<p>Tamil superstar Kamal&nbsp;Haasan has created a stir with his decision to join politics.&nbsp;On occasion of his 63rd birthday on Tuesday, the actor launched a unique app for whistleblowers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While addressing the media, the actor said&nbsp;the app was being launched keeping in mind the welfare of the people.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In conversation with WION&#39;s Kartikeya Sharma, Kamal&nbsp;Haasan spoke about his decision to join politics,&nbsp;demonetisation, Hindutva, future of Tamil Nadu and more...&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Q: </strong>You are a successful artist. How and when you decided to join politics?</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> 35 years back MGR asked me to join politics. Even Karunanidhi had asked me to join politics years back. But didn&rsquo;t entertain the idea much but things changed 10 years back. My families too are averse to the idea of me joining politics. My family felt that people become corrupt after joining politics. Even in the film industry, I ensured that I don&rsquo;t touch black money. I even suffered financial loss because of it but never compromised.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q:</strong> Did anyone support you?</p>

<p><strong>A: </strong>My daughters supported me but were afraid whether I will stop being an artist and I said how can that be possible? I said that I&rsquo;m an artist and that cannot be changed. I told that artist doesn&rsquo;t only mean becoming a protagonist in a film.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q: </strong>Is there any particular issue which made you finally take the call to join politics?<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> I have been running a welfare movement for 39 years. The idea of converting fan&nbsp;clubs for politics is not new in Tamil Nadu. I disbanded the fan clubs and turned them into welfare associations. Even then politics was an impediment to social service. We rubbed many people including the government the&nbsp;wrong way. We had to keep ourselves in good books to do our job. MGR and Karunanidhi allowed us to do the job but it changed during Jaya.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q:</strong> Why?</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> Jaya didn&rsquo;t appreciate it. She didn&rsquo;t like it. She was a powerful politician. It took me a&nbsp;long time to understand that it was emanating from her as she disliked such voices and by the time I realised it Vishwaroopam was already in trouble.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q:</strong> So, you were toying with the idea?</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> I had a great career going and I was thinking as to why I should rough it out.</p>

<p>In 2011-12, I decided to take the plunge and without hesitation, I decided to take on the government and that&nbsp;I believe was an act of politics. People say that I was silent when Jaya was present but I did sue the government. I did affect the government and went on to win the case against them. They again banned the film and we lost almost 60 crores by the time of release. &nbsp;But I still went ahead because I felt it was the right thing to do. Later my brother said, leave it, the battle is won but I said it has just started.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q: </strong>You are launching an app&nbsp;which will act as a device for whistleblowers? Are you saying that government has&nbsp;failed on corruption?</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> It is one part of the spectrum. It gives voice to the people. It is a platform for dialogue. It will have broad spectrum utility. It is a longwinded explanation which I will do in January. It is to get people together. It will have many versatile points of contact.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q:</strong> The detractors would say that it can lead to civic vigilantism?</p>

<p>A: It is about vigil. In real life, vigilantism is a pedestrian dream to be put in practice. That is only done in films. It is about boldly talking to the government. It is within the parameters of the law.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q:</strong> Election funding is the motherboard of corruption. How will you resolve this issue of funding? Will you also need funding?</p>

<p><strong>A: </strong>Why should the fund be black. It can be neat and clean money.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q: </strong>There is also an inducement. Look at the politics of inducement in your state. Freebies before elections?</p>

<p><strong>A: </strong>They are paid Rs 2000 rupees in cash apart from freebies as most of the freebies are broken and substandard. A lot of people would say prove it but it is a fact. My argument is that because you take Rs 2000 rupees you lose the moral authority to question politicians.</p>

<p>He can always look back at you and say what about Rs 2000 I gave you. In the process, five&nbsp;years of authority gets sold for 90 paisa per day. We need to restore people&rsquo;s authority and they need to participate in it.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q:</strong> What is your vision for Tamil Nadu and where does the malice lie?</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> Unemployment is the issue but it doesn&rsquo;t emerge from the government. People also need to understand. Everyone want&nbsp;their children to be engineers and doctors. This culture needs to end. That&rsquo;s the problem. Other areas should be explored. I think after satyagraha and khadi movement, a &quot;skill-set&quot;&nbsp;movement is very important. To make India strong, a &quot;skill-set&quot;&nbsp;movement has to be strong. I&rsquo;m already working on it. I want to expand it further when I go into politics.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q:</strong> Past 40 years, Tamil politics has been divided into&nbsp;two poles. Is Tamil Nadu ready for a third party?</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> It is not about space but it is about intent and productive plan for people.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q:</strong> Arvind Kejriwal met you lately. Did he ask you to join AAP?</p>

<p><strong>A: </strong>He was a gentleman. He gave me three options including the choice to join them. I made it very clear as to what my intent was. It was very touching. I&rsquo;m already meeting other chief ministers to educate myself. He was only exploring the possibility. Our understanding was that our pursuit is the same and that is to build the nation and hence we are tied to a common ideology.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q:</strong> There is a debate on GST and demonetization taking place. What is your view on demonetisation?</p>

<p><strong>A: </strong>The reason why I enthusiastically supported the idea was because I still feel that it is a workable idea. I don&rsquo;t know how it was planned but I&rsquo;m an enthusiast for the progress of the country. Like Satyamev Jayate is a beautiful idea. But how do you make <em>satya</em> win? It is not easy. There is a difference between an idea and its execution.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q: </strong>Is politics losing its sense of equanimity? Artists are getting arrested over cartoons films like Mersal faced political outrage?</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> Absolutely. I don&rsquo;t want to make BJP a whipping boy. The ear for dialogue is non-existent. Leave alone politician, lower level bureaucrats and policemen get affected and angry when asked questions. People abused Gandhi after the partition but he continued the dialogue. His didn&rsquo;t cancel his meetings. The worst form of criticism is assassination and that too happened to Mahatma Gandhi.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q.</strong> Culture, films and cinema are fused in Tamil Nadu. Does it make Tamil Nadu a unique state?</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> It exists in other states but maybe Tamil Nadu got the idea of using cinema as a propaganda tool from Germany. Germany proved to the world the power of propaganda and later the US also did a similar thing to counter Hitler. Tamil Nadu is unique and a forerunner.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q:</strong> You had said that you are not an atheist but a rationalist. Please elaborate?</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> It is a name given by<em> </em><em>aastiks</em>. I have a mindset of being rational. It is not my primary focus. For me, I have no religion or any God. A rational man would ask for certain proofs. Atheism is a name I refuse. Rational is good enough. My larger purpose is not to say where is God. There are Gods whose stars are fading. Maybe a new God would come. Look at it historically. Where is Zeus?</p>

<p><strong>Q:</strong> You have been talking about a middle path. Today politics is swinging between caste equations and Hindutva? Where do you see yourself?</p>

<p><strong>A: </strong>Hindutva is different. Hinduism is an umbrella under which Saivism, Vaishvanism and other forms of worship were brought together by the British. Neither Tamil literature nor Vedas record Hinduism as a sect. It is a large umbrella. You have to go to its finer points. My elder brother calls himself an atheist. He doesn&rsquo;t believe in the concept. I would say that show me God. That is why I&rsquo;m a rationalist. He is an atheist as he doesn&rsquo;t wish for a God.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q:</strong> National anthem is being played in cinema halls. Does its playout before films make&nbsp;people more patriotic?</p>

<p>A: It is like a commitment towards the nation. It cannot be forced upon anyone. In my time&nbsp;in 70s, they played the anthem in theatres and I found people casual about it as they wanted to go home or catch a bus. Never take it there. Keep it for solemn occasions.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q: </strong>But current discourse has led to politicisation of patriotism?</p>

<p><strong>A: </strong>You don&rsquo;t have to remind people of it everytime. I sing national anthem with my children. In&nbsp;August it used to rain and I would go out in the rains with my children and sing the&nbsp;national anthem.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q:</strong> Your recent remarks on Hindu terror generated a&nbsp;lot of controversy. What were you trying to imply?</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> It was a remark which was badly translated. I used words to describe extreme. I was talking about slow marshal and violent attitude creeping in the Hindu fold. We were a peaceful lot. I was being critical of it.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q:</strong> Are you saying that Hindus are being radicalized?</p>

<p><strong>A: </strong>Yes, and it is being facilitated by rhetoric. That&rsquo;s what I was trying to criticise. To become a stronger country, we have to shun any form of violence.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q:</strong> The rhetoric has political acceptance?</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> It is there because there is a belief that it is another way to establish Hindu hegemony. But there are other ways of showing largeness. Let us begin by showing a large heart and accommodate and let&rsquo;s make it an inclusive society. I have nothing against the Hindu society. My elders believe in Sanatan Dharma. My daughters believe in God and I have to keep in mind that I don&rsquo;t hurt them when I write something on the subject.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q: </strong>Many people said that you failed to criticize someone like Zakir Naik while you were addressing the issues related to Hinduism?</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> I will criticise them also. They should not indulge in violence be it Christians or Muslims. No religion implies violence. All great books talk about love but we have become selective about them.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Q: </strong>Did the BJP ever approach you?</p>

<p><strong>A: </strong>No. But PM selected me as the ambassador of<em> Swachh</em> Bharat and I accepted it because I&rsquo;m willing to do for any party who wants to contribute to nation building.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q:</strong> So, you are all set for a new chapter?</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> I want to change the culture of politics. I&rsquo;m not interested in taking anyone down. And people are ready too. New voters are coming of the age. I&rsquo;m focused on that demography. They want change and I want to be part of it.</p>


In conversation with WION's Kartikeya Sharma, Kamal Haasan spoke about his decsion to join politics, his mobile app, demonitisation, the future of Tamil Nadu and much more. ?

Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan has created a stir with his decision to join politics. On occasion of his 63rd birthday on Tuesday, the actor launched a unique app for whistleblowers. While addressing the media, the actor said the app was being launched keeping in mind the welfare of the people. In conversation with WION's Kartikeya Sharma, Kamal Haasan spoke about his decision to join politics, demonetisation, Hindutva, future of Tamil Nadu and more... Q: You are a successful artist. How and when you decided to join politics? A: 35 years back MGR asked me to join politics. Even Karunanidhi had asked me to join politics years back. But didn’t entertain the idea much but things changed 10 years back. My families too are averse to the idea of me joining politics. My family felt that people become corrupt after joining politics. Even in the film industry, I ensured that I don’t touch black money. I even suffered financial loss because of it but never compromised. Q: Did anyone support you? A: My daughters supported me but were afraid whether I will stop being an artist and I said how can that be possible? I said that I’m an artist and that cannot be changed. I told that artist doesn’t only mean becoming a protagonist in a film. Q: Is there any particular issue which made you finally take the call to join politics? A: I have been running a welfare movement for 39 years. The idea of converting fan clubs for politics is not new in Tamil Nadu. I disbanded the fan clubs and turned them into welfare associations. Even then politics was an impediment to social service. We rubbed many people including the government the wrong way. We had to keep ourselves in good books to do our job. MGR and Karunanidhi allowed us to do the job but it changed during Jaya. Q: Why? A: Jaya didn’t appreciate it. She didn’t like it. She was a powerful politician. It took me a long time to understand that it was emanating from her as she disliked such voices and by the time I realised it Vishwaroopam was already in trouble. Q: So, you were toying with the idea? A: I had a great career going and I was thinking as to why I should rough it out. In 2011-12, I decided to take the plunge and without hesitation, I decided to take on the government and that I believe was an act of politics. People say that I was silent when Jaya was present but I did sue the government. I did affect the government and went on to win the case against them. They again banned the film and we lost almost 60 crores by the time of release. But I still went ahead because I felt it was the right thing to do. Later my brother said, leave it, the battle is won but I said it has just started. Q: You are launching an app which will act as a device for whistleblowers? Are you saying that government has failed on corruption? A: It is one part of the spectrum. It gives voice to the people. It is a platform for dialogue. It will have broad spectrum utility. It is a longwinded explanation which I will do in January. It is to get people together. It will have many versatile points of contact. Q: The detractors would say that it can lead to civic vigilantism? A: It is about vigil. In real life, vigilantism is a pedestrian dream to be put in practice. That is only done in films. It is about boldly talking to the government. It is within the parameters of the law. Q: Election funding is the motherboard of corruption. How will you resolve this issue of funding? Will you also need funding? A: Why should the fund be black. It can be neat and clean money. Q: There is also an inducement. Look at the politics of inducement in your state. Freebies before elections? A: They are paid Rs 2000 rupees in cash apart from freebies as most of the freebies are broken and substandard. A lot of people would say prove it but it is a fact. My argument is that because you take Rs 2000 rupees you lose the moral authority to question politicians. He can always look back at you and say what about Rs 2000 I gave you. In the process, five years of authority gets sold for 90 paisa per day. We need to restore people’s authority and they need to participate in it. Q: What is your vision for Tamil Nadu and where does the malice lie? A: Unemployment is the issue but it doesn’t emerge from the government. People also need to understand. Everyone want their children to be engineers and doctors. This culture needs to end. That’s the problem. Other areas should be explored. I think after satyagraha and khadi movement, a "skill-set" movement is very important. To make India strong, a "skill-set" movement has to be strong. I’m already working on it. I want to expand it further when I go into politics. Q: Past 40 years, Tamil politics has been divided into two poles. Is Tamil Nadu ready for a third party? A: It is not about space but it is about intent and productive plan for people. Q: Arvind Kejriwal met you lately. Did he ask you to join AAP? A: He was a gentleman. He gave me three options including the choice to join them. I made it very clear as to what my intent was. It was very touching. I’m already meeting other chief ministers to educate myself. He was only exploring the possibility. Our understanding was that our pursuit is the same and that is to build the nation and hence we are tied to a common ideology. Q: There is a debate on GST and demonetization taking place. What is your view on demonetisation? A: The reason why I enthusiastically supported the idea was because I still feel that it is a workable idea. I don’t know how it was planned but I’m an enthusiast for the progress of the country. Like Satyamev Jayate is a beautiful idea. But how do you make satya win? It is not easy. There is a difference between an idea and its execution. Q: Is politics losing its sense of equanimity? Artists are getting arrested over cartoons films like Mersal faced political outrage? A: Absolutely. I don’t want to make BJP a whipping boy. The ear for dialogue is non-existent. Leave alone politician, lower level bureaucrats and policemen get affected and angry when asked questions. People abused Gandhi after the partition but he continued the dialogue. His didn’t cancel his meetings. The worst form of criticism is assassination and that too happened to Mahatma Gandhi. Q. Culture, films and cinema are fused in Tamil Nadu. Does it make Tamil Nadu a unique state? A: It exists in other states but maybe Tamil Nadu got the idea of using cinema as a propaganda tool from Germany. Germany proved to the world the power of propaganda and later the US also did a similar thing to counter Hitler. Tamil Nadu is unique and a forerunner. Q: You had said that you are not an atheist but a rationalist. Please elaborate? A: It is a name given by aastiks. I have a mindset of being rational. It is not my primary focus. For me, I have no religion or any God. A rational man would ask for certain proofs. Atheism is a name I refuse. Rational is good enough. My larger purpose is not to say where is God. There are Gods whose stars are fading. Maybe a new God would come. Look at it historically. Where is Zeus? Q: You have been talking about a middle path. Today politics is swinging between caste equations and Hindutva? Where do you see yourself? A: Hindutva is different. Hinduism is an umbrella under which Saivism, Vaishvanism and other forms of worship were brought together by the British. Neither Tamil literature nor Vedas record Hinduism as a sect. It is a large umbrella. You have to go to its finer points. My elder brother calls himself an atheist. He doesn’t believe in the concept. I would say that show me God. That is why I’m a rationalist. He is an atheist as he doesn’t wish for a God. Q: National anthem is being played in cinema halls. Does its playout before films make people more patriotic? A: It is like a commitment towards the nation. It cannot be forced upon anyone. In my time in 70s, they played the anthem in theatres and I found people casual about it as they wanted to go home or catch a bus. Never take it there. Keep it for solemn occasions. Q: But current discourse has led to politicisation of patriotism? A: You don’t have to remind people of it everytime. I sing national anthem with my children. In August it used to rain and I would go out in the rains with my children and sing the national anthem. Q: Your recent remarks on Hindu terror generated a lot of controversy. What were you trying to imply? A: It was a remark which was badly translated. I used words to describe extreme. I was talking about slow marshal and violent attitude creeping in the Hindu fold. We were a peaceful lot. I was being critical of it. Q: Are you saying that Hindus are being radicalized? A: Yes, and it is being facilitated by rhetoric. That’s what I was trying to criticise. To become a stronger country, we have to shun any form of violence. Q: The rhetoric has political acceptance? A: It is there because there is a belief that it is another way to establish Hindu hegemony. But there are other ways of showing largeness. Let us begin by showing a large heart and accommodate and let’s make it an inclusive society. I have nothing against the Hindu society. My elders believe in Sanatan Dharma. My daughters believe in God and I have to keep in mind that I don’t hurt them when I write something on the subject. Q: Many people said that you failed to criticize someone like Zakir Naik while you were addressing the issues related to Hinduism? A: I will criticise them also. They should not indulge in violence be it Christians or Muslims. No religion implies violence. All great books talk about love but we have become selective about them. Q: Did the BJP ever approach you? A: No. But PM selected me as the ambassador of Swachh Bharat and I accepted it because I’m willing to do for any party who wants to contribute to nation building. Q: So, you are all set for a new chapter? A: I want to change the culture of politics. I’m not interested in taking anyone down. And people are ready too. New voters are coming of the age. I’m focused on that demography. They want change and I want to be part of it.

I want to change the culture of politics: Kamal Haasan

<p>Sometimes there is a snake in the cavity with the beehive. But that is okay. &ldquo;The honeybees will not allow you to take honey while the snake is inside [so as to protect the person], but anyhow the snake will move aside,&rdquo; says Kathe Kuttan of Bikkapathimund village. Then the honey gatherer can reach in with his hand to bring out the delicious golden comb. &nbsp;&ldquo;The snake,&rdquo; says Kathe, &ldquo;gives a &lsquo;promise&rsquo; to the honeybee &ndash; I will not bite anyone who comes here to honey hunt.&rdquo;</p>

<p>That is, of course, if the honey hunter has come with purity of heart and body. Otherwise, it might be a different story.</p>

<p>Like Kathe, Thilthosh Kuttan too is a honey gatherer of the Toda tribe in Bikkapathimund &ndash; a village of around 35 Todas. With his son, he is walking with us through the remnants of the shola forest adjacent to the grasslands on which the community&rsquo;s buffaloes roam. The Todas are Adivasis who live in the Nilgiri hills of Tamil Nadu. They are pastoralists who demonstrate their respect for nature by practising a strictly vegetarian diet. And they walk barefoot as a mark of their regard for the spirits of the Earth.</p>

<p>After crossing a small brook and climbing up a slope, Thilthosh points to a small, almost unnoticeable cavity in one of the larger trees. Melon-sized rock blocks most of the entrance and swarms of bees are flying around it. These are the Asian Honey Bee (Apis cerana), found across Asia. They are considered among the easiest species to domesticate and hive in bee boxes.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/pari%202-20171106112147.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
<p>Left: A hive of the Apis cerana bees. Right: A honey hunter removes the stone that blocks the cavity before he extracts the sweet golden comb. (Others)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>But the Todas prefer to leave the bees in their natural habitat. Unlike some of the other honey gathering Adivasis of the Nilgiris, the Todas don&rsquo;t use fire or smoke to draw out the bees when collecting wild honey. When he finds a hive, the hunter will place a stone at the opening of the hive to keep away the bears that roam these hills. When he is ready to take out the honey, the hunter will remove the stone, put his face close to the cavity and blow softly. This pushes the bees out gently and the hunter reaches in and pulls out the honey from the multi-combed hive.</p>

<p>How does he not get stung? The Todas believe this is because the bees know if the person is pure of heart and body.</p>

<p>But young men (only Toda men collect honey) who are beginning to learn how to collect honey do sometimes get stung. Thilthosh says, &ldquo;They [the newcomers] will be afraid at first, but after being stung a few times it will be normal. Then they will not be afraid&rdquo;. &nbsp;Even as he is talking, his son, around 12, is stung by a bee. Thilthosh goes close to his son, investigates the area of the sting, and leaves it at that.</p>

<p>Earlier, Kathe Kuttan had narrated the story of a hunter who was bitten because &ldquo;he [hadn&rsquo;t] maintained the &lsquo;discipline&rsquo;.&rdquo; The community is not supposed to work on certain days like the day for the temple.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/pari%204-20171106112527.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
<p>Kathe Kuttan fashioning bamboo strips that will be used to build a new temple in the village; even the Todas&#39; huts were once entirely constructed with forest materials, but now many live in houses built by the government. (Others)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>As he speaks, sitting below a tree in his village, surrounded by rolling hills, Kathe meticulously strips and softens long strips of bamboo. Around him lie coiled ribbons of bamboo, shavings are scattered on the ground. Several other men are also fashioning the bamboo into malleable ropes, while some women sit close by, embroidering shawls with the intricate designs unique to the Todas. These bamboo strips will be used to construct a new temple.</p>

<p>Another villager, Ooneer Kuttan, &nbsp;recalls that when the kurinji flowers bloom abundantly, the bees make a special honey from its nectar. These flowers bloom only once in 12 years and when in season (usually, April to June) carpet the hills with a violet-blue &ndash; hence the name Nilgiris or the Blue Mountains. But, he rues, today, even in the kurinji season, the blooms are fewer. And so this variety of honey is now not easily available.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/pari%203-20171106112227.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
<p>A senior villager, Ooneer Kuttan, draped in a traditional shawl with distinctive Toda embroidery. He speaks of how the bees make a special honey from the nectar of the blue kurinji flowers. (Others)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Every year, Thilthosh Kuttan says, there seems to be less honey because the number of flowers is diminishing. Though he did not offer any reasons, this could be, we surmise, because of factors such as climate change and the conversion of the shola forests and grasslands in Tamil Nadu into farms.</p>

<p>The Todas collect the honey for use in their home, and for sharing with the village. Whatever is left over, they sell, though this is rare and only done when there is extra honey or if tourists visit the village. It is typically sold for Rs. 500 for a kilo.</p>

<p>For their living, the Toda community draws on the forest and remains highly self-reliant. Their main source of food is buffalo milk and the few crops they cultivate. Even their huts were once entirely constructed with forest materials, but now many live in houses built by the government. Honey is an additional food source. Some have gone outside the village for work, some stay back.</p>

<p>Thilthosh doesn&rsquo;t think the next generation will continue with honey gathering. But others are more hopeful. Kathe firmly believes that the youngsters will maintain this tradition and the connection to nature. Only time will tell which of them is right.</p>

<p><em>Thanks to the Keystone Foundation for giving me the support to conduct these interviews, and to Saravanan Rajan, who helped find the honey hunters and accompanied me to every interview as an interpreter.</em></p>

<p>This&nbsp;<a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/the-honey-hunters-of-the-hills" rel="nofollow" target="blank">article</a>&nbsp;was originally&nbsp;published on 26/ 06/ 2017 on the&nbsp;<a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">People&#39;s Archive of Rural India.</a></p>

<p>Photo Credit:&nbsp;Audra Bass and&nbsp;Keystone Foundation</p>


Honey hunters of Toda tribe in Tamil Nadu, hope that the youngsters might maintain the tradition of honey gathering

Sometimes there is a snake in the cavity with the beehive. But that is okay. “The honeybees will not allow you to take honey while the snake is inside [so as to protect the person], but anyhow the snake will move aside,” says Kathe Kuttan of Bikkapathimund village. Then the honey gatherer can reach in with his hand to bring out the delicious golden comb. “The snake,” says Kathe, “gives a ‘promise’ to the honeybee – I will not bite anyone who comes here to honey hunt.” That is, of course, if the honey hunter has come with purity of heart and body. Otherwise, it might be a different story. Like Kathe, Thilthosh Kuttan too is a honey gatherer of the Toda tribe in Bikkapathimund – a village of around 35 Todas. With his son, he is walking with us through the remnants of the shola forest adjacent to the grasslands on which the community’s buffaloes roam. The Todas are Adivasis who live in the Nilgiri hills of Tamil Nadu. They are pastoralists who demonstrate their respect for nature by practising a strictly vegetarian diet. And they walk barefoot as a mark of their regard for the spirits of the Earth. After crossing a small brook and climbing up a slope, Thilthosh points to a small, almost unnoticeable cavity in one of the larger trees. Melon-sized rock blocks most of the entrance and swarms of bees are flying around it. These are the Asian Honey Bee (Apis cerana), found across Asia. They are considered among the easiest species to domesticate and hive in bee boxes. Left: A hive of the Apis cerana bees. Right: A honey hunter removes the stone that blocks the cavity before he extracts the sweet golden comb. (Others) × But the Todas prefer to leave the bees in their natural habitat. Unlike some of the other honey gathering Adivasis of the Nilgiris, the Todas don’t use fire or smoke to draw out the bees when collecting wild honey. When he finds a hive, the hunter will place a stone at the opening of the hive to keep away the bears that roam these hills. When he is ready to take out the honey, the hunter will remove the stone, put his face close to the cavity and blow softly. This pushes the bees out gently and the hunter reaches in and pulls out the honey from the multi-combed hive. How does he not get stung? The Todas believe this is because the bees know if the person is pure of heart and body. But young men (only Toda men collect honey) who are beginning to learn how to collect honey do sometimes get stung. Thilthosh says, “They [the newcomers] will be afraid at first, but after being stung a few times it will be normal. Then they will not be afraid”. Even as he is talking, his son, around 12, is stung by a bee. Thilthosh goes close to his son, investigates the area of the sting, and leaves it at that. Earlier, Kathe Kuttan had narrated the story of a hunter who was bitten because “he [hadn’t] maintained the ‘discipline’.” The community is not supposed to work on certain days like the day for the temple. Kathe Kuttan fashioning bamboo strips that will be used to build a new temple in the village; even the Todas' huts were once entirely constructed with forest materials, but now many live in houses built by the government. (Others) × As he speaks, sitting below a tree in his village, surrounded by rolling hills, Kathe meticulously strips and softens long strips of bamboo. Around him lie coiled ribbons of bamboo, shavings are scattered on the ground. Several other men are also fashioning the bamboo into malleable ropes, while some women sit close by, embroidering shawls with the intricate designs unique to the Todas. These bamboo strips will be used to construct a new temple. Another villager, Ooneer Kuttan, recalls that when the kurinji flowers bloom abundantly, the bees make a special honey from its nectar. These flowers bloom only once in 12 years and when in season (usually, April to June) carpet the hills with a violet-blue – hence the name Nilgiris or the Blue Mountains. But, he rues, today, even in the kurinji season, the blooms are fewer. And so this variety of honey is now not easily available. A senior villager, Ooneer Kuttan, draped in a traditional shawl with distinctive Toda embroidery. He speaks of how the bees make a special honey from the nectar of the blue kurinji flowers. (Others) × Every year, Thilthosh Kuttan says, there seems to be less honey because the number of flowers is diminishing. Though he did not offer any reasons, this could be, we surmise, because of factors such as climate change and the conversion of the shola forests and grasslands in Tamil Nadu into farms. The Todas collect the honey for use in their home, and for sharing with the village. Whatever is left over, they sell, though this is rare and only done when there is extra honey or if tourists visit the village. It is typically sold for Rs. 500 for a kilo. For their living, the Toda community draws on the forest and remains highly self-reliant. Their main source of food is buffalo milk and the few crops they cultivate. Even their huts were once entirely constructed with forest materials, but now many live in houses built by the government. Honey is an additional food source. Some have gone outside the village for work, some stay back. Thilthosh doesn’t think the next generation will continue with honey gathering. But others are more hopeful. Kathe firmly believes that the youngsters will maintain this tradition and the connection to nature. Only time will tell which of them is right. Thanks to the Keystone Foundation for giving me the support to conduct these interviews, and to Saravanan Rajan, who helped find the honey hunters and accompanied me to every interview as an interpreter. This article was originally published on 26/ 06/ 2017 on the People's Archive of Rural India. Photo Credit: Audra Bass and Keystone Foundation

The honey hunters of the hills

<p><br />
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday assured all assistance to rain-ravaged Tamil Nadu in tackling the fallout of the heavy downpour in the capital and some districts, including Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur.</p>

<p>&quot;I assure all possible support to the Tamil Nadu government to tackle the situation due to rains,&quot; Modi said at a function to celebrate the 75th anniversary celebrations of Tamil daily Dina Thanthi.</p>

<p>The prime minister expressed grief over the death of those who had died in the rain over the last few days.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nine people died across the state in the recent round of heavy rain.He asked the media to have healthy competition and urged them to take extra effort to maintain credibility.</p>

<p>During his address at the Madras University Auditorium, Modi mourned the death of senior journalist and general secretary of the Madras Union of Journalists R Mohan (54) who died following a cardiac attack yesterday.</p>

<p>Modi was received by Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Chief Minister K Palaniswami at the Chennai airport from where he proceeded to INS Adyar by helicopter.</p>

<p>Tight security was in place in view of the prime minister&#39;s visit.</p>


The prime minister expressed grief over the death of those who had died in the rain over the last few days.?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday assured all assistance to rain-ravaged Tamil Nadu in tackling the fallout of the heavy downpour in the capital and some districts, including Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur. "I assure all possible support to the Tamil Nadu government to tackle the situation due to rains," Modi said at a function to celebrate the 75th anniversary celebrations of Tamil daily Dina Thanthi. The prime minister expressed grief over the death of those who had died in the rain over the last few days. Nine people died across the state in the recent round of heavy rain.He asked the media to have healthy competition and urged them to take extra effort to maintain credibility. During his address at the Madras University Auditorium, Modi mourned the death of senior journalist and general secretary of the Madras Union of Journalists R Mohan (54) who died following a cardiac attack yesterday. Modi was received by Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Chief Minister K Palaniswami at the Chennai airport from where he proceeded to INS Adyar by helicopter. Tight security was in place in view of the prime minister's visit.

I assure all possible support to Tamil Nadu government to tackle rain situation: PM Modi

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met DMK supremo M Karunanidhi at the latter&#39;s Gopalapuram residence here.</p>

<p>The meeting between the two leaders lasted about 20 minutes. Modi sat next to Karunanidhi and held his hands.</p>

<p>Earlier, DMK Working President and Karunanidhi&#39;s son, M K Stalin, welcomed the Prime Minister at the gate and honoured him with a red shawl.</p>

<p>Modi was accompanied by Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan and state BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan.</p>

<p>DMK leaders including Kanimozhi, who is the daughter of Karunanidhi, were also present.</p>

<p>Later, the wheelchair-bound Karunanidhi made a brief appearance outside and waved at his supporters who cheered him.</p>

<p>Karunanidhi, who was taken ill in October 2016 due to a drug-induced allergy, was twice admitted to a private hospital in December last.</p>

<p>Karunanidhi has been since confined to his house, but made one rare appearance on October 19 this year when he visited an exhibition here held to showcase the 75-year journey of DMK&#39;s mouthpiece, &#39;Murasoli&#39;.</p>

<p>Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had called on the nonagenarian DMK patriarch at his residence in December, 2016.</p>


The meeting between the two leaders lasted about 20 minutes. Modi sat next to Karunanidhi and held his hands

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met DMK supremo M Karunanidhi at the latter's Gopalapuram residence here. The meeting between the two leaders lasted about 20 minutes. Modi sat next to Karunanidhi and held his hands. Earlier, DMK Working President and Karunanidhi's son, M K Stalin, welcomed the Prime Minister at the gate and honoured him with a red shawl. Modi was accompanied by Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan and state BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan. DMK leaders including Kanimozhi, who is the daughter of Karunanidhi, were also present. Later, the wheelchair-bound Karunanidhi made a brief appearance outside and waved at his supporters who cheered him. Karunanidhi, who was taken ill in October 2016 due to a drug-induced allergy, was twice admitted to a private hospital in December last. Karunanidhi has been since confined to his house, but made one rare appearance on October 19 this year when he visited an exhibition here held to showcase the 75-year journey of DMK's mouthpiece, 'Murasoli'. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had called on the nonagenarian DMK patriarch at his residence in December, 2016.

PM Modi meets DMK patriarch Karunanidhi

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be meeting DMK President M Karunanidhi here today, both the BJP and the DMK said.</p>

<p>Modi will visit the city today to attend the platinum jubilee function of a vernacular daily.</p>

<p>&quot;During his visit to Tamil Nadu today, PM Sh Narendra Modiji will visit senior-most leader from the state and former CM M Karunanidhi,&quot; BJP national general secretary P Mualidhar Rao said in a tweet.</p>

<p>DMK sources also confirmed the meet, saying the two leaders are scheduled to meet at 12.30 pm at Karunanidhi&#39;s Gopalapuram residence.</p>

<p>The prime minister will also attend the wedding of the daughter of Dr.TV Somanathan, a retired PMO official, at Raja Annamalaipuram.</p>

<p>Karunanidhi fell ill in October 2016 due to a drug-induced allergy. In December last, he was admitted to the Kauvery Hospital here twice.</p>

<p>The veteran leader was admitted to the hospital for &quot;optimisation of nutrition and hydration&quot; in the first week of December and later, due to a throat and lung infection.</p>

<p>He had undergone tracheostomy, a procedure to optimise breathing.</p>

<p>Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had called on the DMK patriarch at his residence in December 2016.</p>

<p>The nonagenarian leader had made his first public appearance on October 19 this year, the first since his illness, when he visited an exhibition here held to showcase the 75-year journey of DMK&#39;s mouthpiece, &#39;Murasoli&#39;.</p>


Modi will visit the city today to attend the platinum jubilee function of a vernacular daily.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be meeting DMK President M Karunanidhi here today, both the BJP and the DMK said. Modi will visit the city today to attend the platinum jubilee function of a vernacular daily. "During his visit to Tamil Nadu today, PM Sh Narendra Modiji will visit senior-most leader from the state and former CM M Karunanidhi," BJP national general secretary P Mualidhar Rao said in a tweet. DMK sources also confirmed the meet, saying the two leaders are scheduled to meet at 12.30 pm at Karunanidhi's Gopalapuram residence. The prime minister will also attend the wedding of the daughter of Dr.TV Somanathan, a retired PMO official, at Raja Annamalaipuram. Karunanidhi fell ill in October 2016 due to a drug-induced allergy. In December last, he was admitted to the Kauvery Hospital here twice. The veteran leader was admitted to the hospital for "optimisation of nutrition and hydration" in the first week of December and later, due to a throat and lung infection. He had undergone tracheostomy, a procedure to optimise breathing. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had called on the DMK patriarch at his residence in December 2016. The nonagenarian leader had made his first public appearance on October 19 this year, the first since his illness, when he visited an exhibition here held to showcase the 75-year journey of DMK's mouthpiece, 'Murasoli'.

PM Modi to visit Chennai today, will meet Karunanidhi

<p>The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/14-dead-in-chennai-floods-23497" target="_blank">more rain in Chennai in the upcoming days</a>.</p>

<p>The low pressure created over the Bay of Bengal will continue to downpour moderate and heavy rain&nbsp;in the city.</p>

<p>A low pressure has developed over Southwest Bay of Bengal between the Sri Lankan and the Tamil Nadu coast and a cyclonic circulation rising up to 3.1 km above mean sea level resulting in the continuous downpour.</p>

<p>The city has been facing rains for a week now.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The schools in Chennai, Kancheepuram, and Tiruvallur districts have been shut down since Tuesday and will continue to remain closed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Several university exams have also been postponed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/residents-of-indias-chennai-flee-flooded-homes-as-rains-continue-6522" target="_blank"> people are facing regular power cuts, waterlogging and traffic jams</a>.</p>

<p>Chief minister K Palaniswami and many other state ministers have been visiting waterlogged parts of the city.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The schools in Chennai, Kancheepuram, and Tiruvallur districts have been shut down since Tuesday and will continue to remain closed

The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted more rain in Chennai in the upcoming days. The low pressure created over the Bay of Bengal will continue to downpour moderate and heavy rain in the city. A low pressure has developed over Southwest Bay of Bengal between the Sri Lankan and the Tamil Nadu coast and a cyclonic circulation rising up to 3.1 km above mean sea level resulting in the continuous downpour. The city has been facing rains for a week now. The schools in Chennai, Kancheepuram, and Tiruvallur districts have been shut down since Tuesday and will continue to remain closed. Several university exams have also been postponed. The people are facing regular power cuts, waterlogging and traffic jams. Chief minister K Palaniswami and many other state ministers have been visiting waterlogged parts of the city.

IMD predicts more rainfall in Chennai, schools to remain closed

<p>Tamil Nadu government has pressed into service 601 medical teams to cater to people in rain-affected areas in different parts of the state, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said on Sunday.</p>

<p>Already, 401 medical camps were in place in affected parts of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/14-dead-in-chennai-floods-23497">Chennai</a>, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Nagapattinam district among others, he said after flagging off an additional 200 medical teams, taking the number to 601.</p>

<p>&ldquo;The government has taken special care to press 601 medical teams into service to attend to people affected by the rain,&rdquo; he said.</p>

<p>These medical camps will be useful to prevent the spread of diseases that come up during the monsoon time, he said and urged people to immediately visit the nearest medical camps if they had any symptoms of illness.</p>

<p>Further, systems were in place to check the amount of chlorine in drinking water, he said and underlined his government&rsquo;s commitment to ensuring public health in such times of monsoon.</p>

<p>North-East monsoon has been active in Tamil Nadu, with Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts receiving torrential rains since last week.</p>

<p>Many parts of these districts have suffered from an inundation of low-lying areas and water-logging.</p>


North-East monsoon has been active in Tamil Nadu, with Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts receiving torrential rains since last week.

Tamil Nadu government has pressed into service 601 medical teams to cater to people in rain-affected areas in different parts of the state, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said on Sunday. Already, 401 medical camps were in place in affected parts of Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Nagapattinam district among others, he said after flagging off an additional 200 medical teams, taking the number to 601. “The government has taken special care to press 601 medical teams into service to attend to people affected by the rain,” he said. These medical camps will be useful to prevent the spread of diseases that come up during the monsoon time, he said and urged people to immediately visit the nearest medical camps if they had any symptoms of illness. Further, systems were in place to check the amount of chlorine in drinking water, he said and underlined his government’s commitment to ensuring public health in such times of monsoon. North-East monsoon has been active in Tamil Nadu, with Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts receiving torrential rains since last week. Many parts of these districts have suffered from an inundation of low-lying areas and water-logging.

Over 600 medical teams to help rain victims: Tamil Nadu CM

<p>The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/torrential-overnight-chennai-rains-bring-city-suburbs-to-grinding-halt-23430" target="_blank">heavy downpour that struck Chennai</a> on Friday evening made the situation worse for low lying areas.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Fourteen people have died in the rainfall which began last week.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Fearing a 2015 flood-like situation, residents of many low lying areas have shifted to&nbsp;safer places.</p>

<p>The water from the overflowing filthy lakes has increased the miseries of the nearby locality.</p>

<p>The downpour has also destroyed paddy crops.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The heavy rain is the result of low pressure that has developed over Southwest Bay of Bengal between the Sri Lankan and the Tamil Nadu coast and the cyclonic circulation rising up to 3.1 km above mean sea level.</p>

<p>The meteorological department has predicted heavy rains for the next two-three days.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, schools and colleges have remained closed.</p>

<p>Chennai corporation commissioner D Karthikeyan has assured that the civic body is prepared to face the monsoon and everything is in place to tackle the rain.</p>

<p>The chief minister, on the other hand, has claimed that the current government has handled the situation better than Bengaluru and Mumbai.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier a state minister said that the government has <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-well-prepared-to-tackle-rains-like-foreign-countries-say-ministers-23216" target="_blank">solved 98 </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-well-prepared-to-tackle-rains-like-foreign-countries-say-ministers-23216" target="_blank">per cent</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-well-prepared-to-tackle-rains-like-foreign-countries-say-ministers-23216" target="_blank"> of the&nbsp;situation and they have the&nbsp;capacity to&nbsp;solve the situation&nbsp;like foreign</a>&nbsp;countries.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The meteorological department has predicted heavy rainfall for 2-3 days

The heavy downpour that struck Chennai on Friday evening made the situation worse for low lying areas. Fourteen people have died in the rainfall which began last week. Fearing a 2015 flood-like situation, residents of many low lying areas have shifted to safer places. The water from the overflowing filthy lakes has increased the miseries of the nearby locality. The downpour has also destroyed paddy crops. The heavy rain is the result of low pressure that has developed over Southwest Bay of Bengal between the Sri Lankan and the Tamil Nadu coast and the cyclonic circulation rising up to 3.1 km above mean sea level. The meteorological department has predicted heavy rains for the next two-three days. Meanwhile, schools and colleges have remained closed. Chennai corporation commissioner D Karthikeyan has assured that the civic body is prepared to face the monsoon and everything is in place to tackle the rain. The chief minister, on the other hand, has claimed that the current government has handled the situation better than Bengaluru and Mumbai. Earlier a state minister said that the government has solved 98 per cent of the situation and they have the capacity to solve the situation like foreign countries.

Chennai rain: Death toll at 14

<p>Torrential overnight rains for about ten hours brought this metropolis and neighbouring districts of Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur to a grinding halt, paralysing normal life completely.</p>

<p>Schools and colleges, which are closed since 31 October due to rains, have been shut today as well in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Incessant rains continue to disrupt normal life in Chennai, visuals of water-logged streets from Boat Club area. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChennaiRains?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChennaiRains</a> <a href="https://t.co/pnhDw3oDZs">pic.twitter.com/pnhDw3oDZs</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/926333245272104960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Met department forecast heavy to very heavy showers in north coastal Tamil Nadu till tomorrow.</p>

<p>It said yesterday&#39;s low pressure area over Sri Lanka and adjoining south West Bay of Bengal now lies over South West Bay of Bengal off the Lankan and Tamil Nadu coast.</p>

<p>&quot;Rainfall activity will continue over north coastal Tamil Nadu with heavy to very heavy rain over Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chennai districts during the next 24 hours,&quot; a special bulletin issued at 8.30 am said today.</p>

<p>The mild, intermittent showers post noon yesterday became moderate and then heavy in some pockets last night inundating several more neighbourhoods including West Mambalam and the Guindy Industrial Estate.</p>

<p>As a result, bus, taxi, auto and suburban train services were affected.</p>

<p>While heavy waterlogging hindered free movement of vehicles, a &quot;signalling snag,&quot; hit train services between the St Thomas Mount and Kodambakkam suburban section since 9.30 pm. Services were restored at 3.20 am today, Railway officials said.</p>

<p>Heavy traffic congestion and serpentine queue of vehicles were seen at the arterial Kathipara grade separator, Guindy intersection, Saidapet and all along till Velachery through the Raj Bhavan point.</p>

<p>Flight operations at the city airport were normal, airport officials said.</p>

<p>Chennai and Nungambakkam registered 18 cm rain and Meenambakkam in the southern suburb recorded 14 cm, till 8.30 am today, according to the Met department.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Schools and colleges will remain shut in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts

Torrential overnight rains for about ten hours brought this metropolis and neighbouring districts of Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur to a grinding halt, paralysing normal life completely. Schools and colleges, which are closed since 31 October due to rains, have been shut today as well in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts. Incessant rains continue to disrupt normal life in Chennai, visuals of water-logged streets from Boat Club area. #ChennaiRains pic.twitter.com/pnhDw3oDZs — ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2017 × The Met department forecast heavy to very heavy showers in north coastal Tamil Nadu till tomorrow. It said yesterday's low pressure area over Sri Lanka and adjoining south West Bay of Bengal now lies over South West Bay of Bengal off the Lankan and Tamil Nadu coast. "Rainfall activity will continue over north coastal Tamil Nadu with heavy to very heavy rain over Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chennai districts during the next 24 hours," a special bulletin issued at 8.30 am said today. The mild, intermittent showers post noon yesterday became moderate and then heavy in some pockets last night inundating several more neighbourhoods including West Mambalam and the Guindy Industrial Estate. As a result, bus, taxi, auto and suburban train services were affected. While heavy waterlogging hindered free movement of vehicles, a "signalling snag," hit train services between the St Thomas Mount and Kodambakkam suburban section since 9.30 pm. Services were restored at 3.20 am today, Railway officials said. Heavy traffic congestion and serpentine queue of vehicles were seen at the arterial Kathipara grade separator, Guindy intersection, Saidapet and all along till Velachery through the Raj Bhavan point. Flight operations at the city airport were normal, airport officials said. Chennai and Nungambakkam registered 18 cm rain and Meenambakkam in the southern suburb recorded 14 cm, till 8.30 am today, according to the Met department.

Torrential overnight rains bring Chennai, neighbouring districts to halt

<p>Even as DMK working president MK Stalin lashed out at the Tamil Nadu government and said that the state government had not learned its lesson from the 2015 floods in Chennai, two Tamil Nadu ministers put on a brave face and said the government was more than prepared to deal with the rains.</p>

<p>SP&nbsp;Velumani, minister of municipal administration and rural development said that the state government has done more work than several developed nations to deal with the rains.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Recently heavy rain lashed Bengaluru,&nbsp;London&nbsp;and America but I assure we&#39;ve done more work compared to these developed nations,&#39;&#39; the minister was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.</p>

<p>D Jayakumar, minister of finance and fishing, went a step further and claimed to have solved&nbsp;98&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of rain-related&nbsp;issues in the city.</p>

<p>&nbsp;&quot;We are having the capacity (to solve the problem) like foreign,&#39;&#39; the minister said.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">98% of the problem has been settled. We are having the capacity (to solve the problem) like foreign: TN Min D Jayakumar on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChennaiRains?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChennaiRains</a> <a href="https://t.co/GpnYm6DZer">pic.twitter.com/GpnYm6DZer</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/925287026856837120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Recently heavy rain lashed Bengaluru,London&amp;America but I assure we&#39;ve done more work compared to these developed nations-SP Velumani,TN Min <a href="https://t.co/Fgdvn2JctR">pic.twitter.com/Fgdvn2JctR</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/925289006463467520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The state government had&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/heavy-chennai-rain-brings-city-to-a-halt-schools-and-colleges-shut-on-tuesday-one-dead-in-thanjavur-23174">declared a holiday for schools and colleges</a> on Tuesday as the weather office forecast heavy to very heavy rains in some areas of coastal districts, including the capital city and its neighbourhood, in the next 24 hours.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Many parts of Tamil Nadu received heavy rainfall on Monday, disrupting normal life.</p>

<p>One person was killed in Thanjavur district in a rain-related incident.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reports attributed the rainfall to the cyclonic circulation that is currently persisting over Southwest Bay of Bengal, off the Sri Lanka coast and the adjoining Tamil Nadu coast.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from ANI)</em></p>


SP?Velumani, minister of municipal administration and rural development said that the state government has done more work than several developed nations to deal with the rains

Even as DMK working president MK Stalin lashed out at the Tamil Nadu government and said that the state government had not learned its lesson from the 2015 floods in Chennai, two Tamil Nadu ministers put on a brave face and said the government was more than prepared to deal with the rains. SP Velumani, minister of municipal administration and rural development said that the state government has done more work than several developed nations to deal with the rains. "Recently heavy rain lashed Bengaluru, London and America but I assure we've done more work compared to these developed nations,'' the minister was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. D Jayakumar, minister of finance and fishing, went a step further and claimed to have solved 98 per cent of rain-related issues in the city. "We are having the capacity (to solve the problem) like foreign,'' the minister said. 98% of the problem has been settled. We are having the capacity (to solve the problem) like foreign: TN Min D Jayakumar on #ChennaiRains pic.twitter.com/GpnYm6DZer — ANI (@ANI) October 31, 2017 × Recently heavy rain lashed Bengaluru,London&America but I assure we've done more work compared to these developed nations-SP Velumani,TN Min pic.twitter.com/Fgdvn2JctR — ANI (@ANI) October 31, 2017 × The state government had declared a holiday for schools and colleges on Tuesday as the weather office forecast heavy to very heavy rains in some areas of coastal districts, including the capital city and its neighbourhood, in the next 24 hours. Many parts of Tamil Nadu received heavy rainfall on Monday, disrupting normal life. One person was killed in Thanjavur district in a rain-related incident. Reports attributed the rainfall to the cyclonic circulation that is currently persisting over Southwest Bay of Bengal, off the Sri Lanka coast and the adjoining Tamil Nadu coast. (With inputs from ANI)

Tamil Nadu well prepared to tackle rains like foreign countries, say ministers

<p>After instructing schools to shut an hour earlier on Monday, the government has declared a holiday for schools and colleges on Tuesday as the met office forecast heavy to very heavy rains in some areas of coastal districts, including the capital city and its neighbourhood, in the next 24 hours.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Many parts of Tamil Nadu received heavy rainfall yesterday, disrupting normal life.</p>

<p>One person was killed in Thanjavur district in a rain-related incident.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The rains&nbsp;caused traffic snarls and waterlogging in many parts of Chennai. Traffic in arterial GST Road and Anna Salai came to a grinding halt but there was also cheer as several parts of Chennai are hit by water scarcity.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tamil Nadu: Water-logged areas being cleared &amp; uprooted trees being removed in Chennai after heavy rain <a href="https://t.co/QSU43oHkta">pic.twitter.com/QSU43oHkta</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/925212856869519360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Reports attributed the rainfall to the cyclonic circulation that is currently persisting over Southwest Bay of Bengal, off the Sri Lanka coast and the adjoining Tamil Nadu coast.</p>

<p>The other regions which are expected to receive very heavy rainfall are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.</p>


One person was killed in Thanjavur district in a rain-related incident.?

After instructing schools to shut an hour earlier on Monday, the government has declared a holiday for schools and colleges on Tuesday as the met office forecast heavy to very heavy rains in some areas of coastal districts, including the capital city and its neighbourhood, in the next 24 hours. Many parts of Tamil Nadu received heavy rainfall yesterday, disrupting normal life. One person was killed in Thanjavur district in a rain-related incident. The rains caused traffic snarls and waterlogging in many parts of Chennai. Traffic in arterial GST Road and Anna Salai came to a grinding halt but there was also cheer as several parts of Chennai are hit by water scarcity. Tamil Nadu: Water-logged areas being cleared & uprooted trees being removed in Chennai after heavy rain pic.twitter.com/QSU43oHkta — ANI (@ANI) October 31, 2017 × Reports attributed the rainfall to the cyclonic circulation that is currently persisting over Southwest Bay of Bengal, off the Sri Lanka coast and the adjoining Tamil Nadu coast. The other regions which are expected to receive very heavy rainfall are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

Met office forecast heavy rains in Chennai; schools, colleges to remain shut today

<p>&quot;If you were really concerned about public and the society you should have started campaigns against various social evils like untouchability and safety of women. But you choose to target a particular movie.&quot;</p>

<p>Those were the words of justices M M Sundresh and M Sundar of Madras High Court while summarily dismissing a petition seeking a direction to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to revoke the censor certificate issued to Vijay starrer Mersal for it&#39;s &#39;&#39;anti-GST&#39;&#39; dialogues.</p>

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<h5>The petitioner argued that the movie contained scenes and dialogues, which were against the interests of the country&#39;s sovereignty and integrity and the security of the state.</h5>
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<p>The judges while junking pseudo-nationalism propagated by the petitioner said in a mature democracy, the voices of the minority cannot be stifled and concluded that ultimately it was for the viewers to take a call on the contents of a movie.</p>

<p>The petitioner, forgetting that &#39;Mersal&#39; is after all just a movie, argued that the movie contained scenes and dialogues, which were against the interests of the country&#39;s sovereignty and integrity and the security of the state. Here, we are made to wonder whether the petitioner a true patriot? If he is, as he claims himself to be, what&#39;s he doing on the court? Should he be fighting our country&#39;s enemies along the borders?</p>

<p>The petitioner&#39;s contention was that the apparent false information about GST and Digital India Scheme would encourage people to indulge in tax evasion. So, as per the petitioner&#39;s argument, nobody hides income in India and everyone files taxes without fail, and this movie was going to open black money floodgates.</p>

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<h5>The petitioner and all those who have been demanding to purge certain scenes in the film conveniently forgot that Mersal is, after all, a work of fiction.</h5>
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<p>Donald Trump&#39;s &quot;America first&quot; policy will draw a blank in front of the patriotic spirit of this petitioner. One wonders how the petitioner and all those who have been demanding to purge certain scenes in the film conveniently forgot that Mersal is, after all, a work of fiction.</p>

<p>The judges had to step forward and remind the petitioner and other BJP leaders that India and, especially, Tamil Nadu is a democracy. &quot;This is a democracy and people have their right to freedom of expression, and this applies to films as well,&quot; the judges said in their order.</p>

<p>&quot;Even today the media has reported that the Leader of Opposition in the state has criticised demonetisation, can the court pass a gag order against him from making such statements,&quot; the bench further said.</p>

<p>Wondering how the Censor Board had issued certification for the above movie, the petitioner had said: &quot;the film was full of wrong propaganda about India and fake dialogues and scenes which obviously lead to the misconception about the new taxation system (Goods and Service Tax).&quot;</p>

<p>The judges condemned the pseudo-nationalist petitioner and dismissed the plea as devoid of merit.</p>

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<h5>The petitioner&#39;s motivation was to invoke communal disharmony in Tamil Nadu for electrical dividends.</h5>
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<p>This is not the first time the court&#39;s precious time was wasted on a&nbsp;useless petition. Recently, the Delhi High Court junked a petition filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy seeking a court-monitored SIT probe into the death of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor&#39;s wife Sunanda Pushkar, terming his PIL as a &quot;textbook example of a political interest litigation&quot;.</p>

<p>While observing that the petition by Swamy cannot be entertained as a PIL, the bench said that &quot;Courts need to be careful that judicial process is not used by political persons for their own purposes&quot;.</p>

<p>The courts of our country have seen several such petitions now and then.</p>

<p>What&#39;s the intention of people filing such petitions? Are they really concerned about the issues that the country is facing? If so, why they don&#39;t suggest solutions to issues plaguing the country instead of wasting court&#39;s time and energy?</p>

<p>The petitioner&#39;s motivation was to invoke disharmony in Tamil Nadu for electrical dividends, not realising that the state had consigned these kinds of prejudice and preconceived notions to oblivion ages ago.</p>


The petition to ban few dialogues from the movie Mersal was intended to invoke communal disharmony in Tamil Nadu

"If you were really concerned about public and the society you should have started campaigns against various social evils like untouchability and safety of women. But you choose to target a particular movie." Those were the words of justices M M Sundresh and M Sundar of Madras High Court while summarily dismissing a petition seeking a direction to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to revoke the censor certificate issued to Vijay starrer Mersal for it's ''anti-GST'' dialogues. The petitioner argued that the movie contained scenes and dialogues, which were against the interests of the country's sovereignty and integrity and the security of the state. × The judges while junking pseudo-nationalism propagated by the petitioner said in a mature democracy, the voices of the minority cannot be stifled and concluded that ultimately it was for the viewers to take a call on the contents of a movie. The petitioner, forgetting that 'Mersal' is after all just a movie, argued that the movie contained scenes and dialogues, which were against the interests of the country's sovereignty and integrity and the security of the state. Here, we are made to wonder whether the petitioner a true patriot? If he is, as he claims himself to be, what's he doing on the court? Should he be fighting our country's enemies along the borders? The petitioner's contention was that the apparent false information about GST and Digital India Scheme would encourage people to indulge in tax evasion. So, as per the petitioner's argument, nobody hides income in India and everyone files taxes without fail, and this movie was going to open black money floodgates. The petitioner and all those who have been demanding to purge certain scenes in the film conveniently forgot that Mersal is, after all, a work of fiction. × Donald Trump's "America first" policy will draw a blank in front of the patriotic spirit of this petitioner. One wonders how the petitioner and all those who have been demanding to purge certain scenes in the film conveniently forgot that Mersal is, after all, a work of fiction. The judges had to step forward and remind the petitioner and other BJP leaders that India and, especially, Tamil Nadu is a democracy. "This is a democracy and people have their right to freedom of expression, and this applies to films as well," the judges said in their order. "Even today the media has reported that the Leader of Opposition in the state has criticised demonetisation, can the court pass a gag order against him from making such statements," the bench further said. Wondering how the Censor Board had issued certification for the above movie, the petitioner had said: "the film was full of wrong propaganda about India and fake dialogues and scenes which obviously lead to the misconception about the new taxation system (Goods and Service Tax)." The judges condemned the pseudo-nationalist petitioner and dismissed the plea as devoid of merit. The petitioner's motivation was to invoke communal disharmony in Tamil Nadu for electrical dividends. × This is not the first time the court's precious time was wasted on a useless petition. Recently, the Delhi High Court junked a petition filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy seeking a court-monitored SIT probe into the death of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's wife Sunanda Pushkar, terming his PIL as a "textbook example of a political interest litigation". While observing that the petition by Swamy cannot be entertained as a PIL, the bench said that "Courts need to be careful that judicial process is not used by political persons for their own purposes". The courts of our country have seen several such petitions now and then. What's the intention of people filing such petitions? Are they really concerned about the issues that the country is facing? If so, why they don't suggest solutions to issues plaguing the country instead of wasting court's time and energy? The petitioner's motivation was to invoke disharmony in Tamil Nadu for electrical dividends, not realising that the state had consigned these kinds of prejudice and preconceived notions to oblivion ages ago.

How pseudo-nationalists attempted and failed to tame 'Mersal'

<p>The northeast monsoon, which set in over Tamil Nadu, brought in the first spell of rains in Chennai today.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Schools in the city closed an hour earlier than usual following government&#39;s order.</p>

<p>Traffic jams were reported on some major roads in the city including Velachery and OMR the IT Corridor. In the northern parts, several areas including Kilpauk and Koyambedu were affected.</p>

<p>A&nbsp;tree that fell in the Mambalam area blocked traffic close to the commercial hub of T Nagar. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Coastal districts including Chennai, Cuddalore, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Ramanathapuram received heavy rainfalls while a few interior districts received heavy to very heavy rains.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The northeast monsoon arrived over Tamil Nadu on October 27. Weather blogger Pradeep John has forecast above normal rainfall this northeast monsoon due to a favourable Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO). Rainfall in the state would last until December first week, he said.</p>


Schools in the city closed an hour earlier than usual following the government order.

The northeast monsoon, which set in over Tamil Nadu, brought in the first spell of rains in Chennai today. Schools in the city closed an hour earlier than usual following government's order. Traffic jams were reported on some major roads in the city including Velachery and OMR the IT Corridor. In the northern parts, several areas including Kilpauk and Koyambedu were affected. A tree that fell in the Mambalam area blocked traffic close to the commercial hub of T Nagar. Coastal districts including Chennai, Cuddalore, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Ramanathapuram received heavy rainfalls while a few interior districts received heavy to very heavy rains. The northeast monsoon arrived over Tamil Nadu on October 27. Weather blogger Pradeep John has forecast above normal rainfall this northeast monsoon due to a favourable Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO). Rainfall in the state would last until December first week, he said.

Northeast monsoon brings widespread rainfall in Chennai

<p>Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami has announced a compensation of Rs 7.5 lakh for the family members of the people died in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/8-killed-as-portion-of-building-collapses-in-tamil-nadu-22639" target="_blank">Nagapattinam building collapse</a>.</p>

<p>He further announced compensation of Rs 1.5 lakhs to severely injured people whereas Rs 50,000 to the ones with mild injuries.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The chief minister&nbsp;also assured government job to any one member of the deceased.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nagapattinam building collapse: Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi Palaniswami announces compensation of Rs 7.5 lakh for next of kin of the deceased</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/921253086496043008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nagapattinam building collapse: TN CM announces compensation of Rs1.5 lakh for ppl with severe injuries&amp;Rs 50,000 for ppl with mild injuries</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/921253358517739527?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">CM also announced govt job for any one member of the families of the deceased in Nagapattinam building collapse</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/921253650458066944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>A portion of a&nbsp;six-decade-old building collapsed in Tamil Nadu on Friday morning.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The collapse had resulted in eight deaths and three injuries.&nbsp;</p>


Tamil Nadu chief minister further announced compensation of Rs 1.5 lakhs to severely injured people whereas Rs 50,000 to the ones with mild injuries

Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami has announced a compensation of Rs 7.5 lakh for the family members of the people died in Nagapattinam building collapse. He further announced compensation of Rs 1.5 lakhs to severely injured people whereas Rs 50,000 to the ones with mild injuries. The chief minister also assured government job to any one member of the deceased. Nagapattinam building collapse: Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi Palaniswami announces compensation of Rs 7.5 lakh for next of kin of the deceased — ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2017 × Nagapattinam building collapse: TN CM announces compensation of Rs1.5 lakh for ppl with severe injuries&Rs 50,000 for ppl with mild injuries — ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2017 × CM also announced govt job for any one member of the families of the deceased in Nagapattinam building collapse — ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2017 × A portion of a six-decade-old building collapsed in Tamil Nadu on Friday morning. The collapse had resulted in eight deaths and three injuries.

Rs 7.5 lakhs compensation for deceased in Tamil Nadu building collapse

<p>The Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K.Palaniswami is planning to appoint transgenders in the state&#39;s police force.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He has given appointment order to four transgenders for joining Tamil Nadu police force.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chennai: Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami gave appointment order to four transgenders for joining TN police force <a href="https://t.co/oHurueo5Ds">pic.twitter.com/oHurueo5Ds</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/919826300579090437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Chief minister Edappadi K.Palaniswami has issued appointment order to transgenders for joining police force

The Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K.Palaniswami is planning to appoint transgenders in the state's police force. He has given appointment order to four transgenders for joining Tamil Nadu police force. Chennai: Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami gave appointment order to four transgenders for joining TN police force pic.twitter.com/oHurueo5Ds — ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2017 ×

TN police force soon to include transgenders

<p>President Ram Nath Kovind appointed five new governors on Saturday with Brig&nbsp;(Dr) BD Mishra (Retd) taking over as governor of Arunachal Pradesh.</p>

<p>Banwarilal Purohit was appointed governor of Tamil Nadu, and Satya Pal Malik as governor of Bihar.</p>

<p>Professor Jagdish Mukhi was appointed governor of Assam, and Ganga Prasad governor of Meghalaya.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In addition, Admiral (Retd) DK Joshi was made lieutenant governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.&nbsp;</p>


In addition, Admiral (Retd) DK Joshi was made LG of Andaman and Nicobar

President Ram Nath Kovind appointed five new governors on Saturday with Brig (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd) taking over as governor of Arunachal Pradesh. Banwarilal Purohit was appointed governor of Tamil Nadu, and Satya Pal Malik as governor of Bihar. Professor Jagdish Mukhi was appointed governor of Assam, and Ganga Prasad governor of Meghalaya. In addition, Admiral (Retd) DK Joshi was made lieutenant governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Five states get new governors

<p>A forty-five-year-old female professor was allegedly stabbed today by a guest lecturer on Madurai Kamaraj University&nbsp;campus in Tamil Nadu.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Jenefa, a professor in the journalism department at the university, stabbed several times, is now admitted to a government hospital in serious condition, PTI reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Students rescued Jenefa after&nbsp;they heard her screaming. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The guest lecturer Jothi Murugan allegedly upset over non-renewal of his service contract stabbed the professor inside the University.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Murugan who is also a former student of the university apparently intercepted Jenefa&nbsp;on her way while she was walking towards the university&#39;s main office.</p>

<p>He had&nbsp;an argument with her over the extension of his contract&nbsp;as a guest lecturer and stabbed the associate professor with a knife. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Jothi Murugan stabbed university professor and head Jenefa on the campus

A forty-five-year-old female professor was allegedly stabbed today by a guest lecturer on Madurai Kamaraj University campus in Tamil Nadu. Jenefa, a professor in the journalism department at the university, stabbed several times, is now admitted to a government hospital in serious condition, PTI reported. Students rescued Jenefa after they heard her screaming. The guest lecturer Jothi Murugan allegedly upset over non-renewal of his service contract stabbed the professor inside the University. Murugan who is also a former student of the university apparently intercepted Jenefa on her way while she was walking towards the university's main office. He had an argument with her over the extension of his contract as a guest lecturer and stabbed the associate professor with a knife.

Tamil Nadu: Guest lecturer stabs university professor for not renewing contract

<p>The Madras HC has allowed the&nbsp;plea of the 18 disqualified MLAs for a hearing on Wednesday.</p>

<p>TTV Dinakaran and the 18 disqualified MLAs had moved the court after their disqualification by the Tamil Nadu speaker P Dhanapal.</p>

<p>ANI reported Dinakaran as saying their case was &quot;legally sound&quot; and that they would get justice from the court.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Legally we are very sound and we will get justice from the Court: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TTVDhinakaran?src=hash">#TTVDhinakaran</a> over disqualification of 18 MLAs by TN Speaker <a href="https://t.co/kQllPvTKoG">pic.twitter.com/kQllPvTKoG</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/910038030550892544">September 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Madras high court-ordered floor test to check whether Tamil Nadu chief minister E Palaniswami still has majority support is also scheduled to be held tomorrow

The Madras HC has allowed the plea of the 18 disqualified MLAs for a hearing on Wednesday. TTV Dinakaran and the 18 disqualified MLAs had moved the court after their disqualification by the Tamil Nadu speaker P Dhanapal. ANI reported Dinakaran as saying their case was "legally sound" and that they would get justice from the court. Legally we are very sound and we will get justice from the Court: #TTVDhinakaran over disqualification of 18 MLAs by TN Speaker pic.twitter.com/kQllPvTKoG — ANI (@ANI) September 19, 2017 ×

Madras HC to hear plea of 18 disqualified MLAs on Wednesday

<p>Madras High Court has ordered Tamil Nadu Advocate General to make a quick decision on whether they will take any action to disqualify the nineteen MLAs who support TTV Dhinakaran.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Madras HC orders TN Adv General to respond at the earliest on if thr will be any action takn to disqualify 19 MLAs supporting TTV Dhinakaran</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/908234499497930752">September 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The state assembly deputy speaker V. Jayaraman (EPS-OPS faction) has clarified that he will take a decision on the eighteen dissenting MLAs, hoping that they return to their faction.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Speaker will decide on 18 dissenting MLAs; we believe they will return to our faction: TN Assembly Dy Speaker V. Jayaraman (EPS-OPS faction) <a href="https://t.co/dJ2EQ9xvyN">pic.twitter.com/dJ2EQ9xvyN</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/908239020437651456">September 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Earlier, the&nbsp;AIADMK faction led by TTV Dhinakarn had filed a petition in the Tamil Nadu High Court requesting for a floor test in the state assembly.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">TTV Dhinakaran faction moves Madras High Court on plea over floor test in Tamil Nadu assembly</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/908227914486898689">September 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The MLAs from the Dhinakaran faction have also raised question over the removal of VK Sasikala calling the AIADMK Gen Council meeting that led to the ousting of Sasikala as illegal.</p>

<p>They said to the &nbsp;Election Commission officials &quot; AIADMK Gen Council meet where VK Sasikala was ousted shouldn&#39;t be considered legal.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Delhi: TTV Dhinakaran faction MLAs met EC officials; say AIADMK Gen Council meet where VK Sasikala was ousted shouldn&#39;t be considered legal <a href="https://t.co/bQu82lqakw">pic.twitter.com/bQu82lqakw</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/908232341897617408">September 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>A member of the Dhinakaran faction has also indicated at a party meeting to be held soon after they get approval from the party &#39;General Secretary&#39; VK Sasikala.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Very soon we&#39;ll hold General Council meet of the party after consent of Gen Secy (VK Sasikala): Vijila Sathyananth, TTV Dhinakaran faction <a href="https://t.co/1UMcxz8tTJ">pic.twitter.com/1UMcxz8tTJ</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/908232981478645760">September 14, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Nineteen MLAs from the AIADMK moved out of the party after Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the current chief minister of Tamil Nadu united with O. Panneerselvam, after months of conflict.&nbsp;</p>


Earlier, the?AIADMK faction led by TTV Dhinakarn had filed a petition in the Tamil Nadu High Court requesting for a floor test in the state assembly

Madras High Court has ordered Tamil Nadu Advocate General to make a quick decision on whether they will take any action to disqualify the nineteen MLAs who support TTV Dhinakaran. Madras HC orders TN Adv General to respond at the earliest on if thr will be any action takn to disqualify 19 MLAs supporting TTV Dhinakaran — ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2017 × The state assembly deputy speaker V. Jayaraman (EPS-OPS faction) has clarified that he will take a decision on the eighteen dissenting MLAs, hoping that they return to their faction. Speaker will decide on 18 dissenting MLAs; we believe they will return to our faction: TN Assembly Dy Speaker V. Jayaraman (EPS-OPS faction) pic.twitter.com/dJ2EQ9xvyN — ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2017 × Earlier, the AIADMK faction led by TTV Dhinakarn had filed a petition in the Tamil Nadu High Court requesting for a floor test in the state assembly. TTV Dhinakaran faction moves Madras High Court on plea over floor test in Tamil Nadu assembly — ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2017 × The MLAs from the Dhinakaran faction have also raised question over the removal of VK Sasikala calling the AIADMK Gen Council meeting that led to the ousting of Sasikala as illegal. They said to the Election Commission officials " AIADMK Gen Council meet where VK Sasikala was ousted shouldn't be considered legal. Delhi: TTV Dhinakaran faction MLAs met EC officials; say AIADMK Gen Council meet where VK Sasikala was ousted shouldn't be considered legal pic.twitter.com/bQu82lqakw — ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2017 × A member of the Dhinakaran faction has also indicated at a party meeting to be held soon after they get approval from the party 'General Secretary' VK Sasikala. Very soon we'll hold General Council meet of the party after consent of Gen Secy (VK Sasikala): Vijila Sathyananth, TTV Dhinakaran faction pic.twitter.com/1UMcxz8tTJ — ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2017 × Nineteen MLAs from the AIADMK moved out of the party after Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the current chief minister of Tamil Nadu united with O. Panneerselvam, after months of conflict.

TN HC orders advocate to take quick decision on 19 dissenting MLAs

<p>VK Sasikala has been expelled from the AIADMK.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Temporary General Secy post stands forfeited. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sasikala?src=hash">#Sasikala</a> is expelled: RB Udaykumar,TN Min reads out resolution at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AiadmkGeneralCouncil?src=hash">#AiadmkGeneralCouncil</a> <a href="https://t.co/zQwsXJ2Cit">pic.twitter.com/zQwsXJ2Cit</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/907486318984175616">September 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">AIADMK to be unified faction&amp;we will retrieve &#39;two leaves&#39; party symbol: RB Udaykumar,TN Min reads out resolution at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AiadmkGeneralCouncil?src=hash">#AiadmkGeneralCouncil</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/907484078558945280">September 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">All those appointed by Amma(Jayalalithaa) as office bearers, to continue: RB Udaykumar,TN Min reads out resolution at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AiadmkGeneralCouncil?src=hash">#AiadmkGeneralCouncil</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/907484458697162752">September 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">All announcements of TTV Dinakaran are not binding on the party:RB Udaykumar,TN Min reads out resolution at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AiadmkGeneralCouncil?src=hash">#AiadmkGeneralCouncil</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/907486928412348417">September 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Sasikala was the party&#39;s interim general secretary.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The decision to expel her was taken today at a meeting of the AIADMK general council attended by both the E Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam factions of the AIADMK.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Palaniswami is the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. Panneerselvam is the deputy chief minister.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It was also announced that the two factions of the AIADMK -- which united in August -- would retrieve the party&#39;s &quot;two leaves&quot; symbol.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And that all officer bearers appointed by Jayalalithaa would continue, but that all announcements made by Sasikala&#39;s nephew TTV Dinakaran would not be binding on the party.&nbsp;</p>


The decision was taken today at a meeting of the AIADMK general council attended by both the EPS and OPS factions of the party

VK Sasikala has been expelled from the AIADMK. Temporary General Secy post stands forfeited. #Sasikala is expelled: RB Udaykumar,TN Min reads out resolution at #AiadmkGeneralCouncil pic.twitter.com/zQwsXJ2Cit — ANI (@ANI) September 12, 2017 × AIADMK to be unified faction&we will retrieve 'two leaves' party symbol: RB Udaykumar,TN Min reads out resolution at #AiadmkGeneralCouncil — ANI (@ANI) September 12, 2017 × All those appointed by Amma(Jayalalithaa) as office bearers, to continue: RB Udaykumar,TN Min reads out resolution at #AiadmkGeneralCouncil — ANI (@ANI) September 12, 2017 × All announcements of TTV Dinakaran are not binding on the party:RB Udaykumar,TN Min reads out resolution at #AiadmkGeneralCouncil — ANI (@ANI) September 12, 2017 × Sasikala was the party's interim general secretary. The decision to expel her was taken today at a meeting of the AIADMK general council attended by both the E Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam factions of the AIADMK. Palaniswami is the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. Panneerselvam is the deputy chief minister. It was also announced that the two factions of the AIADMK -- which united in August -- would retrieve the party's "two leaves" symbol. And that all officer bearers appointed by Jayalalithaa would continue, but that all announcements made by Sasikala's nephew TTV Dinakaran would not be binding on the party.

Sasikala expelled from AIADMK

<p>The family of Anitha -- the 17-year-old Dalit girl who committed suicide in Tamil Nadu -- has refused to accept the Rs 7 lakh the state government had promised them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Anitha was found hanging in her home on Friday.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-girl-who-moved-sc-against-neet-commits-suicide-19782" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Tamil Nadu girl who moved SC against NEET commits suicide</a></p>

<p>She had allegedly killed herself because the Supreme Court had turned down her petition that admission to medical colleges not be given only on the basis of the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Anitha had scored 1,176 marks out of 1,200 in her class XII board examinations but was unable to get admission to a medical college because she did not do well on the NEET exam.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She told the SC that the exam worked against students from rural areas.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There had been widespread protests in Tamil Nadu over her suicide, with the protesters blaming the central government for Anitha&#39;s death.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-protests-break-out-over-suicide-of-girl-who-moved-sc-against-neet-exam-19791" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Protests break out across Tamil Nadu over suicide of Anitha who moved SC against NEET exam</a></p>

<p>The filmstar Rajnikanth had also offered his condolences to the family.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RipAnitha?src=hash">#RipAnitha</a> <a href="https://t.co/p5t507dLaQ">pic.twitter.com/p5t507dLaQ</a></p>
&mdash; Rajinikanth (@superstarrajini) <a href="https://twitter.com/superstarrajini/status/903597665782382592">September 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The family, the Hindu newspaper reported, had earlier accepted a cheque for Rs 10 lakh from DMK working president MK Stalin.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But when the Ariyalur district collector and superintendent of police tried to offer&nbsp;them a cheque for Rs 7 lakh from the state government, the family refused to accept it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The family said Anitha had died because Tamil Nadu was still subject to the ambit of the NEET exam.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And that they would accept the money only when that no longer remained the case.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Hindu reported the DC as saying the family had seemed reluctant to accept the money, but that the authorities would wait for some time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the meantime, the authorities have offered a job to one member of Anitha&#39;s family.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Anitha is survived by her father and four brothers. She lost her mother early.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Hindu reported the DC as saying the job given would depend on the educational qualifications of the family member.&nbsp;</p>


Anitha had allegedly killed herself because the SC turned down her petition that admission to medical colleges not be given only on the basis of the NEET exam

The family of Anitha -- the 17-year-old Dalit girl who committed suicide in Tamil Nadu -- has refused to accept the Rs 7 lakh the state government had promised them. Anitha was found hanging in her home on Friday. Also read: Tamil Nadu girl who moved SC against NEET commits suicide She had allegedly killed herself because the Supreme Court had turned down her petition that admission to medical colleges not be given only on the basis of the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test. Anitha had scored 1,176 marks out of 1,200 in her class XII board examinations but was unable to get admission to a medical college because she did not do well on the NEET exam. She told the SC that the exam worked against students from rural areas. There had been widespread protests in Tamil Nadu over her suicide, with the protesters blaming the central government for Anitha's death. Also read: Protests break out across Tamil Nadu over suicide of Anitha who moved SC against NEET exam The filmstar Rajnikanth had also offered his condolences to the family. #RipAnitha pic.twitter.com/p5t507dLaQ — Rajinikanth (@superstarrajini) September 1, 2017 × The family, the Hindu newspaper reported, had earlier accepted a cheque for Rs 10 lakh from DMK working president MK Stalin. But when the Ariyalur district collector and superintendent of police tried to offer them a cheque for Rs 7 lakh from the state government, the family refused to accept it. The family said Anitha had died because Tamil Nadu was still subject to the ambit of the NEET exam. And that they would accept the money only when that no longer remained the case. The Hindu reported the DC as saying the family had seemed reluctant to accept the money, but that the authorities would wait for some time. In the meantime, the authorities have offered a job to one member of Anitha's family. Anitha is survived by her father and four brothers. She lost her mother early. The Hindu reported the DC as saying the job given would depend on the educational qualifications of the family member.

Family of TN girl who committed suicide refuses to take govt's Rs 7 lakh

<p>Protests over the suicide of the Dalit girl who had moved the Supreme Court against the NEET exam broke out across Tamil Nadu on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>News reports said hundreds of slogan-shouting protesters blocked roads and staged rallies.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In Chennai, the Hindustan Times reported, protesters blocked an arterial road leading to Anna Salai, the city&#39;s main road.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chennai: Protest by Revolutionary Students and Youth Front (RSYF) members over the death <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Anithaa?src=hash">#Anithaa</a>; Protesters detained by Police. <a href="https://t.co/JKwA3vtrmn">pic.twitter.com/JKwA3vtrmn</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/903867260426522624">September 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The reports said the protesters blamed the central government for Anitha S&#39;s suicide.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Centre must think of it&amp; cancel NEET in Tamil Nadu students&#39; interest or at least have it as per +2 syllabus: TTV Dhinakaran <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Anithasuicide?src=hash">#Anithasuicide</a> <a href="https://t.co/Fb2kjFqhnm">pic.twitter.com/Fb2kjFqhnm</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/903973407909322757">September 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Anitha had moved the SC, saying admissions to medical colleges should not be given only on the basis of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Anitha had said the common exam worked against applicants from rural areas, the Hindustan Times reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The court had turned down her petition a few months ago.&nbsp;</p>

<p>News reports said Anitha had been depressed ever since.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Friday, she was found hanging in her home in&nbsp;Ariyalur district.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RipAnitha?src=hash">#RipAnitha</a> <a href="https://t.co/p5t507dLaQ">pic.twitter.com/p5t507dLaQ</a></p>
&mdash; Rajinikanth (@superstarrajini) <a href="https://twitter.com/superstarrajini/status/903597665782382592">September 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Anitha had scored 1,176 marks out of 1,200 in her class XII boards but did not get into a medical college because she did not do well on the NEET exam.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-girl-who-moved-sc-against-neet-commits-suicide-19782" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Tamil Nadu girl who moved SC against NEET commits suicide</a></p>

<p>She was however offered a seat, to study aeronautical engineering, at the Madras Institute of Technology.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Opposition DMK had on Friday blamed the state government for Anitha&#39;s suicide.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Saturday, the Indian Express reported the DMK&#39;s Stalin as calling the government inept.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Tamil Nadu chief minister had on Friday ordered an&nbsp;ex-gratia payment of Rs 7 lakh to Anitha&#39;s family and a job to one member of the family.&nbsp;</p>

<p>HT reported that Anitha&#39;s father is a daily wage worker; she lost her mother early.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And that none of her four brothers had a steady job.&nbsp;</p>


Anitha S was found hanging in her home in Ariyalur district on Friday

Protests over the suicide of the Dalit girl who had moved the Supreme Court against the NEET exam broke out across Tamil Nadu on Saturday. News reports said hundreds of slogan-shouting protesters blocked roads and staged rallies. In Chennai, the Hindustan Times reported, protesters blocked an arterial road leading to Anna Salai, the city's main road. Chennai: Protest by Revolutionary Students and Youth Front (RSYF) members over the death #Anithaa; Protesters detained by Police. pic.twitter.com/JKwA3vtrmn — ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2017 × The reports said the protesters blamed the central government for Anitha S's suicide. Centre must think of it& cancel NEET in Tamil Nadu students' interest or at least have it as per +2 syllabus: TTV Dhinakaran #Anithasuicide pic.twitter.com/Fb2kjFqhnm — ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2017 × Anitha had moved the SC, saying admissions to medical colleges should not be given only on the basis of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test. Anitha had said the common exam worked against applicants from rural areas, the Hindustan Times reported. The court had turned down her petition a few months ago. News reports said Anitha had been depressed ever since. On Friday, she was found hanging in her home in Ariyalur district. #RipAnitha pic.twitter.com/p5t507dLaQ — Rajinikanth (@superstarrajini) September 1, 2017 × Anitha had scored 1,176 marks out of 1,200 in her class XII boards but did not get into a medical college because she did not do well on the NEET exam. Also read: Tamil Nadu girl who moved SC against NEET commits suicide She was however offered a seat, to study aeronautical engineering, at the Madras Institute of Technology. The Opposition DMK had on Friday blamed the state government for Anitha's suicide. On Saturday, the Indian Express reported the DMK's Stalin as calling the government inept. Tamil Nadu chief minister had on Friday ordered an ex-gratia payment of Rs 7 lakh to Anitha's family and a job to one member of the family. HT reported that Anitha's father is a daily wage worker; she lost her mother early. And that none of her four brothers had a steady job.

Protests break out across Tamil Nadu over suicide of Anitha who moved SC against NEET exam

<p>The Tamil Nadu assembly speaker has issued a notice to the 19 AIADMK MLAs supporting TTV Dinakaran.</p>

<p>The 19 MLAs have been asked to explain their position by September 5.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The MLAs had withdrawn their support for chief minister&nbsp;Edappadi K Palaniswami after the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/preview/article/19592">merger of his faction of the AIADMK w</a>ith that of former chief minister O Panneerselvam&#39;s faction.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The withdrawing of their support has raised question marks over Palaniswami&#39;s majority in the Tamil Nadu house.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The 19 MLAs and main Opposition party the DMK have both been demanding that Palaniswami prove his majority in the assembly.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This is the second notice sent to the MLAs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The MLAs had earlier received a notice from the speaker on August 25.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the Madras high court will hear a PIL today asking Palaniswami to prove his majority.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The notice was issued by the Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Assembly

The Tamil Nadu assembly speaker has issued a notice to the 19 AIADMK MLAs supporting TTV Dinakaran. The 19 MLAs have been asked to explain their position by September 5. The MLAs had withdrawn their support for chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami after the merger of his faction of the AIADMK with that of former chief minister O Panneerselvam's faction. The withdrawing of their support has raised question marks over Palaniswami's majority in the Tamil Nadu house. The 19 MLAs and main Opposition party the DMK have both been demanding that Palaniswami prove his majority in the assembly. This is the second notice sent to the MLAs. The MLAs had earlier received a notice from the speaker on August 25. Meanwhile, the Madras high court will hear a PIL today asking Palaniswami to prove his majority.

Tamil Nadu: 19 MLAs supporting Dinakaran issued notice, told to explain position by Sept 5

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>A day after TTV Dinakaran sacked several ministers including Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami as the party&#39;s Salem district secretary, the AIADMK (Amma) Monday passed resolutions calling off all appointments made by him.</p>

<p>Four resolutions were passed at a meeting held by Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai where the party declared Dinakaran&#39;s appointments as &quot;null and void&quot;.</p>

<p>The meeting said that Dinakaran was sacked from the post of deputy general secretary on August 10 itself, therefore any changes made by him in the party posts were invalid.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One of the resolutions adopted by the party meeting said Dhinakaran had &quot;no authority or qualification&quot; to remove the appointees of late AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa.</p>

<p>He was appointed as deputy general secretary by Sasikala before her imprisonment to the Bengaluru jail. The resolution said he was not authorised by relevant party bye-laws. Also the Election Commission had refused to accept his appointment.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;With the Election Commission so far not recognising V K Sasikala&#39;s appointment as general secretary, which was done as an interim measure, the appointment of Dhinakaran as deputy general secretary by her and his getting involved in party affairs is against party laws,&quot; it said.</p>

<p>The resolution said that they had very clearly stated all this to Dhinakaran.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dhinakaran was already made familiar to all this by &quot;functionaries appointed by &#39;Amma&#39; (Jayalalithaa),&quot;.</p>

<p>Dhinakaran and his followers have dismissed Palaniswami&#39;s meeting and the resolution passed at the AIADMK headquarters, claiming that only the party&#39;s general secretary has the authority to hold a meeting and they were not invited to the party meeting.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dhinakaran, nephew of Sasikala, along with the support of 21 MLAs is demanding the removal of Palaniswami as CM. Since the merger, he has also been trying to prove his authority over the party by bringing in his supporters and removing the already existing ones.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Questioning the legality of the appointments made by Sasikala before going to jail the meeting has also adopted a resolution to call a general council meeting for the expulsion of jailed party chief.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="et">Tamil Nadu: EPS-OPS supporters protest against VK Sasikala and TTV Dinakaran at AIADMK headquarter in Chennai. <a href="https://t.co/sAmXzfEGpA">pic.twitter.com/sAmXzfEGpA</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/902054873889349632">August 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sasikala&#39;s appointed as the interim general secretary of the party on 29 December after the demise of former chief minister and party supremo J Jayalalithaa, was already approaching an end since the merger of the two factions.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
On August 20 when the two factions of the AIADMK, led by Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam came together, MP R Vaithilingam had already indicated on the removal of Sasikala from the party post. This was one of the demands raised by Panneerselvam and his faction.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Besides this, the meeting has also decided to bring back the party backed media &#39;Namathu Dr MGR&#39;&nbsp;and &#39;Jaya TV&#39;.</p>

<p>Jaya TV and the daily were launched following efforts of Jayalalithaa and the contribution of lakhs of party workers and therefore they are our party&#39;s assets,&quot; it said.</p>

<p>One of the resolutions also said it has been resolved to strive hard to &quot;protect &quot; the party and its government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Some of the party MLAs and MPs were not present at the meeting.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Majority of party office bearers, MLAs &amp; MPs have attended the meeting: D Jayakumar on talks of number of MLAs boycotting <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AIADMK?src=hash">#AIADMK</a> meeting <a href="https://t.co/xii04DQBfD">pic.twitter.com/xii04DQBfD</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/902084310089457664">August 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Tamil Nadu's chief minister K Palaniswami held a?meeting of the AIADMK (Amma) today at the AIADMK headquarter

A day after TTV Dinakaran sacked several ministers including Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami as the party's Salem district secretary, the AIADMK (Amma) Monday passed resolutions calling off all appointments made by him. Four resolutions were passed at a meeting held by Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai where the party declared Dinakaran's appointments as "null and void". The meeting said that Dinakaran was sacked from the post of deputy general secretary on August 10 itself, therefore any changes made by him in the party posts were invalid. One of the resolutions adopted by the party meeting said Dhinakaran had "no authority or qualification" to remove the appointees of late AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa. He was appointed as deputy general secretary by Sasikala before her imprisonment to the Bengaluru jail. The resolution said he was not authorised by relevant party bye-laws. Also the Election Commission had refused to accept his appointment. "With the Election Commission so far not recognising V K Sasikala's appointment as general secretary, which was done as an interim measure, the appointment of Dhinakaran as deputy general secretary by her and his getting involved in party affairs is against party laws," it said. The resolution said that they had very clearly stated all this to Dhinakaran. Dhinakaran was already made familiar to all this by "functionaries appointed by 'Amma' (Jayalalithaa),". Dhinakaran and his followers have dismissed Palaniswami's meeting and the resolution passed at the AIADMK headquarters, claiming that only the party's general secretary has the authority to hold a meeting and they were not invited to the party meeting. Dhinakaran, nephew of Sasikala, along with the support of 21 MLAs is demanding the removal of Palaniswami as CM. Since the merger, he has also been trying to prove his authority over the party by bringing in his supporters and removing the already existing ones. Questioning the legality of the appointments made by Sasikala before going to jail the meeting has also adopted a resolution to call a general council meeting for the expulsion of jailed party chief. Tamil Nadu: EPS-OPS supporters protest against VK Sasikala and TTV Dinakaran at AIADMK headquarter in Chennai. pic.twitter.com/sAmXzfEGpA — ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2017 × Sasikala's appointed as the interim general secretary of the party on 29 December after the demise of former chief minister and party supremo J Jayalalithaa, was already approaching an end since the merger of the two factions. On August 20 when the two factions of the AIADMK, led by Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam came together, MP R Vaithilingam had already indicated on the removal of Sasikala from the party post. This was one of the demands raised by Panneerselvam and his faction. Besides this, the meeting has also decided to bring back the party backed media 'Namathu Dr MGR' and 'Jaya TV'. Jaya TV and the daily were launched following efforts of Jayalalithaa and the contribution of lakhs of party workers and therefore they are our party's assets," it said. One of the resolutions also said it has been resolved to strive hard to "protect " the party and its government. Some of the party MLAs and MPs were not present at the meeting. Majority of party office bearers, MLAs & MPs have attended the meeting: D Jayakumar on talks of number of MLAs boycotting #AIADMK meeting pic.twitter.com/xii04DQBfD — ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2017 ×

AIADMK party meeting plans to sack Sasikala, claims Dinakaran is already expelled

<p>A day after the merger of the two warring factions of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisamy&#39;s (EPS) government faced a crisis yesterday, when 19 of his MLAs withdrew their support, leading to the government falling short of majority.</p>

<p>The MLAs resigned when EPS declared, former chief minister O. Panneerselvam (OPS), as his new Deputy Chief Minister, and the convenor of the party.</p>

<p>The 19 legislators, owing allegiance to former deputy general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran, met Governor Vidyasagar Rao and withdrew support to the Chief Minister.</p>

<p>The MLAs reportedly told Rao that EPS had &quot;forfeited&quot; their confidence of the public as well, urging him to &quot;intervene and institute the constitutional process.&quot;</p>

<p>Later, Opposition leader and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president M.K. Stalin wrote to the Governor demanding an early floor test to prove the government&#39;s majority and prevent horse trading, while other Opposition leaders also endorsed the demand.</p>

<p>EPS, OPS and other senior ministers, meanwhile, held meetings at the Secretariat on the threat to the government.</p>

<p>In identical letters submitted to Governor Rao at the Raj Bhavan, the resigned MLAs claimed they were &quot;disillusioned with the functioning of the government headed by Mr. Palaniswami, as there has been abuse of power, favouritism, misuse of government machinery, widespread corruption&quot;.</p>

<p>On the other hand, Stalin has claimed that &quot;twenty two MLAs&quot; have resigned.</p>

<p>Stalin wrote a letter to the Governor and said that any inordinate delay in asking the Chief Minister to prove his majority in the case will pave the way for continuance of an &quot;unconstitutional&quot; government and will destabilise the democratic norms and precedents established in demonstrating the confidence of the House.</p>

<p>Here is a timeline of events that happened in last few months from split to merger:</p>

<p>December 7, 2016: After Jayalalithaa&#39;s death, senior AIADMK leader O. Paneerselvam was sworn-in as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. According to reports, several AIADMK MLAs were called to Apollo Hospital to sign a declaration, making Panneerselvam Jayalalithaa&#39;s successor.</p>

<p>December 29, 2016: V.K. Sasikala, the confidante of late J. Jayalalithaa, was appointed as AIADMK&#39;s general secretary on&nbsp;December 29&nbsp;after several party functionaries urged her to lead the party.</p>

<p>February 5, 2017: O. Panneerselvam resigned from the chief minister post and Sasikala was elected head of the AIADMK legislative party and proceeded to stake claim to form the government. Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao accepted Panneerselvam&#39;s resignation, but asked him to operate in a caretaker capacity.</p>

<p>February 14, 2017: Sasikala was convicted in the 19-year-old disproportionate assets case and sentenced to serve four years in jail. She also stood disqualified to take over as Tamil Nadu chief minister.</p>

<p>February 15, 2017: In yet another major development in Tamil Nadu politics, TTV Dhinakaran on&nbsp;February 15&nbsp;was appointed as the Deputy General Secretary of the AIADMK.</p>

<p>February 18, 2017: Edappadi K. Palanisamy took oath as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister along with 31 other AIADMK MLAs.</p>

<p>February 20, 2017: Amid an uproar in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Edappadi K. Palanisamy won the vote of confidence with 122 MLAs supporting him.</p>

<p>March 22 2017: With the bypoll elections for vacant R K Nagar constituency approaching, both the factions staked claim over the party&#39;s &quot;two leaves&quot; symbol. On&nbsp;March 22, Election Commission froze the party symbol recognising the split in the party. In a statement, EC officials said that neither of the two factions will be able to use the &quot;two leaves&quot; symbol. Amid allegations of both camps bribing the voters, the election body &quot;cancelled&quot; R K Nagar bypoll election slated for&nbsp;April 10.</p>

<p>April 17, 2017: In what can be called as a major hint towards sewing up an unprecedented merger between two warring factions in the Tamil Nadu Government, the Sasikala and the O. Panneerselvam groups of the AIADMK met to discuss and deliberate over possibilities of their unification.</p>

<p>April 18, 2017: With TTV Dinakaran facing bribery allegations, the two factions initiated merger talks. At least 25 ministers held an emergency meeting to discuss the possible merger. D Jayakumar, who belongs from OPS faction, in a statement to media, said that their side is open for talks on merger. One of the major conditions for OPS faction for a merger was the expulsion of Sasikala and Dinakaran from the party, an issue which derailed the talks.</p>

<p>June 5, 2017: Soon after being granted bail in the case of alleged bribery for party symbol, AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran reached Bengaluru and met aunt Sasikala.</p>

<p>June 6, 2017: 21 AIADMK MLAs met Dinakaran at his residence, giving rise to speculations that many of them, who were part of the Palaniswami camp, may openly declare support to Dinakaran. Losing as many MLAs to Dinakaran could topple the government.</p>

<p>August 2017: CM Edappadi Palaniswami on August 11 said the appointment of TTV Dinakaran as party&#39;s deputy general secretary was &quot;not acceptable&quot;, thus paving the way for a possible merger between the two factions.</p>

<p>A resolution was adopted, shunning party deputy general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran.</p>

<p>Party leaders from both the factions held multiple meetings on August 18, after which the OPS faction said an announcement on the merger will be made on August 21, 2017.</p>

<p>As per decision taken jointly by the both factions, former Tamil Nadu chief minister O. Panneerselvam (OPS) has been made new Deputy Chief Minister under the merged All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government in the state. He will also hold the additional charge of Finance Ministry.</p>

<p>The decision of merger was taken by both factions days after the Tamil Nadu government accepted the AIADMK (PTA)&#39;s two key demands for merger - a probe into former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa&#39;s death and conversion of her Poes Garden residence into a memorial.</p>

<p>The third demand was the ouster of AIA DMK general secretary Sasikala and her family members from the party.&nbsp;</p>


The MLAs resigned when EPS declared, former chief minister O. Panneerselvam (OPS), as his new Deputy Chief Minister, and the convenor of the party

A day after the merger of the two warring factions of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisamy's (EPS) government faced a crisis yesterday, when 19 of his MLAs withdrew their support, leading to the government falling short of majority. The MLAs resigned when EPS declared, former chief minister O. Panneerselvam (OPS), as his new Deputy Chief Minister, and the convenor of the party. The 19 legislators, owing allegiance to former deputy general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran, met Governor Vidyasagar Rao and withdrew support to the Chief Minister. The MLAs reportedly told Rao that EPS had "forfeited" their confidence of the public as well, urging him to "intervene and institute the constitutional process." Later, Opposition leader and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president M.K. Stalin wrote to the Governor demanding an early floor test to prove the government's majority and prevent horse trading, while other Opposition leaders also endorsed the demand. EPS, OPS and other senior ministers, meanwhile, held meetings at the Secretariat on the threat to the government. In identical letters submitted to Governor Rao at the Raj Bhavan, the resigned MLAs claimed they were "disillusioned with the functioning of the government headed by Mr. Palaniswami, as there has been abuse of power, favouritism, misuse of government machinery, widespread corruption". On the other hand, Stalin has claimed that "twenty two MLAs" have resigned. Stalin wrote a letter to the Governor and said that any inordinate delay in asking the Chief Minister to prove his majority in the case will pave the way for continuance of an "unconstitutional" government and will destabilise the democratic norms and precedents established in demonstrating the confidence of the House. Here is a timeline of events that happened in last few months from split to merger: December 7, 2016: After Jayalalithaa's death, senior AIADMK leader O. Paneerselvam was sworn-in as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. According to reports, several AIADMK MLAs were called to Apollo Hospital to sign a declaration, making Panneerselvam Jayalalithaa's successor. December 29, 2016: V.K. Sasikala, the confidante of late J. Jayalalithaa, was appointed as AIADMK's general secretary on December 29 after several party functionaries urged her to lead the party. February 5, 2017: O. Panneerselvam resigned from the chief minister post and Sasikala was elected head of the AIADMK legislative party and proceeded to stake claim to form the government. Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao accepted Panneerselvam's resignation, but asked him to operate in a caretaker capacity. February 14, 2017: Sasikala was convicted in the 19-year-old disproportionate assets case and sentenced to serve four years in jail. She also stood disqualified to take over as Tamil Nadu chief minister. February 15, 2017: In yet another major development in Tamil Nadu politics, TTV Dhinakaran on February 15 was appointed as the Deputy General Secretary of the AIADMK. February 18, 2017: Edappadi K. Palanisamy took oath as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister along with 31 other AIADMK MLAs. February 20, 2017: Amid an uproar in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Edappadi K. Palanisamy won the vote of confidence with 122 MLAs supporting him. March 22 2017: With the bypoll elections for vacant R K Nagar constituency approaching, both the factions staked claim over the party's "two leaves" symbol. On March 22, Election Commission froze the party symbol recognising the split in the party. In a statement, EC officials said that neither of the two factions will be able to use the "two leaves" symbol. Amid allegations of both camps bribing the voters, the election body "cancelled" R K Nagar bypoll election slated for April 10. April 17, 2017: In what can be called as a major hint towards sewing up an unprecedented merger between two warring factions in the Tamil Nadu Government, the Sasikala and the O. Panneerselvam groups of the AIADMK met to discuss and deliberate over possibilities of their unification. April 18, 2017: With TTV Dinakaran facing bribery allegations, the two factions initiated merger talks. At least 25 ministers held an emergency meeting to discuss the possible merger. D Jayakumar, who belongs from OPS faction, in a statement to media, said that their side is open for talks on merger. One of the major conditions for OPS faction for a merger was the expulsion of Sasikala and Dinakaran from the party, an issue which derailed the talks. June 5, 2017: Soon after being granted bail in the case of alleged bribery for party symbol, AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran reached Bengaluru and met aunt Sasikala. June 6, 2017: 21 AIADMK MLAs met Dinakaran at his residence, giving rise to speculations that many of them, who were part of the Palaniswami camp, may openly declare support to Dinakaran. Losing as many MLAs to Dinakaran could topple the government. August 2017: CM Edappadi Palaniswami on August 11 said the appointment of TTV Dinakaran as party's deputy general secretary was "not acceptable", thus paving the way for a possible merger between the two factions. A resolution was adopted, shunning party deputy general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran. Party leaders from both the factions held multiple meetings on August 18, after which the OPS faction said an announcement on the merger will be made on August 21, 2017. As per decision taken jointly by the both factions, former Tamil Nadu chief minister O. Panneerselvam (OPS) has been made new Deputy Chief Minister under the merged All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government in the state. He will also hold the additional charge of Finance Ministry. The decision of merger was taken by both factions days after the Tamil Nadu government accepted the AIADMK (PTA)'s two key demands for merger - a probe into former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's death and conversion of her Poes Garden residence into a memorial. The third demand was the ouster of AIA DMK general secretary Sasikala and her family members from the party.

EPS in trouble, govt. falls short of majority

<p>Nineteen AIADMK MLAs supporting Dinakaran met the Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao at the Raj Bhawan on Tuesday and demanded a trust vote.</p>

<p>They said they have no confidence in the Tamil Nadu chief minister&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We(Dinakaran supporting 19 MLAs) have no confidence in TN CM, want a trust vote.Conveyed this to Governor: Thanga Tamil Selvan,AIADMK MLA <a href="https://t.co/7AUlnIkf2X">pic.twitter.com/7AUlnIkf2X</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/899887828145811456">August 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>DMK chief M K Stalin said three more AIADMK MLAs have withdrawn support taking the figure to 22.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We demand a trust vote&quot;, Stalin told ANI.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My information is that 3 more <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AIADMK?src=hash">#AIADMK</a> MLAs have also withdrawn support,that makes it 22 MLAs in total.We demand a trust vote:MK Stalin <a href="https://t.co/tbGJwhKS6f">pic.twitter.com/tbGJwhKS6f</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/899890430870929408">August 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The two factions of the AIADMK had announced their merger yesterday, with O Panneerselvam being sworn in as deputy chief minister.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Visuals?src=hash">#Visuals</a> TTV <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dinakaran?src=hash">#Dinakaran</a> supporting 19 MLAs arrive at Raj Bhawan to meet TN Governor C Vidyasagar Rao <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AIADMKMerger?src=hash">#AIADMKMerger</a> <a href="https://t.co/IUzeCPOVft">pic.twitter.com/IUzeCPOVft</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/899853670820360193">August 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>One of Panneerselvam&#39;s preconditions for the merger was the removal of party supremo Sasikala and her family members from the AIADMK.</p>

<p>Dinakaran is Sasikala&#39;s nephew.</p>

<p>Should Dinakaran breakaway it is possible that it will upset the AIADMK&rsquo;s majority in the state assembly.</p>


DMK chief ?M K Stalin said three more AIADMK MLAs have withdrawn support taking the figure to 22

Nineteen AIADMK MLAs supporting Dinakaran met the Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao at the Raj Bhawan on Tuesday and demanded a trust vote. They said they have no confidence in the Tamil Nadu chief minister We(Dinakaran supporting 19 MLAs) have no confidence in TN CM, want a trust vote.Conveyed this to Governor: Thanga Tamil Selvan,AIADMK MLA pic.twitter.com/7AUlnIkf2X — ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2017 × DMK chief M K Stalin said three more AIADMK MLAs have withdrawn support taking the figure to 22. "We demand a trust vote", Stalin told ANI. My information is that 3 more #AIADMK MLAs have also withdrawn support,that makes it 22 MLAs in total.We demand a trust vote:MK Stalin pic.twitter.com/tbGJwhKS6f — ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2017 × The two factions of the AIADMK had announced their merger yesterday, with O Panneerselvam being sworn in as deputy chief minister. #Visuals TTV #Dinakaran supporting 19 MLAs arrive at Raj Bhawan to meet TN Governor C Vidyasagar Rao #AIADMKMerger pic.twitter.com/IUzeCPOVft — ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2017 × One of Panneerselvam's preconditions for the merger was the removal of party supremo Sasikala and her family members from the AIADMK. Dinakaran is Sasikala's nephew. Should Dinakaran breakaway it is possible that it will upset the AIADMK’s majority in the state assembly.

AIADMK merger: MLAs supporting Dinakaran, DMK demand trust vote

<p>Karachi is the <a href="http://crss.pk/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/CRSS-Security-Report-Q3-2016-Final.pdf">most violent city in Pakistan</a>. <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/1287126/karachi-still-violent-city-report">A total of 1,046 deaths</a> related to terror and militancy were reported there in 2016, and nearly <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/1186638/growing-uncertainty-48-7-youth-karachi-want-leave-country/">50 per cent of the city&rsquo;s young people</a> want to leave Pakistan completely.</p>

<p>The <a href="http://www.researchcollective.org/Documents/Karachi_Violence_Duality_and_Negotiation.pdf">violence has various causes</a>, including divisions over <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/203433/political-violence-216-incidents-reported-in-three-months/">politics</a>, <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/1223201/national-highway-blocked-shia-groups-continue-protest-arrests-leaders">religion</a>, and <a href="http://www.dawn.com/news/583741/anp-mqm-clash-leaves-boy-dead">ethnicity</a>, as well as <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/29/world/asia/29karachi.html">organised crime</a>.</p>

<p><a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/721785/timeline-attacks-on-minorities">More than 70 Christians were killed</a> while celebrating Easter in a park in 2016. <a href="http://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-hindus-protest-forced-conversions-girls-islam/3460692.html">The forced conversion</a> of Hindu girls and the marginalisation of community members have been among other factors fuelling feelings of insecurity and isolation for minorities.</p>

<p>For many members of <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/malik-siraj-akbar/how-pakistan-abandoned-it_b_9001584.html">threatened minority communities</a>, places of worship offer solace. They also represent an important lesson for Pakistan&#39;s fragmented society. This can most clearly be seen in <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/947318/the-power-of-faith-hindus-celebrate-the-lady-of-good-health-with-catholics">the religious crossover</a>, known as syncretism, between Hindus and Christians, who both venerate the Virgin Mary in Karachi.</p>

<p>It serves as a vital message of the need to coexist and create structures that minimise discrimination.</p>

<p><strong>A look back in history</strong></p>

<p>The <a href="https://habib.edu.pk/HU-news/memory-tradition-community-walk-history-4th-annual-karachi-conference/">history</a> of Tamil and Goan Christian devotees in Karachi can be traced back to <a href="http://www.casas.org.uk/papers/pdfpapers/christiansinpakistan.pdf">nearly 50 years ago</a> when A M Anthony, a Tamil Christian, established Saint Anthony&rsquo;s Club at his house on Somerset Street, in the town of Saddar, a neighbourhood of Karachi.</p>

<p>As described to me by his granddaughter, devotees would gather to recite <em>novena</em> or nine-day, prayers to ask the Virgin Mary for blessings and good health. The Virgin Mary is known as Our Lady of Valenkanni, <a href="http://www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/approved_apparitions/vailankanni/">based on apparitions</a> she is believed to have made in the Indian town of Velankanni, in Tamil Nadu state, 2,000km south of Karachi.</p>

<p>After his landlord objected to the loud singing and recitation, Anthony and his fellow Christians, many of them immigrants from Chennai and Goa, were allowed a hall space in the premises of St. Anthony&rsquo;s Church.</p>

<p>The Christian devotees then invited both Hindus and Zoroastrians to join them in asking for benediction. In this way, <em>novena</em> prayers to Our Lady of Valenkanni became a part of Catholic churches&rsquo; ceremonial activities across Karachi and opened up the veneration of the Virgin Mary to new faiths.</p>

<p>For some Hindu devotees, Our Lady of Velankanni symbolises prosperity, aspirations, well-being, while providing answers to their prayers.</p>

<p><strong>The origins of Our Lady of Velankanni</strong></p>

<p>Of course, the home of Our Lady of Velankanni is in the town of Velankanni itself, which also demonstrates the intersection of Hindu and Catholic practices in contemporary religion.</p>

<p>The basilica attracts millions of devotees each year. As in Karachi, these include both Catholic and Hindu residents. Some Catholic devotees from Karachi embark on a spiritual journey to the Basilica of Our Lady of Valenkanni to ask the Mother for favours and intercessory graces.</p>

<figure class="align-center "><img alt="" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/files/153075/width754/image-20170117-21183-vi79i8.jpg" />
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<p><span class="caption">Basilica Our Lady of Velankanni in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.</span><span class="caption"> </span></p>

<p>Three accounts of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Velankanni have <a href="http://www.velankannichurch.in/shrine-miracles.php" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">been documented</a> over the years, and subsequently narrated by her devotees.</p>
</figcaption>
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<p>The first story dates back to the end of the 16th century and is a Hindu shepherd boy&rsquo;s sighting the Virgin Mary by a pond. She asked the boy for milk for her son, Jesus. The boy readily offered the milk. Locals remain intrigued until the Mother appeared at the site again. Thereafter, the pond was known as &ldquo;Matha Kulam&rdquo; or &ldquo;Our Lady&rsquo;s Pond&rdquo;.</p>

<p>The second event is said to have happened a few years later. A crippled boy in Nadu, Thittu was apparently cured by the Virgin Mother after he offered her buttermilk. The Catholic residents of a nearby town then built a shrine in recognition of the healing.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.velankannichurch.com/pages/historyofvailankanni/historyofvailankanni.html">In the late 17th century</a>, Portuguese sailors transformed this early construction into a chapel, based on vows made during rough seas between China and Colombo on a merchant&#39;s vessel.</p>

<p>Today, Our Lady of Valenkanni has special meaning for both Hindu and Christian devotees because of the miracles she is associated with, including the <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1227_041226_tsunami.html">2004 Boxing Day tsunami</a> which caused massive destruction in Tamil Nadu. Basilica officials were quick to report this as a miracle, as <a href="http://www.tfp.org/a-ray-of-hope-in-southern-asia/">2,000 pilgrims</a> were attending mass when the town of Valenkanni was hit. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4130129.stm">News sources</a> and <a href="http://www.who.int/hac/crises/international/asia_tsunami/sitrep/en">official disaster reports</a> showed that the basilica was the only building to escape this large-scale catastrophe.</p>

<p><strong>Acts of devotion</strong></p>

<p>Some devotees make offerings to the Virgin Mary through purchases of expensive fabric for a sari. This is associated with the historical and symbolic depiction of the <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/24764255?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents">Virgin Mary draped in a saffron sari</a>, a common garb across the subcontinent. There are others who make sari offerings to the poor upon fulfillment of their vows.</p>

<figure class="align-right "><img alt="" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/files/153213/width237/image-20170118-3914-gvkyhg.jpg" />
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<p><span class="caption">The Virgin Mary wearing a sari in the Karachi church dedicated to her devotion.</span></p>

<p>One woman, I spoke to as part of my research, a Goan Christian born in Karachi, was taught devotion by her grandmother. In 2004 when she was visiting Valenkanni, she prayed to Our Lady of Good Health to be blessed with the gift of a child.</p>
</figcaption>
</figure>

<p>Nearly a year and a half after her return to Karachi, she gave birth to a boy. A few years later, she and her family completed rituals to fulfill their vow. She cut off four inches of hair while her husband and son shaved their heads. They bathed in the sea as part of the ritual. These practices are <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0009640708002023">taken from the Hindu faith</a>, showing that interfaith exchanges go both ways.</p>

<p>Since then, the woman has worn a head-covering during prayer times as a lifelong promise to the mother for the graces received through her son.</p>

<p>I heard other tales of devotion from A M Anthony&rsquo;s granddaughter:</p>

<blockquote>
<p><strong>There was a lady who would not wear shoes. She would be spotted even at weddings without shoes &hellip; Imagine going everywhere barefoot in Karachi&rsquo;s heat. But that is how she fulfilled her vow and everyone knew about it.</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>Spirituality and togetherness</strong></p>

<p>Annually, <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/947318/the-power-of-faith-hindus-celebrate-the-lady-of-good-health-with-catholics/">hundreds of devotees</a> come together in the premises of churches across Karachi and in Tamil Nadu to hoist a flag bearing an image of Our Lady of Valenkanni and partake in a short prayer followed by other rituals including the distribution of blessed medals by a priest.</p>

<p>The ceremony devoted to Our Lady of Valenkanni occurs on September 8, marking the <a href="http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint.php?n=357">birthday of the Virgin Mary</a>.</p>

<p>Each year, Our Lady of Valenkanni&rsquo;s statue in Karachi is decorated with fresh flowers and streamers.</p>

<figure class="align-center "><img alt="" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/files/153079/width754/image-20170117-21172-w5l898.jpg" />
<figcaption>
<p><span class="caption">Nativity prepared by devotees in Karachi.</span></p>
</figcaption>
</figure>

<p>This day sees some members from the Hindu, Zoroastrian, and Muslim communities all venerating the Virgin Mary.</p>

<p>As the parish priest told me, &ldquo;Mary brings everyone together and it makes sense why you would see Muslims here who can tell you a lot about Surah Maryam.&rdquo; Named after Virgin Mary, <a href="http://ahadees.com/english-surah-19.html">Surah Maryam</a> appears in the 19th chapter of the Qu&rsquo;ran.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Muslims do not partake in <em>novena</em> prayers, but on September 8, they come here to respect Mary as the Mother of Jesus&rdquo;, Rodrigues said.</p>

<p><img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/71030/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />For believers, miracles are not just about the healing of ailments and turning water into wine. They can be a way of dealing with the dominant, narrow and bigoted narrative prevalent in Pakistan&rsquo;s society.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-virgin-mary-brings-together-different-faiths-in-pakistan-and-india-71030">original article</a>.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


?Mary brings everyone together and it makes sense why you would see Muslims here who can tell you a lot about Surah Maryam," says the parish priest in Karachi

Karachi is the most violent city in Pakistan. A total of 1,046 deaths related to terror and militancy were reported there in 2016, and nearly 50 per cent of the city’s young people want to leave Pakistan completely. The violence has various causes, including divisions over politics, religion, and ethnicity, as well as organised crime. More than 70 Christians were killed while celebrating Easter in a park in 2016. The forced conversion of Hindu girls and the marginalisation of community members have been among other factors fuelling feelings of insecurity and isolation for minorities. For many members of threatened minority communities, places of worship offer solace. They also represent an important lesson for Pakistan's fragmented society. This can most clearly be seen in the religious crossover, known as syncretism, between Hindus and Christians, who both venerate the Virgin Mary in Karachi. It serves as a vital message of the need to coexist and create structures that minimise discrimination. A look back in history The history of Tamil and Goan Christian devotees in Karachi can be traced back to nearly 50 years ago when A M Anthony, a Tamil Christian, established Saint Anthony’s Club at his house on Somerset Street, in the town of Saddar, a neighbourhood of Karachi. As described to me by his granddaughter, devotees would gather to recite novena or nine-day, prayers to ask the Virgin Mary for blessings and good health. The Virgin Mary is known as Our Lady of Valenkanni, based on apparitions she is believed to have made in the Indian town of Velankanni, in Tamil Nadu state, 2,000km south of Karachi. After his landlord objected to the loud singing and recitation, Anthony and his fellow Christians, many of them immigrants from Chennai and Goa, were allowed a hall space in the premises of St. Anthony’s Church. The Christian devotees then invited both Hindus and Zoroastrians to join them in asking for benediction. In this way, novena prayers to Our Lady of Valenkanni became a part of Catholic churches’ ceremonial activities across Karachi and opened up the veneration of the Virgin Mary to new faiths. For some Hindu devotees, Our Lady of Velankanni symbolises prosperity, aspirations, well-being, while providing answers to their prayers. The origins of Our Lady of Velankanni Of course, the home of Our Lady of Velankanni is in the town of Velankanni itself, which also demonstrates the intersection of Hindu and Catholic practices in contemporary religion. The basilica attracts millions of devotees each year. As in Karachi, these include both Catholic and Hindu residents. Some Catholic devotees from Karachi embark on a spiritual journey to the Basilica of Our Lady of Valenkanni to ask the Mother for favours and intercessory graces. Basilica Our Lady of Velankanni in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Three accounts of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Velankanni have been documented over the years, and subsequently narrated by her devotees. The first story dates back to the end of the 16th century and is a Hindu shepherd boy’s sighting the Virgin Mary by a pond. She asked the boy for milk for her son, Jesus. The boy readily offered the milk. Locals remain intrigued until the Mother appeared at the site again. Thereafter, the pond was known as “Matha Kulam” or “Our Lady’s Pond”. The second event is said to have happened a few years later. A crippled boy in Nadu, Thittu was apparently cured by the Virgin Mother after he offered her buttermilk. The Catholic residents of a nearby town then built a shrine in recognition of the healing. In the late 17th century, Portuguese sailors transformed this early construction into a chapel, based on vows made during rough seas between China and Colombo on a merchant's vessel. Today, Our Lady of Valenkanni has special meaning for both Hindu and Christian devotees because of the miracles she is associated with, including the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami which caused massive destruction in Tamil Nadu. Basilica officials were quick to report this as a miracle, as 2,000 pilgrims were attending mass when the town of Valenkanni was hit. News sources and official disaster reports showed that the basilica was the only building to escape this large-scale catastrophe. Acts of devotion Some devotees make offerings to the Virgin Mary through purchases of expensive fabric for a sari. This is associated with the historical and symbolic depiction of the Virgin Mary draped in a saffron sari, a common garb across the subcontinent. There are others who make sari offerings to the poor upon fulfillment of their vows. The Virgin Mary wearing a sari in the Karachi church dedicated to her devotion. One woman, I spoke to as part of my research, a Goan Christian born in Karachi, was taught devotion by her grandmother. In 2004 when she was visiting Valenkanni, she prayed to Our Lady of Good Health to be blessed with the gift of a child. Nearly a year and a half after her return to Karachi, she gave birth to a boy. A few years later, she and her family completed rituals to fulfill their vow. She cut off four inches of hair while her husband and son shaved their heads. They bathed in the sea as part of the ritual. These practices are taken from the Hindu faith, showing that interfaith exchanges go both ways. Since then, the woman has worn a head-covering during prayer times as a lifelong promise to the mother for the graces received through her son. I heard other tales of devotion from A M Anthony’s granddaughter: There was a lady who would not wear shoes. She would be spotted even at weddings without shoes … Imagine going everywhere barefoot in Karachi’s heat. But that is how she fulfilled her vow and everyone knew about it. Spirituality and togetherness Annually, hundreds of devotees come together in the premises of churches across Karachi and in Tamil Nadu to hoist a flag bearing an image of Our Lady of Valenkanni and partake in a short prayer followed by other rituals including the distribution of blessed medals by a priest. The ceremony devoted to Our Lady of Valenkanni occurs on September 8, marking the birthday of the Virgin Mary. Each year, Our Lady of Valenkanni’s statue in Karachi is decorated with fresh flowers and streamers. Nativity prepared by devotees in Karachi. This day sees some members from the Hindu, Zoroastrian, and Muslim communities all venerating the Virgin Mary. As the parish priest told me, “Mary brings everyone together and it makes sense why you would see Muslims here who can tell you a lot about Surah Maryam.” Named after Virgin Mary, Surah Maryam appears in the 19th chapter of the Qu’ran. “Muslims do not partake in novena prayers, but on September 8, they come here to respect Mary as the Mother of Jesus”, Rodrigues said. For believers, miracles are not just about the healing of ailments and turning water into wine. They can be a way of dealing with the dominant, narrow and bigoted narrative prevalent in Pakistan’s society. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Hindus, Muslims and Christians overcome bigotry in Pakistan to worship Virgin Mary

<p>The row over former President APJ Abdul Kalam&#39;s memorial has snowballed further with the Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK) objecting to the placing of a Quran and Bible next to a sculpture of the Bhagavad Gita.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The books were placed there by President Kalam&#39;s family.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Their intention was to say that the former president was &quot;above religion&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The memorial to Kalam -- in his hometown of Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu -- was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The controversy erupted after one of the statues of the former president unveiled at the inauguration ceremony showed Kalam playing the veena with a copy of the Gita placed before him.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The row was initially triggered by protests by MDMK chief Vaiko who questioned the appropriateness of placing the Gita before the statue of Kalam given his image as someone who was above religion.</p>

<p>The Hindu newspaper reported Vaiko as saying associating Kalam with Thirukural, a classic of Tamil literature -- Kalam was reportedly fondest of it -- would have been more appropriate.</p>

<p>Following which, the Hindu reported, Kalam&#39;s grandnephew APJM Sheik Saleem placed a copy of the Quran and the Bible near the sculpture of the Bhagavad Gita.&nbsp;</p>


The Hindu Makkal Katchi has objected to the placing of a Quran and Bible next to a sculpture of the Bhagavad Gita

The row over former President APJ Abdul Kalam's memorial has snowballed further with the Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK) objecting to the placing of a Quran and Bible next to a sculpture of the Bhagavad Gita. The books were placed there by President Kalam's family. Their intention was to say that the former president was "above religion". The memorial to Kalam -- in his hometown of Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu -- was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27. The controversy erupted after one of the statues of the former president unveiled at the inauguration ceremony showed Kalam playing the veena with a copy of the Gita placed before him. The row was initially triggered by protests by MDMK chief Vaiko who questioned the appropriateness of placing the Gita before the statue of Kalam given his image as someone who was above religion. The Hindu newspaper reported Vaiko as saying associating Kalam with Thirukural, a classic of Tamil literature -- Kalam was reportedly fondest of it -- would have been more appropriate. Following which, the Hindu reported, Kalam's grandnephew APJM Sheik Saleem placed a copy of the Quran and the Bible near the sculpture of the Bhagavad Gita.

Row over Kalam statue with Gita next to it snowballs

<p>Guessing games were probably his favourite. Actor Rajinikanth has been playing one for over two decades now. When on May 15 he declared &ndash; once again &ndash; that God-willing he would join politics &ndash; the actor might have had his fans excited but most certainly left the ordinary people of Tamil Nadu exasperated.</p>

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<h5>Rajinikanth&rsquo;s imminent entry into politics has kept doing rounds every time there was an election in the state.</h5>
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<p>Since 1996 when Rajinikanth had voiced his opinion against the &lsquo;autocratic&rsquo; Jayalalithaa regime and urged the electorate to vote it out of power, speculation about Rajinikanth&rsquo;s imminent entry into politics has kept doing rounds every time there was an election in the state. Even if the entry wouldn&rsquo;t happen, cadres hoped that Rajini would atleast lend his voice in favour or against a particular party indicating which way to go. So even when hashtag was a still new concept in Tamil Nadu, Rajinivoice was becoming a trend.</p>

<p>Whether the trend was in any way reflective of the larger public opinion in the state is anybody&rsquo;s guess. There has been a running dispute over the magic of Rajini voice in 1996. Some observers say that the voice worked only because it complemented the already-existing overwhelming sentiment against Jayalalithaa&rsquo;s misrule between 1991 to1996. The sentiment was so strong it led to split in Tamil Nadu Congress Committee when the party decided to align with Jayalalithaa. The newly launched Tamil Maanila Congress in alliance with the DMK swept the polls in 1996.</p>

<p>In 2004, Rajinikanth &lsquo;voiced&rsquo; his opinion yet again. This time it was against Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) which had earlier campaigned against his smoking scenes on screen. PMK was contesting in five Parliamentary constituencies and Rajinikanth not just gave his voice but exhorted his cadres to work in the five constituencies against the PMK. Ironically, PMK won in all the constituencies.</p>

<p>Despite the snub, Rajinikanth&rsquo;s voice or the absence of it, Rajinikanth&rsquo;s entry into politics or the indecisiveness of it has never failed to generate huge interest across the state. When Rajinikanth met his cadres in May, several Tamil channels went live with it and broke news about his &lsquo;hinting at entering politics.&rsquo; Only it was not the first time that he was dropping such a hint.</p>

<p>While he had always maintained that God-willing, he would &lsquo;don any role&rsquo; his ardent supporters think the time is just ripe for him to make his political entry.</p>

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<h5>For over three decades, Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi have dominated the Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s politics so emphatically that their absence has led the state&rsquo;s politics to chaos and in a state of flux.</h5>
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<p>Many opine Rajinikanth could fill the political vacuum created by Jayalalithaa&rsquo;s death and M Karunanidhi&rsquo;s inactivity. For over three decades, Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi have dominated the Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s politics so emphatically that their absence has led the state&rsquo;s politics to chaos and in a state of flux.</p>

<p>With the kind of charisma and following that Rajinikanth enjoys in the state, he could effortlessly step into their shoes. Or so they think. But there are others who think Rajinikanth has lost his chance in 1996 when the state was looking for a powerful alternative to Jayalalithaa. Rajinikanth might just have clicked if he had taken the plunge back then.</p>

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<h5>It probably would not even matter that Rajinikanth might choose his own new outfit as long as&nbsp;he is willing to endorse the BJP in the State by way of alliances.</h5>
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<p>But now, at least for the BJP, Rajinikanth could be their lucky charm to crack the tough Tamil Nadu nut. When the Modi wave swept the country in 2014 elections, Tamil Nadu gave just one representative to the Parliament. The party has since doubled up its efforts to gain a foothold in the state. The local BJP leaders hope that Raijnikanth&rsquo;s entry into politics will give BJP the much needed breakthrough in the state. It probably would not even matter that Rajinikanth might choose his own new outfit as long as&nbsp;he is willing to endorse the BJP in the state by way of alliances.</p>

<p>At the moment, Rajinikanth does seem inclined. Since May, the actor has been meeting leaders and personalities from different walks of life. When he met Ayya Kannu, the farmer who headed the Tamil Nadu farmer&rsquo;s protest at Jantar Mantar recently, Rajinikanth had apparently promised him to take up the issue of interlinking of rivers with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Several years ago, the actor had promised to make a donation of Rs 1 crore towards interlinking of rivers. For very evident reasons, it remains a promise on paper.</p>

<p>Rajinikanth had also met Hindu Makkal Katchi leader Arjun Sampath recently, giving greater room to speculations about his inching closer to the Hindutva brigade. At least two people Rajinikanth met recently including Sampath confirmed that he was seriously &lsquo;considering entry into politics.&rsquo; But when reporters raised a query recently, he sounded tired. He only had a terse one-line response to them: &ldquo;I do not want to discuss politics.&rdquo; This vacillation perhaps best defines Rajinikanth. Whether he will be able to break his over two decade long uncertainty to become BJP&rsquo;s face in the state is still a tall order. But for someone who has reached dizzying heights from being Kollywood&rsquo;s &lsquo;extra actor&rsquo;, it might not be all that impossible.</p>


Rajini would don any role and politics is no exception

Guessing games were probably his favourite. Actor Rajinikanth has been playing one for over two decades now. When on May 15 he declared – once again – that God-willing he would join politics – the actor might have had his fans excited but most certainly left the ordinary people of Tamil Nadu exasperated. Rajinikanth’s imminent entry into politics has kept doing rounds every time there was an election in the state. × Since 1996 when Rajinikanth had voiced his opinion against the ‘autocratic’ Jayalalithaa regime and urged the electorate to vote it out of power, speculation about Rajinikanth’s imminent entry into politics has kept doing rounds every time there was an election in the state. Even if the entry wouldn’t happen, cadres hoped that Rajini would atleast lend his voice in favour or against a particular party indicating which way to go. So even when hashtag was a still new concept in Tamil Nadu, Rajinivoice was becoming a trend. Whether the trend was in any way reflective of the larger public opinion in the state is anybody’s guess. There has been a running dispute over the magic of Rajini voice in 1996. Some observers say that the voice worked only because it complemented the already-existing overwhelming sentiment against Jayalalithaa’s misrule between 1991 to1996. The sentiment was so strong it led to split in Tamil Nadu Congress Committee when the party decided to align with Jayalalithaa. The newly launched Tamil Maanila Congress in alliance with the DMK swept the polls in 1996. In 2004, Rajinikanth ‘voiced’ his opinion yet again. This time it was against Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) which had earlier campaigned against his smoking scenes on screen. PMK was contesting in five Parliamentary constituencies and Rajinikanth not just gave his voice but exhorted his cadres to work in the five constituencies against the PMK. Ironically, PMK won in all the constituencies. Despite the snub, Rajinikanth’s voice or the absence of it, Rajinikanth’s entry into politics or the indecisiveness of it has never failed to generate huge interest across the state. When Rajinikanth met his cadres in May, several Tamil channels went live with it and broke news about his ‘hinting at entering politics.’ Only it was not the first time that he was dropping such a hint. While he had always maintained that God-willing, he would ‘don any role’ his ardent supporters think the time is just ripe for him to make his political entry. For over three decades, Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi have dominated the Tamil Nadu’s politics so emphatically that their absence has led the state’s politics to chaos and in a state of flux. × Many opine Rajinikanth could fill the political vacuum created by Jayalalithaa’s death and M Karunanidhi’s inactivity. For over three decades, Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi have dominated the Tamil Nadu’s politics so emphatically that their absence has led the state’s politics to chaos and in a state of flux. With the kind of charisma and following that Rajinikanth enjoys in the state, he could effortlessly step into their shoes. Or so they think. But there are others who think Rajinikanth has lost his chance in 1996 when the state was looking for a powerful alternative to Jayalalithaa. Rajinikanth might just have clicked if he had taken the plunge back then. It probably would not even matter that Rajinikanth might choose his own new outfit as long as he is willing to endorse the BJP in the State by way of alliances. × But now, at least for the BJP, Rajinikanth could be their lucky charm to crack the tough Tamil Nadu nut. When the Modi wave swept the country in 2014 elections, Tamil Nadu gave just one representative to the Parliament. The party has since doubled up its efforts to gain a foothold in the state. The local BJP leaders hope that Raijnikanth’s entry into politics will give BJP the much needed breakthrough in the state. It probably would not even matter that Rajinikanth might choose his own new outfit as long as he is willing to endorse the BJP in the state by way of alliances. At the moment, Rajinikanth does seem inclined. Since May, the actor has been meeting leaders and personalities from different walks of life. When he met Ayya Kannu, the farmer who headed the Tamil Nadu farmer’s protest at Jantar Mantar recently, Rajinikanth had apparently promised him to take up the issue of interlinking of rivers with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Several years ago, the actor had promised to make a donation of Rs 1 crore towards interlinking of rivers. For very evident reasons, it remains a promise on paper. Rajinikanth had also met Hindu Makkal Katchi leader Arjun Sampath recently, giving greater room to speculations about his inching closer to the Hindutva brigade. At least two people Rajinikanth met recently including Sampath confirmed that he was seriously ‘considering entry into politics.’ But when reporters raised a query recently, he sounded tired. He only had a terse one-line response to them: “I do not want to discuss politics.” This vacillation perhaps best defines Rajinikanth. Whether he will be able to break his over two decade long uncertainty to become BJP’s face in the state is still a tall order. But for someone who has reached dizzying heights from being Kollywood’s ‘extra actor’, it might not be all that impossible.

Can superhero Rajinikanth be BJP?s lucky charm in Tamil Nadu?

<p>A 40-year-old security guard posted at the bungalow of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on her Kodanad tea estate in the Nilgiris in Kerala was found murdered, police said Monday.</p>

<p>Another on-duty security guard was also&nbsp;injured, PTI reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Police said the attack was carried out by a group of unidentified men who allegedly broke into the bungalow to steal valuables and some documents, PTI reported.</p>

<p>Villagers reportedly told police that&nbsp;a 10-member gang, in two vehicles, was seen entering the area in the early hours of the day. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The incident came to light when workers at the estate found the deceased Om Bahadur, along with Kishore Bahadur, lying in a pool of blood, their legs and hands bound, PTI reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Superintendent of Police Murali Ramba&nbsp;visited the spot and held an&nbsp;inquiry.</p>

<p>Kishore Bahadur has been admitted to hospital.&nbsp;</p>

<p>All police check posts in the Nilgiris district, connecting the states of Karnataka and Kerala, have been alerted,</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from PTI)</p>


Police said the attack was carried out by a gang of unidentified men who broke in to steal valuables and documents

A 40-year-old security guard posted at the bungalow of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on her Kodanad tea estate in the Nilgiris in Kerala was found murdered, police said Monday. Another on-duty security guard was also injured, PTI reported. Police said the attack was carried out by a group of unidentified men who allegedly broke into the bungalow to steal valuables and some documents, PTI reported. Villagers reportedly told police that a 10-member gang, in two vehicles, was seen entering the area in the early hours of the day. The incident came to light when workers at the estate found the deceased Om Bahadur, along with Kishore Bahadur, lying in a pool of blood, their legs and hands bound, PTI reported. Superintendent of Police Murali Ramba visited the spot and held an inquiry. Kishore Bahadur has been admitted to hospital. All police check posts in the Nilgiris district, connecting the states of Karnataka and Kerala, have been alerted, (WION with inputs from PTI)

Security guard at late Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa's tea estate murdered

<p>Grabbing eyeballs with their bizarre way of protest, Tamil Nadu farmers on Saturday drank urine in another desperate bid to draw the government&#39;s attention towards their plight.</p>

<p>Over the last 39 days, they have shaved half of their moustache and head, kept mice and snakes in their mouths, conducted mock funerals, flogged themselves and carried skulls of other farmers, who had committed suicide due to debt pressure.</p>

<p>The farmers, whose protest entered the 40th day, drank urine even as police tried to stop them.</p>

<p>They have been demanding a loan waiver, a revised drought relief package and better support prices for their produce.</p>

<p>P Ayyakkannu, who is leading the protest, said: &quot;The Union government is not giving us water. So we are consuming urine.&quot;</p>

<p>The protesters had on Friday said they would drink urine if the Centre failed to offer a solution to their problems within a day.</p>

<p>On April 10, they had stripped in front of the prime minister&#39;s office here to press for their demands.</p>

<p>(PTI)</p>


The farmers have been protesting in New Delhi for the last 40 days

Grabbing eyeballs with their bizarre way of protest, Tamil Nadu farmers on Saturday drank urine in another desperate bid to draw the government's attention towards their plight. Over the last 39 days, they have shaved half of their moustache and head, kept mice and snakes in their mouths, conducted mock funerals, flogged themselves and carried skulls of other farmers, who had committed suicide due to debt pressure. The farmers, whose protest entered the 40th day, drank urine even as police tried to stop them. They have been demanding a loan waiver, a revised drought relief package and better support prices for their produce. P Ayyakkannu, who is leading the protest, said: "The Union government is not giving us water. So we are consuming urine." The protesters had on Friday said they would drink urine if the Centre failed to offer a solution to their problems within a day. On April 10, they had stripped in front of the prime minister's office here to press for their demands. (PTI)

India: Protesting Tamil Nadu farmers now drink urine to grab government's attention

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