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Chennai woman electrocuted to death as overhead cable snaps, angry residents protest

November 26, 2019, 9:24 pm
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Accident
34-year-old Kaveri was waiting on the road to see her sons off to school when the tragic incident happened.
TNM Staff
Tuesday morning turned out to be tragic for a family in Chennai’s Redhills area. 34-year-old Kaveri of Bhavani Nagar in Redhills was electrocuted when an overhead high tension cable snapped and fell on her while she was waiting on the road to see her sons off to school. Her elder son Surya Prakash (9) and her mother-in-law Padmavathy (62) suffered burns in the incident and are currently undergoing treatment at Government Stanley Hospital. Her younger son Rithesh (7) escaped unhurt. The incident angered residents of the area, following which protests were held blaming Electricity Board for negligence. Puzhal police on Tuesday registered a case and have initiated an inquiry into the accident. Shocked residents immediately alerted Electricity Board officials after which power was suspended in the area temporarily. Kaveri, Padmavathy and Surya Prakash were immediately rushed to Padianallur Government Hospital where Kaveri was declared brought dead. Padmavathy and Surya Prakash were later shifted to Government Stanley Hospital for further treatment. Soon after information of the incident spread, enraged residents staged protests blaming Electricity Board and demanded immediate action to ensure people’s safety. According to Times of India, residents gathered at the spot of the accident, blocking traffic on Redhills-Sothupakkam junction and on Kolkata highway on Tuesday. Soon, Puzhal assistant commissioner Ravi and Tangedco officials held talks with protestors, promising to fix power cables and electricity poles in the area. In September this year, Dheena Senthil, a 14-year-old boy, was electrocuted to death after coming in contact with an exposed live wire in Dhanam Nagar, near the old post office in Chennai’s Mugalivakkam neighbourhood. Two days later, a 42-year-old driver in Chitlapakkam was electrocuted to death when an electric pole in his neighbourhood collapsed on him. Both incidents gained immediate attention and angered people over the government’s civic apathy. 
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TN govt schools to allot one period every week for spoken English classes

November 26, 2019, 11:41 pm
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Education
The announcement was made by the School Education Department in Tamil Nadu.
TNM Staff
Image for Representation
Starting January next year, government schools in Tamil Nadu will dedicate one period every week to enhance the spoken English skills of its students. The announcement was made by the School Education Department. Tamil Nadu State Council for Educational Research and Training (TNSCERT), with help from experts and teachers, has prepared training modules that will be released on Wednesday by Minister for School Education, Youth Welfare and Sports Development KA Sengottaiyan. Teachers will be trained on how to use these modules next month, for which the State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT) has prepared handbooks. Videos for teaching will also be uploaded soon on the Tamil Nadu Teachers’ Platform and Kalvi Tholaicatchi, the television channel run by the government for education. According to reports, weekly once, a 90-minute class will be set aside for spoken English for students of classes 1 to 5 in panchayat union schools and government schools. For students from classes 6 to 9, weekly sessions will be held for 45 minutes. According to an order sent to all chief educational officers, spoken English classes must involve teaching and activity-based learning. Tamil Nadu introduced English as a medium of instruction in its government schools in the academic year 2012-13. In line with this scheme, most government schools in the state have separate English medium sections in their schools, in parallel with the Tamil medium sections. However, even nine years after introducing the scheme, several experts pointed out that the state lacked the process to prepare teachers. TNM had reported how many teachers, who have been teaching their subjects in Tamil for years, had to make a sudden switch to English, that too, without sufficient training. Read: TN started English medium in govt schools – but has it done enough to equip teachers? Earlier this month, Andhra Pradesh government announced that it will introduce English as a medium of education in all the government-run schools from next academic year for classes 1 to 8, and then for classes 9 and 10 from the academic year 2021-22 onwards. In Karnataka, English-medium classes in government schools were started on a pilot basis last year. 
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32-year-old TN woman allegedly gangraped by 5 while returning from grocery run

November 27, 2019, 12:04 am
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Crime
In addition to the gangrape, four accused have been charged with murder for beating to death a member of the gang over whose turn it was to rape the woman.
Priyanka Thirumurthy
(Left: Murdered member of gang; Right: 4 arrested men)
Four men from Neyveli in Cuddalore district have been arrested for the brutal gangrape of a 32-year-old woman on Friday evening. In addition to the gangrape, they have been charged with murder, for beating to death a member of the gang over turns to rape the woman. The survivor is a widow and mother of three from Neyveli. She was returning from a grocery run with a relative on a bike when he stopped on the way to relieve himself. The five were in the vicinity drinking and spotted the woman standing alone. They immediately approached and began to harass her. When the relative attempted to stop them, he was assaulted and chased away. The woman was then dragged away to a secluded spot and gangraped. During the course of the crime, the men allegedly got into a tussle over whose turn it was to rape the survivor and beat to death M Prakash, who was allegedly committing the crime with them. They later abandoned the women at the spot and left. When the survivor gained consciousness she managed to make her way to the police station to file a complaint. She was then taken for a medical examination. Speaking to TNM, Neyveli Thermal Station Inspector S Latha says, “All four accused have been arrested and sent to prison on Saturday. Two cases of rape and murder has been filed on them. The five who raped the woman were all friends.” The accused have been identified as S Karthik (23), M Satish Kumar (23), C Rajadurai (25) and A Sivabalan (22). The deceased has been identified as M Prakash (26). "They are under judicial custody. Their immediate arrest was crucial to ensure that there is a sense of fear over committing such crimes. What can a woman do if a simple act of buying groceries and coming home leads to such a situation?" asks the inspector. "The accused are all daily wage workers." 
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TN govt to give Rs 1,000 + gift hamper to rice ration card holders this Pongal

November 27, 2019, 1:08 am
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Announcement
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami said the Pongal gift is part of efforts to mitigate the sufferings of farmers who faced widespread drought last year.
Manasa Rao
The Tamil Nadu government has announced that the state will provide a cash gift of Rs 1,000 and a gift hamper to all rice ration card holders in the state on account of Pongal festival. A Government Order (GO) was passed in this regard on Wednesday by the Cooperation, Food and Consumer Protection Department. Speaking at the inaugural function of the newly-created Kallakurichi district on Tuesday, Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami had said, “Last year, the state has faced a widespread drought. In a bid to mitigate the sufferings of farmers and other sections, the government has announced Rs 1000 as cash support for each rice card holder.” “This year, the state has witnessed copious rains, but farmers have spent the money available with them to buy agricultural implements. The government wants the people to celebrate the Tamil festival of Pongal joyfully, and has decided to distribute the Pongal gift for all rice cardholders this year too,” the chief minister added, referring to the similar bonanza offered in January 2019, where all ration card holders were to be gifted Rs 1000. The move was critiqued for it was announced just three months before the Lok Sabha polls. The gift hamper this year will also consist of 1 kg of raw rice, 1 kg of sugar, two-feet-long sugarcane stick, a pack containing each 20 grams of cashew nuts, raisins, and 5 grams of cardamom. The Commissioner of Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection had stated that there were 2,05,25,337 (over two crore) rice and sugar cards in circulation. The cash gift and hamper are set to cost the exchequer a total of Rs 2245.85 crore. The breakdown of this is as follows: raw rice is for Rs 54.32 crore; sugar for 92.65 crore; sugarcane (inclusive of transportation) worth Rs 29.26 crore; cashews, raisins and cardamom (inclusive of transportation) for Rs 78.02 crore; cloth bags worth Rs 39.01 crore; and cash support amounting to Rs 1950.59 crore.
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Coimbatore man drowns while filming TikTok video in pond with his bull

November 27, 2019, 1:13 am
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Death
The man and his friends were encouraged by the views their previous video on TikTok featuring his bull received and wanted to make more such videos.
Megha Kaveri
The craze for popularity on TikTok app has claimed yet another life, this time in Coimbatore. A 22-year-old youth drowned in a pond while filming a TikTok video with his bull. According to the police, the incident happened on November 21 around afternoon. Vigneswaran, a resident of Rayarpalayam near Karumathampatty in Coimbatore district, is a bull enthusiast and owned many bulls in his house. He prepares the bulls to participate in rekla races and jallikattu events across the state. He was also popular on the entertainment mobile application TikTok for uploading short videos featuring the bulls and himself. On Wednesday, November 20, he and his friends Parameswaran, Buvaneswaran and Madhavan had gone to a pond in Vadugapalayam to take bath and wash his bull. They had uploaded the video on Thursday and received over 1,000 views, which prompted them to do another video and upload it. Encouraged by the ‘views’ on the video, the men went to the pond again on Thursday, to repeat the stunt. The latest video uploaded by Vigneswaran in his TikTok page six days ago shows a bull jumping inside the water, trying to shake off a man who was sitting on it. Coimbatore Youngster Attempts to do Tik Tok with Bull, Ends up Losing Life ! pic.twitter.com/vp3AninIb6 — Jeno M Cryspin (@JenoMCryspin) November 23, 2019 While Vigneswaran was on the bull, his friends were standing a little away, filming it. Suddenly, the bull got disturbed and moved to a deeper area in the pond, throwing Vigneswaran off its back. Seeing this, Vigneswaran’s friends tried to reach him and help but couldn’t due to the water’s depth. Vigneswaran, who did not know swimming, drowned to his death in the pond. The Fire and Rescue Services personnel and the police, who were alerted by the friends, rushed to the spot and fished out Vigneswaran from the pond. His body has been sent for autopsy to the Government Hospital in Coimbatore. The police have registered an FIR in the incident. The bull, however, seems to have escaped unhurt.  Earlier in 2019, a 24-year-old woman killed herself on TikTok allegedly because her husband scolded her for using the app and uploading videos. According to reports, Anitha, the woman who killed herself, was advised by her husband to quit TikTok app and following this, she killed herself while filming the act on TikTok. 
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Soon, street performances to be a regular affair in Chennai's Pedestrian Plaza?

November 27, 2019, 1:18 am
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Music
As part of Chennai’s Smart City Project, the city Corporation is encouraging events put together by young artists and this stretch is expected to see more live performances.
Anjana Shekar
A group of youngsters strumming and tuning their guitars on the newly inaugurated Pedestrian Plaza in Pondy Bazaar drew a few curious looks. When the mics and speakers were being set up outside Kairasi Store, a small crowd began gathering. On Sunday, many unassuming shoppers at Panangal Park in T Nagar, Chennai were in for a sweet surprise. As part of Chennai’s Smart City Project, the city Corporation is encouraging events put together by young artists and such performances are expected to become a regular affair on this stretch soon. Speaking to TNM, Arjun Madhavan of Unwind Centre who brought together the performers that evening says, “This performance is more of a promotion for an upcoming event called the Road to Global Isai Festival (GIF) that will be held at YMCA in Nandanam on November 30 and December 1. We are making use of this opportunity to promote our show and to introduce Chennai folks to the idea of street busking, a concept that’s pretty well known in the West.” Passers-by were handed out pamphlets as musicians continued entertaining.  Although a Chennai Corporation initiative, Arjun shares that the idea is still very new to the city. “We had no hassles in receiving permission to perform but since this also involves different departments, it might take some time getting used to.” Ranjana, who is also part of GIF’s organising team adds, “The Road to GIF will have many local talents perform and the event itself is a precursor to the main event that will be held in February next year. This is the first time we have planned for a pre-show event.” Global Isai Festival, conceptualised by Exodus and launched in 2012 in Chennai, is an annual affair that will showcase Indian and international artistes. The opening act on Sunday was by the two-member Tamil indie band Othasevuru. Tharun and Pravekha who began with a small story soon involving a crow soon had the audience tapping their feet and clapping to their music. Others who performed that evening included Devoid, Abijith, Yogi and Voltage B. Chaithan, a resident of Kolathur who had come to shop at Pondy Bazaar on Sunday paused briefly along with his friend to enjoy the music on his way back home. “This seems like a very interesting idea and should be encouraged,” he says. For 47-year-old Muregasan from Madurai who had just moved to Chennai to work at a hotel in the area a couple of weeks ago, the evening was a fascinating experience. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” he quickly tells us even while his eyes are fixed on the performers.  Devi, a resident of Gerugambakkam, who had come to shop at Pondy Bazaar along with her family, is excited for her son to experience live music for the very first time. “I’ve not experienced live music before, neither have my children. It is very nice to see them enjoying it,” she adds, holding the hands of her 8-year-old son, Lokesh. Not just the adults, the evening turned out to be a treat for children as well. Sisters Pooja and Poorna from West Mambalam, who were enjoying the performances along with their mother, nod with shy smiles when we ask them if they’d like to perform in public someday too. Updates on upcoming events can be tracked on Chennai Smart City Limited’s Twitter page.
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‘Take action against Bhagyaraj’: AP Women's Commission Chairperson to TN counterpart

November 27, 2019, 1:51 am
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Misogyny
The veteran actor-director had made misogynistic remarks against women, suggesting that they invite men to sexually assault them by their behaviour.
TNM Staff
After actor-director K Bhagyaraj said in a speech, at a film promotion event, that women invite men to sexually assault them by their behaviour, Andhra Pradesh Women's Commission Chairperson Vasireddy Padma has written to the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women, urging legal action against the director for his reprehensible, misogynistic statements. Vasireddy Padma, in her letter addressed to the Chairperson of the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women, said that Bhagyaraj had made “sheer general comments quoting one or two instances” which had hurt the feelings of women activists, women's organisations, the Women's Commission and the government's efforts. She has urged the Chairperson of the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women to take up the issue at the “highest levels of Government and Judiciary  and see that appropriate action is initiated against Bhagyaraj.” Speaking at the audio launch of a film titled Karuthukalai Pathivu Sei, which is reportedly on how a woman is duped by people she meets through social media, the veteran actor-director in a classic victim-blaming statement said, “Oosi idam kudukaama nool nozhayadhu (the thread won’t enter if the needle doesn't give it space to do so). Even if it is said in a comic vein, that is the truth. It’s only because you women give space that there is an opportunity for mistakes. How can you always just blame boys?” Encouraged by the applause and cheers, he went on to add, “If a man makes a mistake, he will meander and come back. If women make a mistake in such issues, it will become a huge mistake. If a man has a chinna veedu (a mistress), he will do anything for the chinna veedu, giving money, etc. He will not disturb the periya veedu (wife). If you see in the newspapers about a woman having a kalla kadhalan (secret lover) then you will read that they killed their husband or child. That is why women need to be under control.” Karuthukalai Pathivu Sei is said to be inspired by the Pollachi sexual assault and extortion case that shook Tamil Nadu in February this year. Speaking about the Pollachi incident, he said, “The boys are not the only ones responsible. You have a weakness and he has correctly used it. If what he did is a big mistake then you have also created an opportunity for that (to take place). That only is a very big mistake.” Read: 'How can you always blame boys?': Director Bhagyaraj's 'genius' thoughts on rape
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Trouble for Kangana's 'Thalaivi'? Court gives Jaya's niece Deepa permission to sue

November 27, 2019, 3:23 am
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Court
In early November, Deepa had moved the Madras High Court stating that she was the legal heir of the former AIADMK chief and that filmmakers did not have the legal right to produce a movie on the life of Jayalalithaa.
Priyanka Thirumurthy
The niece of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was granted permission by the Madras High Court on Tuesday to file a civil suit against the filmmakers of Thalaivi, the film based on the life of her deceased aunt. This would mean that Deepa can now file a case against Director AL Vijay, who is making the feature film starring Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut, as well as other movies on Jayalalithaa in the pipeline. In early November, Deepa had moved the Madras High Court stating that she was the legal heir of the former AIADMK chief and that filmmakers did not have the legal right to produce a movie on the life of Jayalalithaa. She further contended that the movie may affect her aunt's and, by extension, her family's privacy. She alleged that the filmmakers intended to release the film for their commercial and monetary benefitsa, and without the consent of the legal heirs. Along with AL Vijay, who is making the film both in Hindi and Tamil, director Gautham Vasudev Menon, too, has proposed a web series on Jayalalithaa, titled Queen and starring Ramya Krishnan. Deepa had filed a composite plea opposing both. According to reports, neither AL Vijay nor his producer Vishnu Vardhan had denied making the film. Gautham Menon, meanwhile, despite not being a party to the application, filed a detailed counter affidavit and opposed Deepa's plea. He reportedly filed a counter-affidavit and opposed the idea of a composite suit in the matter, as his web series was purely based on Jayalalithaa's biography. Meanwhile, on November 23, AL Vijay released the first look of Thalaivi with Kangana portraying both the yesteryear cine star version of Jayalalithaa and her role as the state's most powerful leader. Along with the poster, a short teaser of a scene from Vennira Aadai, shot in 1964, too was re-enacted. Jayalalithaa had played the role of Shobha opposite actor Sreekanth, who came to be known 'Vennira Aadai Sreekanth' following the success of the movie. Deepa has said in the court that she wants the entire script to be submitted to her and that her explicit permission should be sought to make the content.   
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At Rs 120 per kg for onions, TN turns to rationing, abstinence and more

November 27, 2019, 4:08 am
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Price rise
The retail selling price of big onions in Chennai’s vegetable markets stood at around Rs 120 per kilogram on Wednesday, a 150% hike in one month.
Megha Kaveri
Image for representation/PTI
A trip to a vegetable market in Chennai will leave your wallet a little lighter with the price of vegetables, especially onions soaring over the last few days.  ‘Ballary’ onion or big onion is a favorite in most food items made in Tamil households, especially in non-vegetarian dishes. However, the recent price rise has forced people to desist from buying onions. The city’s retail markets have been selling big onions at Rs 120 per kilogram. The rate is high when considering the fact that on October 27, the selling price of one kilogram of big onions was Rs 48.  That’s a jump of 150% in just a month. This unprecedented price increase of the vegetable is changing appetites in Chennai’s households and hotels. While many have started rationing the quantity of onions used in their daily consumption, many others have started searching for dishes which do not need onion as an ingredient. A lot of them have also started hunting for places where they can buy onions at a bargain.  Speaking to TNM, Dheeraj B, a software professional in Chennai recommends self-rationing as a way out of burning a deep hole in one’s pockets. “We are buying half a kilo where we usually buy one kilo of onions,” he says, adding that avoiding dishes that involve a lot of onions is also something he and his wife follow to tide over the price rise.  For Baskar*, a Chennai-based content writer, the way out of the crisis is to buy higher quantities of onions from wholesale market and store it. “Even then it costs about Rs 60 per kg. The meat-eaters in the apartment are the one who are suffering a lot. They save their onions and garlic for weekend alone,” he says. He also points out that hotels and roadside shops have started to reduce the quantity of onions used in the food sold, in order to protect their profits. “We don’t get enough onions in omelets or burjies these days,” he adds. Hotels using less onions in dishes R Srinivasan, Secretary of Tamil Nadu Hotels Association told TNM that the restaurants across the state have been affected by the steep prices of onions in the market and hence have reduced the use of the vegetable in the dishes. “We have requested the government to intervene and stop the hike in onion prices and hope that the government will do the needful at the earliest. Meanwhile, we are not contemplating an increase in the prices of food items sold in hotels. We are expecting the prices to fall soon,” he said.  Floods in Maharashtra a major cause According to an official from the Tamil Nadu’s Department of Agriculture, the state does not have prominent belts that produce big onions. “We have massive quantities of small onions coming in from Trichy-Ariyalur-Perambalur belt and Tirunelveli belt, but for big onions, we are substantially dependent on Maharashtra,” he says.  The massive floods in Maharashtra have caused a drastic fall in the output of onions, which has pumped up the prices. “The demand is increasing day by day. But the supply is not matching up to it, mainly due to the floods. Hence the price has shot up,” says the official. He also adds that onions need complete dryness from sowing to harvesting and hence floods will affect the growth itself adversely.  However, the official says that the price fluctuation is seasonal and hence it will get back to normal in a few days’ time.  *Name changed upon request
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IIT-M student Fathima Latheef’s laptop handed over for forensic examination

November 27, 2019, 5:41 am
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Probe
Meanwhile the students of IIT-M have formed a Joint Action Committee to press for reforms in connection with structural issued faced by students within the campus.
Megha Kaveri
Days after Fathima Latheef was found dead inside her hostel room in Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M), her family was in Chennai on Wednesday and met senior police officers. Speaking to TNM, Fathima’s family friend Shameer said they had also met the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, who has assured a fair probe into the issue. “At every level, the ministers know the seriousness of the issue and hence we feel they are attentive to our problems,” he said. As on Wednesday, the family has handed over Fathima’s laptop to the investigating authorities for forensic examination. “We have handed over her laptop and password to the police. We are now awaiting forensic examination results. It will take time,” he added. He also said that the police have met and questioned all the professors named by Fathima Latheef in her notes. Fathima Latheef, a 19-year-old humanities student in IIT-M killed herself in the IIT-M campus on November 9. Her suicide prompted widespread outrage across the country as she had allegedly named a few professors in her notes, typed in her mobile phone. The government of Tamil Nadu, following protests, handed over the case to the Central Crime Branch led by former CBI officer C Eswaramoorthy, who is also the Additional Commissioner of Central Crime Branch. Members of Parliament from Tamil Nadu and Kerala had also raised the issue of suicides in institutions like the IITs and IIMs across the country and had sought probe into the deaths, apart from seeking justice for Fathima Latheef’s death. Meanwhile, the students of IIT-M have formed a Joint Action Committee (JAC) seeking justice for Fathima Latheef’s death.  Formed after a meeting with the Director of the Institute on November 21, the JAC’s major goal would be to ensure that structural issues faced by the students within the campus are rightfully addressed. The committee will soon be releasing its agenda. 
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TN cops discover ganja crop being grown in agricultural field, arrest two

November 27, 2019, 6:54 pm
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Crime
This comes just days after the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) JK Tripathy pointed out that ganja consumption had increased in the state.
TNM Staff
(Image for representation)
The Narcotics Intelligence Bureau-Criminal Investigation Department (NIB-CID) on Wednesday arrested two men from Karur district in Tamil Nadu for growing ganja plants in the middle of an agricultural plot. In the seven acre field, a certain portion was used to grow ganja, reports ToI. Two people were arrested in connection with the crime. According to TNIE, the plot had 250 kg of ganja ready for harvest and was worth Rs.12.4 lakh. The raid was carried out by a seven member NIB-CID team and local police. The lands reportedly belongs to Zahir Hussain who resides in Bengaluru. ToI states that he had leased the land out to a man named Arunachalam from Theni district. Arunachalam along with his father-in-law Thangavel have been arrested. Police are also looking out for Hussain. The team of officials reportedly destroyed 70% of the ganja crop they found. This comes just days after the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) JK Tripathy pointed out that ganja consumption had increased on the state. On Monday, the Southern Regional Police Coordination Committee meeting of officers heading the Narcotic Enforcement Wings was convened by the state Narcotic Intelligence Bureau. Police officers from all southern states were present in the meeting. Delivering a speech at the venue, the DGP said that ganja consumption has increased in the state and stressed on preventive measures to thwart youngsters from getting trapped in this menace. According to The Hindu, Shakeel Akhter, Additional Director General of Police, Crime, requested the southern regional officers to  take effective steps to form a 'narcotics-free South India'. Officers discussed the need to create a common platform to pass on information about the drug trade and also discussed the use of online platforms to peddle drugs.   
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Melavalavu massacre: 13 convicts prohibited from entering village, to stay in Vellore

November 27, 2019, 7:04 pm
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Court
The convicts have been directed by the court to submit their passports and have to appear before the Vellore district probation officer on every second and fourth Sunday.
Priyanka Thirumurthy
Three weeks following their release, the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has directed the 13 convicts in the Melavalavu massacre case to refrain from entering the village in Madurai where the lived and committed the crime. Instead, they have been instructed to stay in Vellore till a petition challenging their early release is disposed of. An interim order passed by the bench of Justices Vaidhyanathan and Anand Venkatesan stated that the released convicts would have to move to Vellore till the case is underway and have to give their contact details to the office of the Superintendent of police in both Vellore and Madurai. They have been directed by the court to submit their passports and have to appear before the Vellore district probation officer on every second and fourth Sunday. They should further appear before the Vellore SP on every first and third Sunday. No meetings or public events are to be held by the convicts or the petitioner himself. The directives were given by court based on a petition by Rathinam, who had alleged that the convicts were released prematurely without considering the disturbance to public order that will be caused. The 13 people from the Thevar community, who were released, were amongst 17 residents of the village who had murdered six Dalit men on June 30, 1997. They killed the men for contesting and winning the Panchayat elections. They were sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court and the verdict was upheld by the High Court and Supreme Court. One of the convicts died during the trial and three others were granted remission in 2008 by the DMK government during Anna Centenary celebrations."Despite the gravity of their crimes, two governments have decided to release them," the founder of anti-caste NGO Evidence, Kathir, had earlier told TNM. "It sets a very bad precedent and the opinion of the affected families should have been recorded," he adds. The family members of the victims had also sent a petition to the Tamil Nadu government against the release of the convicts. They further alleged that the release had political overtones."They have done this just for their own vote bank and to get favour amongst the Thevar community," alleged the brother of one of the victims, Karuppiah. "But this is all at the cost of human life. We, Dalits, will have no peace here anymore. Every day we will wonder — is today the day they will strike back?"  
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Heavy rains lash parts of TN, holiday for schools and colleges in Kancheepuram

November 27, 2019, 8:52 pm
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Rains
According to forecast, heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal for the next four days until December 1.
Anjana Shekar
On Monday, a press briefing from Chennai’s Regional Meteorological Centre observed that Chennai had recorded 37% deficit in rainfall from the Northeast monsoon which began on October 1. But the heavy rains that lashed parts of the city on Thursday morning has now given hope to its residents. Owing to heavy rains, Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TN SDMA) has announced holiday for schools and colleges in Kancheepuram district on Thursday. The latest bulletin from Regional Met for the city predicts light to moderate rains likely in some parts of Chennai. For the next 48 hours, the sky condition is likely to be generally cloudy with maximum and minimum temperatures around 31 and 25 deg Celsius respectively. Thunderstorm with lightning is likely to occur at isolated places over Tamil Nadu on Thursday and Friday. According to forecast, heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal for the next four days until December 1. According to TN SDMA’s rainfall report for October 27 (Wednesday) Kancheepuram has recorded 206.2 mm of rainfall while Cuddalore surpasses this number at 253.7 mm of rainfall. Chennai had recorded 10 mm of rainfall on the same day. Welcoming the morning shower, Tamil Nadu’s popular weather blogger Pradeep John added that more rains are expected in the state for the next few days. “Would you believe just the easterlies created those massive rainfall. This is not the peak rains, KTC and TN has very good probability of heavy rains till December 2/3rd after which dry air moves in for a break (sic),” he wrote. What a spell for southern parts of City and suburbs. Tambaram records mighty 146 mm most of it fell in last 6 hours. So first holiday for K (Kanchi) out of KTC, Pa groups should be happy for their 1st holiday this NEM. Rainfall data and others -https://t.co/pdt6wddmPU pic.twitter.com/F6J11EwXxm — TamilNadu Weatherman (@praddy06) November 28, 2019 Based on the rainfall observations put out by TN Weatherman, the minimum amount of rainfall recorded on Thursday in Kancheepuram-Thiruvallur-Chennai belt was 15 mm. Tambaram has come first recording 146 mm of rain on Thursday morning.   
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Coimbatore twin murder: HC grants interim stay on death warrant issued against convict

November 28, 2019, 12:26 am
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Court
The stay was granted on Tuesday after the convict Manoharan moved the High Court alleging that he had not been given sufficient time to file a mercy petition with the Governor.
Megha Kaveri
The Madras High Court has granted an interim stay on the death warrant issued to Manoharan, who was convicted for abducting and murdering minor siblings in Coimbatore, and given him six weeks’ time to file a mercy petition with the Governor. The stay was granted on Tuesday after Manoharan moved the High Court alleging that he had not been given sufficient time to file a mercy petition with the Governor. Manoharan’s counsel argued that the death warrant issued was illegal since the convict has not exhausted all legal remedies available to him. Reasonable time not given According to the existing rules, mercy petitions from death penalty convicts must be sent to the Governor within seven days from receiving a copy of the order from the court. But, over time it was observed that the mercy petitions filed by convicts did not contain full details of the case and hence were not sufficient for the Governor to consider their cases. In 2014, the Supreme Court had ruled that death penalty convicts must be given ‘reasonable time’ to file their mercy petitions. Based on this order, among others, the counsel for Manoharan argued that Manoharan still has a few other legal options to pursue in his case. The counsel also submitted that due to these reasons, Manoharan’s death warrant issued by the Mahila Court was itself illegal and hence the warrant must be quashed. Case background The case dates back to October 2010 when Manoharan, then a cab driver, and his friend Mohanakrishnan kidnapped a 10-year-old girl and her 7-year-old brother. The accused then raped the girl and tortured the boy before killing them by drowning them in the Parambikulam Aliyar Project canal on October 29. The bodies of the children were recovered and the police arrested the duo two days later. Mohanakrishnan was shot dead by the police on November 9, 2010, after he allegedly tried to attack escorting officials while they were on their way to the scene of crime. In 2012, the Coimbatore Mahila Court found Manoharan guilty of both the murders along with many other charges and sentenced him to death. He appealed against this order in the Madras High Court, which also upheld the death penalty. Challenging the High Court’s order, Manoharan approached the Supreme Court in 2014, which, in August 2019, upheld the death penalty. He then filed a review petition in the apex court, which was heard in November. On November 7, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court upheld the death penalty by a majority judgment of 2:1. The bench, led by Justice RF Nariman, also described the offence as ‘shocking’, ‘cold-blooded’ and that it fell under the ‘rarest of rare’ category and dismissed Manoharan’s review petition. The Mahila Court, hence, issued a death warrant to Manoharan and ordered that he be executed on December 2. However, Manoharan approached the High Court seeking a stay on the death warrant on the grounds that he was not given sufficient time to file a mercy petition. The petition was heard by a bench consisting of Justice MM Sundresh and Justice RMT Teekaa Raman, who granted an interim stay on the death warrant issued by the Mahila Court. The court also directed the government of Tamil Nadu to file its response within four weeks on the matter.
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Corruption survey 2019: Telangana, Karnataka and TN paid most bribes in south India

November 28, 2019, 2:35 am
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Corruption
While Rajasthan and Bihar fared the worst in the country with 78% and 75% of respondents admitting to paying bribes, Telangana topped the list in south India with 67%.
Priyanka Thirumurthy
(Image for representation)
With a shameful 67% of respondents of a survey conducted by Transparency International (TI) admitting to having paid bribes to accomplish work in government offices, the state of Telangana leads south India in terms of corruption this year. This is followed by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. The India Corruption Survey 2019, carried out between October 2018 and November 2019, was conducted along with Local Circles, a social media firm. It had a total of 1.9 lakh responses from about 81,000 unique respondents in 248 districts across 20 states. Compared to last year, India’s overall ranking in the Corruption Perception Index has risen three places to 78 out of 180 countries. While an average of 56% of respondents admitted to paying bribes in 2018, the number has come down to 51% this year. While Rajasthan and Bihar fared the worst in the country with 78% and 75% of the respondents admitting to paying bribes, Telangana topped the list in south India. The figures provided in the survey, however, vary largely from last year and the reasons for the same are clearly elucidated. Telangana According to the report, 67% of Telangana citizens who participated in the survey admitted to paying a bribe to get their work done, out of which 56% gave bribes several times (directly or indirectly) while 11% paid bribes once or twice (directly or indirectly). 11% said they got work done without paying a bribe. In terms of the authority to which residents of Telangana gave bribes, 40% gave bribes for property registration and land issues while 33% paid bribes to the Municipal Corporation. 7% paid a bribe to the police and 20% to others (Electricity Board, Transport Office, Tax Office, etc.). Last year, however, only 43% of the respondents alleged that they had paid bribes. Karnataka Meanwhile, 63% citizens of Karnataka who participated in the survey admitted to paying a bribe to get their work done, out of which 35% gave bribes several times (directly or indirectly) while 28% paid bribes once or twice (directly or indirectly). 9% said they got work done without paying a bribe. In terms of the authority to which residents of Karnataka gave bribes, 40% gave bribes for property registration and land issues while 21% paid bribes to the Municipal Corporation. 23% paid a bribe to the police and 16% to others (Electricity Board, Transport Office, Tax Office, etc.). In Karnataka last year, only 43% of the respondents had admitted to having paid bribes. Tamil Nadu In Tamil Nadu, 62% citizens who participated in the survey admitted to paying a bribe to get their work done, out of which 35% gave bribes several times (directly or indirectly) while 27% paid bribes once or twice (directly or indirectly). 8% said they got work done without paying a bribe and 30% did not have a need to pay a bribe. In terms of the authority to which residents of Tamil Nadu gave bribes, 41% gave bribes for property registration and land issues while 19% paid bribes to the Municipal Corporation. 15% paid a bribe to the police and 25% to others (Electricity Board, Transport Office, Tax Office, etc.). Tamil Nadu had led the south Indian states in terms of corruption last year, with 52% of respondents admitting to having paid bribes. Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh and Kerala were amongst the only south Indian states that saw bribes below the national average. 50% citizens of Andhra Pradesh who participated in the survey admitted to paying a bribe to get their work done, out of which 30% gave bribes several times (directly or indirectly) while 20% paid bribes once or twice (directly or indirectly). 30% said they got work done without paying a bribe. In terms of the authority to which residents of Andhra Pradesh gave bribes, 43% gave bribes for property registration and land issues while 21% paid off the Municipal Corporation. 7% paid a bribe to the police and 29% to others (Electricity Board, Transport Office, Tax Office, etc.). In Andhra Pradesh, the percentage of respondents who have admitted to paying bribes has risen from 38% last year. Kerala And finally, with only 10% of the respondents from Kerala admitting to have paid a bribe to get their work done, the state is at the bottom of this list of notoriety. In terms of the authority to which residents of Kerala gave bribes, 29% gave bribes for property registration and land issues while 14% paid off the Municipal Corporation. 14% paid a bribe to the police and 43% paid bribes to others (Electricity Board, Transport Office, Tax Office, etc.). This is a huge reduction from the 31% of respondents who admitted to paying bribes last year. According to surveyors, despite CCTVs bribery still continues undeterred in government offices. Even computerisation is circumvented with cash mainly preferred as bribes. Property registration and land issues is a top area of corruption and a majority of people said they paid bribes due to coercion or inefficiencies prevailing in government offices.   
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Vaiko detained in Delhi for protesting against Sri Lankan President Gotabaya’s visit

November 28, 2019, 3:44 am
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Politics
The Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is on a three-day visit to India from November 28-30.
TNM Staff
(Image for representation)
Rajya Sabha MP and MDMK Chief Vaiko and his supporters were detained by the Delhi police on Thursday near Jantar Mantar, during protests against the visit of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Over 500 protesters gathered in the capital to demand that any permission given to the Sri Lankan President to visit India be revoked. Protesters who were holding placards and raising slogans condemned External Affairs Minister Jayashankar's attendance at Gotabaya's swearing in ceremony. The Sri Lankan President is on a three-day visit to India from November 28-30. This is his first visit to India after taking over his new post. According to reports, the protesters were detained and had been taken to the Parliament police station.The MDMK chief voiced criticism against inviting a leader alleged to be responsible for war crimes in the Sri Lankan war. He alleged that 'gun-toting' soldiers were roaming the streets of Sri Lanka inhabited by Tamil people and that their areas have become concentration camps controlled by the army. He further compared Gotabaya's government to that of Hitler's reign. At the protest, Vaiko reportedly alleged, "Indian government is inviting the murderer who killed thousands of Tamils during the final Eelam war which happened in Sri Lanka and he is a war criminal who unleashed the Sri Lankan army against the Tamils when he was the Defence Secretary...Indian government inviting him for the bilateral talks will affect the sentiments of 8 crore Tamils who are living in India." Earlier this month, when Gotabaya won the Presidential election, Vaiko had alleged, "This day gives great sorrow and shock. Mahinda Rajapaksa is responsible for the killing of lakhs of Tamils, widowing 900,000 women; innumerable women were violated, genocide was committed without concern for children or the elderly. Thousands who disappeared are yet to be found. Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the one responsible for executing all this. He has the blood of Tamils on his hands. The MDMK chief has vociferously raised issues regarding human right violation against Sri Lankan Tamils in the past. He had even pulled out of the NDA alliance in 2014, in protest over Prime Minister (PM) Modi greeting former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa at a SAARC summit in Nepal.   
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How Pragya Thakur tried to shout down A Raja's sharp speech with her Godse remark

November 28, 2019, 3:44 am
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Lok Sabha
Explaining that the assessment of a threat to a leader must not be politically-coloured, Raja quoted two examples: 'Mahatma' Gandhi and Michael O'Dwyer.
Manasa Rao
File images/ PTI
On Wednesday, BJP MP Pragya Thakur made headlines for her interruption during a debate in the Lok Sabha. She repeated her view that convicted killer and Hindu nationalist Nathuram Godse, who shot 'Mahatma' Gandhi to death, was a patriot. She had articulated these views earlier too, ahead of the 2019 General Elections, in which she won from the Bhopal parliamentary constituency as the BJP candidate. Recently, the Malegaon blast accused was nominated to the parliamentary consultative committee of the Ministry of Defence even as she is being tried by a National Investigation Agency court. While she has not regretted her views lauding the assassin, BJP Working President JP Nadda told ANI on Thursday that her remarks were ‘condemnable’. She was removed from the Lok Sabha defence panel and barred from attending BJP's parliamentary party meetings.  But what, in the debate, prompted Pragya Thakur to interject and repeat her extremist views?  It was a speech being given by DMK MP A Raja, who was— ironically— explaining the need for different political parties to rise above party ideology and be objective. The House was debating the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019 introduced by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Bill amends the existing provisions to restrict the special security unit's coverage to just the Prime Minister and his immediate family who reside with him. Specifically, the Bill excludes SPG coverage to family members of a former Prime Minister who don't live with him or her. Moreover, those who do live with a former Prime Minister will only be able to avail the protection of SPG commandos for a period of five years. The Bill from the BJP government has been criticised as one that targets the Gandhi family, particularly its present members and Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. Two former Prime Ministers from the party— Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi— were assassinated over long-held political beliefs.  Explaining that the assessment of a threat to a leader must not be politically-coloured, Raja quoted two examples. First, the assassination of Michael O'Dwyer, the British colonial Lieutenant Governor of Punjab between 1912 and 1919 who oversaw the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.  Raja said, “In 1940, a small boy who witnessed the massacre in 1919, got patriotic, and in 1940 after 21 years, he went to London and fired and killed General Dwyer, who was responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. What was the modus operandi of Sardar Udham Singh? What was the mens rea (intention to commit crime) of Sardar Udham Singh? So, the threat to Dyer whether it is right or wrong, whether it is in the negative sense or in the positive sense, in the name of patriotism, continued for 21 years.” The second example he cited was the one that triggered a response from MP Pragya Thakur— the assassination of Gandhi. The DMK MP quoted Godse's appeal affidavit before an appellate court where Godse was being tried for the murder of Gandhi. “It says: ‘The accumulating provocation of 32 years, culminating in his last pro Muslim fast, at last goaded me to the conclusion that the existence of Gandhi should be brought to an end immediately.’ Having said that, he made another statement in the same affidavit. It says: ‘I bear no ill will towards anyone including Gandhi individually but I do say that I had no respect for the present Government owing to their policy which was unfairly favourable towards the Muslims. But, at the same time, I could clearly see that the policy was entirely due to the presence of Mr. Gandhi.’” Thus, Raja explained, resentment harboured over ideological differences persists over time and threats arising from them need to be objectively assessed. “I would very precisely say that the threat will not vanish with the person. The threat will go along with the policy for which the person was responsible and he was assassinated. In that sense, if Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated for a policy or the Congress Party is running with a philosophy or a policy or a principle which is not suitable to anybody, still I think that threat will continue. That should be assessed properly. An objective test, a litmus test must be mooted and it should be resolved. Unless and until it is resolved, these types of amendments will definitely get a political colour,” the MP reasoned. Interrupting Raja mid-speech, Pragya shouted, "You cannot give the example of 'deshbhakts' (patriots)." 
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Kolam Podu: How an Instagram page is inspiring users to share their love for the art

November 28, 2019, 5:24 am
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Culture
For designer, photographer and entrepreneur Bhargavii Mani, drawing kolam is a therapeutic process.
Anjana Shekar
The south Indian art form of kolam, usually drawn outside entrances with rice flour, chalk or a special white stone powder, is nothing short of a visual puzzle. Unlike the colourful rangoli that’s popular across the country, kolam is usually in white, sometimes with a dash of rusty red around the borders or to fill spaces within the pattern. Lines cut across to form complex geometric shapes, dots are strung together to form the most interesting designs. In such puzzles, it sure is difficult for a viewer to discern the kolam’s starting and ending points unless they’ve seen how it was drawn from the beginning.      View this post on Instagram          Try this design.... Let us know if you got it right the first time. . Have comments and/or suggestions? Please leave them below or send us a message. . Subscribe, Like and Share if you liked this video :) Watch the YouTube channel to understand this pattern better :) . #kolampodu #kolam #kolampact365 #rangoliart #kolamart #muggulu #artofinstagram #art #sikku #kambi #neli #indianculture #everydaymadewell #animation #aftereffects #animationart A post shared by Kolam Podu with Bhargavii Mani (@kolampodu) on Dec 1, 2018 at 10:07am PST For designer, photographer and entrepreneur Bhargavii Mani, drawing kolams is a therapeutic process. What started as a personal happiness project for her about a year ago has excited many who have taken an interest in her hobby. “I was starting to feel a little burnt out and that was when I decided to reflect upon life. In passing, my mother suggested that I get into some routine, to do something for myself. I thought I'd start with something simple, so I started with making my bed every morning. Then I decided to start my day with the kolam. Growing up, the daily kolam would be my responsibility. I thought, why not start there?” begins Bhargavii. She continues, “Initially, I struggled with my strokes, though I used to do big ones as a child. Social media has so many designs for people to learn. I started slow and without my realising it, my senses started getting tempered. It soothed me in a way.” The kolam is a common sight outside most south Indian houses, and is sometimes drawn twice a day, once in the morning and again before dusk falls. According to Bhargavii, kolam is not just a design technique but offers quite a few interesting life lessons. “There’s always so much to learn. I used to feel demoralised when my kolams would be walked upon or erased by someone. But my friend pointed out that such an act taught us the law of impermanence. 'Anyway you are going to erase it the next morning. You do your job and let it be. You have no control over what might happen to it,' he said. That just blew my mind,” she says. And she also has a curious perspective to share on the ‘pulli’ (dot) kolam. “I’ve had people tell me that one should not draw the ‘pulli’ kolam outside homes. They believed it would invite trouble. I have a theory. If the dots are the problems, then the lines that weave around them or join them are the solutions! At the end of your problem solving process, you are left only with a beautiful design. Isn’t that interesting?” asks Bhargavii. But for someone who has been posting complex “idukku pulli kolam”, “sangali kolam” and “mittai potlam kolam” Bhargavii is unable to recall how old she was when she first started.      View this post on Instagram          Karthigai Day 3 Well, I woke up wanting a challenge today and lo & behold.. this is what happened Sssttttttrrrrrrruuuuuuuugggggggllllllleeeeeereddddd with this one is an understatement! But hey, felt good Idukku Pulli Kolams are tough, but they really push you ! One needs utter focus to be able to complete the grid. Good yoga for the brain for the day! Life is beautiful if we choose for it to be #aesthetic #challenge #india #art #pattern #design #festival #karthigai #math #kolampodu #kolampact365 #history #spiritual #daily #testimonial #monday #tuesday #wednesday #thursday #friday #saturday #sunday #fun #happiness #gratitude #grateful #respect #thankful #pray #bhargaviimani A post shared by Kolam Podu with Bhargavii Mani (@kolampodu) on Nov 18, 2019 at 8:44pm PST Idukku Pulli Kolam      View this post on Instagram          Karthigai Day 8, Day View :) It’s Sunday and I wanted it to be a fun day for those trying out the designs I put out :) Let’s take a simple pattern, just arranged them in a symmetrical manner to weave them into this fine beauty. Did you know? This kolam style is referred to as “Sangali” Kolam ?? Sangali means Chain in Tamil. The way it weaves resembles a heavy duty iron chain... interesting association don’t you think ?? . Life is beautiful if we choose for it to be #aesthetic #challenge #india #art #pattern #design #festival #karthigai #rangoli #kolampodu #kolam #history #spiritual #daily #testimonial #monday #tuesday #wednesday #thursday #friday #saturday #sunday #fun #happiness #gratitude #grateful #respect #thankful #pray #bhargaviimani A post shared by Kolam Podu with Bhargavii Mani (@kolampodu) on Nov 23, 2019 at 8:33pm PST Sangili Kolam      View this post on Instagram          Karthigai Day 11, Day View :) This Kolam is called “Mittai Potlam“ “Mittai” means sweet and “Potlam” means a wrapping... Arranged in a radial symmetrical manner, this Kolam is a combination of Kambi & Sikku style :) Set to a 11-1 Nerpulli grid, you will have to wipe out 2 dots eventually on all sides, else you can always just circle them if you like :) A sweet start to the day :) Life is beautiful if we choose for it to be #aesthetic #challenge #india #art #pattern #design #festival #karthigai #rangoli #kolampodu #kolam #history #spiritual #daily #testimonial #monday #tuesday #wednesday #thursday #friday #saturday #sunday #fun #happiness #gratitude #grateful #respect #thankful #pray #bhargaviimani A post shared by Kolam Podu with Bhargavii Mani (@kolampodu) on Nov 26, 2019 at 7:56pm PST Mittai Potlam Kolam “I think I would be lying if I gave you a number. You just understand how it works if you understand the technique. It is all about the technique. You started doing it when you started doing it,” she chuckles. However, Bhargavii attributes her engagement with kolams to her aunt Shanthi Chandrashekar who encouraged such interests. “My Periyamma (aunt) is my biggest inspiration in this. She would draw the most breathtaking kolams I’ve ever seen,” she says. What started as her personal happiness project has now touched many through her Instagram page Kolam Podu which has close to 2000 followers now. “Initially I was only posting pictures on my personal page. A lot of women reached out to me on the secret to positivity, and I would tell them to start putting kolam. In fact, of the six who came to me at first, four of them said it was making them feel happier. I realised it wasn’t just me,” she adds. This encouraged her to open an exclusive kolam page. Bhargavii also gets regular updates from her followers on the kolams that they have tried in their houses. Bhargavii, who runs a design house, also dabbles in graphic designing and posts small videos on how the kolams are drawn. She now plans to launch a web series on kolams on her YouTube page. “There are a lot of how-to-do videos for kolam on the internet. But I thought we should have an explainer for kolams, add interesting nuggets of information, discuss some of the folklore associated with kolams and make it more fun. I believe such knowledge should be shared,” she says. 
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Parts of Chennai witness waterlogging after heavy rain, residents share pics on Twitter

November 28, 2019, 5:39 am
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Rains
School and colleges in Kancheepuram and Vellore have been shut due to heavy rain prediction.
TNM Staff
PTI
Heavy rains lashed the southern parts of Chennai city and its suburbs in the early hours of Thursday. According to the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority's rainfall report for October 27, Chennai recorded 10 mm of rainfall.   Tambaram, meanwhile, recorded a little over 146 mm of rainfall. This led to severe waterlogging on the roads with water rising as high as three feet. As a result, the Selaiyur stretch towards Velachery witnessed traffic jams.  Many took to Twitter to show the flooding near their houses.  It should have rained heavily at #Thuraipakkam early morning. #ChennaiRains @ChennaiRains pic.twitter.com/L882SmaXsy — Rajesh Kumar R (@jdrajeshk) November 28, 2019 One night of #chennairains leaves many roads inundated, especially the roads having new storm water drains, the road leading to Irumbuliyur from west Perungalathur and Krishna nagar, Mudichur is flooded taken round about route to reach GST @ChennaiRains @praddy06 #nem2019 pic.twitter.com/A4PkD5uN7n — Vignesh (@vicky31089) November 28, 2019 Water level is high due to rain today morning. Could you @rdc_south kindly take some action to drain water? At Chandrasekaran Nager #Thuraipakkam#ChennaiRains pic.twitter.com/C3QeQVgIuC — Rajesh Kumar R (@jdrajeshk) November 28, 2019 My Home Tambaram #chennairains pic.twitter.com/cHnBuWFlxU — raj Thiyagu (@RajThiyagu3) November 28, 2019 #chennairains tambaram hindu mission opposite subway pic.twitter.com/kttVqqA2Xn — HHEC (@selvamfashion90) November 28, 2019 #chennairains #chennairain #ChennaiWeather #chennai #Tambaram #Kanchipuram #floods #Heavyrains #rains #Cloudburst pic.twitter.com/sRdZybr4Jj — Chennai Weather Updates (@chennai_updates) November 28, 2019 While Chennai is likely to receive light to moderate rain over the next 48 hours, exams that were scheduled to take place on Thursday at the University of Madras and Thiruvallur University have been postponed, according to reports. While a new date is soon to be announced by the Madras University, the Vice-Chancellor of Thiruvallur University has announced that the exams postponed on Thursday will take place on December 3, Monday. Meanwhile, schools and colleges in the neighbouring districts of Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur have declared a holiday for students. Ranipet and Tirupattur districts, too, have declared a holiday due to rain prediction in these districts.  According to the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority, Kancheepuram recorded 206.2 mm of rainfall while Cuddalore recorded 253.7 mm of rainfall on Wednesday.  Jayankondam in Ariyalur district recorded 100 mm rainfall as of Thursday while Sriperumbudur in Kancheepuram district received 89.2 mm. KM Koil, Pollandurai, Annamalai Nagar and Cuddalore in the coastal district also recorded high rainfall. Sirkali and Mayiladuthurai in Nagapattinam, and Vembakkam in Thiruvannamalai received well above 60 mm of rainfall as of Thursday morning.
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Bomb hoax call made to DMK headquarters in Chennai's Teynampet

November 28, 2019, 7:44 pm
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Crime
Speaking in Hindi, the caller reportedly warned that there was a bomb placed at the DMK office in Chennai.
TNM Staff
Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters in Chennai's Teynampet, received a bomb hoax on Thursday evening following which a bomb detection squad conducted a search of premises. The Chennai city police reportedly received a call shortly after 8 pm which 'alerted' them to a bomb at the party office. A team of Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) of the city police and a sniffer dog unit arrived on scene to comb through the area. This later turned out to be a hoax. Speaking to TNM on Thursday evening, staff members at the party office said that they were safe and had been told that an investigation is on regarding who placed the call. "The police are present at Arivalayam and conducted a thorough search. We are all safe. They suspected a bomb hoax and confirmed it after searching the premises," he said. According to one report in the Hindustan Times, the caller reportedly conversed with the police in Hindi. An inquiry officer told the newspaper that the caller dialled the control room of the Chennai city police and warned regarding the presence of a bomb that had reportedly been planted at the office located in the heart of the city. While DMK chief MK Stalin is known to frequent the party office in the evenings, on Friday, he was in Mumbai, attending Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray’s ceremony as he was being sworn in as Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Unconfirmed reports of a bomb threat at the Meenakshi Amman temple in Madurai were also doing the rounds yesterday. However, the Times of India reports police officials as saying that they had undertaken a security review of the site. Madurai city police commissioner Davidson Devasirvatham told the newspaper that it was a regular activity to review the security of the temple and no special alert from intelligence agencies had been received. 
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