Saravanan's Blog

Source: http://andamanchronicle.com/content/view/5610/27/ Port Blair, March 29: Much has been talked about the Sri Lankan Tamil  Repatriates over the years, who were brought by the Govt. of India  decades ago as ‘rubber plantation workers’.  These repatriates were settled in a tribal land at Katchal, Central Nicobars  where they worked hard to create a plantation and struggled to survive  with whatever the  received out of it. Unfortunately unlike other settler communities in  the islands, the Sri Lankan Repatriates were always an eye sore to the  A&N Administration and Govt. of India. They were neither given a setter  status nor allotted any land. Moreover being settled in a tribal land,  these repatriates could not even claim for the plantations they were  looking after for decades. Their situation had gone to such an extent that the Deputy Commissioner,  Nicobar had even denied them ‘Tribal Pass’ to go to...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on March 30, 2012: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/trail-of-trucks-as-port%E2%80%99s-zero-gate-crippled/377307.html CHENNAI: Lack of manpower at Zero Gate of the Chennai Port, coupled with occasional flash strikes by trailer drivers, has hampered the smooth movement of containers in and out of the port for about a week now.  The situation has worsened in the past few days due to a flash strike by drivers of trailer lorries following an altercation with a security official posted at the gate. Besides, fewer Customs officials posted to Zero Gate have also led to slowed down movement of containers from the port’s two container terminals. According to Chennai Port Trust sources, movement of containers has recorded a sharp decline. However, prominent trailer owners’ associations have clarified to Express that they did not call for any trailers’ strike and it was the act of some drivers, possibly aff...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on March 29, 2012: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/32-indians-held-hostage-by-somali-pirates/376895.html CHENNAI: The latest ‘Situation Report’ on pirate activities released by the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) on Wednesday has revealed that Somali pirates around the Horn of Africa are holding eight vessels and 236 crews hostage. In an e-mail reply to Express, the Public Information Office of EU NAVFOR has revealed that of the 236 sailors now held hostage by the pirates in the region, 3 2 are Indians, which includes seven members from the ship ‘Asphalt Venture’ that had been released but the hostages are still being held. Asphalt Venture was hijacked on September 28, 2010 in the Somali Basin and after intervention from anti-piracy forces, she was released from the pirates’ captivity on April 15, 2011. However, pirates took hostage of about 15 of the vessel’s crew seeking more ransom. Acco...

Source: http://www.dinakaran.com/News_Detail.asp?Nid=7346 சென்னை: திருமதி வி.கே. சசிகலா வெளியிட்டுள்ள திடீர் அறிக்கை பெரும்பரபரப்பை ஏற்படுத்தியுள்ளது. மேலும், அவர் வெளியிட்ட அறிக்கையில் தனது உறவினர்கள் தமது பெயரை பயன்படுத்தி விரும்பத்தகாத செயல்களில் ஈடுப்பட்டதாகவும், ஜெயலலிதா வீட்டில் இருந்து வெளியே வந்த பிறகு தான் இதுகுறித்த பல விவரங்கள் தனக்கு தெரிய வந்ததாவும் விளக்கம் அளித்துள்ளார். சசிகலாவின் அறிக்கை விவரங்கள் பின்வருமாறு, திருமதி வி.கே. சசிகலா வெளியிட்ட அறிக்கையின் முழுவிவரம் :  கடந்த மூன்று மாத காலமாக பல தரப்பட்ட பத்திரிக்கைகளில் என்னை பற்றி பலவிதமான செய்திகள் தொடர்ந்து வந்து கொண்டிருப்பதால் இந்த அறிக்கையை வெளியிட வேண்டிய கட்டாயம் எனக்கு ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது.  1984 ஆம் ஆண்டு முதன் முதலாக அக்காவை (முதலமைச்சர் ஜெயலலிதா) நான் சந்தித்தேன். அதன் பின்னர் எங்களுக்குள் நட்பு வளர்ந்தது. அவரும் என்னை தங்கையாக ஏற்றுக்கொண்டார். 1988 ஆம் ஆண்டிலிருந்து அக்காவின் போயஸ் கார்டன் இல்லத்திலேயே அவருடன் வசித்து வந்தேன். அனைத்திந்திய அண்ணா திராவிட முன்னேற்றக் கழகத்தின் பொதுச் செயலாளராகவும், தமி...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on March 27, 2012: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Bid-to-get-info-on-police-booths-hits-roadblock/376207.html CHENNAI: An attempt by a city-based RTI activist to obtain the number of police booths located on platforms (meant for pedestrians) using RTI failed to yield any result as both the Police department as well as the State Information Commission washed their hands off providing any details. R Natarajan had filed a RTI plea with the Director General of Police  (DGP) office last July seeking details about the number of police booths located on platforms in Chennai city. As the information sought by Natarajan pertained to Chennai, the public information officer of the DGP’s office transferred his application to the Commissionerate of Police, Chennai city and asked them to provide it to the applicant. However, t he PIO of the Commissionerate of Police replied to Natarajan that the office does not maintain...

Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on March 12, 2012: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/corporation-budget-thrust-likely-on-education/371669.html CHENNAI: The Corporation’s annual budget, to be unveiled on Monday at Ripon Building, will be an acid test for the AIADMK, as the party which romped home in the historic council with a brute majority, has to roll out its vision for the development of the civic body. According to sources, the 2012-13 budget, which is the first after Corporation’s expansion in October last, is likely to give more thrust to education and infrastructure. Though the civic body is likely to unveil several schemes for the education sector in the budget, there are strong rumours that the new AIADMK administration is mulling to hike property tax for commercial buildings to meet its increasing expenditure. On Monday, chairman of the Chennai Corporation’s standing committee on taxation and finance K Santhanam will present the budge...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on March 11, 2012: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Refugee-on-fast-to-draw-CM%E2%80%99s-attention/371458.html CHENNAI: Seeking  J Jayalalithaa’s attention for his release from Poonamallee Special Detention Camp, Jayamohan, a 29-year-old Lankan refugee, has been fasting for the past 10 days. According to information trickling out of the camp, Jayamohan began his fast seeking the Chief Minister’s attention on March 1 and continuing with it despite his deteriorating health . With his pulse rate going down rapidly due to no intake of food for the past 10 days including water, a doctor who visited the camp in the evening advised the local authorities to admit him to hospital ‘without any delay.’ Acting on this advice, police personnel posted at the camp rushed Jayamohan (who was unconscious) to the Government General Hospital, Chennai, in an ambulance on Saturday evening. According to a three-page letter sent out...

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on March 12, 2012: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/%E2%80%98Port-connectivity-project-on-track%E2%80%99/371684.html CHENNAI: Stating that the TN government also wishes the speedy implementation of the much-delayed Rs 600-crore EMRIP project connecting Chennai with Ennore Port, Speaker D Jayakumar on Saturday said that the project is on the right track due to regular reviews. Addressing the delegates after inaugurating the golden jubilee celebration of Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations in India (FFFAI is the apex body of all Custom House Agents Associations in India ), Jayakumar said, “I have a special interest in the project as Chennai Port falls in my constituency and congestion due to trailers would be eased once the project is implemented.” Disclosing the mantra for keeping the road project on the right track, Jayakumar said, “Since the project is paramount to link Chennai and Ennore ports, we have frequent revi...

"எங்கள் போராளிகளை உங்களுக்கான விளம்பரப் பொருட்களாக்கிவிடாதீர்கள். மரணித்த எங்கள் பெண் போராளிகளை நிமிடத்திற்கு நிமிடம் நிர்வாணப்படுத்தாதீர்கள்" Source: http://www.athirvu.com/target_news.php?getnews=news&action=fullnews&showcomments=1&id=1980 சமீபகாலமாக பல இணையத்தளங்கள் போர்குற்ற ஆதாரங்களை வெளியிட்டு வருகின்றன. அதிர்வும் சில போர் குற்ற ஆதாரங்களை வெளியிட்டுள்ளது. ஆனால் அவற்றை வெளியிடுவது கொடூரமானது என ஒரு தமிழர் வாசகர் கருதுகிறார். ஒரு தனிப்பட்ட நபரின் விமர்சனம் இது. அவரது உணர்ச்சிகளுக்கு மதிப்புக்கொடுத்து நாம் இதனைப் பிரசுரிக்கிறோம். நன்றி: சிங்களவன் செய்த கொடூரத்திலும் பார்க்க, இவர்கள் நடாத்தும் வியாபாரம் மிக... மிக... அதிகமாக உள்ளது... என்று கலங்குகின்றார்கள் தமிழ் உணர்வாளர்கள்.  புதிய போர்க் குற்றப் படங்கள் காட்டுகின்றோம்... எங்கள் இணைய தளத்திற்கு வாருங்கள்... என்று வலிந்திழுக்கும் வர்த்தக நோக்கத்துடன் தமிழ் இணையங்கள் சில வெளியிடும் சிங்களப் படைகளால் கோரமாகக் கொல்லப்பட்ட போராளிகளது படங்களும், அவலக் காட்சிகளும் தமிழ் நெஞ்சங்களைக் கோபமூட்டி வருகின்றன. அது...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on March 10, 2012: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Concern-over-worsening-piracy-situation-in-Aden/371186.html CHENNAI: The sixth governing council (GC) meeting of the Singapore-based anti-piracy forum has expressed serious concern over the worsening piracy situation in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia. In a meeting organised by the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) in Singapore for three days (March 6-8), the GC expressed its highest concern about the fate of ships and their crew members, who are still under captivity of the Somali pirates . According to a statement released at the end of the meeting, the GC commended the concrete efforts of the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre, under its cooperative agreement with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), in the implementation of the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC) through sh...

Source: http://lightofandamans.blogspot.in/2012/03/igps-rendezvous-with-jarawas-and-army.html By Zubair Ahmed The second-in-command in Andaman Police, IGP Sanjay Baniwal has been relieved from his duties after he was charged with facilitating a rendezvous with Jarawas for his guests at Tirur sector. However, the prompt action by police has not gone well as no other charges have been framed against the senior officer. In the first Jarawa video case, the police has already identified that army personnel were involved and it has been already communicated to the Command, but there is no action from their part. "In both instances, it's the case of fence eating the grass," commented a senior police official .    IGP Sanjay Baniwal, who had been entrusted the job of protection of Jarawas by keeping a tab on the vehicular movement on Andaman Trunk Road  after the huge national and international uproar about exploitation of Jarawas came to light, took the liberty to take his per...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on March 6, 2012: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/suspected-killer-ship-sails-into-chennai-waters/369862.html CHENNAI: Acting on the order of the Directorate General of Shipping (DG), M V Prabhu Daya, the ship  suspected to be involved in a fatal collision near Kerala coast a few days ago, reached the outer anchorage of Chennai Port on Monday evening. According to Chennai Port Trust sources, the vessel that has been allowed to berth at Bharathi Dock,   reached the outer perimeter of the Chennai Port late in the evening and was expected to berth in the early  hours of Tuesday. Once the suspected ship is docked, it will be subjected to a detailed probe by different agencies, including the five-member team of Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) to ascertain the truth behind the fatal mid-sea mishap . “Our officials (including one from Kerala) would board the ship on Tuesday morning to conduct th...

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on March 5, 2012: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/avoid-long-mobile-conversations-serials-mayor/369435.html CHENNAI: Pitching for a change in the mindset of youth for the country’s progress, Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy on Saturday advised students of the Madras Veterinary College (MVC) to desist from watching tele-serials, which, according to him, f eeds only bad thoughts into budding minds. Addressing the students during their Hostel Day celebrations here, Duraisamy said, “ Don’t watch tele-serials as they bring in a lot of criminal thoughts and are responsible for leading young minds astray. ” Besides, the Mayor also advised the students, especially girls, to use their mobile phones judiciously. “Conversing on mobile phones for long hours would not only waste your precious time, but is also very harmful to health,” Duraisamy advised the students, who reacted with a thunderous applause. Moving away from the tradition of addres...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on March 4, 2012: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/killer-ship-asked-to-report-at-chennai/369265.html CHENNAI: MV Prabhu Daya, one of the cargo vessels suspected to be involved in the hit-and-run incident with a fishing boat off the Alappuzha coast on Thursday, has been ‘asked’ to report to the Chennai Port for a detailed probe. I t is expected to reach here on Sunday evening. Two fishermen were killed in the collision while three others on the boat are still missing. According to Coast Guard sources, MV Prabhu Daya, which had sailed from Panaji for Singapore, has been instructed to reach South Indian port (Chennai) “as soon as possible”. The vessel was spotted off Trincomalee (Northern Sri Lanka) on Saturday forenoon with over 25 crew onboard. “Out of eight vessels that were near the scene of crime, seven responded immediately; only MV Prabhu Daya did not respond to Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), he...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express on March 3, 2012: The issue of wages for seafarers, which was hanging on fire for the past two years, though looked finally solved last week, it took a dramatic turn at the end of the negotiations after one of the prominent unions refused to sign the agreement initiated by National Maritime Board (NMB) citing raw deal. After several rounds of negotiations and legal wrangling in Bombay High Court over the last two years, NMB brought in a comprehensive industry-wide wage agreement for the Petty Officers & Ratings working on Indian flagships on Foreign Going (FG), Offshore Supply Vessels (OSV) and Home Trade ships (HT) during a ‘ final negotiation ’ held at Mumbai about a week ago. Though NMB expected the National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) and Forward Seamen's Union of India (FSUI), the two prominent unions representing 20,000-odd seafarers in the country, would sign it, only NUSI signed the agreement while FSUI   refu...