TN This Week: Stalin Writes to PM, Forcefully Evicted People Write to Stalin

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin once again wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This time it was for ensuring social diversity in the appointment of judges, setting up of Supreme Court branches, and declaring Tamil as an official language in the Madras High Court.

On the other hand, people affected by housing and livelihood issues are regularly writing to Stalin. A prolonged eviction took place from the banks of Buckingham Canal in Chennai. The victims wrote to the CM to intervene. But Stalin spoke about the issue in the legislative assembly only after a person self-immolated in protest on May 9.

Kattupalli fisherfolks have been asking the CM to intervene and implement the guarantee of permanent jobs. These families were ousted to establish a private shipyard and port 13 years ago, but they are still not compensated. Read more

After two deaths in police custody within a short span, the chief minister on May 10 assured the safety of all in custody and said henceforth, no custodial deaths will take place in the state.

Meanwhile, the carbon dating of cultural deposits of archaeological excavations in Mayiladumparai in Krishnagiri district found it belonged to 2172 BCE, establishing that people here were aware of the use of iron 4,200 years ago.

Beef and pork were banned in the famous Ambur Biryani Festival this year. The State Commission for SC and ST sought an explanation from the Tirupattur collector. The festival was postponed due to the rains.

Cyclone Asani, which formed in the Bay of Bengal, brought rainfall to parts of Tamil Nadu this week. The cloudy skies and cool breeze brought much relief from the scorching heat.

MAN SELF-IMMOLATED PROTESTING EVICTION

Around 100 families residing in Govindasamy Nagar in Chennai city were evicted from the beginning of this month, citing encroachment in Buckingham Canal banks. On May 9, 2022, nearly-60-year-old Kannaiyan immolated himself in protest against the eviction and succumbed to death. Read more

Similarly, around 40 to 50 families living adjacent to a medical college in Chengalpattu district for the last 30 years are facing eviction. The government has decided to construct a new bus terminus in the locality.

RISE IN CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN

Data tabled by the state government in the Assembly on May 9 showed that crimes against women and children in Tamil Nadu increased significantly in 2021 compared to previous years.

The data, tabled during the demand of grants for the Home Department, showed 2,421 crimes against women in 2021, including 442 cases of rape, 27 cases of dowry death, 875 cases of cruelty by husband and his relatives and 1,077 cases of molestation.

Meanwhile, an RTI filed by the Federal revealed that as many as 435 villages continue to shockingly practise caste-based discrimination. This is even as the Tamil Nadu government projects itself as a state that fosters and champions social justice.

MORE BILLS FOR STATE TO APPOINT VC

In addition to the two bills that sought to empower itself to appoint the Vice-Chancellors (VCs) to 13 State universities, the Tamil Nadu government on May 9 tabled a bill to empower itself to appoint the Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University.

Last week the state introduced the bill to empower itself to appoint the VC of Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University.

Meanwhile, the Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu has moved the Madras High Court challenging an order of the University Grants Commission (UGC), which restrained it from carrying out admissions. A UGC notice dated March 25 and March 30 restricts the University from admitting students on the ground that it had not obtained the recognition from the UGC from the 2014-15 academic year.

THOUSANDS ABSENT FROM BOARD EXAMS

According to the Tamil Nadu School Education department, 2,265 and 1,238 students were absent for Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations, respectively.

The department on May 9 said it would probe the absenteeism.

MINISTERS MAKE BIZARRE REMARKS

Addressing the convocation of Bharathiar University in Coimbatore, the Tamil Nadu education minister Ponmudi reiterated that the government is determined to follow the dual language policy of English and Tamil. He stirred up a controversy after he hinted that those who ‘speak in Hindi’ are engaged in ‘selling pani puri’.

Earlier in the week, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian requested people to avoid eating shawarma following the recent cases of food poisoning. “Shawarma is western food. This might suit western countries due to their climatic conditions,” he said. However, it is a popular middle-eastern food.

PATTINA PRAVESAM BAN REVOKED

‘Pattina Pravesam’, a tradition of devotees carrying the seer of the Dharmapuram Adheenam in a palanquin, will take place on May 22. The ban on the ritual was revoked by the Mayiladuthurai district Revenue Divisional Officer on May 8.

Earlier, the Revenue Divisional Officer of Mayiladuthurai issued the ban terming the practice a “violation of human rights”. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opposed the ban and said they would violate it.

12 TN PANCHAYATS GET AWARDS

Twelve panchayats in Tamil Nadu bagged the annual national panchayat awards of the Union ministry of Panchayati raj for ‘best performance’.