போராளி-பத்திரிகையாளர் இசை பிரியாவிற்கு வீரவணக்க கூட்டம்

-தமிழினப் படுகொலையும் வெளியாகும் ஆதாரங்களும்

 

சனவரி 9 , 2011     சென்னை 

மே பதினேழு இயக்கம்

 

 

வியேத்நாம்  போரின் கொடூரங்களை சொன்ன 'ஓடி வரும் அந்த சிறுமியின் புகைப்படம்' (கிம் சுக்)  உண்மையை உரைத்த பிறகு போரை நிறுத்த,போராட்டம் நடத்த வேண்டிய அழுத்தத்தை  உலகிற்கு கொடுத்தது, போர் முடிந்த பிறகும் அந்த சிறுமி இன்று வரை நம்முடன் உயிரோடு தான் இருக்கிறார்.  போரின் கொடுமையை தமிழினம் உரத்து கொடுத்த போது திரும்பி பார்க்காத சமூகம் இன்று  வெளியாகும் காணோளிகளால் விழிப்படைந்து பார்க்கும் சமயம், அங்கு  காப்பாற்ற மக்களும் இல்லை, பச்சைபடுகொலையை உணர்த்திய இசைபிரியாக்களும்  இல்லை. பிணமாய் நாமும், படங்களை அவர்களும் துயரப்பட்டு கொண்டிருக்கிறோம்.

 

 இசைபிரியாவையும் ஏனைய போராளிகளையும்  பார்த்த   உலக சமூகம் இப்போது நிர்வாணமாய் நிற்கிறது. துயரப்படங்களையும் துரோகத்தையும் பார்த்து பார்த்து பழகிவிட்ட சமூகமாய்  தமிழ் சமூகம் நிற்கிறது.

இறுதி வரை சமரசம் செய்யாத போராளிகளாய் நின்றவர்களுக்கு வணக்கம் செலுத்துவது மட்டுமல்ல, இசைபிரியாவை கொலை செய்ய துணை போன சமூகத்தை கேள்வி கேட்டு குற்றவாளிகளை தண்டிக்க  வேண்டிய கடமையும் நமக்கு உள்ளது.

மே 17 , 18 படுகொலை நடந்த ஒரு வாரத்தில் அங்கு சென்று பார்வை இட்ட ஐ. நா தலைவர், அந்த ஒரு வாரத்தில் உதவி தொகையை அளித்த இந்திய சோனியா அரசு, ஐ. நா வில் வர இருந்த இலங்கை மீதான விசாரணை தீர்மானத்தை தடுத்த இந்தியா உள்ளிட்ட நாடுகள், மத்திய மந்திரி பதவி ஒதுக்கீட்டில் தமிழர்களை மறந்த தி.மு.க மற்றும் தோல்வியில் தூங்கி போன கட்சிகள் என அனைவரின் முன்னிலயில் தான் இசைபிரியா கொல்லப்பட்டார். 

இங்கு இசைபிரியா என்பவர்  ஒரு தனி நபர் அல்ல, உலக சமூகத்தால் ஒரு மிருகத்தின் வாயில் தனித்து, கைகள் கட்டப்பட்ட நிலையில், வேட்டையாட  விடப்பட்ட தமிழீழ சமூகமே. 

 

போருக்கு பிறகு அமைதியை காத்த தமிழக தமிழர்களும் இந்த குற்ற சாட்டுக்கு விலக்கானவர்கள் அல்ல. நம் கண் முன்னால் தான், நம்மின் மௌனத்தின் மீதுதான் இந்த பச்சை படுகொலைகள் நடந்தன. போருக்கு பிறகு எழுச்சி பெற்று இருக்க வேண்டிய சமூகம் அவ்வாறு தனது கடமையை செய்யாமல் போனதன் சாட்சி தான் இசை பிரியாக்கள்.

  தான் பெற்ற 6 மாத குழந்தையை  போரில் பறிகொடுத்த பிறகும் உறுதியாய் இறுதி வரை எதிரியை எதிர்கொண்ட அந்த மாமனித போராளிக்கு வீரவணக்கம் செலுத்துவதில் இருந்து நமது உத்வேகமுற்ற போராட்டத்தை ஆரம்பிப்போம். 

 

போர் எதிர்ப்பு போராட்டத்தின் மையமாய் எப்படி மாவீரன் முத்துகுமரன் இருந்தாரோ, எப்படி திலீபன் இந்தியா அமைதிபடையின் எதிர்ப்பு மையமாய் மாறினாரோ அவ்வாறே போரின் பிறகான புத்துணர்வு பெரும் போராட்டத்தின் மையமாய் போராளி பத்திரிகையாளர்  இசைபிரியா. இசைபிரியா சிங்கள கோரமுகத்தின் எதிர்ப்பு குறியீடு. மரணத்தின் வாயிலில் சமரசம் செய்யாத  தமிழீழ போராளியின் அடையாளம், இசைபிரியாவுடன் கொள்ளப்பட்ட அனைத்து போராளிகளும் அவ்வாறானவர்களே. இசைபிரிய இந்த போராட்ட குணத்தின் அடையாளமாய் நம்முன் நிற்கிறார். 

 

தமிழீழபோராளிகளை, தமிழீழ மக்களை -நாம் இந்த செய்தியை படிக்கும் இதே கணத்தில்-  கொல்வதற்கு அனுமதிக்கும் செயலாக நமது மௌனம் ஆக கூடாது. நாம் மறக்க கூடாதது நமது இந்த மௌனம்தான் போர் முடிந்த இரண்டு மாதம் கழித்து இந்த போராளிகள் நம் மௌனத்தை சாட்சியாய் வைத்து கொல்லப்பட்டார்கள் என்பதை. 

 

இணைந்து பணியாற்ற அனைத்து அமைப்புகளுக்கும் பணிவான கோரிக்கை வைக்கிறோம். இந்த நிகழ்வு மே பதினேழு இயக்கத்திற்கு மட்டுமே சொந்தமான ஒன்றல்ல, அனைவரும் இணைந்து இந்த வீர  வணக்க நிகழ்வை நிகழ்த்தி  இனிவரும்   போராட்டத்திற்கு ஆரம்ப புள்ளி வைப்போம்.

 

ஒன்று திரள்வோம்.

மே பதினேழு இயக்கம்  - contact.may17@gmail.com , thiruja@yahoo.com  

Chennai, Ennore ports to handover Rs 24 crore

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on December 11, 2010:

CHENNAI: With a view to showing their commitment towards the speedy implementation of important port connectivity project, Chennai and Ennore ports are set to handover a cheque for Rs 24 crore as their part contribution in the presence of Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan at the port premises on Saturday.

According to sources, Chennai Port Trust would handover a cheque of Rs 19 crore, while the Ennore Port is set to give Rs five crore as its contribution to keep the Rs 600-crore Ennore-Manali road improvement project (EMRIP) alive.

It may be noted that the Chennai Port had already paid about Rs 48 crore as its initial contribution and Ennore Port had paid Rs eight crore toward the project.

The port trust would contribute the increased equity share of Rs 139.80 crore and loan/debt contribution of Rs 110 crore towards the project.

The works came to a standstill after the port trust delayed paying its share as the project cost was escalated from Rs 150 crore to Rs 600 crore. 

After the port trust expressed its commitment to contribute the increased equity share, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has floated a fresh tender last month and now the technical evaluation of eight successful bidders were on.

The project, which was conceptualised in 1998, envisages improvement of about 30 km road network in North Chennai to ease flow of truck traffic from ChPT and improve road connectivity between ports and national highway network.

Besides the improvement and strengthening of Manali Oil Refinery Road and Northern Segment of Inner Ring Road, the project also envisages the widening of the nine km stretch of the Thiruvotriyur-Ponneri- Panchetti (TPP) Road in to four lanes highway with service roads on both sides.

THIRUVOTRIYUR MUNICIPALITY Contract cartel rears its ugly head

By G Saravanan
Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on December 10, 2010:


AN effort by the Commissionerate of Municipal Administration to check corrupt practices in vogue at Thiruvotriyur municipality in tendering processes seems to have failed in cracking the syndicate of contractors.
According to sources, the main purpose of barring the Thiruvotriyur municipality from floating tenders and shifting the whole process to the regional municipal administration department at Chengalpet three months ago for more transparency has lost after an alleged open intimidation by a politically influencial group on a neutral 
contractor who bagged Rs nine-lakh worth road contract.
The `unity' of the contract-cartel came to the fore a few days ago when the Thiruvotriyur-based neutral contractors tried to submit a bidding form at Chengalpet.


Sources said a group of people, supported by both the ruling and opposition councillors in Thiruvotriyur municipality, had allegedly intimidated the contractor for trying to break the syndicate and for participating in the tendering process for 20 different works worth Rs 70 lakhs at the eleventh hour.


Braving their intimidation, the contractor had somehow succeeded in sub mitting his bid on the last day (December 3) at the Chengalpet office. When the bids were opened in the evening, he was selected for carrying out road works for Rs nine lakh since he quoted the lowest rates.
Irked over the award of contract to the contractor, the same group of persons had allegedly started threatening him to `surrender' the work orders to some other contractor linked to their cartel.


Unable to deal with the repeated `advices' by the influential group, the contractor on Wednesday met the Commissioner of Thiruvotriyur municipality S Kalaiselvan and handed over a letter withdrawing his bid.


However, sources said the top official reportedly told him to complete the work, as there were no provisions to withdraw bid once it was awarded to someone. 
The cartel's ugly head reared again at Thiruvotriyur municipality office within a few days on Wednesday, when the same group once again intimidated the contractor for securing the work well on the premises of the civic body.
According to a neutral contractor who wished anonymity, the corrupt practices at the civic body were continuing unabated and the shifting of tendering process to Chengalpet for more transparency has not yielded any desired result.

Last batch of TN labourers from Libya reach Delhi

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on December 9, 2010:

CHENNAI: The last batch of 26 labourers (of the total 89), who faced hardships in Libyan labour camps after their agents deserted them, reached New Delhi on Wednesday morning.

About 50 labourers, mainly from Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur and Cuddalore districts, returned in two batches, and the third and final batch of 14 men arrived on last Saturday.

According to sources, all the 83 labourers are expected to reach Chennai on Friday night.

They are likely to meet Chief Minister M Karunanidhi next week to seek action against the two overseas manpower agents based at Ramapuram in Chennai and at Melur near Madurai.

Balamurugan, brother of one of the labourers Mayilvahanan, told Express, "While the Chennai-based agent promised a salary of about Rs 20,000 per month for my brother, he was not paid a single penny for the first three months. After the family members lodged a strong protest with the agent, he received a salary of 300 Libyan Dinars (LYD), roughly about Rs 11,000, for one month. Later on, that was also stopped."

"Whenever we contacted them, they would scream for help as they were forced to live in inhuman conditions, without any basic amenities, at Libyan labour camps in Mottai Brak and Shamno, several miles away from the capital Tripoli," Balamurugan said.

He said that the manpower agents based in Mumbai collected a commission of about $1000 per labourer from the Libyan company.

Over and above that the sub agents in Chennai and Madurai collected Rs 1.5 lakh as fees from these labourers promising decent salary.

RAIN AFTERMATH... TASMAC sales too take a hit

By G Saravanan
Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on December 8, 2010:

CHENNAI: Contrary to popular expectations of a surge in liquor sales across the State during rainy days, the weekend spells have in fact resulted in a sharp decrease in revenue for Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Ltd (TASMAC).
According to sources, sales recorded during the last three days have dipped sharply against the tentative per day sales target. 
Against the weekend sales target of Rs 65 crore per day, the 6600-odd TASMAC outlets across the State were able to record sales of only  Rs 39 crore on Saturday and Rs 47 crore on Sunday.
On Monday, TASMAC outlets were able to sell liquor products worth `37 crore as against the daily sales target of `50 crore on normal days, the sources added.


In terms of cases, (each case contains nine litres of either liquor or beer) tipplers across Tamil Nadu had consumed over 1.15 lakh cases of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) on Saturday, over 1.29 lakh cases on Sunday and around 95,000 cases on Monday.
On the other hand, the sales of beer products in the last three days were about 39,000 cases on Saturday, about 52,000 cases on Sunday and 34,000 cases on Monday.


Traditionally, liquor sales across the State during the month of December are low compared with other months due to the Sabarimala season, where people refrain from alcohol consumption. The sales are expected to pick up towards the end of the month in view of Christmas and New Year.
Besides the spiritual factor, incessant rains across the State in the last few weeks have also affected the revenue circle of daily wage labourers, the main source of income for TASMAC outlets.

CHENNAI: Sambar too hot as drumstick, brinjal prices hit

Pic courtesy: teluguabhiruchulu.wordpress.com and divyascookbook.blogspot.com


By G Saravanan
Published in The New Indian Express, on December 8, 2010:


Vegetable prices in the city soared to a new high on Tuesday owing to the recent heavy rains as the rates of the main ingredients for the south Indian dish, sambar - drumstick and brinjal - have doubled due to limited or no arrival of stock at the Koyambedu market here.
Besides, the incessant rain also played havoc in the lives of leafy greens (Keerai) cultivators, as they were either destroyed or damaged due to flooding.Koyambedu Market Management Committee member and 
wholesale trader V R Soundararajan told Express, “The steep increase in vegetable prices, especially the traditional varieties -- drumstick, broad beans (avarakkai), brinjal and lady’s finger -- in the last few days, was due to the recent non-stop rain which had damaged several standing crops, hence reducing their supply to the market.”
“Till last week, we used to receive about 22 truck loads of leafy greens of different varieties at Koyambedu market, but it has reduced to a meager two loads (per day) since Monday,” he added. 
Vegetables would be priced 20 to 25 per cent higher by small time vendors across the city, in comparison with the Koyembedu retail market rates.
Retail price important vegetables per kg in rupees with last week comparison in box: Lady's finger – 22 (12), potato –16 (10), big onion – 40 (30), small onion – 35 (23), beans – 28 (22), carrot – 32 (28), tomato – 25 (15) and Bangalore tomato – 18 (12).

CHENNAI CORPORATION: Battered roads add to motorists’ misery

BY G Saravanan


Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on December 8, 2010:


CHENNAI: Though, it was a dry dawn on Tuesday in the State capital,which was lashed by incessant rains for the past three days, the ordeal of residents at the same time just begun. Several inundated arterial and interior roads were free from water but they were badly battered.
Water that was logging on the roads have now given way to gaping potholes, much to the distress of motorists and pedestrians.
Corporation sources admitted that about 60 per cent of the 300-odd-km routes in the city through which buses ply have been either partially or fully damaged. Several interior roads were totally thrown out of shape. However, an assessment of the extent of damage was not immediately available.
Parts of Usman Road, McNichols Road, P T Rajan Salai, Greams Road, Binny Road, Harris Road, Kodambakkam High Road, Meenambal Salai, Paper Mills Road, Villivakkam-Redhills Road, Tondiarpet High Road, Konnur High Road, Strahans Road and Perambur Barracks Road were severely damaged.
Those residing at Adyar and Velachery claim that the potholes on L B Road and the Velachery-Tambaram Road were as big as craters.
Meanwhile, as the rains abated, a team of Corporation officials toured the damaged bus route roads (BRR) maintained by the civic body. They have also chalked out a `50-crore plan to re-lay the damaged roads after December 15.
Local authorities have also come under fire from residents for not having carried out pre-monsoon desilting.
Civic officials told Express that they had undertaken desilting work on about 80 per cent of storm water drains before the monsoon had set in. They said that rainwater had stagnated at many areas owing to the slow flow of water in the Cooum. They assured that the stagnant water would be drained out soon.