Ramesh Babu is HT’s bureau chief in Kerala, with about three decades of experience in journalism.
Articles by Ramesh Babu
Karunakaran, Cong's headache
In or out of the party, Karunakaran continues to haunt the Congress. It is currently facing the dilemma of whether to readmit him or not, writes Ramesh Babu.
Updated on Mar 27, 2006 06:57 PM IST
None | Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
?I?m pleased with the God I?ve chosen but...?
Kamala Suraiya, famous poet and short story writer, says she regrets her decision to convert to Islam. But she is not giving up by reconverting to Hinduism.
Published on Feb 27, 2006 01:16 PM IST
None | Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
?I?m pleased with the God I?ve chosen but...?
Kamala Suraiya, famous poet and short story writer, says she regrets her decision to convert to Islam. But she is not giving up by reconverting to Hinduism.
Published on Feb 27, 2006 01:09 AM IST
None | Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Family pardons son?s killer
IN THE ultimate act of forgiveness, a family in Kerala has pardoned their son's assassin ? a Pakistani citizen on death row in the UAE. P.T. Murrath (21), a hotel employee in Al Ain, was murdered in a robbery-gone-awry on July 30, 1980. Two assailants, identified as Akthar Hussain (45) and Mustaq Sardar Khan (17), barged into the hotel to rob the inmates. Murrath bravely resisted them and was stabbed several times.
Published on Feb 11, 2006 01:35 AM IST
None | Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
It's feast time for Kerala fish
For two days, fishermen don't cast their nets to let the finned guests sup in peace, reports Ramesh Babu.
Published on Feb 06, 2006 12:56 PM IST
None | Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Tomato glut hits farmers
All these years, as appams strutted about as Kerala's best delicacy, its somewhat less-renowned cousin, the good old puttu, sulked.
Published on Jan 30, 2006 02:18 AM IST
None | Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Padmaja won?t do a Gowda Jr
With Gowda Jr K. Kumaraswamy finally coming of age and kicking up a storm in Karnataka, all eyes are now on Padmaja Venugopal, daughter of veteran leader K. Karunakaran.
Published on Jan 29, 2006 02:39 AM IST
None | Ramesh Babu
Artiste refuses to dance to social tunes
This month, Kalamandalam Hyder Ali passed away in renown as a superb Kathakali artiste. His life was a refutal of those who ridiculed him for taking to this "Hindu" art form more than thirty years ago.
Published on Jan 24, 2006 01:54 AM IST
None | Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Indian will keep his eye
NAUSHAD, AN Indian who was jailed in Saudi Arabia for damaging a Saudi national?s eye, will not have to pay with one of his own eyes for the offence. The Saudi man, whose eye he damaged, has pardoned him.
Published on Jan 23, 2006 12:49 AM IST
None | Ramesh Babu, Kollam
India haven for child sex tourism!
First-time visitors often find children within three to four days of arrival, delivered to their rooms as bellboys.
Updated on Jan 22, 2006 11:43 AM IST
None | Mayank Tewari, Ramesh Babu and Shevlin Sebastian, New Delhi/alleppy (kerala)/mumbai
The elephant king of Guruvayur
It's going to be a feast fit for a king. And the guest list is just as impressive ? ministers (three of them), royalty, movie stars and famous personalities.
Published on Jan 13, 2006 04:01 AM IST
None | Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Chill out in Kerala
Bureaucrats, celebrities and businessmen are all heading south to sun-kissed beaches, reports Ramesh Babu.
Published on Jan 10, 2006 02:55 AM IST
PTI | Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Chandy to go the Buddha way
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy claims he sleeps only three hours a day. But his 21-hour work schedule hasn?t fetched him many political dividends. However, he isn?t ready to dilute his development agenda. 'With IT, BT and tourism, we are in for a big leap. I keep telling my Left friends not to oppose development projects. The CPM should allow me to do what Buddhadeb Bhattacharya is doing in West Bengal,' he says. Excerpts from an interview with Ramesh Babu:
Published on Jan 08, 2006 12:02 AM IST
PTI | Ramesh Babu
Poll carrots in Kerala
With assembly polls round the corner, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has no time to waste, reports Ramesh Babu.
Published on Jan 07, 2006 05:24 PM IST
PTI | Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Chandy dangles poll carrots
Ommen Chandy is in a hurry. With assembly elections round the corner and a resurgent Left to tackle, the chief minister has no time to waste.
Published on Jan 07, 2006 02:56 AM IST
PTI | Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Caste cracks in Kerala
Red Kerala is bickering over caste. And proving that religion is still the opium of devout Marxists.
Published on Jan 04, 2006 01:02 AM IST
PTI | Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Chandy to go the Buddha way
Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy claims he sleeps only three hours a day. But his 21-hour work schedule hasn?t fetched him many political dividends. However, he isn?t ready to dilute his development agenda. Excerpts from an interview with Ramesh Babu:
Published on Jan 02, 2006 02:34 AM IST
PTI | Ramesh Babu
Foreign hands toil for a fair cause
Though the task is huge and made even more difficult by flashes of terror, help for the victims is pouring in from far-flung land, reports Ramesh Babu.
Published on Dec 24, 2005 04:13 AM IST
PTI | Ramesh Babu, Kollam (kerala)
Fulbright & promising at 20
While plucking leaves in the tea estates of Idukki, this child labourer would never have thought that he could make it big one day.
Published on Nov 19, 2004 10:09 AM IST
None | Ramesh Babu, T?puram
Fulbright & promising at 20
While plucking leaves in the tea estates of Idukki, this child labourer would never have thought that he could make it big one day.
Published on Nov 19, 2004 10:09 AM IST
PTI | Ramesh Babu, T?puram
Kerala school shuts door on HIV-positive children
When questioned, a teacher said: "Their days are numbered, what is the point in giving them education?"
Published on Jun 05, 2004 02:28 AM IST
PTI | Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala hardsells Lok Sabha elections to tourists
The leader of the tourism industry in India, Kerala, has come up with another innovative way of giving tourists a taste of Incredible India!
Updated on Apr 29, 2004 10:08 AM IST
PTI | Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram
Namesakes may spoil show
Political parties in Kerala are using an ingenious way to win votes. They are fielding one or more candidates with the same name as the rival candidate so that voters get confused.
Updated on Apr 26, 2004 07:29 PM IST
PTI | Ramesh Babu, T?puram
Grand old man who won?t quit
In politics, he is par excellence. At 86, Karunakaran is a hard nut to crack. What keeps the old fox ticking? Plenty of grit, a razor-sharp mind and a fit body. He scoffs at the rumour that he is ready to hang up his boots. He became a RS member in April.
Updated on Apr 17, 2004 06:34 PM IST
PTI | Ramesh Babu, Chalakudy, Kerala
The Royal ignore: Kerala raja not on voters? list
While ex-royals all over the country are in the thick of the political action, the former maharaja of Kozhikode doesn't have a vote.
Updated on Apr 06, 2004 02:22 AM IST
PTI | Ramesh Babu, T?puram