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{{Year in Kerala}}

Events in the year '''2008''' in '''Kerala'''.

== Incumbents ==

[[List of governors of Kerala|Governor of Kerala]] -

* [[R.L. Bhatia]] (till July),
* [[R. S. Gavai]] (from July)

[[List of chief ministers of Kerala|Chief minister of Kerala]] -

* [[V. S. Achuthanandan]]

== Events ==

* January 30 - Kerala cabinet directs [[Chief secretary (India)|Chief secretary]] to submit an enquiry report on the controversial 70-acre HMT Land Deal that had taken place in October 2006 between [[HMT (company)|HMT]] and Mumbai-based HDIL.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Reporter|first=B. S.|date=2008-01-31|title=HMT Kerala land deal under scanner|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/hmt-kerala-land-deal-under-scanner-108013101044_1.html|access-date=2022-01-28}}</ref> There are allegations that the land which costs 700 crore was sold at a highly discounted price of 91 crores to HDIL's subsidiary Blue Star Realtors.<ref>{{Cite news|agency=Press Trust of India|date=2009-08-11|title=Kerala HC ratifies HMT land sale|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/kerala-hc-ratifies-hmt-land-sale-109081103016_1.html|access-date=2022-01-28}}</ref>
* February 6 - Forceful eviction of poor families from [[Moolampilly]] for [[Vembanad Rail Bridge]] to [[International Container Transshipment Terminal, Kochi]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-02-06|title=13 years on, dark day still haunts evictees at Moolampilly|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/13-years-on-dark-day-still-haunts-evictees-at-moolampilly/article30748577.ece|access-date=2022-01-28|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* February 26 - In an affidavit placed before [[Kerala High Court]], [[Government of Kerala]] submits that HMT land deal is legal.<ref>{{Cite web|title=HMT land sale legal, says State government |url=http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/content/46531/hmt-land-sale-legal-says-state-government/|access-date=2022-01-28|website=www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in}}</ref>
* February 28 - [[British Council, India|British Council Library]], [[Thiruvananthapuram]] closes down.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-10-30 |title=The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : British Library closes down |url=http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/01/stories/2008030157390300.htm |access-date=2022-01-28 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030063601/http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/01/stories/2008030157390300.htm |archive-date=30 October 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* February - [[United Democratic Front (Kerala)|UDF]] raises corruption allegations against [[Elamaram Kareem]] and [[K. P. Rajendran]] over sale of 70 acres of land held by [[HMT Limited]] at [[Kalamassery]] to a [[Mumbai]] based realtor firm Blue Star Realtors a subsidiary of HDIL for building a Rs. 4000 crore Cyber City project during October 2006. This land is valued at Rs. 700 crores and teh deal took place for 91 crores.<ref>{{Cite web |last=TwoCircles.net |date=2008-02-08 |title=Kerala ministers under scanner in land scam |url=https://twocircles.net/2008feb08/kerala_ministers_under_scanner_land_scam.html |access-date=2025-12-29 |website=TwoCircles.net |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=TwoCircles.net |date=2008-02-26 |title=Kerala opposition walks out over Cyber City deal |url=https://twocircles.net/2008feb26/kerala_opposition_walks_out_over_cyber_city_deal.html |access-date=2025-12-29 |website=TwoCircles.net |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-02-07 |title=Left lands a scam |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/states/story/20080218-left-lands-a-scam-735332-2008-02-07 |access-date=2025-12-29 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=archive |first=From our online |date=2012-05-15 |title=HC upholds HMT land sale |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2009/Aug/12/hc-upholds-hmt-land-sale-76893.html |access-date=2025-12-29 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-05-25 |title=HMT land sale to NIA to be complete by June |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/hmt-land-sale-to-nia-to-be-complete-by-june/article18575387.ece |access-date=2025-12-29 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* June - [[T. P. Chandrasekharan]] forms [[Revolutionary Marxist Party]] at [[Onchiam]] after getting expelled from [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)|CPI(M)]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kerala: Rebels throw CPI(M) out of power in its bastion |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/latest-headlines/story/kerala-rebels-throw-cpim-out-of-power-in-its-bastion-35437-2008-12-18 |access-date=2023-10-12 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref>
* July 17 - [[Government of Kerala|The government of Kerala]] revises the [[Social science]] textbook for 7th standard students in the state following controversy over a chapter named "''Mathamillatha Jeevan"'' which was accused of promoting [[Atheism]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lessons from a Kerala textbook |url=https://www.rediff.com/news/2008/jul/16guest2.htm |access-date=2023-02-18 |website=www.rediff.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kerala textbook row: Govt to remove controversial portions |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/kerala-textbook-row-govt-to-remove-controversial-portions/336968/ |access-date=2023-02-18 |website=archive.indianexpress.com}}</ref>
* July 18 - A group of [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] workers under the leadership of M.R. Murali leaves party to form Jankeeya Vikasana Samithi in [[Palakkad district]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Disgruntled reds leave the fold to throw a party |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/2011/sep/18/disgruntled-reds-leave-the-fold-to-throw-a-party-291943.html |access-date=2023-10-12 |website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>
* August 12 - ''Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008'' came into effect. This act prevents conversion of paddy land through landfilling.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sudhi |first=K. S. |date=2022-05-14 |title=An Act at a crossroads |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/an-act-at-a-crossroads/article65404448.ece |access-date=2023-11-08 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* September 10 - Five youngsters were recruited and sent from [[Kerala]] to take part in [[Kashmir militancy]] by alleged affiliates of [[Lashkar-e-Taiba]] active in the state.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Terrorists for Hire |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/nation/story/national-investigation-agency-reveals-kerala-emerging-as-terror-hub-129704-2011-03-11 |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref>
* October 7 - Two [[Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir|militants]] named Abdul Raheem and Muhammad Fayaz hailing from [[Kannur district]] and [[Malappuram district]] killed in an encounter in [[Lolab Valley]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kerala's youths have links with terrorists in J&K: Police |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/latest-headlines/story/keralas-youths-have-links-with-terrorists-in-j-k-police-33578-2008-11-18 |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref>
* October 10 - Two [[Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir|militants]] named Muhammad Yassin and Faizal from [[Kannur district|Kannur]] and [[Ernakulam district|Ernakulam districts]] of [[Kerala]] killed in an encounter in the [[Kupwara district]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kerala’s Emergence as a Terror Hub: Repeated Warnings Ignored |url=https://idsa.in/idsastrategiccomments/KeralasEmergenceasaTerrorHub_AVKumar_111108 |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=idsa.in}}</ref>
* November 13 - [[Kerala Police]] seized 125 [[Bomb|Country Bomb]] from [[Panoor]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2008-11-13 |title=125 crude bombs seized in Kannur |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/125-crude-bombs-seized-in-kannur/articleshow/3709536.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2024-04-24 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref>
* December 4 - nine schoolchildren were killed and twelve injured in a road accident at [[Perumannu]], when a [[Mahindra Major|Jeep]] hit the children as they were on their way home from school. One of the injured victims died a few days later, raising the death toll to 10 children
* December 17 - [[Kerala State Road Transport Corporation]] introduces [[Volvo Buses]] in the [[Thiruvananthapuram]] – [[Bangalore]] route.<ref>{{Cite web |title=KSRTC flags off new Garuda buses |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/2008/dec/18/ksrtc-flags-off-new-garuda-buses-11624.html |access-date=2022-05-02 |website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>

== Deaths ==

* January 29 - [[Baby John]], 90, politician and [[Revolutionary Socialist Party (India)|Revolutionary Socialist Party]] leader.
* May 15 - [[Henry Austin (Indian politician)|Henry Austin, Indian politician and diplomat]], 88.

== See also ==

* [[History of Kerala]]
* [[2008 in India]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Commons category-inline}}

[[Category:2000s in Kerala]]

2008 in Kerala - Revision history

Tox Digital at 01:56, 30 December 2025