towards what can be termed a "Second Land Reform" by modernising land administration through digital resurvey and e-governance. "Revolutionary steps in the revenue and survey sectors have been initiated under this govt, the most important being the statewide digital resurvey. It has helped prepare accurate, transparent land records and resolve boundary disputes," Rajan said. He added that for the first time in India, a unique thandaper (land ownership ID) system was implemented in villages where the digital resurvey was completed. The minister also highlighted the creation of a unified land portal — Ente Bhoomi — that integrates the portals of the revenue, survey and registration departments, offering a seamless interface for all land-related transactions and records. "In villages where the resurvey is complete, authenticated land sketches and ownership details will now be accessible even before registration. This will eliminate fraud and misrepresentation in land transfers," he said. Over 120 delegates, including top officials from 23 states, are participating in the conclave.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Kerala has done pioneering work in taking up digital land survey: Manoj Joshi
Kerala has done pioneering work in taking up digital survey of land and notifying the records, Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Department of Land Resources, Government of India, has said. Speaking at Bhoomi national conclave on digital land survey on Thursday, Mr. Joshi lauded integration of registration system and land records in two villages in the State on a pilot basis to avoid delays. Mr. Joshi pointed out that the Kerala model was unique because the State had completed survey in around 20% of its villages using 100% new technology such as ETS (electronic total station) and DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System) and integrated its registration system with pre-mutation sketches so that maps did not get outdated in future. Yet to begin The survey was under way in some other villages, but there were nearly 1,100 villages where it was yet to begin. Instead of taking up the survey in the remaining villages in phases, Kerala should complete it at one go to prevent political and administrative risks associated with change of government. The Union government would provide funding, Mr. Joshi said. 'We are launching a new programme of taking up 20% of the country's agricultural land for a fresh survey as done through NAKSHA for urban areas,' he said. In India, separate databases were maintained for registration, buildings by local bodies, and land records. However, instead of three systems that communicated using application programming interface, an integrated system like in some European countries was being piloted in Tamil Nadu. The Union government was in talks with Chandigarh too to pilot it in some villages, he said. Kunal Satyarthi, Joint Secretary, Department of Land Resources, Government of India, and Thomas Harring, group executive vice president, Hexagon AB, spoke.
