VSK TN
Amma-less ambience in Tamilnadu
Sri O Paneerselvam is now the occupant of the Chief Minister’s chair in Tamilnadu. In fact, it is some sort of a déjà vu for him. Year’s back, when Chief Minister Jayalalitha was sent to Jail in yet another corruption case OP was the option for the stop gap CM post. When the no-nonsense Judge Michel D’Cunha pronounced “four years in jail and Rupees 100 crore as fine” for Jayalalitha on September 27, the immediate, almost universal, reactions were “It is rule of law”; “Though delayed, justice has been delivered”; “It is an object lesson for all public servants”, etc. But senior lawyer Sundaram elaborated upon the damage caused by the inordinate delay. He said: “the offence has been committed 18 years back. The offence (Disproportionate Assets) entails immediate disqualification of an MLA. But Jayalalitha could become Chief Minister twice. She could gather enormous public support in the meanwhile. That has caused widespread heart burn on her conviction. All this could have been avoided had she been convicted 18 years back”. Meanwhile Ram Jethmalani found fault with the exorbitant rupees 100 crore fine and has offered to appear for Jayalalitha. Tamilnadu BJP, in the words of Pon Radhakrishnan, Central Minister, anticipates “a major political turn in Tamilnadu” with Jayalalitha removed from the scene. Expectedly, the DMK celebrates the conviction in the case in which its treasurer Anbazhagan was one of the petitioners. The Chennai residence of Dr. Subramania Swamy was attacked allegedly by AIADMK men soon after the verdict, because Swamy was one of the prime movers of the case. Observers point to the one-on-one meetings that Central Ministers Venkaiah Naidu and Ravishankar Prasad with the then Chief Minister Jayalalitha at the Chennai Secretariat a month ago. La Ganesan, BJP National Council Member, took strong exception to bus burning by agitated AIADMK workers. He pointed out that though Jayalalitha has been removed from the post of CM, AIADMK continues to be the ruling party responsible for up-keep of law and order as well as protection of the public property.
College students to hit the road against liquor
It is now the turn of college students’ organization ABVP to uproot the TASMAC tyranny in Tamilnadu. TASMAC is the State Government liquor outlet responsible for multiplying the number of liquor addicts since it was launched in 1983 with the stated purpose of eradicating illicit liquor. On October 9, ABVP will stage demonstrations in all the District Headquarters and major cities in Tamilnadu. It has received the support of several social organizations in this endeavor, according to Shanmugaraja, ABVP Chennai City Secretary. The most relevant part of the agitation is that college gates will be the venues for this anti-
TASMAC demonstrations; it is because more and more youngsters are becoming addicts. The moot point is that, the State Government depends heavily, for its freebies spree, on the Rupees 23,401 crore being the revenue pocketed by the State Government through the TASMAC outlets.
Villagers up in arms against Christian mischief
Between September 20 to 27, Kurumbur, Thisayanvilai, Kudankulam, villages in Thoothukudi district, witnessed massive demonstrations by Hindus numbering over 2,000. They were protesting against a Christian pamphlet vilifying Hindu Gods and Goddesses and demanded stern action against ‘Jesus Redeems’ the group that published the pamphlet. All of them were arrested. The objectionable anti-Hindu rag described the Kulasekarapatinam Dasara Festival as worship of demons. In fact, thousands and thousands of devotees of from poor families go from door to door wearing the costume of Hindu Gods and Goddesses like Ram, Krishna, Kali, Hanuman etc. and accept alms as part of their Vrat. This religious custom goes on for centuries. The entire district eagerly awaits these Gods and Goddesses at their doorstep during Navaratri. Therefore the huge Hindu resentment over the mindless Christian vituperative pamphlet engulfed the district. Earlier on September 17, VP Jeyakumar, State Vice President of Hindu Munnani, has lodged a complaint with Kurumbur Police Inspector demanding stern action against the anti-Hindu pamphleteers.