Wayanad landslide was the worst that hit Kerala in 2024. It was also the year when the state sent its first BJP MP from Thrissur. A political rebellion was staged by P V Anvar as he took on top cops and Kerala's Chief Minister. Hema Committee report was made public exposing the ugly side of Malayalam film industry. Tragic deaths of two individuals — Anna Sebastian, a young chartered accountant, and ADM Naveen Babu, a public servant left Keralites shaken. Onmanorama chooses to call 2024 "The Year of Upheaval" given the way it churned Kerala's political,social and environmental landscape. The year has changed the way we live and think. This is the first part of Onmanorama's yearender series 'The Year of Upheaval.'
Read other parts here: Part 2: When the earth gave way: The Wayanad landslide and grim warnings for Kerala.
Part 3: P V Anvar made quite a fuss, was it all for nothing?

This article delves into the two deaths that shocked Kerala and the nation; Anna Sebastian’s death due to workplace pressure and Naveen Babu’s death allegedly caused by political interference. Both the deaths laid bare deeply ingrained issues in both public and corporate sectors.

Bribe, honesty and death
A row erupted over the alleged suicide of Naveen Babu due to allegations of graft and political interference in administrative machinery. For his family, it was a question of his integrity. As per the court documents, the family argued that for a man his integrity was more precious than his life and an honest man was forced to take his own life. While former panchayat president P P Divya reiterated that she was only trying to expose a wrongdoing, it raised questions about the attempts of the state government in ensuring a transparent file-tracking system and proper platforms to raise grievances regarding corruption. The death also exposed the challenges faced by the government employees in terms of dealing with unwanted political coercion and in not being able to do their job freely.

Does it cost a life to prove at work
Anna's death sparked a debate across the nation in September, almost two months after she had died of cardiac arrest. A heartfelt letter by her mother, Anita Augustine, to the EY India Chairman Rajiv Memani was stinging and painful. 'She was a fighter to the core, she didn't complain, she was too kind for that', Anna's mother wrote in the letter.

The letter blew the lid off extreme work pressure and toxic environments in corporate India. A flurry of similar concerns surfaced about the glorification of overwork and stressful career.

How effective are the Complaint Redressal Mechanisms
The four new labour codes; the Industrial Relations Code, the Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions Code, the Social Security Code, and the Wages Code are meant to simplify labor laws. However lack of clarity on certain provisions raises concerns, particularly when it comes to enforcing decisions made by grievance committees and providing protections for employees.

Senior officials and retired bureaucrats stress the need for an effective mechanism to help employees deal with job stress. Often, they are forced to rely upon each other. The officials said that there should be a system that has to be integrated with capacity building, which can be achieved by constituting a panel of accredited counsellors. Naveen Babu's family has approached the High Court seeking a CBI probe, which clearly underlines their lack of trust in the special investigation team constituted for the probe.

Unanswered questions and way ahead
The state government has come under flak for lack of transparency in handling the probe into the death of Naveen Babu. The departmental probe report on his death is yet to be made public. The SIT has been slammed for not collecting evidence and statements crucial to the progress of the investigation. The government has not even established whether the bribe complaint is fake or genuine. The mystery has only deepened with the family claiming that the possibility of a homicidal hanging cannot be ruled out in the death of Naveen Babu.

In Anna’s case, despite the Ministry of Labour ordering a probe, the lack of transparency about the investigation’s progress raises concerns about its effectiveness. The present generation clearly calls for a work-life balance and asserts the need for stringent legislation to ensure a stress-free working environment in all sectors.
Read other parts here: Part 2: When the earth gave way: The Wayanad landslide and grim warnings for Kerala.
Part 3: P V Anvar made quite a fuss, was it all for nothing?