Saravanan's Blog

Repro from New Indian Express Published Date: 10/29/2008. G Saravanan Chennai, October 28: THOUGH Chennaiites and others elsewhere in Tamil Nadu celebrated Deepavali with customary pomp and fanfare on Monday, the families of six Kasimedu fishermen, who have returned from Colombo after spending six restless weeks, observed the festival of lights only on Tuesday. The fishermen, Vinod (25), Gopal (50), Desingh (49), Pon Boss (60), Kumar (30) and Arumugam (28), had ventured into the sea from Kasimedu Fishing Harbour on a mechanised boat owned by Balu on September 18. They were scheduled to return after three days. But things had gone awry on the third day as their boat developed technical snag and started drifting in mid-sea. Panicstricken boat owner and the family members of the fishermen had lodged a complaint with the Kasimedu police and remained in prayer. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan fishermen rescued the missing Indian fishermen from their boat after 17 restless days on October 6 and landed...

Repro from New Indian Express Only tears of starvation for fishermen Published Date: 10/23/2008 G Saravanan Chennai, October 22: ROCKET launches from Sriharikota may help Indians land on the moon, but for thousands of fishermen in 17 hamlets along a stretch near Tamil Nadu- Andhra Pradesh border, it means going to bed without food for several days. Today, Wednesday, October 22 is no exception when India has joined the select six nation space club with the successful launch of a rocket. More than 25,000 fishermen living on the Palaverkadu (Pulicat lake) stretch near the border have been making the sacrifice of “forced holidays without earning” for the last four deca des whenever the ISRO launched a rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre. Citing security reasons, these fishermen were ordered by the local authorities not to venture into the sea surrounding the launch centre and Pulicat lake for at least 10 to 20 days at a stretch during rocket launches. While disallowing the fishermen to ...

G Saravanan First Published : 12 Oct 2008 01:52:00 AM IST Last Updated : 12 Oct 2008 08:24:38 AM IST CHENNAI: Six Indian fishermen, reported missing since September 18 with their fishing trawler off the Chennai coastline, have reached Trincomalee in northern Sri Lanka after a group of Sinhalese fishermen rescued them. The fishermen left Kasimedu Fishing Harbour in a mechanised fishing trawler (registration number TN- 02 MFB-218) for a three-day fishing trip. They lost contact with the shore when it was about 40 nautical miles off the Chennai coast. The trawler developed mechanical problems and drifted mid-sea. Confirming the rescue of the six fishermen by their Lankan counterparts six days ago, an official in the Sri Lankan High Commission said they reached Trincomalee harbour on Saturday afternoon. They were doing well and accommodated in rooms provided by the Trincomalee Fishermen Association. On hearing the news, R Adhimulam, president of Chennai Chengai Singaravelar Mechanised Owne...

ITS A REPRODUCTION.... Andaman Chronicle 9th October 2008 Executive Secretary AAJVS Govind Ram Held In `Molestation' Case? Whether the aborigines of A&N Islands remain safe under such characterless govt.official remains a major question Port Blair, Oct. 8: In an incident that has put theentire A&N Administration to shame, on 7th October 2008 GovindRam, Executive Secretary of Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samiti (AAJVS) was bookedin a case of `molestation' after he forcefully entered the house of a lone ladyat Srinagar, Minnie Bay, Port Blair. Govind Ram finding the lady (a policyagent of ICICI and Birla Plus) alone in the house tried to rape her but waslater arrested by the police. The incident took place at about2.00 pm whenGovind Ram who was supposed to be on duty took his official vehicle to thelady's house at Minnie Bay. Theofficer who was totally under the influence of alcohol entered the house of thelady in the name of getting policies for her. Finding her alone,...

நக்கீரன் (Repro) தமிழர் சமயம் எது? இது என்ன கேள்வி? சைவ சமயம்தான் தமிழருடைய சமயம். அது 14,000 ஆண்டு பழமை வாய்ந்த சமயம். சிந்துவெளி நாகரிக காலத்திலும் சைவ சமயம் தழைத்து இருந்திருக்கிறது என்பதற்கு சான்றுகள் ஏராளம் உண்டு என்று சைவர்கள் வாதிடுகிறார்கள். கடவுள், மதம், மொழி இவற்றுக்குத் தொன்மையான வரலாறு இருக்க வேண்டும். அப்படி இருந்தால் மட்டுமே அவை மேலானவை, உயர்வானவை என்ற ஒரு தவறான எண்ணம் தமிழர்களிடம் இருப்பதால்தான் இப்படி அறிவுக்கு ஒத்துவராத, வரலாற்றுக்கு முரணான புராணக் கதைகளை சொல்ல வேண்டிய கட்டாயம் எழுகிறது. மனிதனது வரலாற்றுக் காலத்தில் 14,000 ஆண்டுகள் நீண்ட காலம் அல்ல. ஆனால் மனிதன் தன்னைப்பற்றி கல்லிலும், களிமண்ணிலும், தோலிலும் குறிப்புக்கள் எழுதிய காலத்தோடு ஒப்பிட்டுப் பார்த்தால் 14,000 ஆண்டுகள் மிக நீண்ட காலமாகும். மாந்த இனம் மனிதக் குருங்கில் இருந்து பிரிந்து தனியே வளர்ச்சி அடையத் தொடங்கிய காலம் சுமார் 30 இலட்சம் ஆண்டுகள் இருக்கும் என மனிதநூலார் (யுவொசழிழடழபளைவள) சொல்கிறார்கள். அந்த மனிதக் குரங்கு இனம் ர்ழஅinனைள என்று அழைக்கப்பட்டார்கள். அதன்பின் உரு மலர்ச்சியில் (நஎழடரவழைn) 18-10 இ...

Wednesday June 4 2008 12:51 IST (Repro from Newindpress) G Saravanan CHENNAI: Travellers planning to visit African, West Indian and South American countries, endemic to yellow fevers may have to postpone their plans, since the Government authorised centres in the city to administer the yellow fever vaccines are running out of stock. The vaccination is mandatory to visit the yellow fever endemic 33 countries in Africa, 11 countries in South America and a few in the West indies. The centres, Port Health Office on Rajaji Salai near Parrys Corner and King Institute in Guindy, that can give the vaccination certificate, have gone dry. According to Port Health Officer, V V Sairam Babu, “Our stock got exhausted last week and I spoke to my higher officials in New Delhi regarding new shipment. But it is not clear when will we get the fresh vaccines, as the government imports these vaccine from European countries.” “On an average, about 250 persons come to Port Health Office for vaccination every...

Sunday May 4 2008 08:40 IST G Saravanan (Repro of copy published in the New Indian Express on May 4: CHENNAI: LONG after 2004’s Tsunami, the Chennai Port Trust (CPT) has been unable to get its ‘mooring dolphin’ fixed. The reason: corruption. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) told the Port Trust to cancel the original repair contract after it found the contractor to be “ineligible”. The contract to construct the mooring dolphin at Bharathi dock-III, an RCC connection trestle near Bharathi dock-I and to strengthen the eastern and western block walls at the Ambedkar block, was given to Chokkaiyan Karthikeyan and Co in September 2005. The CVC began inquiring in July 2006. In February 2007, it told the CPT “foreclose and cancel” the contract. More than a year later, only one official has been held responsible: chief engineer Chelladurai. He was moved to the National Maritime Board in January 2008, nearly a year after the CVC’s letter. Officials close to him claim he was made scapegoat...

Pub on Monday April 7 2008 11:59 IST (IE) CHENNAI: A Chennai-based NGO is giving city pullers a new push with its unique three-wheeler cart scheme. The novel idea, which has been developed by the Assam-based Centre for Rural Development (CRD), will help fishermen living in Royapuram, Kalmandapam, Tondiarpet, Kasimedu and Korukkupet. Under this scheme, which is based on the concept of asset-based loan, the beneficiaries would be given three-wheeler carts on rent for a period of seven months. "Cyclerickshaws are losing business to the overcharging autorickshaws. The Rickshaw Bank Scheme introduced by the NGO has helped them a bit but there is still plenty to be done. The new scheme fills the blanks. The scheme will address a lot of issues. It will also help improve their income through assetbased entrepreneurship development," said Ilayaraja, coordinator of the Chennai branch. The daily repayment scheme, which will be a one-window repayment system, will also provide social sec...

± Parents and students of St Geroge's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, Shenoy Nagar, on Friday staged a demonstration inside school premises protesting against the school management for putting their children's education at stake by permitting more and more commercial programmes in school campus.Æ ± The school, one of the oldest in whole Chennai city, has had a good teaching reputation for more than a two centuries and the very same is nosediving after head master R Paul Victor Samuel took charge few years ago, alleged one parent, whose child is studying in seventh standard here.Æ ± Not alone the commercial motives, problems like unqualified teachers, bad maintenance of the school premises, poor sanitation facilities for students, non-availability of physical education training facilities and failure to conduct regular parent-teacher meetings, forced the parents to stage a protest inside school.Æ ± Tense moments prevailed for an hour when the parents blocked the main enter...