Tamil Nadu

Crime

Raman Murugam and Sundhar Rajan were arrested from their houses in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district on Saturday.

Image of blue, green and pink fabrics lined together in a clothing market.

(Image for representation)

The Economic Offences Wing in New Delhi has arrested two men from Tamil Nadu for allegedly cheating over 40 shopkeepers in the national capital of Rs 13.77 crore. Raman Murugam and Sundhar Rajan were arrested from Tamil Nadu in a joint operation by the Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and a special police team of Krishnagiri district in the southern state."The accused posed themselves as big cloth merchants from Tamil Nadu to their prospective clients. They first induced the complainants and other victims to supply goods on credit by winning their trust, and later did not honour the cheques given for the same," said OP Mishra, Joint Commissioner of Police, EOW. The matter came to light when 47 shopkeepers of Gandhi Nagar Market in Delhi filed a complaint with the EOW. In the complaint, the shopkeepers stated that they had sold readymade garments to traders of two companies — Shiva Kumar, Ravi Peya Chetty and Venkatesan of Sri Kamachi Traders; and Senthil Kumar of Jai Hanuman Trader and Company. They sold it through commission agents Ramji and Venkatraman, against post-dated cheques for 60-90 days. Although the bank cleared the post-dated cheques initially, these were later dishonoured. Of the 47 complainants, eight were allegedly swindled by Sundhar Rajan, proprietor of Raghvendra Traders, Chickpet, Bengaluru, in connivance with Ravi Chetty of Sri Kamachi Traders. Rama Murugan had posed as a trader along with Sundhar Rajan and is suspected to be part of the larger plot to cheat the merchants. In December, both these firms — Sri Kamachi Traders and Jai Hanuman Trader and Company — were reported closed and the accused left the rented premises without information. Accused Raman Murugam (61) of Kannandahalli and Sundhar Rajan (44) of Varatanappali, both in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu, were arrested from their respective houses."They have been sent to police remand for five days. Further investigation into the involvement of others in the case is in progress," the officer said.

Body 2:

Politics

The counsel of the former aide of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is optimistic that she will be released early for good behaviour.

Priyanka Thirumurthy

VK Sasikala dressed in a green saree with a high collar blouse greeting supporters

The counsel for VK Sasikala, who was late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s close aide, has over the last two months made optimistic statements about her early release. The latest timeline to come from her advocate Raja Senthura Pandian, is a possible release at the end of September or early October after subtracting days for good behaviour from her sentence. However, speaking to TNM, sources in the AIADMK who are in contact with both the Karnataka prison police and the BJP, say that a release before December is near impossible. Sasikala's counsel argues that while state and special remissions could not apply for her as she is convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, she could be released early for 'good behaviour' ,a clause that applies for all prisoners. She was convicted for four years in the disproportionate assets case on February 14, 2017."As per the Karnataka jail manual her term will be reduced to 43 months from 48 if they apply good behaviour. We believe they will follow this and allow her to be released early," says advocate Raja Sentura Pandian. The AIADMK, however, is confident that an early release will not be guaranteed for the former general secretary of the party."If she was to be released later this month or the next, by now, the necessary paperwork would have been completed. We have spoken to the prison authorities in Karnataka and no such work is yet to even begin," says a source in the AIADMK. "Even if they are considering good behaviour, this is a political decision and no clearance has been made for the same. It is going to take multiple rounds of talks with the Centre in Delhi to make this happen," adds the source. The AMMK, according to sources, is yet to begin discussion with the BJP on Sasikala's, and contrary to what the party is expecting, the Centre’s stand has only grown more aggressive against the convicted leader. Just last week, the Income Tax (I-T) Department attached 65 properties belonging to Sasikala, worth close to Rs 300 crore. The attachment has been made under the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act. "The AMMK will have to negotiate hard with the BJP for any kind of a deal. And these discussions will include her release, charges by the I-T Department and money laundering charges from the Enforcement Directorate," says the AIADMK source. "Moreover both the Chief Minister (CM) and Deputy Chief Minister will be kept in the loop regarding the decision of her early release," he adds. Raja Senthura Pandian also admits that he is yet to speak to either Sasikala or jail authorities regarding her release and is likely to visit Karnataka's Parapana Agrahara prison next week. The AMMK is, however, confident that Sasikala's release will impact the state's political dynamics."The ground level AIADMK workers are unhappy and know that Sasikala madam will uphold the true principles taught by Amma (former CM J Jayalalithaa). They are likely to come out in her support," says AMMK leader P Vetrivel. "There is a leadership vacuum in the current AIADMK and if our party contests elections we will split the public vote. This may lead to a DMK victory, but what can we do about it?" he asks. The AMMK, which drew a blank in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections and the bye-polls that were held simultaneously, admits that it is currently in talks with smaller parties for an alliance ahead of the 2021 Elections. The release of VK Sasikala, they predict, will bolster their chances. However, as she was convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, she will be barred from contesting elections for a period of six years. The AIADMK also admits that Sasikla's release will cause an immediate disturbance."There will be a grand welcome or rally call when she is released from the AMMK," says the AIADMK source. "But we are confident that it will not be till December."

Body 2:

Wedding

The ceremony, which took place on Sunday morning, was attended by many from the entertainment industry, including Arav’s ‘Bigg Boss’ housemates.

TNM Staff

Actors Arav and Raahei pose at their wedding. Raahei is wearing a blush coloured lehenga and Arav is wearing an ivory coloured sherwani.

Actor Arav of Bigg Boss Tamil fame married actor Raahei, who will be making her debut in Gautham Menon’s film, at a private ceremony in Chennai on Sunday. The ceremony, which took place at 11.30 am on Sunday, was attended by family and friends from the industry, including Arav’s Bigg Boss housemates. The wedding took place following COVID-19 prevention protocols. Photographs from the event show the couple dressed in traditional attire. While Raahei wore a blush coloured lehenga for the day event, Arav wore an ivory coloured sherwani. Raahei and Arav switched to a maroon lehenga and black sherwani respectively for the reception. Arav’s Bigg Boss housemates from Season 1 – Snehan, Harish Kalyan, Ganesh Venkatram, Bindhu Madhavi, Suja Varunee, Vaiyapuri, Kaajal Pasupathi, Gayathri Raghuram, Sakthi Vasudevan and Harathi Ganesh – were among those who attended the event. Notably absent were Oviya, Raiza Wilson, Maria Juliana, Namitha, Bharani, Ganja Karuppu and Anuya Bhagvath. The others who attended the wedding include directors KS Ravikumar, Charan, Suja’s husband and actor Siva, Harathi’s husband actor Ganesh, Kalyan Master, DOP Sathish, Poove Unakaga Sangeetha, producer Deva, music director Simon K King, director Pradeep Krishnamurthy and others. While Raahei awaits the release of Joshua Imai Pol Kaakha directed by Gautham Menon and co-starring Varun of Puppy fame, Arav has the long-delayed Raja Bheema directed by Naresh Sampath co-starring Aashima Narwal and Yogi Babu with Oviya and Yaashikaa Aannand making cameo appearances. Around late August, rumours surfaced that Arav was going to marry Raahei but the couple made no announcements regarding the same. While Arav gained fame during his time on Bigg Boss Tamil Season 1 in 2017, his relationship with co-participant Oviya was a topic of great interest. The two, however, have maintained in interviews that they were just friends.

Body 2:

Animal Welfare

With the lockdown turning out to be a financial crisis for many, Sai Vignesh has no choice but to turn once again to the public for help.

Anjana Shekar

Sai Vignesh

Animal activist Sai Vignesh form Chennai who has been rescuing and caring for strays and cattle for over five years, noticed a mini-truck ferrying buffalos near Perambakkam, Uthukottai Road while he was on his way home after having fed some strays. Since the lockdown began Sai Vignesh covers a small distance around his house, feeding stray dogs. “I could see that the vehicle was over speeding and so I began following it. I had a doubt if the animals were being trafficked,” says Sai. Having followed the vehicle for about 10 kms, he was able to overtake it at a point and with help of police at the Tiruvallur check post was able to prevent a crime. “It's purely illegal under PCA Act, Transport of Animals Rules, Motor Vehicles Act and IPC 429. I could see that chillies were rubbed in their eyes. There were pregnant buffaloes among them and seven of the animals were cramped into the small vehicle,” he tells TNM. Since the lockdown began, Sai Vignesh was able to intercept the illegal trafficking of cattle to slaughterhouses. So far, he has stopped 10 cattle including pregnant cows and calves from being slaughtered. The rescued animals were brought to his sanctuary, The Almighty Animal Sanctuary located in Tiruvallur, close to Chennai. “I currently have about 27 rescued cattle and 30 dogs, all of which are terminally ill,” Sai Vignesh shares. Crowdfunding 20-year-old Sai Vignesh who is currently pursuing BA in Criminology used to take up website development projects to pool in money to run his dream sanctuary. His father too would contribute a portion of his salary in addition to receiving monthly donations from animal lovers. Also read: This Chennai teen animal activist plans on selling his family's house to build a shelter But now, with the lockdown turning out to be a financial crisis for many, Sai Vignesh has no choice but to turn once again to the public for help. “Running the sanctuary takes about 80,000 to Rs one lakh per month. The expenses have doubled since I started taking in rescued cattle. Moreover, I have pressure from slaughterhouses and traffickers who sometimes throw stones inside the sanctuary so I had to appoint more security guards,” he shares. Additionally, Sai Vignesh has plans to build a proper cattle shed, replacing the thatched roof shed that’s cuttingly put up. “Soon the monsoon will start and I have to finish work before that,” he adds. Those wishing to help Sai Vignesh run his animal sanctuary can do so here. Also read: Struggling in lockdown, 19-yr-old needs your help to keep his animal shelter running

Body 2:

Crime

The symbols found in houses in Tirunelveli allegedly indicate the nature of people in the house among other things.

Priyanka Thirumurthy

Symbols allegedly left by thieves found on the gates of houses of Tirunelveli residents

Over the last week, a few residents of VM Chatram and Arokya Nagar in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli city, noticed strange patterns drawn with oil on the gates of their houses. Residents of these areas which are scarcely populated, approached the police with images of these symbols, suspecting foul play and much to their distress, found that they were right. The symbols which were found in six houses in the area, according to the police, are signals used by thieves to indicate the nature of people in the house, whether there was anything valuable to be stolen and if it was safe to conduct a burglary in the marked house. The areas carrying these symbols are newly developed and are an extension to Tirunelveli city. Speaking to TNM, Deputy Superintendent of Police Saravanan says that they initially suspected that the marks could be left by local security guards to mark houses that were yet to pay them. But this angle was soon dismissed as there were no security guards. "This area is such that the population is very low and several houses remain empty, with people visiting only on the weekends. So we suspected it could be the work of thieves and began examining the houses further," he says. "There is actually no fixed meaning for the marks but upon doing some research we found that pan India and internationally these marks were being used by thieves to set their targets for burglaries and crimes. We are suspecting that this is the work of criminals but we cannot be completely sure. We are, however, taking the necessary precautions since the residents are scared," he adds. The two areas together, according to the DSP, have close to 150 houses. Residents have now been told by the police to install CCTV cameras in their properties to allow monitoring of people coming and going into the locality. Police have further increased patrolling in the area during the nights and local officials have been sensitised to possible dangers there."We have taken necessary precautions and so far there have been no instances of crime. These areas come under the Perumalpuram police limit," says the DSP. This is the second time such symbols are appearing in Tirunelveli city but upon investigation, the police found that the mark was being left by security guards."But these marks are very different from what we have seen earlier," says the DSP. In 2016, the Kerala police had warned residents about these symbols and informed people that drawing them on houses was part of the modus operandi for thieves who are planning a robbery. The Pathanamthitta district police had stated that the symbols mean that the house is under observation for a robbery and that the mark should be wiped off immediately. Read: Is your house a target for robbers? “Symbols” thieves use to mark targets revealed

Body 2:

Death

Appaswamy is widely credited to have brought in the ‘apartment culture’ to the city in the 1960s.

TNM Staff

Chennai’s real estate pioneer Appaswamy passes away at 87

Appaswamy.coom

Veteran real estate developer and the Founder Chairman of Chennai-based Appaswamy Real Estate limited, S Appaswamy died on Sunday evening due to age-related illnesses. He was 87. Appaswamy founded the company in 1959 and is known for having introduced the ‘apartment culture’ in Chennai as early as the 1960s. His company is also the pioneer of creating townships in suburban locations of Chennai, targeting those in the upper middle class. Appaswamy Real Estates still continues to be a leader in the residential property segment in Chennai. In the 1990s, the company also ventured into the hospitality sector under the brand ‘The Residency group of hotels’ and owns several business class and boutique hotels across south India. According to the builders’ website, Appaswamy Real Estates Limited owns at least 12 residential properties and seven commercial properties in Chennai and Coimbatore. The company also owns The Residency Towers in Puducherry, Chennai and Coimbatore, The Residency in Karur and Chennai, The St Regis in Maldives, and The Richmond in Puducherry. The company is now managed by Appaswamy’s son Ravi Appaswamy, who is the managing director, while Ravi’s son Rohit is a member on the company’s board. Appaswamy is survived by his son and four daughters. In 2016, the company made its hospitality debut in the global stage in Maldives under the brand ‘St Regis’. In 2018, the group signed a Rs 400-crore deal with True Value Homes (TVH), another leading real estate developer in Chennai to develop high-end property for buyers in Kotturpuram. The deal, over a piece of land measuring around 60 grounds, was to be partly funded by Piramal Capital and Housing Finance. Reports said that Appaswamy Real Estates was planning to build an 18-storey building on the land, which was previously owned by SPIC-promoted AC Muthiah’s family. In 2009, TVH had purchased this piece of property in a Rs 120-crore deal.

Body 2:

Accident

The residential building caved in around 9 pm on Sunday.

Megha Kaveri

Two dead, 4 injured as residential building collapses in Coimbatore

Two persons were killed and four injured in Coimbatore after a one-storeyed residential building collapsed on Sunday night. One person is still trapped in the debris as on Monday morning. According to reports, the incident happened around 9 pm on Sunday on Chetti Veedhi near Selvapuram in the city. The house, which was built around 25 years ago, caved in all of a sudden, taking down its adjacent building along with it. Three persons living in the house and four others living in the adjacent house were trapped in the debris. The neighbours immediately alerted the nearby Bazaar police station and the fire and rescue services. An earthmover was put into service with ambulances and medical services on standby. District Collector K Rajamani and City police commissioner Sumit Sharan also visited the spot to inspect and supervise the rescue operations. One storeyed bldg collapsed on Chettiveedhi in #Coimbatore last night. 2 dead and 4 injured. One person still trapped under the debris. @thenewsminute @dhanyarajendran @anna_isaac @PoojaPrasanna4 @priyankathiru pic.twitter.com/M3H775B3pW — Megha Kaveri (@meghakaveri) September 7, 2020 Speaking to TNM, a police officer from the Bazaar police station, who is present at the spot, said that two persons died in the collapse. “Four of them were injured and have been taken to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for treatment. One person is still trapped inside the debris and rescue operations are on to take them out,” he said. An FIR has been registered under section 174 of the CrPC (Unnatural death). While it is suspected that heavy rainfall over the past few weeks might have caused the structure to weaken, the real cause behind the collapse is not known yet. (This is a developing story)

Body 2:

Coronavirus

This was the first Sunday the city is resuming regular life since the pandemic induced lockdown that came into effect in March this year.

Anjana Shekar

T Nagar street crowded with people outside Saravana stores

After observing complete lockdown for eight continuous Sundays, Tamil Nadu allowed the regular functioning of shops, restaurants and shopping malls since the beginning of this month. September 6, the first Sunday of the month, in Chennai, looked nothing short of a usual busy weekend, with shoppers scuttling in and out of stores and the roads pulsing with busy traffic. This was the first Sunday the city is resuming regular life since the pandemic induced lockdown that came into effect in March this year. TNM visited Chennai's shopping hub T Nagar on Sunday to find roads packed with parked vehicles and residents, some with their masks on and most without, walking in and out of stores. Big format shops like Saravana Stores, Pothys, Nalli and the likes saw a good crowd on Sunday evening. Somasundaram park after police patrol cleared the crowds Earlier on Sunday, pictures showing hundreds of youngsters at Somasundaram park, most without face masks, in T Nagar went viral on the internet. Public health expert, Pradeep Kaur, took to Twitter to appeal to the public to maintain physical distancing and to stay at home as much as possible, “If #COVID19 spreads fast - it strains the health systems, health care workers and all frontline workers who are working day and night to serve you!,” she warned. Speaking to TNM, a police official from Pondy Bazar police station says that officials visited the grounds to disperse the crowd. “Patrol teams are doing regular rounds in different areas, clearing crowds as and when they form,” she added. According to Tamil Nadu government’s latest directive, shops and essential services can stay open until 8 pm daily with parcel service allowed until 9 pm. Shopping malls, playgrounds, showrooms and big format stores too have been allowed to function with 100% capacity, following SOP. Beginning Monday, public and private buses will be allowed to ply between districts across Tamil Nadu. Intra-state train services too will resume post September 7.

Body 2:

Hindi imposition

The t-shirts against Hindi imposition were all the rage on Sunday evening with actors and politicians sharing photographs wearing them.

TNM Staff

DMK MP Kanimozhi along with a group of youngsters wearing anti hindi imposition tshirts

“Hindi theriyathu, poda!” (I don’t know Hindi, go man!). “I am a Tamizh Pesum Indian” (I am a Tamil speaking Indian). “I am Indian, I don’t speak Hindi” A photograph of popular music director Yuvan Shankar Raja in conversation with actor Shirish Saravanan who made his debut in the Tamil film Metro (2016) went viral on Twitter on Sunday. This photo was shared a few days ago, on September 5 by actor Shirish with the caption, "Deep in discussion , good things coming our way". The reason this photo went viral on Sunday was because of the T-shirts the two were seen wearing. While Yuvan sported a white T-shirt with a modern sketch of Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar accompanied by the words, “I am a Tamizh Pesum Indian”, Shirish was seen in a red T-shirt that proclaimed “Hindi theriyathu, poda!” Interestingly, “I am Tamil speaking Indian” was first uttered by actor Kamal Haasan in the 1980 drama Varumayin Niram Sivappu by director K Balachander. Kamal’s character who goes for an interview is asked if he’s a Tamilian to which he replies with the now famous dialogue. Deep in discussion , good things coming our way ... ! @thisisysr pic.twitter.com/VSgaNQQNvw — (@actor_shirish) September 5, 2020 Not long afterward, the T-shirts sparked a new wave of anti-Hindi imposition sentiment among Tamil speaking Twitter populace. Several took to social media sharing photographs of themselves wearing similar T-shirts. Back to தொழில் .... something interesting on the work front #KeepCalm #SpreadLove @KikiVijay #WithLoveShanthnuKiki pic.twitter.com/vg9Vx6Hy4S — Shanthnu ஷாந்தனு Buddy (@imKBRshanthnu) September 5, 2020 Congrats Dears#HindiTheriyathuPoda pic.twitter.com/2Ku0YrH3gB — M Soundararaj (@MSoundararaj3) September 6, 2020 A source close to Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi said that the DMK leader started the initiative in a small way and printed a few T-shirts. However, the trend has caught on. Kanimozhi had on Sunday tweeted a picture of herself with a group of youngsters wearing the T-shirts. “A spark is enough to ignite a sentiment.When we printed Tshirts, in the era of blatant Hindi imposition,we didn't know that the youngsters would respond passionately like our forefathers in fighting discriminatory practices. Thank you,” she said. DMK Youth Wing Secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin to actors from the Tamil film industry like Aishwarya Rajesh, Shanthnu Bhagyaraj and his wife Keerthi Shanthnu also wore T-shirts bearing Tamil slogans were all the rage on Sunday evening. #HindiTheriyadhuPoda in Tamil font has been trending on Twitter since. சாமானியர்களுக்கு மருத்துவம்பார்க்க சாமானியர்களையே மருத்துவராக்கியது கழக அரசு. ஆனால் நோயாளிக்கு முட்டை வாங்குவதுமுதல் மருத்துவருக்கான PPE Kitவரை கொள்ளையடிக்கும் அடிமைகள் துரோகத்தை இவ்வார ஞாயிறு கருத்தரங்கில் தோலுரித்த @Dr_Ezhilan @DrSenthil_MDRD @Manosoundar2 @GowriG_DMKக்கு நன்றி pic.twitter.com/kKuIu9uxdf — Udhay (@Udhaystalin) September 6, 2020 A spark is enough to ignite a sentiment.When we printed Tshirts, in the era of blatant Hindi imposition,we didn't know that the youngsters would respond passionately like our forefathers in fighting discriminatory practices. Thank you.#ஹிந்தி_தெரியாது_போடா #StopHindiImposition pic.twitter.com/44HHjXuS3d — Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) September 6, 2020 Garment manufacturers from Tiruppur, that is famous for its T-shirts, have been cashing in on this trend. To place orders, contact Mr. Karthikeyan Ph. 9940931432. M/s.Cool Cotton, Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu#இந்தி_தெரியாது_போடா@kombutwitz1 @myheartDMK1949 pic.twitter.com/edOc2Ur6BD — ɱᴜᴋɪʟ (@ComradeMukil) September 6, 2020 Notably, just a few days ago, filmmaker Vetrimaaran had shared an incident that had taken place in 2011 where he was humiliated for not knowing Hindi at an airport in India. In a recent interview with Vikatan, the national award winning filmmaker had said that the incident took place when he had just returned along with Aadukalam team after having screened the film at a Montreal film festival. When Vetrimaaran admitted to an immigration official at Delhi airport that he did not know Hindi, he was ridiculed for it by the latter. The official had asked how he did not know the “country’s mother tongue” and exclaimed that “Tamilians and Kashmiris were breaking the country.” The filmmaker who made his debut with Polladhavan was made to wait for 45 minutes inspite of sharing his identity. In the interview, Vetrimaaran asked, “How can speaking my mother tongue disrupt the unity of the nation? How my mother tongue will hinder the development of the country.” This incident is not very different from what MP Kanimozhi had to undergo a few weeks ago. The Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from Tamil Nadu was asked by a CISF officer at the airport if she was Indian for asking to be spoken to in Tamil or English. Kanimozhi had tweeted about the incident following which many from southern states including politicians like P Chidambaram and HD Kumaraswamy narrated similar incidents of being taunted by government officers for not knowing Hindi.

Body 2:

Education

"The state of Tamil Nadu has always followed the '2 language policy' which has been a success," the state's Higher Education Minister wrote to the Union Education Ministry.

Priyanka Thirumurthy

Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister KP Anbazhagan has written to the Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhriyal on Monday, insisting that the state will continue to follow the two language policy, as opposed to the recommendations in the New Education Policy 2020. The state government has told the Centre that Tamil Nadu's two language policy has been a success and that it will continue with the same in the future. The two page letter sent to the Union Minister was based on a discussion between Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and senior ministers of the state. It states that following detailed deliberations on the New Education Policy, the state government has appointed a seven-member committee chaired by the principal secretary to the Higher Education Department to go through the policy and offer their comments and recommendations that could be adopted by the state. Ahead of this, however, the state government chose to share their initial remarks with the Centre. Amongst these remarks was the state's take on the three language policy proposed by the Union Ministry for Education."The NEP 2020 also envisages that the Higher Education Institutions should offer degree courses in regional languages, which is already being followed in the state of Tamil Nadu. The state of Tamil Nadu has always followed the '2 language policy' which has been a success. The state government of Tamil Nadu has already taken a decision to continue with the '2 language policy' in future also(sic)," states the letter. The government's firm decision on this matter comes following criticism against NEP 2020 and allegations that the language policy could lead to imposition of Hindi in the state. In addition to the language policy, the minister also discusses other aspects of the NEP 2020. He points out that it envisages to achieve the target of 50% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) by the year 2035. But the state of Tamil Nady, he says, can achieve this target by the end of the current academic year itself."We have taken various measures by opening new colleges, introducing new courses, increasing the capacity of colleges by recruiting teachers, creating labs and other facilities and would continue to do the same and by 2035, Tamil can achieve an ambitious target of 65% GER," states the minister. He also writes that the teacher to student ratio in the state is 1:17 as opposed to the All India ratio of 1:26. The Tamil Nadu government also welcomed the move to convert the Bachelor of Education programme into a four year integrated degree course including two major subjects."This is a welcome measure, as it will enable the students to complete the degree early and enter into the teaching profession quickly," the letter states. The state government has, however, opined against the proposal for the National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct entrance examinations."This move would discourage rural students and the government of Tamil Nadu is not for the proposal. Further this will be an added burden on the students," the Minister states.

Body 2:

Coronavirus

The singing legend was admitted to hospital on August 5 and continues to be on ventilator support.

TNM Staff

In what comes as a big relief for SP Balasubrahmanyam’s fans, the legendary singer seems to be on his way to recovery, having already tested negative for COVID-19. Sharing the news on Monday, his son SP Charan said that the 74-year-old singer was active and watching cricket and tennis matches on his iPad. A small wedding anniversary celebration too, for SPB and his wife, had taken place at the hospital over the weekend. In his latest message on Monday, singer SP Charan shared that his father tested negative for the coronavirus. However, he continues to be on ventilator support since his lungs have not healed fully yet. “We were expecting dad’s lungs to improve, as they were, to a certain point where we could remove him from the ventilator. Unfortunately, we are still not at that point. But the good news is dad is COVID negative,” he said. “Dad is watching a lot of Cricket and Tennis on his iPad. He is happy that the seasons have started. He is looking forward to IPL. He is writing and communicating a lot. He is not under sedation. He is very clear, bright and physiotherapy is going on as planned,” he added. #spb health update 7/9/20 Posted by Charan Sripathi Panditharadhyula on Monday, 7 September 2020 Playback singer SPB tested positive for the coronavirus and was admitted to MGM Healthcare in Chennai for treatment on August 5. On August 13, his condition deteriorated and he was shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Prayers began pouring in for the singer from all over the world with several celebrities and fans sharing video messages. This included music composer and long time associate Ilaiyaraaja and actor Rajinikanth, among others. Director Bharathiraja organised a mass prayer, calling for everyone to sing or play SPB’s songs and pray for his speedy recovery. On August 26, SPB began responding to treatment and started showing positive signs of recovery. He is reportedly out of danger and has been participating in regular physiotherapy sessions. His son SP Charan has been sharing regular updates on his father’s condition in addition to the daily bulletins issued by the hospital.

Body 2:

Caste killing

A Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Aniruddha Bose and Krishna Murari stated that the case requires to be considered in detail and granted special leave to appeal.

TNM Staff

A picture of Sankar and Kausalya from their wedding in 2015.

Two months after the Madras High Court acquitted anti-caste activist Kausalya Sankar's father and maternal uncle in connection to the murder of her husband Sankar, the Supreme Court has issued a notice in an appeal against the acquittal. A Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Aniruddha Bose and Krishna Murari stated that the case requires to be considered in detail and granted special leave to appeal. Following the High Court's judgement stating that there were gaps in the investigation and lack of evidence to convict Kausalya's relatives, she appealed to Apex court to ensure conviction. Senior advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan appeared on behalf of Kausalya and requested the court to direct the accused to refrain from travelling abroad. However the court, according to Bar and Bench refused to do this. According to the website, the additional advocate general of Tamil Nadu sought for the case to be expedited but the court pointed out that service of the plea was yet to be completed. On June 22, a division bench of the Madras High Court set aside all charges against Kausalya's father and observed that the state had failed to prove criminal conspiracy in the case. The court however did convict the five men who were seen in the CCTV footage attacking Sankar. However instead of death penalty, which was given by the lower court, they were sentenced to life imprisonment. The court's verdict had shocked the state government, activists and the family of Sankar who was murdered in broad daylight in Tiruppur district. Sankar was a Dalit man and he was hacked to death for marrying Kausalya who belongs to the Thevar community. A district court which first took up the case acquitted Kausalya's mother but convicted her father Chinnasamy for criminal conspiracy in the murder. The Madras High Court however disputed all but one of the evidence provided by the prosecution. The court stated that the prosecution had failed to prove transfer of money from Kausalya's father to allegedly hired assassins. The bench pointed out there was not enough proof to show Chinnasamy booked the room for the murderers. It further disputed that the eyewitness statements were not satisfactory and that a previous complaint given by Kausalya against her family had been withdrawn. The only evidence it admitted was the electronic proof that showed that Chinnasamy had spoken to the assassins. This however, the court ruled, was not enough to prove criminal conspiracy.

Body 2:

Coronavirus

The international non-profit organisation designed, conceptualised and printed the posters to spread awareness on safety measures.

Megha Kaveri

40K posters on COVID-19 safety circulated around Chennai by Global Shapers Community

As Chennai still records over 900 new COVID-19 cases everyday, some non-profits have been working with the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to help spread awareness on preventive measures to be followed to keep oneself safe from the disease. The Global Shapers Community (GSC) in Chennai is one such organisation that has engaged in creating a poster campaign across the city to get the message across to the citizens. The GSC has created around 40,000 posters so far, with messages around COVID-19 precautionary measures that people should follow to keep themselves safe. The posters, which were conceptualised, designed and printed by GSC, have been put up in prominent places across all 15 zones falling under the ambit of the GCC. Instructions and best practices about keeping oneself safe from the infection have been printed in Tamil, with more imagery incorporated in it. “ The reason behind trying to use as less words are possible is to help people understand easily. Even a child can understand the messages that have been printed on the posters,” says Shakthisree Gopalan, musician-architect and a member of the GSC in Chennai. Shakthisree says that the GSC community in Chennai wanted to do something amid the pandemic and the focus was to empower the youngsters to take action in their community. “We actually took the idea to the government and Johny Tom Varghese, the state commissioner for persons with disabilities, G Prakash, the GCC commissioner and Meghanath Reddy, the deputy commissioner (Revenue and Finance) really helped us to get moving with the idea,” she adds. The GSC raised funds for the posters through donations, friends, family and GSC alumnus like Kabadiwalla Connect and took the help of over 3500 volunteers from GCC and Trash Troopers to put up the posters across the city. Speaking to TNM, Meghanath Reddy says that the GCC saw this as one of the ways in which awareness could be created among the people on the ground. “A fellow IAS officer brought this proposal to us and we thought it was a good one since it was around the time when the neighbourhood shops were opening up for business. More awareness always helps. GSC hence planned it all and volunteers on the ground executed it,” he adds. Shakthisree says that in the coming days, the group is also planning social media campaigns in multiple languages.

Body 2:

Coronavirus

Bus operators who have been hit by the lockdown demand an extension of loan repayment moratorium and called on the government to allow 100% occupancy for bus travel.

Bharathi SP

File photo/TWITTER/@RVISWANA

Omni bus associations in the state have decided not to resume private bus operations until the Tamil Nadu government meets their five-point charter of demands. Private bus operators halted operations on March 24 following the announcement of a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The Tamil Nadu government, after a gap of over five months, has permitted Omni bus operators to resume services. However, bus operators have decided not to resume operations until the end of September or until the government meets their demands. Anbalagan Alagappan, general secretary of All Omni Bus Owners and Operators Association told TNM, “We have placed a charter with five demands for the consideration of the Tamil Nadu government. We will not resume operations until the government meets the demands and we will stay off the road till September 30. Even if the government does not come forward for help, we are hoping that the courts will give us relief.” Two cases, in the Supreme Court and the Madras High Court, on the extension of the loan repayment moratorium period and the waiver from road tax, respectively, are expected to be heard by this month. The demands put forth by bus operators include the waiver of road tax between March and September. “The government should permit 100% occupancy of private buses, the moratorium should be extended till December, the government should waive the insurance for six months, AC buses must be allowed to operate,” said Anbalagan. Arul, an employee of a private travels company, told TNM, “We did not drive our buses for five months and suddenly, we are not being provided an extension for our loans as well. How can we bear the expense and start driving? The government is allowing only 60% occupancy in buses which will lead to further debts and business losses.” Owners say that they are unable to immediately pay tax amounts adding to lakhs of rupees after over 170 days of not operating services. Anbalagan said, “The road tax alone comes to around Rs 2 lakhs and we need to pay the bank dues by this month. The moratorium period ended by August and we have no money left to pay. If we drive with 60% occupancy, we will not even get the money for diesel and other travel expenses. So the government should allow us to run with full capacity. The government buses are already full without social distancing. So letting private buses operate will ease the crowding.” Omni bus owners have submitted a representation before state Transport Minister MR Vijayabhaskar, but no waiver has been announced by the government.

Body 2:

Weather

In Chennai, the sky condition has been predicted to be generally cloudy over the next two days.

TNM Staff

Vehicles moving on wet roads during the monsoons.

Parts of Tamil Nadu will receive light to heavy spells of rain over the next two days, according to the Indian Meteorological Department. A low-pressure system has been spotted over southeast and east-central portions of the Arabian sea, off the Karnataka coast. The associated cyclonic circulation will cause rain in northern and southern parts of the state. As per the IMD's latest bulletin, Chennai will not see heavy rains but districts surrounding the capital are likely to receive good showers. “On September 8, light to moderate rain is likely to occur at a few places over Erode, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Tiruvallur, Vellore, Tirupathur, Ranipet, Kancheepuram, Kallakuruchi, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Dindigul, Theni, Virudhunagar, Madurai and Kanyakumari districts of Tamil Nadu. Light rains are also expected at isolated places over Pondicherry & Karaikal area," the statement by IMD read. Meanwhile, heavy rains are expected at isolated places in western Tamil Nadu, including Coimbatore, Erode, Dindigul, Nilgiris, Salem, Namakkal and Dharmapuri districts. On September 9, light to moderate rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Puducherry and Karaikal. Heavy rains are expected over Coimbatore, Erode, Dindigul, Nilgiris, Salem, Namakkal and Dharmapuri district. In Chennai, meanwhile, the sky condition has been predicted to be generally cloudy for the next two days. Light rains are expected in some areas and while the maximum temperature could go up to 35 degrees, the minimum is expected to remain at 26 degrees.

Body 2:

Politics

The posters put up in Vellore district come amidst speculation that Rajinikanth will launch his party in November.

Bharathi SP

File photo/PTI

Amid much speculation that actor Rajinikanth will launch his political party in November, posters from the Vellore unit of Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) have surfaced calling for political change in Tamil Nadu. The posters with the words, “If not now, then never” suggest that members of the political outfit are getting impatient with the superstar, even as he keeps everyone guessing on his next move. With just months to for the 2021 Assembly Elections in Tamil Nadu, the posters put up in Vellore district by RMM stated, “If people thinking about political change and if the leader who thinks about the people join together then there will be political change and change in government. If not now, then never.” The posters are also a reference to Rajini’s own words in March, where he said his time was now or never. Addressing fans and the media, he had said, "This is my only chance. Am I 44 or 50 (age), I am 71 and I have survived somehow. There are more than 1000 patches in the body. If I leave now, I will be 76 in 2026. I have told you my ideology. If you do not accept my ideology now how will you accept it then?" At the same meeting in March, Rajini had also said that he never aspired to be the Chief Minister, and made it clear that when he launches his party, he will only be its leader and not the CM candidate. “I have never wanted to be Chief Minister. In fact, I can't even think of sitting in the Assembly and going through those proceedings! I will be the party chief, and the CM will be someone who is educated, who is farsighted. He will be a person who can govern. And the party chief will be like an opposition leader -- we will be the first to question if anything wrong happens. We will not interfere with the governance -- there will not be two parallel power centres," he said. After the event, his fans and Rajini Makkal Mandram members were expecting him to launch the party in a few months. While many reports have speculated that the actor is waiting for the pandemic to end before launching his political party, there has been no confirmation from Rajinikanth’s side. Rajini’s entry into electoral politics has been spoken about for decades, but especially since December 31, 2017 when he formally announced his entry into politics. He later launched Rajini Makkal Mandram with his fan base and informed the people about his ideology of "spiritual politics". However, Rajini chose to sit out the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, even as fellow actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam made its electoral debut. Kamal Haasan, however, chose not to contest in the Lok Sabha Elections, choosing to be MNM’s star campaigner instead.

Body 2:

Court

The court had ordered that the schools in Tamil Nadu shall collect only 40% annual fees as the first installment amid the pandemic.

TNM Staff

Madras HC warns schools of contempt proceedings if they violate fee payment order

Image for representation

The Madras High Court on Monday extended the deadline for the payment of the first installment of school fees in Tamil Nadu to September 30. The judges also warned the schools of contempt of court if they demanded over 40% of the fees in the first installment. According to reports, the matter relates to a mention by the state government about several complaints it has been receiving from aggrieved parents, who are being forced to pay the entire annual school fees. The demand to pay entire fees in one go is a direct violation of a court order dated July 17, in which the Bench allowed the schools to collect only 40% of the annual fees in the first instalment by August 31. The court had ordered that the remaining 35% shall be collected within two months from the date of reopening of the schools in the state. Taking note of the submission made by the government’s counsel, the bench directed the School Education Department to finish a probe into the complaints within two weeks and submit a report to the court by September 23. Principal Secretary of School education Dheeraj Kumar told the court that separate email IDs have been created to receive complaints of violations and as many as 74 complaints have been received on Friday and Saturday. He added that earlier, the department had issued circulars to all district education offices in the state to conduct inquiry into the violations of the court order and that after that the department had received 34 complaints on schools. Show Cause notices have been sent to 29 schools and some of the complaints have been forwarded to the Regional Director of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). “This court is taking a very serious note of the violation that has been brought to its notice. Based on the oral complaint, the education department shall conduct an immediate inquiry. If it is found that the institutions are collecting fees in violation of the interim orders passed by this court, immediate action shall be taken against them,” Justice Anand Venkatesh said.

Body 2:

Hindi Imposition

Balamurugan assumed office as the Assistant Commissioner of the Hindi Cell in the GST Commissionerate in November 2019.

Megha Kaveri

Chennai IRS officer protests posting in Hindi Cell, dubs it ‘imposition’

Image for representation

Amid strong opposition to Hindi imposition in the state, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer in Chennai has written to the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) against employing officers who do not know Hindi to the Hindi cell in the GST Commissionerate. In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Central Board of Excise and Customs, he requested that only those who know Hindi and are willing to work to propagate it, be posted in the Hindi cell. Balamurugan assumed office as the Assistant Commissioner of the Hindi Cell in the GST Commissionerate in November 2019 and has a Superintendent (Sukumaran), an inspector and a staff member assisting him in his work in the cell. “The work of the Hindi cell is to propagate Hindi as the central official language and to monitor its use. I am not interested in that work,” he wrote. He stated that while two officers in the cell including himself are from Tamil Nadu, the other two are from north India, with Hindi as their mother tongue. “It is a rule that the notes on the files and letters written in the Hindi Cell must be in Hindi and that the language must be used at least 50% of the time. Neither do I, the assistant commissioner, nor does Sukumaran the Superintendent know to read or write Hindi,” he wrote, adding that the official communication on files is usually done by the other two staff members in the cell. “We sign it without even knowing what is written,” he added. Pointing out that the inspector who knows Hindi has been transferred out and in his place, another officer who knows Tamil (and does not know to read or write Hindi) has been appointed, Balamurugan stated that since the Hindi cell would now have only officers who do not know Hindi, it would not be possible to write file notings and other official communication in Hindi. “There is an assistant commissioner whose mother tongue is Hindi working in the Commissioner’s office. Allocating Hindi Cell to me instead of him is a planned action to make me feel inferior due to my Tamil sentiments,” he alleged. Adding that two out of three employees in the Commissioner’s office have Hindi as their mother-tongue, Balamurugan said that it is not right to allocate Hindi cell postings to the Tamilians instead of those who know Hindi. “I consider this action of posting me in a Hindi Cell as an imposition of Hindi on me, who doesn’t know the language. Hindi imposition is not just compelling someone to learn Hindi, it is also forcing someone to work to propagate Hindi,” he added. His letter comes at a time when t-shirts with anti-Hindi slogans and a general sentiment against the imposition of the language is strong in the state. Read: TN will continue two language policy: State Education Minister writes to Centre Read: ‘I am Indian, I don’t speak Hindi’ T-shirt slogans against Hindi imposition go viral

Body 2:

Custodial death

The Madras High Court was hearing a petition moved by Inspector Sridhar, seeking bail.

TNM Staff

A representative image of the traders Jayaraj and Bennix

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the Sathankulam custodial death case has informed the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday that false cases were slapped against traders Jayaraj and Bennix to take them into custody. The Madurai bench was hearing a plea moved by inspector Sridhar seeking bail on health grounds. Inspector Sridhar who is currently in the Madurai prison has filed a petition in Madurai Bench of Madras High Court seeking bail, stating that he was not present on the day of custodial torture and citing his health condition. In his petition, Sridhar said he was lodged in the prison after being arrested in Sathankulam custodial death case. The petitioner said, “As per the ruling of the High Court, the CBCID and now the CBI is investigating the case. As forensic and other experts have collected the evidence for the case, the investigation has come to an end.” He assured the court that he would not abscond and will follow the proceedings of the court. He asked the court to release him on bail. When the case came up for hearing on Tuesday before the Bench of Justice Bharathidasan, the counsel appearing for the petitioner said that Sridhar was not present on the day of the incident since he was involved in COVID-19 duty. So there was no relation between Sridhar and the incident, the counsel argued. Since Sridhar has health issues, the counsel pleaded for bail. In response, the counsel for CBI said that 45 people were investigated and it was found that false charges were slapped against Jayaraj and Bennix to take them into custody. Hence, if bail is granted to Sridhar, he may erase the evidence. The Bench noting down the observations adjourned the case for further hearing to September 11. On June 19, Sathankulam police picked up Jayaraj from his shop around 8 pm. On seeing this, his son Bennix, went to Sathankulam police station. The Sathankulam police also took custody of Bennix and allegedly tortured the two traders for keeping the shop open after 8 pm against lockdown norms. However, CCTV footage from a nearby shop showed that the Sathankulam police picked up the father a few minutes before 8 pm. The father-son duo were then taken to Kovilpatti for lodging them in a jail. Jayaraj and Bennix complained of chest pain and were taken to Kovilpatti Government Hospital. Bennix died on June 22 and Jayaraj died a few hours later on June 23. In the wake of the incident, sub-inspectors Raghu Ganesh and Balakrishnan along with Inspector Sridhar were arrested. Three more police personnel of Sathankulam police station were arrested later. The Tamil Nadu government with the approval of Madras High Court moved the case for a CBI probe.

Body 2:

Caste Discrimination

The Dalit family has been forced to fall at the feet of dominant caste members in the past, for daring to own land.

Priyanka Thirumurthy

Dalit family lives on groceries thrown in by relatives as home fenced off by caste Hindus

The years of caste discrimination faced by the family of a 36-year-old Dalit man in Dharmapuri district culminated into physical aggression and deprivation last week. On Saturday morning, Arjunan, whose family owns six acres of agricultural land in the village of Dhanagutthalli in Pennagaram taluk, woke up to a metal fence surrounding their property, cutting off their access to paths through which tractors and lorries are brought to their land. The fence was erected by members of a dominant caste in their village who own land adjoining theirs. The three brothers who set up the fence were allegedly angered by the Dalit family's ownership of a large tract of land and ability to succesfully grow multiple crops on it. “When the fence was being erected, they promised us that they would leave space for vehicles to come into our land. But on Saturday, we woke up to see the work was complete and we were trapped in our own land,” Arjunan tells TNM. With their direct path to the village cut off, relatives have been throwing groceries and water cans into their property, to help the family sustain. “We are unable to get out of this land. There is other agricultural land surrounding ours and it is not possible to walk through those. When we questioned the men who erected the fence, they abused us, used casteist slurs and said they will chop our limbs off if we try to leave our property,” he adds. And this is not the first time Arjunan’s family has been forced to face such discrimination. His father, who passed away two years ago, had worked hard to buy the six acres back in 1991 and has since seen agriculture flourish on the land. Along with the land, he had also paid for the pathway through which vehicles can enter and leave the property. However, members of the dominant caste in the village continued to abuse the family and question if Dalits had the right to own land which previously belonged to members of their caste. Sundaram, Sivakumar and Muthukumar who owned the adjoining land allegedly targeted the Dalit family constantly taking them to the Panchayat over small issues and abusing them constantly. “In 2011, we were called by the Panchayat and they told my father he had to fall at the feet of all dominant caste members for daring to buy land that belonged to them,” says Arjunan. “My father didn't want further problems and agreed to do it. He fell at everyone's feet. But they still didn't leave us alone,” he adds. In the two years since his father’s death, Arjunan says the abuse has only increased. “They threaten us with bodily harm if we leave our property. They are supported by other intermediate castes in the village but we have no one to talk for us,” says Arjunan. “We need the tractor to begin harvest and the lorry to transport produce. They have now cut off our access to both,” he adds. The family managed to contact the local tahsildar on Sunday morning, following which she visited the property. She spoke to both parties and Arjunan says he has been told to wait for another two days within the fence. “We are the victims, but we are being made to wait even further,” he points out. “The tahsildar said we can use the field behind us to walk into the village. But how will our vehicles come here?” he asks. TNM has reached out to the district collector for comment on the discrimination faced by the family and is waiting for a response.

Body 2:

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Dalit family lives on groceries thrown in by relatives as home fenced off by caste Hindus