TN This Week: Teachers' Hunger Strike Intensifies, Over 170 Protesters Faint

A large number of people from the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu paid tribute to the victims of the 2004 tsunami in the state on December 26.

Finally accepting the demands of final-year veterinary students, the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) hiked the internship allowance by Rs 3,000. Students were being paid Rs 7,500 per month for their final year internship.

The protest against the proposed airport in and around Parandur village in Kanchipuram has reached its 157th day. Farmers are opposing the seizure of agricultural lands for the airport.

Four police officials attached to the Thuraipakkam police station, Chennai, were transferred on December 24 based on a magisterial inquiry into the death of 26-year-old Dinesh Kumar following alleged custodial torture. Watch here

The Tamil Nadu e-governance agency (TNeGA) is looking to build tools to create a unique individual number for each resident of the state, called Makkal (people) ID, under its larger project for a state family database (SFDB). This comes days after Tamil Nadu made Aadhaar mandatory for availing government schemes. Read more

An obscene electronic signboard of a hotel was removed by Greater Chennai Police on December 24 after citizens took to Twitter to complain about it. The state wing of the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) staged a protest demanding that the police take action against the perpetrators.

The 81st meeting of the Indian History Congress was held in Madras Christian College between December 27 and 19. Inaugurating the Congress, Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin said "false history should be sidelined, and people's history should be written". Read more

NewsClick brings you a round-up of the happenings this week.

TEACHERS’ PROTESTS

The secondary grade teachers’ (SGT) indefinite hunger strike, demanding rectification of pay disparity, reached the fifth day on December 31.

“More than 170 teachers have fainted so far and been admitted to hospital,” reported J Robert, general secretary of the Secondary Grade Seniority Teachers’ Association (SSTA). Read more

The 12,000 part-time teachers in Tamil Nadu government schools have urged for Pongal bonus and job regularisation.

Moreover, professors in government-aided colleges across the state on December 28 demanded the Tamil Nadu government to immediately implement Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) for teachers in aided colleges.

HUMAN EXCRETA IN DRINKING WATER

A few days after some children of the Vengaivayal village in the Annavasal block of Tamil Nadu’s Pudukkotai district fell ill and had to be admitted to the hospital, villagers found human excreta dumped inside an overhead tank in the village occupied by the Scheduled Caste community.

The state government has announced the construction of another overhead tank for them which would be ready in 20 days.

In other news, Pudukkottai collector SP paved the way for Dalits to enter the village temple, a right which was denied so far. Officials also registered a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the members of the upper caste for practising casteism.

PONGAL GIFT HAMPER

Chief Minister M K Stalin on December 28 announced that one full sugarcane will be provided to all ration card holders in the state along with the promised gift hamper for Pongal, the harvest festival which will be celebrated next month.

The announcement came after sugarcane farmers claimed that they will incur a huge loss if the government does not procure their produce. The opposition party in the state All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) criticised the government for initially not adding sugarcane to the gift hamper, which included 1 kg rice, 1 kg sugar and Rs 1,000 in cash.

Moreover, members of the Tamil Nadu Sugarcane Farmers’ Association staged a protest in front of the Collectorate here on December 30 demanding the reopening of the National Cooperative Sugarcane Mills in Alanganallur in the district. Read more

Sugarcane farmers staging a protest in Madurai. Image courtesy: CPI(M) Tamil Nadu

TEMPLE LAND USERS PROTEST

A state-wide protest was held by the All Religious Institution Property Users Association on December 29.

Around 1,000 temple land workers protested in Chennai. Image courtesy: P Shanmugam

Temple land users have been facing severe hardships as the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department had effected a steep hike in the rent/lease amount to be remitted by the users.

‘GIVE COMPENSATION FOR LAND’

CPIM, CPI, VCK and other parties held a massive rally and demonstration in Neyveli on December 26 demanding permanent jobs and proper compensation for the affected people and farmers who gave their land to the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) India Limited.

Protest in Neyveli. Image courtesy: CPI(M), Tamil Nadu

DYFI PROTESTS AGAINST GUV FOR STALLING BILLS

Members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and students held a protest in Chennai on December 28 against Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi for not passing the bill banning online gambling in the state.

DYFI protest outside Raj Bhawan, Chennai. Image courtesy: DYFI, Tamil Nadu

A day later, on December 29, Tamil Nadu Police's CB-CID issued notices to at least 10 online gambling and gaming companies in connection with the deaths by suicide by persons who allegedly lost money through online gambling apps.

PLIGHT OF THE HOMELESS

The CPI(M) has alleged that Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) officials asked for Rs 5.5 lakh to provide permanent housing to residents of a homeless shelter in Chennai's Kannappar Thidal. Most residents of the shelter are from Scheduled Caste communities who were uprooted from near the Ripon Building and were promised housing 20 years ago.

Moreover, The News Minute published an article on the GCC engaging a private agency to collect biometric data of thousands of residents in the city belonging to the lowest strata of society, particularly from the homeless shelter in Kannappar Thidal. The CPI(M) issued a statement on December 30 condemning the lack of safeguards to protect data collection.