 "Guv vs govt, Vizhinjam violence, double murder stirred Kerala in 2022")
While unlocking from the pandemic-induced restrictions enlivened the public spaces and festival venues across Kerala where people thronged in camaraderie in 2022, the political space was hot with its wrangling, especially with the Governor-government tussle only getting intense.
The year saw the long-drawn differences between Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government deepen, and public resentment over a couple of mega infrastructure projects spilling out on to the streets to the discomfiture of the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front government (LDF).
A sensational double murder involving two women under suspicion of human sacrifice, in which three persons including a couple were arrested, shook the conscience of the Kerala society, known to be a progressive one.
The statements and actions of Governor Khan dominated the world of news in Kerala after he, in his capacity as Chancellor, opposed the alleged nepotism in appointments being made in state-run universities.
Khan, armed with a Supreme Court order quashing appointment of the vice-chancellor (VC) of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University here for being contrary to University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations, also sought resignations of heads of nine varsities under his command, creating a political storm in the state and crisis in the higher education sector.
Irked by Khan's move against the VCs, the Left government brought a bill to replace the Governor as the Chancellor of universities in the state and appoint eminent academicians in the top post.
The Kerala Assembly passed the University Laws (Amendment) Bill and sent it for the Governor's assent. All eyes are on Khan now, curious to know if he would give his stamp of approval to the LDF move aimed against him, when he returns to the state from north India in the first week of January, 2023.
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The political spectrum in Kerala also witnessed other tumultuous scenes this year including the resignation of state minister Saji Cheriyan from the cabinet over his alleged remarks against Constitution during a speech in Pathanamthitta district and the SilverLine (K-Rail) protests, supported by the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), panning out across Kerala.
The state government, facing massive state-wide protests, was forced to put on hold the ambitious project aiming to connect north and south Kerala through a semi high-speed rail line.
The fury of fishermen was also witnessed when the Latin Catholic church-led fishermen's protest against the international seaport at Thiruvananthapuram promoted by Adani Group took a wrong turn at the latter part of the year resulting in widespread violence, vandalism of the Vizhinjam police station and attacks on police personnel.
At least 3,000 people, including top priests of the Latin church, were booked in connection with the violence that stunned the southern state. The Church later withdrew from the agitation.
The gold smuggling case continued to haunt the LDF government after Swapna Suresh, a key accused in the case, made startling revelations against some powerful ruling politicians, their family members and a few top bureaucrats through her new book and a series of media interviews.
The 23rd party congress of the CPI(M) in April and the initial days of Bharat Jodo Yatra of the Congress party in September were other key political events of 2022 in the state, even as the candidacy of Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor for the post of AICC president evoked a lot of buzz in Kerala. He ultimately lost the battle to party veteran Mallikarjun Kharge.
Demise of senior political leaders like IUML chief Panakkad Sayed Hyderali Shihab Thangal and CPI(M) stalwart Kodiyeri Balakrishnan created a vacuum in the state's political arena.
Kerala witnessed two political murders within a span of 24 hours in Palakkad district, where an RSS leader was hacked to death in an afternoon by a bike-borne gang, which the police suspect to be a retaliation to the murder of a Popular Front of India (PFI) leader a day before.
The state witnessed the first political murder of the year on January 10 when 21-year-old Dheeraj, a Students Federation of India (SFI) activist, was stabbed to death at the Idukki Engineering College allegedly by Youth Congress activists.
A gangrape of a model by four youngsters inside a moving vehicle in Kochi was also reported in 2022.
Kerala, which reported the first Covid case in India back in 2020, had another first not-so-proud achievement when it recorded India's maiden death due to monkeypox. A 22-year-old man, who had travelled to the state from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), succumbed to the disease.
Stray dog menace became deadly in Kerala with numerous cases being reported and a few deaths were reported allegedly due to rabies infection, creating panic among the public.
African Swine Fever, Avian flu are among the diseases resulting in culling of livestock including pigs and ducks in the state, affecting the farming community.
The PFI hartal of September 23, following raids in its offices across the country resulted in widespread violence across the state after which the Kerala high court directed the state government to recover the damage to public property from the officer-bearers and accused in the case.
A slew of actors and directors had a brush with the law this year in various cases including rape, cheating and verbal abuse.
Malayalam filmmaker Sanal Kumar Sasidharan was arrested on a complaint filed by actress Manju Warrier on charges of blackmailing her and maligning her reputation via social media.
Actor Dharmajan Bolgatty, known for his comic and satirical roles, was booked along with 10 others for allegedly duping Rs 43 lakh from a man as part of a business partnership.
Producer and actor Vijay Babu, facing a probe in the case of alleged rape of an actress, was also arrested and later let off on bail by the Kochi city police.
Actor Sreenath Bhasi was booked for allegedly hurling abusive words at a woman journalist during an interview but "the matter was settled" between them.