‘Isn't a draft meant for public criticism?’: YouTuber Padma Priya to TNM on EIA video

August 3, 2020, 11:25 pm

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Controversy

Over the last week, Padma Priya has been subjected to a constant stream of abuse and allegations of anti-nationalism.

Priyanka Thirumurthy

Twenty-four-year-old Padma Priya is a self-confessed introvert. Over the last three years, she has shunned social gatherings and pointless conversations, and instead uses social media to express her views, emotions and opinions. But over the last week, Padma Priya's bubble has been sharply pierced by a constant stream of abuse and allegations of anti-nationalism. And all this, over a video she uploaded expressing her dissent against the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020. The video which earned over two lakh views on YouTube and two million views on Instagram, has been widely shared across the state. In the video, Padma Priya criticises the amendments proposed in the draft including - exemption of public consultation for several industries, disallowing the public to raise concerns about violations and allowing post facto approval of industries."Within hours of my posting the video, I got one lakh views. And the next morning, friends and families started sending screenshots and I was happy that the video was doing well. People even called and congratulated me," she says, describing the first 24 hours after the video was posted. "But after that, everything changed. I started getting screenshots of abuse, people questioning what my qualifications are and accusing me of being propped by a political party," she adds. Social media was divided by Padma Priya's content and she was abused for opposing the draft. The derogatory comments against her on Twitter were rooted in misogyny. Her previous videos giving 'beauty tips' were ridiculed and understanding of the draft was questioned."I am an educated citizen of this country. I have a postgraduate degree in microbiology and have worked in cancer research in Bengaluru. They can't just look at some content on YouTube and think they know me," she argues. In the past, she has put out videos on Instagram and the now defunt TikTok on child abuse, domestic violence and acid attacks. "But even if I didn't have these qualifications, as a citizen of this country, I have the right to criticise the draft," she adds. The questions and allegations were not restricted to general Twitter users.  BJP leader Kalyan posted a tweet asking for Padma Priya's personal details to be sent to him. Many alleged that  Padma Priya was in cahoots with the DMK, even making lewd remarks about her. Following the onslaught of abuse, Padma Priya, removed her video."My family and friends were really worried after a politician intervened. I am just a middle class woman, I have no power to fight these people. I was worried that my family would be targeted," she explains. "My video had anyway created discussion about EIA, which is what I wanted. So, I spoke to some lawyers I know and deleted the video," she adds. But her decision only spurred critics to abuse her further. The decision to remove the video was seen as a sign of defeat."They started saying I was taking money from DMK and being propped up by them. I only came to know about the draft EIA after my sister and a colleague told me about it. After I read it, I was shocked and my video also conveys that emotion," she says. "Infact I didn't even consult anyone before voicing my opinion, it was based on my understanding and news reports that I researched. I have no links to political parties," she adds. However, news of her videos on Tik Tok soon had her labelled as 'China kaikooli (slave)' and efforts to undermine her words were underway."I realised that if I didn't respond it would seem like I was accepting all this criticism. So I convinced my parents and posted another video. This time I raised questions on everything that matters - why the draft was only in English and why I can't raise my voice as a common citizen," she says. "At the end of the day, I am not doing this for fame or money. I am genuinely concerned for the environment. I don't want to become the news, I only want people to be aware of it. And I think I've done that well," she adds. About the allegations of political affiliation, she has one final thing to say."I am not interested politics but I have always thought Prime Minister Modi is a strong leader and has protected our borders and soldiers. So, to be targeted by his party was hurtful," she says. "Isn't a draft meant for public criticism? We live in a democracy after all."  Also read EIA 2020 draft: Here are five instances where people’s voices helped the environment ‘Abandon draft EIA 2020’: 75 youth groups in TN write to Centre

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Mumbai's local train services disrupted after heavy rains in city

August 3, 2020, 11:33 pm

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Mumbai rains

The IMD has issued a red alert, predicting extremely heavy rainfall in parts of Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Raigad and Ratnagiri districts in Maharashtra.

PTI

Image for representation

Local train services were suspended on some routes in Mumbai and suburbs on Tuesday morning due to water-logging on rail tracks following heavy overnight rain in the city, officials said. The Santacruz observatory in western suburbs recorded 254 mm rainfall since Monday night while the Colaba observatory in south Mumbai recorded 220 mm rain during the same period, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said."Due to high tide resulting in water logging at Wadala and Parel suburban services are suspended on main line and harbour line. However, shuttle services are running between Vashi and Panvel, Thane and Kalyan," Central Railway's Chief Public Relation Officer Shivaji Sutar tweeted."No suburban trains are held up in between stations. Dn mail/express trains are being rescheduled," he added. On the western line, the water level on tracks between Dadar and Prabhadevi reached 200 mm, a Western Railway official said. All lines were affected in this section. Train movement was stopped at Dadar, but suburban services were running between Bandra and Dahanu Road, he said. The IMD earlier issued a red alert, predicting extremely heavy rainfall in parts of Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Raigad and Ratnagiri districts in Maharashtra on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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NEP 2020: Why India needs to learn from Tamil Nadu

August 4, 2020, 2:50 am

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Education

The entire country can take its cue for success in reaching NEP 2020 targets from Tamil Nadu.

K Ramachandran

Image for representation

As academics, student organisations, political leaders and social media enthusiasts across India debate the National Education Policy document, an aspect that needs elaboration is why everyone needs to look at Tamil Nadu’s leadership status in higher education. Going by sheer record and statistics, the Union Education Ministry should simply take inputs from Tamil Nadu or follow its example so as to achieve at least some of the targets that the government has set for itself under NEP 2020. Let’s look at one ambitious target the NEP has set for the country: Reaching a gross enrolment ratio (GER) of 50% by the year 2035 in higher education. (GER here refers to the number of young people in the 17–24 age group studying in higher education institutions in India, as a proportion of the overall population in that age group).  In other words, the government wants to ensure that 50% of the youth in the age between 17 and 24 should be studying in colleges/universities and other higher educational institutions in the next 15 years. Now Tamil Nadu reached 49.2% in the year 2018 – or in other words, TN is a clear 17 years ahead of the rest in the country. Clearly, this is the result of several factors. Tamil Nadu’s proactive policies in terms of nutritious meals scheme for all school children has led to 99% enrolment in school education. The state gives the highest priority to school education in budgetary allocations and this has helped the State near 100% enrolment in school education. Tamil Nadu’s 69% reservation for OBC and other backward sections, special and inclusive reservation agenda in the form of sub-reservation for OBC Muslim and the Arundhatiar sects, a distinct grouping among Scheduled Castes, made every school-going child aspire for higher education. Tamil Nadu has been a leader in implementation of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, which also ensured that more students complete education upto Class X. Again, the huge number of government aided and private schools provide a large platform for a majority of Class X passing crowd to entire higher secondary education. A classic example of the state’s developmental agenda as seen in the last three decades is the sheer availability of institutions for aspiring youth. 31 government funded or aided medical colleges with 2800 seats (2nd highest in India) 550 engineering colleges that offer BE/B.Tech/Architecture programmes (highest in India), as per AICTE statistics  450 polytechnics (diploma level engineering programmes) as per AICTE. 1543 arts/science / humanities colleges 21 Universities Not to mention a dozen deemed-to-be universities that offer a range of programmes in all disciplines, besides private institutions that offer a plethora of skilling courses for aspirational youth. Quality of education Recently, the Union Ministry of Education released the results of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for 2020. The most striking aspect of the final ranking is that Tamil Nadu has the highest number of Institutions in the Top 100 in India. The State is also in the top 3 among institutions with high grading (3.0 plus upon 4) under the quality parameters of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), an autonomous body under the. More than 700 institutions (colleges and Universities) have undergone the NAAC’s gruelling accreditation process and come out successful Outcome of this leadership and development agenda Two biggest outcomes of this sustained and politically backed development agenda of Tamil Nadu, are student success and their contribution to economic growth. Tamil Nadu is a big example of the concept of investment in education. Successive progressive regimes have had a big impact on job growth. Statistics put out repeatedly by large corporates show that Tamil Nadu is one of the top 3 states contributing to the entire job market in India (along with Maharashtra, NCR and Karnataka). In engineering college placements across India, Tamil Nadu is still the leader. From an economic growth perspective too, the State’s investment and education agenda also seems to be paying off well. With a GDP of over Rs 18.54 lakh cr, Tamil Nadu is India’s second biggest economy – only behind Maharashtra and ahead of Gujarat, Karnataka or other states. Even here, Gujarat economic activity is skewed. Over 60% of the GSDP contribution is from the core industry while agriculture contributes hardly 10% of its economic activity. The services sector’s contribution is about 37%. However, Tamil Nadu has a more balanced plate. Agriculture contributes to about 7% of the state’s GDP, the core manufacturing sector contributes 36% and the growing services sector forms the rest 57%. A beacon for the country Several politicians and academics in the state have taken to social media to put all these points in perspective. In a representation to the Union Education Minister, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leaders have noted that states should have been involved more in formulating the new NEP 2020. Tamil Nadu’s experiments in social justice and equity, its welfare orientation, high quality investments into creating educational infrastructure, and an enabling ecosystem that encourages private sector participation in school, higher and tertiary education have borne enough fruit. This leadership alone could be the beacon for not only other states but perhaps be the guiding star for the Union Government as it navigates into a 15-year journey with ambitious targets under NEP 2020. K Ramachandran is the Chief Strategy Officer of www.361dm.com.

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'Godman' tells family to kill infant for treasure after sacrificial cat escapes in TN

August 4, 2020, 5:12 am

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Crime

Kiranarajan advised the family to sacrifice their third baby to retrieve the treasure as a cat that was meant to be sacrificed had escaped.

Bharathi SP

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A 'godman' attempted to offer a five-month-old baby as human sacrifice to unearth a treasure in Tirunelveli district on Monday. The episode took place in the presence of the grandmother and father of the baby. The ‘godman’ Kiranarajan was an acquaintance of Parvathy, the baby's grandmother. A few months back, Kiranarajan received Rs 3.2 lakh from the family after he promised he would build them a house. Believing his words, Parvathy handed over the money but Kiranarajan, who was an alcohlic according to the police, completed only half the construction and left without finishing the remaining work. When Parvathy asked Kiranarajan about the house, he claimed that he was a godman and he could see that there was treasure hidden in the plot. He allegedly said that the treasure could be retrieved if the family sacrifices a cat and a rooster. Parvathy agreed to give both with an aim to get the treasure, said sources. Kalakkad police inspector Kaliappan told TNM, “Kiranarajan came to the house on Monday to sacrifice the animals and 'unearth the treasure'. However, during the rituals, the cat escaped from the place. Hence, Kiranarajan immediately said that the family should sacrifice their third baby. He said he would come and continue the rituals on Tuesday." “As the information reached one of the relatives named Sornapandi, he immediately came to the house and stopped the arrangements for the rituals. He then informed us,” the inspector said. “This is the first time Kiranarajan has been accused of a crime. He claimed himself to be a godman to be involved in the fraudulent practice,” Kaliappan added. The police have registered a case based on a complaint by Sornapandi under Section 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and Section 307 (Attempt to murder) of Indian Penal Code. The police arrested Ritiesh and Kumaresan, who were employed to dig a grave for the baby. The police are on the look-out for Kiranarajan, who is still absconding. The investigations are continuing. This is the second attempt in recent months to murder a child for gaining wealth. On May 19, a 13-year-old girl was killed in Gandharvakottai of Pudukottai district allegedly by her father Panneer under the advice of a black magician named Vasanthi. The father murdered the girl and made up a story of sexual harassment to gain wealth and 'magical powers'.

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Sidelined for party post, DMK MLA Ku Ka Selvam in talks to join BJP

August 4, 2020, 6:01 am

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Politics

Ku Ka Selvam, the Thousands Lights MLA, is reportedly disgruntled over not being appointed as DMK’s Chennai West District Secretary.

TNM Staff

Facebook/Ku Ka Selvam

In a significant jolt to the DMK, the party’s sitting MLA Ku Ka Selvam is in talks with the BJP. Though the MLA was supposed to join the BJP on Tuesday evening in the presence of its party President JP Nadda, Ku Ka Selvam denied that he had jumped ship. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi after meeting with the BJP Chief, Ku Ka Selvam had three demands for MK Stalin - to conduct elections in the DMK, to break ties with the Congress and to condemn the Karuppar Kootam.  Denying that he was joining the BJP, the Thousand Lights MLA told reporters that he went to meet Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to seek two lifts at the Nungambakkam Railway Station. Once a loyalist of DMK President MK Stalin, Selvam’s move to jump ship has come as a shock to the cadre of the Dravidian party with less than a year to go for the Assembly Elections in Tamil Nadu.  According to sources, Ku Ka Selvam had been vying for the Chennai West District Secretary post, which was held until recently by J Anbazhagan, who passed away due to COVID-19. Stalin’s decision, however, to appoint N Chitrarasu, who is close to his son and DMK Youth Wing leader Udhayanidhi, as the district in-charge for the Chennai West is the reason for Selvam’s departure. Chitrarasu was earlier the organiser of DMK’s Youth Wing’s Chennai West district unit.  The Chennai West district unit is considered prestigious with the DMK’s headquarters Arivalyam coming under its jurisdiction. District Secretaries are normally elected, however, the in-charge posting given to Chitrarasu has been seen as having the blessings of the DMK President.   “After Anbalagan’s death, the assumption was that a senior leader like him would be made in charge or be elected District Secretary. But that did not happen. Selvam, who was also close to the family, had only two options, to go with the AIADMK or BJP. The AIADMK cannot accommodate him in the same constituency and therefore BJP was the next option. There would have been some other tacit understanding from the party or favours sought, that's usual,” a political source said.  The DMK leadership had gone into a huddle at Arivalyam on Tuesday after reports that Ku Ka Selvam was set to join the BJP. According to sources, attempts were made by the DMK leadership at pacifying the MLA. Another source added that the MLA’s decision to move to the BJP a few months before the assembly election should force the DMK leader to re-think the way the party is functioning, and Udhayanidhi’s influence on the workings of the party. Ku Ka Selvam had begun his political career in the AIADMK but later quit the party to join the rival DMK. With Stalin’s backing he went on successfully contest the prestigious Thousand Lights constituency in 2016, defeating the then MLA and Minister B Valarmathi.    In May, former DMK leader VP Duraisamy joined the BJP. His departure came after the former Assembly Deputy Speaker and former MLA was removed as DMK Deputy General Secretary. In an interview to The Hindu, Duraisamy said he had left the DMK as the party had deviated from its ideology. He also accused the DMK of caste politics.      

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How the women of Neelam Foundation fight the COVID-19 battle in Chennai's slums

August 4, 2020, 6:01 am

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Human Interest

Neelam Foundation has been running similar academies with educated and trained resource persons for the last six years across Tamil Nadu.

Megha Kaveri

26-year-old Ponneeshwari was married off ten years ago, just when she had completed her class 11, to her maternal uncle in line with her familial customs. Originally from Madurai, she moved to Chennai with her husband immediately after her wedding and has been confined to the four walls of her house -- running the household and tending to her two children -- since then. However, today, she is a proud community outreach worker (ORW) contributing to Chennai’s fight against COVID-19. Ponneeshwari is a part of a 24-women team of Neelam Foundation, an NGO that works in the development sector, that has tied up with the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to help in its fight against COVID-19. The GCC, in May, signed agreements with a few NGOs to help them keep track of the health status of the residents in the city everyday. Neelam Foundation was one of the NGOs that had been chosen to set-up teams and train them to record health parameters of the people. Neelam Foundation was allocated three divisions in Zone-8 with eight slums. There are around 3,500 households and 13,000 people living in these areas. “It was a conscious choice to select only women in the team,” says Muthamizh Kalai Vizhi, the Founder and CEO of Neelam Foundation. The women in her team are all residents of the slums which they visit and have fought the odds to stand up and work for the society. “All these ORWs belong to these slums and they have lived there. So it is also a way to provide them with necessary leadership skills and take charge and ownership of their own community,” Muthamizh adds. For example, take Divya's story. A 26-year-old postgraduate in Geography, this is Divya’s first time in a work environment. “My parents lost their jobs during the lockdown and no income was coming into the house. So I thought this is the right opportunity for me to pitch in and do something for the community and my family and thus offered to work with Neelam,” she tells TNM. The team’s work is to go to each house allocated to them and get an update on the health status of the residents on a daily basis. “It might seem easy, but in the initial days, we have been yelled at by the residents for ‘disturbing them’ everyday by asking the same question. However, over time, it became better and now if I don’t visit, the next day they ask me why I didn’t come the previous day,” Divya says. These women build rapport with the people living in the houses allocated to them over time and have been instrumental in early detection of COVID-19 infection in a few cases. “I think, of around 25 people I had sent for RT-PCR testing, half of them have turned out to be positive. Thus their outlook towards us also changes that way,” Ponneeshwari explains. While taking down health parameters keep the women occupied till around 1 pm every day, the remaining 2-3 hours are spent participating in awareness programs in the slums they work and engaging the community in activities like stitching masks and teaching art forms to them. Neelam Educational Center is another initiative of Neelam Foundation, that works closely with women and children at the grassroot level. The Foundation will soon be inaugurating centers in all the eight slums they have been working in for the past two months and setting up study centres there. “Now that there are no schools, we wanted the students to maintain the connection with their education.We are focussed on providing extra curricular activities like silambam, mimes, theatre etc. We have planned to tie this learning of arts with their school attendance and their progress in the study centre, which means if they have to learn the artform, they have to study well,” explains Muthamizh. “Our aim is also to reduce the number of dropouts from the slums. And we have been doing this for the last six years across Tamil Nadu and have found it to be an efficient and successful model to discourage school dropouts and encourage them to learn art forms,” Muthamizh adds. Neelam Foundation will inaugurate the centres in the eight slums in August and plans to run them on a sustainable model with the help of donors. 

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TN candidate Ganesh Kumar Baskaran bags 7th rank in UPSC Civil Services exams

August 4, 2020, 6:58 am

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UPSC 2019

The 27-year-old MBA graduate from Kanyakumari district aims to get an IFS posting soon.

TNM Staff

Ganesh Kumar Baskaran, 27, bagged the seventh rank in the country and the top rank in Tamil Nadu in the civil services examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The main examinations were held in September 2019 and the results were declared on Tuesday. According to a report in Times of India, he aims to secure a post in Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and represent the country on the global stage. Ganesh hails from Madurai district and his father is a civil servant as well. As a result, he underwent his schooling in various parts of the country. Ganesh completed his engineering in IIT-Kanpur and his MBA in IIM-Ahmedabad. While working as a product manager in a company in Bengaluru, Ganesh gave his first attempt in the Prelims exams conducted in 2018, but failed to clear it. He then came back home to Nagercoil in February 2019 after quitting his job and gave his second shot at Prelims exam in May 2019. He focussed on Mathematics as his main subject, which he said it was easy for him since he is an engineer. In a short interview with Puthiya Thalaimurai news channel, Ganesh said that he was confident of securing a rank within the top 100, but the seventh rank was a happy surprise. “I didn’t expect the seventh rank. I wrote with an aim of getting a Foreign Service posting to get into top 100 ranks,” he said. A total of 829 candidates were declared pass by the UPSC on Tuesday and were recommended for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), among other civil services, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) said in a statement. The UPSC also placed 182 candidates on the reserve list and the results of 11 candidates have been withheld by the Commission. 

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Red alert issued in TN's Nilgiris, rescue operations gear up for landslides

August 4, 2020, 7:40 am

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Weather

About 220 places prone to landslides have been identified and people living in those areas are being moved to temporary shelters.

TNM Staff

With the formation of a low-pressure area over north Bay of Bengal, off West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts, a red alert has been issued to Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris district. An orange alert has been issued to the neighbouring district of Coimbatore. According to the latest bulletin from the Regional Meteorological Centre, heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts. Speaking to TNM, a district official from Nilgiris says, “A lot of trees have fallen especially in Ooty, Gudalur, Kundha. So far at least 20 fallen trees have been cut by our rescue team.” About 90 fire service personnel have been deployed on the ground so far and according to the district official, landslides might take place if the rains were to continue. “So far there have not been any landslides but it will happen by the looks of it. We have identified about 220 places prone to landslides and people living in those areas are being moved to temporary shelters,” he adds. About 20 tribal residents were rescued from flooded areas of Puthur Vayal in Gudalur taluk on Tuesday. “That was the only instance of flooding so far. Most of them moved out from the area on their own. The remaining were rescued,” he adds. Heavy to very heavy rain will continue in The Nilgiris until August 8. Thunderstorms with lightning are likely in places over Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts of Tamil Nadu on August 7 and 8. As of August 4, Upper Bhavani, Avalanche, G Bazar and Upper Gudalur in The Nilgiris have recorded the highest amount of rainfall. While Upper Bhavani has received 31 cms rainfall, Avalanche has recorded 22 cms, G Bazar 20 cms and Upper Gudalur 19 cms. Between August 1 and 4, the district recorded 537.3 mm rainfall in all. On August 4 and 5, fishermen have been warned from venturing out into Gulf of Mannar regions and central and southern Bay of Bengal and Andaman regions with wind speeds reaching up to 45 to 55 kmph. 

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TN reports more discharges than new COVID-19 cases, Madurai sees a dip in fresh cases

August 4, 2020, 7:44 pm

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Coronavirus

While Chennai has reported 1023 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, Virudhunagar continues to report a high number, with 424 persons testing positive on the same day.

TNM Staff

Image for Representation/PTI

Tamil Nadu reported 5,063 new COVID-19 cases on August 4, a dip in its latest trend. A total of 6,501 patients were discharged on the same day while 108 patients were reported to have died due to COVID-19. With this, the state has 55,152 active COVID-19 cases; Chennai makes up for 11,856 of this number. While Chennai has reported 1023 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, Virudhunagar continues to report a high number, with 424 persons testing positive for COVID-19 on the same day. Thiruvallur comes closer with 358 new COVID-19 cases followed by Theni with 292 new COVID-19 cases. In what comes as good news, Madurai’s numbers have dropped significantly, from reporting over 100 new cases daily, Madurai has reported only 40 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. Chengalpattu (2583), Coimbatore (1685), Cuddalore (1720), Kallakurichi (1017) Kancheepuram (2859), Kanyakumari (2002), Madurai (2242), Ranipet (1796), Salem (1137), Theni (2691), Thiruvallur (3437), Thiruvannamalai (2267), Thoothukudi (1977), Tirunelveli (2298), Trichy (1435), Vellore (1234) and Virudhunagar (2377) are the districts with the most number of active COVID-19 cases after Chennai. Of the 108 patients who are reported to have succumbed to COVID-19 in the state on Tuesday, nine of them did not have any comorbidities. Thirty-five below the age of 60 are among the 108 fatalities reported. So far, from 2,68,285 persons who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu, 4,349 have died due to it in the state. The highest number of fatalities are from Chennai, with 2202 patients from the city succumbing to the disease. Then comes Chengalpattu with 272 and Madurai with 261. A total of 27,86,250 persons have been tested by the state as on date. Thirteen thousand two hundred and seventy-six children below the age of 12 have tested positive for COVID-19 in the state so far. 

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Jayalalithaa had favoured construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya: CM Palaniswami

August 4, 2020, 8:31 pm

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Ayodhya Temple

Palaniswami recalled that Jayalalithaa had urged for the construction of a temple while participating in a National Integration Council meeting on November 23, 1992.

TNM Staff

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday said late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa had favoured construction of a temple for Lord Ram in Ayodhya and extended his best wishes for the foundation stone laying ceremony that is to take place on August 5. In his statement, Chief Minister Palaniswami recalled that Jayalalithaa had urged for the construction of a temple for Lord Ram in Ayodhya while participating in a National Integration Council meeting on November 23, 1992. “At the same time, the former Chief Minister also desired that a mosque too must be there in Ayodhya. Her stand showed that she wanted harmony among Hindus and Muslims for the nation's integrity and its larger good,” the Chief Minister said in an official release. In the statement, the present Tamil Nadu Chief Minister also added that the temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya is the dream of Hindus and this is turning into a reality. Chief Minister Palaniswami said that as per the historical judgement of the Supreme Court, a conducive atmosphere exists for building the Ram temple and extended his heartfelt appreciation for the central government on that count. Also extending his best wishes on behalf of Tamil Nadu people to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will take part in the foundation stone laying ceremony and the 'bhoomi pujan' on Wednesday, Palaniswami lauded the Centre for taking steps to build the temple after the Supreme Court's last year verdict on the issue that led to a conducive atmosphere. On Tuesday, just a day ahead of the ceremony, pictures of the proposed Ram temple in Ayodhya were released by the government. The architect of the temple had said earlier that the proposed Ram temple in Ayodhya will be almost double the size of what was originally planned following a modification in its design after the Supreme Court verdict in 2019. (With inputs from IANS and PTI)

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TN merchants to go on strike on August 10, demand reopening of markets

August 4, 2020, 9:43 pm

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Strike

Chennai’s biggest wholesale market at Koyambedu was shut in May this year when the market turned out to become the state’s biggest cluster of COVID-19.

TNM Staff

An empty Koyambedu market/PTI

At a meeting organised by the Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangankalin Peramaippu in Chennai on Tuesday, attended by vegetables, fruits and flower merchants, it was decided that they will hold a state-wide strike on August 10 (Monday). Speaking to the press later, Vikramaraja, its President, expressed his dismay over the shutting down of the markets in different places across the state and demanded its immediate reopening. “We have been continuously requesting the government to reopen markets including Chennai’s Koyambedu. In order to draw the government’s attention, we plan to go on strike on August 10 (Monday) and all markets across the state will be shut. We do not want to gather crowds in the name of protest during a pandemic,” he said. “If the government does not make favourable announcements, we will have no choice than to announce a continuous strike,” he added. According to reports, about 20,000 wholesale and retail shops in Chennai are expected to down their shutters on August 10. Talking about their meeting with Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam Vikramaraja shared, “He has said that the three markets (flowers, fruits and vegetables) inside Koyambedu can be split and streamlined. He also said that a committee can be formed with merchants on board and requested for our cooperation.” He also pointed out that the government had announced earlier that the Thirumazhisai market will be closed and Koyambedu will soon be reopened. “The government had planned for detailed entry and exit ways and we promised to cooperate. We do not know why there is a delay in doing so now,” he added. Chennai’s biggest wholesale market at Koyambedu was shut in May this year when the market turned out to become the state’s biggest cluster of COVID-19, spiking the numbers in many other districts. A portion of the market was shifted to Thirumazhisai, where merchants have been complaining of poor infrastructure and consequential damage to goods worth several lakhs.

Body 2: 

SP Balasubrahmanyam hospitalised for COVID-19, says 'don't worry' in FB video

August 5, 2020, 12:11 am

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Coronavirus

In a video recording from the hospital, the singer said he was fine and will be discharged in two days.

Priyanka Thirumurthy

Seventy-four-year-old Indian playback singer SP Balasubrahmanyam, who has tested positive for the novel coronavirus was admitted to the MGM Healthcare hosptal in Chennai on Wednesday morning. The singer who has won multiple national awards and sung 40,000 songs in 16 languages, put out a video from his hospital bed clarifying that he is on the track to recovery and said that he will be discharged in two days. In a Facebook live he did on Wednesday, the singer stated that the only symptom he had was a cold. However, over the last three days he had chest congestion and fever."Last two to three days I have been having a little discomfort. Discomfort means little chest congestion, which for a singer is nonsense. Phlegm forming and then cold and on and off fever. These three things, otherwise no problem. But I didn't want to take it easy, so I went to the hospital and checked. So they said it was just a mild, mild, mild, very mild positive of corona. They said you can stay home and self quarantine yourself. But I didn't want to do that. It is very tough in the place with all the family. They are very concerned, they can't leave you alone. So I got admitted to the hospital," the singer stated. He, however, went on to say that his condition should not be a cause of any concern for his well wishers and fans. He further requested that people avoid calling him as he is required to take rest. "All my friends are here, they are taking good care of me, I am in good hands.  And I have good health. Nobody has to worry about this one. So please don't bother to call me to find out how I am," he requested. "I am perfectly alright except the cold and fever. Fever has also subsided. In two days, I will be discharged and I will be home. Thanks for the concern. Lot of people have been calling me. I couldn't attend all the calls. I have come here mostly to take rest so there won't be any disturbance to me and to take medication. Don't bother calling me. I am fine, I will be fine," he concluded. The singer was in a black shirt and wearing his glasses while recording the video. As soon as he posted it, he got a multitude of replies wishing him good health and a quick recovery. During the lockdown period, he had composed and sung a song to promote awareness on coronavirus.  

Body 2: 

VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan’s sister succumbs to coronavirus in Chennai

August 5, 2020, 1:51 am

≫ Next: Meghalaya to Kerala, meet the 25-yr-old capturing stories across India in 99 sec videos

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Coronavirus

Banumathi (65) tested positive for coronavirus three weeks back and was receiving treatment in a private hospital in Nungambakkam.

Bharathi SP

Screenshot from another publication's video

Banumathi, the elder sister of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi founder Thol Thirumavalavan, succumbed to coronavirus in a private hospital in Chennai on Wednesday. Banumathi (65), who tested positive for the virus three weeks back, was receiving treatment in SIMS Hospital at  Nungambakkam, Chennai. She is survived by three children. On Tuesday, Thol Thirumavalavan attended the funeral of his sister in Nungambakkam following the coronavirus protocol. Banumathi was admitted to the private hospital since she tested positive for the virus and also had comorbidites including hypertension and diabetes, said sources. “The source of infection is yet to be ascertained. Banumathi left the house only a few times to buy essentials from a nearby shop. There wasn’t any chance for her to contract the virus," VCK MP from Villupuram constituency, Ravikumar said.  He further told TNM, “The government should act on the issue by understanding the seriousness of the spread of coronavirus. In Chennai, the government is saying that the doubling of cases and the spread has gone down but I am not sure if this is reliable. The government also simultaneously reduced the number of testing in the past one week from 60,000 samples to 55,000 samples.” “There is a spike in Virudhunagar district and also the mortality rate has gone up. However, we can see the government working to relax the lockdown,” he said. On the rising coronavirus cases in the country, Thol Thirumavalavan on Monday had said (sarcatically) on Facebook, “We have exceeded America; we have grown into a democracy that wins over another democratic country. We have ranked first on the worldwide one day tally of new numbers of coronavirus cases.”

Body 2: 

Meghalaya to Kerala, meet the 25-yr-old capturing stories across India in 99 sec videos

August 5, 2020, 2:23 am

≫ Next: DMK suspends MLA Ku Ka Selvam, issues show cause notice

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Social Media

Sai has been posting 99-second videos of ‘people, places and ideas’ on his video-blogging project called ‘On The Ground’ since July last year.

Anjana Shekar

Sai Sethu believes that to tell a good story, just 99 seconds is sufficient. “It’s short, it’s not 100 (laughs). People will think ‘Oh, this is just 99 seconds, I can watch it’. I just tried to play around with that idea,” he begins. Sai has been posting 99-second videos of “people, places and ideas,” as he puts it, on his video-blogging project called On The Ground. August 4 marked the release of his 100th video. Popular Israeli video blogger Nuseir Yassin’s Nas Daily was a big source of inspiration for this engineering graduate turned journalist to pursue his idea. “I was always inclined towards television and I made a choice to pursue journalism after my fourth year of engineering,” says 25-year-old Sai, who completed his education from the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) and then from the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. After a few brief stints with a television channel and digital news websites, Sai decided to fly solo. “I was immediately glued to Nas Daily’s way of storytelling. He inspired me greatly and I thought why not do it in India and create some real impact,” Sai shares. Equipped with audio and video recording gadgets, in July 2019, Sai began by exploring his native state – Tamil Nadu. Little over a year later, Sai has covered six states and a union territory across the length and breadth of the country. “I always travel by public transport, stay in simple hotels or be hosted by kind people. My journey has helped me create a close network of people,” he says.      View this post on Instagram          Meet Mr. 'Tree Ramaiah' - known for planting more than 10 million trees by himself. #trees #seeds #manoftrees #unsungheros #savetrees #plantsaplings #passion #greenlandscapes #afforestation #deforestation #bethechange #globalwarming #planttrees #placard #greenplanet #servicetosociety #Ontheground #videooftheday #99seconds #Indiathroughthelens #inspirationandimpact#shortdocumentaries #climateemergency #greatathunberg #AnthonioGuterres #Davidattenborough #climatechange #sustainableenvironment #yourstory #betterindia If you think any place, person, or idea needs to be showcased in a video and can inspire viewers, please write to ontheground.stories@gmail.com. A post shared by Sai Sethu (@ontheground.99) on Oct 1, 2019 at 7:57am PDT This small community is the basis of Sai’s idea for On The Ground. “I want to create a community. During my travels, I have understood the power of a close-knit community. It has to be inclusive and a safe space for everyone,” he adds. Ordinary people, extraordinary stories From sustainable practices adopted by villagers in Kerala’s Vengeri to capturing the unique sounds of locals in Meghalaya’s whistling village Kongthong; from the self-sustained school in Kodaikanal hills in Tamil Nadu that even produces its own electricity, to a family that has made its self-sustained home inside a forest in the hills of Sakleshpur in Karnataka, On The Grounds traverses all kinds of landscapes, capturing all kinds of people with breathtaking stories to share.      View this post on Instagram          This village in Meghalaya is popularly known as the Whistling Village Of India. Every resident of this village has a melodious tune as their name. The tune comes directly from a mother’s heart! #whistlingvillage #melody #melodious #tune #tunesasnames #ancienttradition #kongthong #meghalaya #shillong #Indianculture #whistle #motherbaby #motherslove #lullaby #purelove #broomcultivation #valleys #mountains #incredibleIndia #ancestress #tribalvillage #incredibleIndia #greenMeghalaya #khasitribe #villagesofIndia #greatbigstory #natgeo #amazingplaces #song If you think any place, person, or idea needs to be showcased in a video and can inspire viewers, please write to ontheground.stories@gmail.com A post shared by Sai Sethu (@ontheground.99) on Jun 22, 2020 at 11:15pm PDT      View this post on Instagram          To escape from the noise and the mechanical life in an urban landscape, Gautam and Venetia bought a piece of land in the quaint hill station of Sakleshpur. So that their kids can experience freedom. #family #jungle #junglebook #wildside #meadows #paddyfields #pets #mowgli #baloo #kaa #fruitforest #poultry #sustainability #solarheaters #firewood #savewater #bbc #greatbigstory #earthbags #compostpits #sanitation #ecofriendly #natgeo #betterindia #freedom #Ontheground #videooftheday #99seconds #changeforthefuture #peopleandplaces If you think any place, person, or idea needs to be showcased in a video and can inspire viewers, please write to ontheground.stories@gmail.com If you wish to visit The Wildside, you can reach out to them at https://svargaonearth.wordpress.com/ A post shared by Sai Sethu (@ontheground.99) on Dec 9, 2019 at 10:34pm PST Apart from scouring through regional newspapers to find special stories, Sai banks on his close community of people to help him with story pointers. “People drop messages with recommendations and I also hop from one story to another led by oral accounts.” He then goes back to four ‘I’s - “intrigue, inspire, impact, interest” - to pick his stories. When asked to share his experiences of meeting such people with inspiring backstories, Sai says, “It is about how ordinary people are. How they don't care about materialism and believe in doing what they care about. These people are so futuristic and progressive, be it abandoning open defecation or becoming electricity independent… There are so many lessons that people from urban landscapes can draw from.” And rightfully so, a myriad of stories come together to paint a picture of progressive living, featuring spirited individuals. Sai especially recalls his time with Padma Shri recipient and cardiologist from Bengaluru, Dr B Raman Rao. “He runs the world's longest-running free clinic for the past 46 years at his native village T Begur. He spends his week in Bengaluru where he is a renowned cardiologist, working in big hospitals, and on Sunday he heads to this village,” Sai begins. “And you cannot possibly begin to imagine the number of patients who would throng his clinic on Sundays,” he continues, adding, “Long lines of at least 2,000 to 3,000 patients are a common sight. He was the nicest man I’ve met, very down to earth and also treated me with dignity. His work is unparalleled and any country should be proud of having such citizens.”      View this post on Instagram          Dr. Ramana Rao and his team run the world’s longest running free clinic. Dr. Rao has treated more than 2 million patients in the past 46 years. He offers free treatment, free tablets and free food. He is also the most incredible person I have ever met. #doctor #nofees #freeclinic #millions #cardiologist #mission #villagers #rituals #livinggod #healthcare #ruralindia #medicalcamps #humanitarian #medicalmiracle #JacindaArden #bbc #natgeo #betterindia #greatbigstory #Ontheground #AOC #99seconds #Indiathroughthelens #inspirationandimpact #changeforthefuture #peopleplaces #humaninterestnews #society #berniesanders #obamacare If you think any place, person, or idea needs to be showcased in a video and can inspire viewers, please write to ontheground.stories@gmail.com A post shared by Sai Sethu (@ontheground.99) on Dec 2, 2019 at 11:10pm PST Even as coronavirus cut his journey short after he returned from Meghalaya just a few days before the first nationwide lockdown was imposed, Sai has found other ways to create more content. “I have been featuring COVID-19 warriors for the last few months,” says Sai. On The Ground has featured Veggies For You, a van in Coimbatore that door delivers about 60 varieties of fresh vegetables procured from organic farmers, a catering team also in Coimbatore known as Nallaramm whose mission is to feed at least 60,000 people a day, a woman tribal community leader who has been empowering her community members in different ways and many more.      View this post on Instagram          Veggies For You is a van that delivers about 60 varieties of fresh vegetables and fruits to our doorstep. They are based out of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The Veggies For You team travels to areas that are declared as COVID 19 hotspots, every other day. Let's celebrate these inspiring frontline workers! You can reach out to @4youveggie for any questions and inquiries for your benefit. #veggies4you #4youveggie #covid19warriors #coronavirus #healthcare #health #employee #frontlineworkers #warriors #natgeotravel #greatbigstory #ontheground #veggies #vegetables #fruits #varieties #healthyfood #dietplan #nutrition #freshvegtables #India #covidhotspots #positivestories #humanaspect #humanity #99seconds #socialdistancing #quarantine #conentinquarantine If you think any place, person, or idea needs to be showcased in a video and can inspire viewers, please write to ontheground.stories@gmail.com. A post shared by Sai Sethu (@ontheground.99) on Apr 27, 2020 at 11:43pm PDT     View this post on Instagram          Meet, Suresh Narayanan, a drone expert, and a COVID-19 warrior who devised a drone-sanitizer to ease the burden of this outbreak. His invention is called The Dragonfly. If you think any place, person, or idea needs to be showcased in a video and can inspire viewers, please write to ontheground.stories@gmail.com. You can reach out to @skywalkdrobotic for any information related to drones. Suresh runs a very comprehensive drone academy where he educates aspiring drone pilots. Check it out! #drone #sanitizer #military #wings #droneflying #disinfectant #dettol #sanitiser #insects #publicplaces #sanitary #sanitation #healthcare #hospitals #corona #virus #positivecovid #covid19 #gps #covid #covidwarriors #natgeotravel #greatbigstory #humaninterest #ontheground #humanity #unity #economicslowdown ##unsungheroes A post shared by Sai Sethu (@ontheground.99) on Apr 13, 2020 at 11:40pm PDT While Sai is mostly a one-man team, he has support from friends and family. “I have some friends who help go over my scripts and my family has helped me financially. I should thank them for being my strong support system,” he adds. According to Sai, his videos have been going strong. “I have about 3,00,000 to 4,00,000 total views on Instagram and 2.5 to 3 million cumulative views on Facebook. The next plan is to expand on YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn. I am yet to finalise on collaborations, and I am also looking for sponsors in the long run,” he adds, talking about his future plans. Admitting that a book full of anecdotes might be definite in the future, Sai adds that the whole experience has been an eye-opener for him. “I feel more confident and I believe in the power of dreams a lot more now. This journey has taught me the importance of being curious and learning. How I perceive the world has changed and I feel like I am more aware now,” he says, adding, “The people I have featured are surely the hidden gems of India and we need to preserve such folks.”

Body 2: 

DMK suspends MLA Ku Ka Selvam, issues show cause notice

August 5, 2020, 2:27 am

≫ Next: Stand-alone gyms in Tamil Nadu can reopen from August 10

≪ Previous: Meghalaya to Kerala, meet the 25-yr-old capturing stories across India in 99 sec videos

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Politics

The DMK pointed out that he had breached protocol and brought disrepute to the party.

Priyanka Thirumurthy

The DMK has suspended Thousand Lights MLA Ku Ka Selvan from the party for breaching protocol and bringing disrepute to the political organisation. He has further been issued a show cause notice, asking for an explanation as to why he should not be removed from the party. Sources in the DMK tell TNM, that the party's decision follows Ku Ka Selvam's visit to New Delhi where he called on BJP president JP Nadda along with former colleague VP Duraiswamy, who recently left the DMK to join BJP. They were accompanied by Tamil Nadu BJP President L Murugan, and sources confirm that the DMK MLA was set to defect from his party and join the BJP. According to DMK sources, Ku Ka Selvam has been unhappy with the DMK over their decision to make youngster N Chirtrarasu, who is close to Udhayanidhi Stalin the in-charge of Chennai West. The post had fallen vacant after MLA J Anbalagan succumbed to COVID-19."We knew he was unhappy with the decision but there was no formal conversation held with our leader about it. He just decided to meet the BJP leaders," says a party source. But Selvam's disgruntlement was on full display after his meeting with the BJP President. He claimed that he had gone to Delhi to visit Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to ask for two elevators to be installed in the Nungambakkam station, which falls under his Thousand Lights constituency. But after the meeting while speaking to the media, he stated that the DMK must cut tie with the Congress and condemn the alleged insults made by Karuppar Koottam to a Hindu prayer. He further praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi but denied claims that he was joining the BJP. When asked about whether his meeting with the BJP leaders was a breach of protocol he reportedly said he was ready to face any action regarding this.    

Body 2: 

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Stand-alone gyms in Tamil Nadu can reopen from August 10

August 5, 2020, 4:32 am

≫ Next: Chennai hospital honours plasma donors who helped save COVID-19 patients’ lives

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Coronavirus

Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami will further be issuing a standard operating procedure to ensure that uniform rules are followed across the state.

TNM Staff

(Image for representation)

The Tamil Nadu government has given stand-alone gyms in the state permission to reopen from August 10. The government has directed that only persons below the age of 50 should be permitted to use the facilities. Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami will further be issuing a standard operating procedure (SOP) to ensure that uniform rules are followed across the state. The Tamil Nadu Gym Owners and Trainers Welfare Association has been requesting the Chief Minister to reopen gyms in the state. They had been shut down on March 24, in view of the nationwide lockdown on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centre, in its recent release, had given permission to states to reopen gyms from August 5. Tamil Nadu, however, did not choose to open them immediately and the government has taken a more cautious route. Even now, stand-alone gyms are allowed to function from August 10 but gyms attached to hotels or clubs remain closed. Gym owners across the country have been facing major losses and have been forced to let go of trainers and workers, following the shutdown. Speaking to TNM, several of them had said that they are ready to take necessary precautions when they reopen. In a setting that involves touching shared equipment and spread of bodily fluids,, sanitisation would be the most important factor. Physical distancing, several claimed, can be introduced through slot-based workouts. People who enter gyms will have to have their temperatures checked. Gyms were also mulling whether to make use of masks and gloves compulsory. There is also the added challenge of gym members themselves being unwilling to use a public space for workouts. Several people have now chosen to buy equipment and do home workouts. Flipkart and Amazon told TNM that the platforms have seen over twice the growth for home fitness products.  

Body 2: 

Chennai hospital honours plasma donors who helped save COVID-19 patients’ lives

August 5, 2020, 5:27 am

≫ Next: At least 20 doctors in Tamil Nadu have died due to coronavirus

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Human interest

Gleneagles Global Health City Hospital in Chennai organised an event where the people who had donated plasma after recovering from COVID-19 shared their experience.

Geetika Mantri

“I am not here as a COVID-19 warrior,” began Bhaskar Reddy, a senior employee of Gleneagles Global Health City Hospital in Perumbakkam, Chennai. “There are two dimensions to life – successful and purposeful. The former is when you take something from the society, and the latter is when you give back. As someone who has recovered from COVID-19, I was successful. But I also donated plasma, to be able to give back. This is my appeal to all COVID-19 warriors too – come forward [to donate plasma] and save lives.” Bhaskar was speaking at an event organised by the hospital to felicitate people who had donated plasma which was used to treat COVID-19 patients using convalescent plasma therapy. As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic and finding a vaccine for it, there have been some treatments that have been found to help patients in the interim, and plasma therapy is one of them. It involves a recovered individual to donate blood from which plasma is derived. It is a part of the blood which is left when the red blood cells are removed. This plasma contains antibodies that the recovered persons has produced against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. When this plasma is transfused to sick persons, it could help their immune system in fighting the coronavirus. At the event, several doctors working at the Gleneagles hospital who had gotten infected with the coronavirus, received plasma and also donated it after recovering shared their experience. Some other persons also talked about how grateful they were to have received treatment and how they felt about donating blood post-recovery. Dr Clara, Director of Nursing at the hospital, was the first to share her experience of having contacted COVID-19 and later, donating plasma. She said that the experience of having the disease made her empathise more with her patients. “Their pain, their suffering, their mental agony. I did not need to get admitted. But if I suffered so much at home, I could understand how each patient suffers due to coronavirus. The least we can do then is to give back, and give back with gratitude. When I finally donated plasma, it was not out of pride, but humility.” Several people who had received plasma as well as donated it expressed gratitude towards the doctors, nursing as well as the housekeeping staff for taking care of them. An emotional Dr Balaji Pillai, a former COVID-19 patient, talked about his 28-day stay at the hospital and thanked the two donors whose plasma helped him recover. “I am still recovering, and will be back among you in the next 7-10 days. And I will become a plasma donor soon too,” he said. Sindhuja, an actor in Tamil television who also got treated for COVID-19 at the hospital, said, “Initially I was shocked when they said that they had taken 350 ml blood. But when the doctor explained that this could be used to save two lives, I felt very proud.” She was followed by a man named Suresh, a recipient of plasma therapy. An emotional Suresh thanked the hospital staff for saving his life. Another doctor, Dr Ashwin Karuppan V, Consultant, Department of Internal Medicine, Critical Care & Diabetology, who had gotten COVID-19 said, “I have experienced this coronavirus as a doctor, patient and a [plasma] donor. To quote Gandhi, be the change you wish to see in the world. If you don’t [donate plasma], you cannot motivate anyone else.” In particular, several people thanked Dr Subramanian Swaminathan, Director of Department of Infectious Disease and Infection Control at the hospital. He revealed that he too had contracted the infection in March and had subsequently recovered. He pointed out that as doctors, back then, they had talked about the science aspects of COVID-19 but not the humanitarian aspect. Referring to his colleagues who had spoken before him about battling COVID-19, he said, “We didn’t anticipate having to treat our own friends. It is emotionally draining.” He also thanked patients for putting their faith in the doctors at the hospital. Referring to plasma therapy, he noted that a single person’s donation could save multiple lives. He told Suresh who was in the audience that his plasma had already reached four people. “Plasma is like the secret sauce in this pandemic. We have seen patients doing much better after receiving the therapy. Sometimes we have to think of innovative ideas like plasma therapy for treatments. But it can’t be manufactured. It can only come with a key ingredient – goodwill. To people who have donated plasma – you are heroes and no one can take that away from you,” Dr Subramanian said. 

Body 2: 

At least 20 doctors in Tamil Nadu have died due to coronavirus

August 5, 2020, 6:03 am

≫ Next: Chennai reports over 1000 new COVID-19 cases, 112 patients die in TN

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Coronavirus

Most of the deceased doctors were general practitioners from Chennai, Madurai and other southern districts.

Bharathi SP

Image for representation

Twenty doctors in Tamil Nadu have succumbed to the coronavirus since March, as per data collected by the state unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA). Among the deceased doctors, most of them were general medical practitioners from Chennai, Madurai and other southern districts. The number of deaths was lower in the western districts of the state. The Tamil Nadu unit of IMA submitted details of 20 doctors to the state government on Tuesday.  The death of the doctors, who were working in private and government hospitals, have been registered with the respective IMA branches in various districts. The association also predicts that a higher number of doctors may have succumbed to the coronavirus, IMA state secretary AK Ravikumar said.  “The first COVID-19 death of a doctor associated with IMA was Dr Simon. After that, we started collecting the data on the deaths of all doctors due to the novel coronavirus. Till now, 20 doctors have succumbed to COVID-19. However, the number of deaths can also be higher because we have submitted a list of only those doctors, whose kin have provided death certificates and other documents to us. We are also collecting the details of other doctors who allegedly succumbed to the virus.” Based on the list, doctors above the age of 50 are more vulnerable, he said, adding, “In the list, the youngest doctor to succumb to coronavirus was a 43-year-old man. All the other doctors are aged over 50.” Many general practitioners contracted the virus while discharging their duties and succumbed to the infection, the data suggested.  “General practitioners contracted the virus more than other specialists. This is because they are spending more time with patients and they are also providing consultations to a lot of people, even before diagnosis.  Also, many private hospitals with high caseloads are unable to give time for the doctors to quarantine themselves. Hence, doctors are working with constant exposure to the virus,” IMA state president CN Raja said. There was a list reportedly by IMA that was widely circulated among doctors and social media users claiming that 43 doctors succumbed to the infection in Tamil Nadu. Rubbishing this information, Raja said, “The data was published as a table with no attestation or seal. The information was not released by the IMA. We are looking at the source of the information. However, as per the data we have collected, that information is wrong.” On the different ways to curb the spread of the virus among doctors, he said, “Doctors should provide treatment during a pandemic and we cannot do much about it. However, telemedicine can be an option to treat the patients but the feasibility of the practice is still unknown.” The state unit also put forth certain demands to the government. The state president said, “Many private hospitals are unable to access life-saving drugs. Hence, the government should intervene and make sure that drugs are available for the people. The government should also increase the infrastructure of government hospitals so that we can treat more patients. Also, plasma therapy should be encouraged and provided to more number of people.”

Body 2: 

Chennai reports over 1000 new COVID-19 cases, 112 patients die in TN

August 5, 2020, 8:07 am

≫ Next: Residents of TN village block burial of 52-year-old COVID-19 patient

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Coronavirus

Tamil Nadu saw 5,175 positive cases on Wednesday, taking the state tally to 2,73,460.

TNM Staff

Tamil Nadu on Wednesday saw 5,175 positive cases, taking the total number of cases in the state to 2,73,460. A total of 54,184 patients are undergoing treatment in the state. Chennai recorded a total of 1,044 cases, while Chengalpattu recorded 487 cases, Kancheepuram recorded 342 cases and Thiruvallur 472 cases. In the southern part of the state, Madurai recorded 106 cases, Theni reported 278, Thoothukudi saw 173 and Virudhunagar had 67 cases. The youngest person to die on Wednesday in Tamil Nadu due to COVID-19 was a 28-year-old from Chennai, who was admitted on July 20 to the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital. The victim had a mental health disorder. Amongst the reasons listed for his death were left pneumothorax (collapsed lung), right pneumomediastinum (presence of air), viral pneumonia, seizure disorder and COVID-19 condition. A total of 112 patients died due to the virus on Wednesday taking the total number of deaths to 4,461. Of the 112 deaths, 104 were persons with comorbidities while eight were persons with no comorbidities. Amongst the persons who died without comorbidities in private centres were a 61-year-old male from Chennai and a 59-year-old male from Kancheepuram. The former was admitted on July 25 with a complaint of cough for three days. He died on August 5 at around 2.04 am due to severe respiratory failure, septic shock, and pneumonia. The COVID-19 patient from Kancheepuram was admitted on July 21 in a private hospital with complaints of fever for six days, cough and difficulty in breathing. He died on August 4 due to septic shock, multi-organ dysfunction, acute respiratory distress syndrome and pneumonia. Four persons below the age of 50 died without comorbidities in government hospitals. The first was a 31-year-old woman from Theni who was admitted to the Theni Medical College and Hospital. She died on August 1 due to acute respiratory failure. The second is a 36-year-old man from Salem who was admitted to the Kumaramanagalam government college and hospital. The patient died on August 3 due to respiratory failure, pneumonia, sepsis and metabolic encephalopathy. The third such death was of a 45-year-old male from Madurai who was admitted to the Government Rajaji Hospital. He died on August 2 at 11 pm due to acute respiratory distress syndrome and COVID pneumonia. The fourth person was a 46-year-old male from Chengalpattu who was admitted on July 29 to the Chengalpattu Medical college and hospital. The patient died on August 3 due to acute respiratory distress syndrome.  

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Residents of TN village block burial of 52-year-old COVID-19 patient

August 5, 2020, 8:58 pm

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After eight-hour-long talks with health workers trying to convince the residents failed, the last rites were carried out in a village located nearby.

TNM Staff

Image for representation

The residents of Meledaiyalam village in Tamil Nadu stalled the burial of a 52-year-old man, who had succumbed to coronavirus, near Gingee on Wednesday. The residents dug up pits and parked tractors on roads to stop the ambulance from entering the village.  For almost eight hours, the health workers tried to convince the residents, but after talks failed, the family finally had to bury the man in Periyakaanjakulam village, which is located nearby.  According to reports, a 52-year-old man had been admitted to a private hospital on July 24 with complaints of breathlessness. The patient tested positive for coronavirus the next day and was receiving treatment in the hospital. However, his health condition worsened on Tuesday morning and he later succumbed to the disease. Based on the last wish of the deceased patient, the family members decided to bury him in their native Meledaiyalam village. The revenue officials also reached the burial ground and dug up a pit to lower the body. But soon, villagers came to know of the last rites and they started to stage a protest, according to reports. The locals gathered at the entry point of the village and dug up holes to stop the entry of the ambulance. They also parked tractors to hinder the smooth entry of the ambulance that was carrying the body.  As the villagers refused to provide entry to the ambulance even after eight hours, the body was later buried in a graveyard in Periyakaanjakulam village, located nearby. Despite assurances from doctors that a dead body cannot spread coronavirus, multiple incidents of local residents blocking burials out of fear have been reported in the state. Two days ago, the residents of Arcot protested against the last rites of nurse Archana, who contracted the virus while serving the people in Arcot government hospital. The district officials had to intervene and help the family with the burial. 

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