Attack on Sinhalese tourists will continue - Comrade Maniarasan interview!

Trichy:The men who attacked the Buddhist monk on Saturday in the name of upholding the Tamil Eelam cause remain unrepentant.

P Maniarasan,president of the Tamil Desiya Podhuvudamai Katchi (TDPK),whose activists were involved in the incident at the Brihadeeswarar temple,said his party would continue to attack any non-Tamil coming from Sri Lanka to Thanjavur.

Thanjavur police are searching for five persons,including a journalist,in connection with the attack on a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk on Saturday.Police have already arrested three and have remanded them in the Trichy jail.

The monk was visiting the Brihadeeswarar temple,along with an 18-member group from Delhi University,as part of an archaeological research misson,when he was attacked.The monk and others were rescued and sent to Chennai by air.

Police detained seven members of the TDPK and Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) in the case,but four were later let off.We are on the look-out for five others in the case,including a local journalist, said T S Anbu,Thanjavur SP,on Sunday.

The tourism sector has taken a dent following the anti-Lanka stir.V Vasudevan,former president of Trichy Travel Federation,said: The number of tourists from Sri Lanka to Velankanni church has come down since last year due to the protests. 

Security has been beefed up in Thanjavur and Poondi after the attack,police said.

Meanwhile,students have come under criticism for joining the anti-Lanka protest.R Khader Mohideen,principal of Jamal Mohammed College,Trichy,said: Students involving themselves in protests at the cost of their studies is a bad idea.Our students are not protesting as they know that it would pave way for China to extend their support to the island nation. 

(Courtesy: R Gokul TNN)

Comrade P. Maniarasan (TTPK) in solidarity with Kashmir's right to Self determination!

A massive protest was held in Madras on 11 February 2013 against the secretive hanging of Afzal Guru.. Thousands of Tamils gathered near Valluval Kottam, a memorial dedicated to an ancient Tamil poet, to pay their homage to Afzal Guru and to protest against the Indian state. The protest was presided over by Pazha. Nedumaran of the Tamil National Movement and Thol. Tirumavalavan of the Dalit Panthers of India. 

The leaders, in the course of their speeches, insisted that the execution of Afzal Guru was not based on rule of law and it is a shameful political act. They also highlighted how the UPA government wilfully denied Guru’s legal right to seek a legal review of the rejection of his mercy petition. The way the execution was carried out shows nothing but cowardice of the Union government, the leaders insisted. 

The protest was also addressed by other prominent Tamil leaders including Jawaharullah of the Manithaneya Makkal Kachi, Viduthalai Rajendran, the General Secretary of the Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhakam, Mallai Sathya of theMarumalarchi Dravidar Munnetra Kazhagam, P.Maniyarasan of the Tamil National Communist Party, Thiagu of the Tamil National Front,Thirumurugan of the May 17 Movement , Dr.Selvi of the Save Tamils and Arputhammal, the mother of the Arivu who is on death row in the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case. 

Viduthalai Rajendran posed, if the Supreme Court has satisfied the collective consciousness of the nation by executing Afzal Guru, does this collective consciousness include the Kashmiris who protested against the death sentence of Afzal Guru, and the Tamils who continue to protest against the death penalty imposed on the putative assassins of Rajiv Gandhi. 

Kashmir’s right to self-determination was asserted by all the leaders who addressed the meeting. - See more at: 

Without proper mechanism in place, Karnataka may not implement Cauvery award - Comrade P.Maniarasan

Jubilation and a sense of relief marked the reaction of delta farmers to the notification of the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal on Wednesday.

Farmers appreciated the efforts taken by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa over the past few months to get the final award notified.

P.Maniarasan, Coordinator of Cauvery Urimai Meetpu Kuzhu, said, “Though delayed, we welcome the notification of the award. But experience shows that without proper mechanism in place , Karnataka may not implement it.

P.R.Pandian, State Council Member of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam said the Tamil Nadu government should ensure water for kuruvai this year by getting its due share of water from Karnataka as per the final award.

‘JUSTICE DENIED’

Our Special Correspondent from Tiruchi adds:

The Federation of Farmers Associations - Cauvery Delta Districts, while expressing its happiness over the gazetting of the Award, however expressed disappointment that Tamil Nadu has lost largely ‘its ancient and traditional rights’ over the Cauvery.

Though the Centre has finally bowed to the Supreme Court and notified the award, the federation observed: “Justice delayed is justice denied.”

Owing to the delay in constituting the Cauvery Tribunal for more than 20 years and the delay in delivering the final award for more than 16 Years, Tamil Nadu had lost largely its ancient and traditional rights over the Cauvery, Arupathi P.Kalyanam, its general secretary, said in a statement.

Our Staff Reporter from Karur adds:

The working president of Cauvery Delta Farmers’ Welfare Association Mahadhanapuram V.Rajaram expressed wholehearted satisfaction over the outcome.

JUSTICE DONE

“We feel that justice has been done finally,” he said.

At the same time, he said the delta ryots believed that the notification was neither a victory for Tamil Nadu farmers nor defeat for the opposite party in the case but only provided the opportunity to understand each other’s plight better.

(Courtesy: The Hindu)

Move to have Hindi signboards in Madurai backfires

MADURAI: In a state which saw fierce anti- Hindi stir in the 1960s, the Madurai district administration has been forced to drop its latest move to have signboards in Hindi along with Tamil and English after it triggered protests.

The signboards put up in the hope of helping hundreds of tourists visiting the temple city were being removed in deference to the wishes of the people, Collector Anshul Mishra said after the move drew the ire of several local outfits.

"Respecting sentiments of our Tamil brothers and sisters, I am ready to take back my words regarding issue of trilingual boards and use of Hindi in these boards....I am here to serve people ofTamil Nadu and not to promote my mother tongue," Mishra, who is from the North, said on social networking site Facebook.

Officials said the installation of such signboards has been interpreted by some groups like Tamil Desa Pothu Udamai Katchi, which had demonstrated over the issue this month, as promoting Hindi by Mishra.

Angry delta erupts against Karnataka Chief Minister Shettar!

The recent farmer suicides would become regular if the Centre failed to control Karnataka, feel farmers.

Karnataka’s stance in the Cauvery water sharing issue has triggered protests across the delta and other districts.

On Friday, members of the Cauvery Rights and Rescue Group, led by convener and founder of Tamil Desa Podhu Udamai Katchi, P Maniarasan, burnt an effigy of Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar near the old bus stand here on Friday.

Maniarasan said, “Over 12 lakh acres of samba crops are in danger of withering away, due to the arbitrary decisions taken by the Karnataka government”

The recent farmer suicides would become regular if the Centre failed to control Karnataka, he warned. The tax collected by the Centre  must be stopped till the problem  on Cauvery water  is resolved, he added.

Maniarasan also said that the group would stage a protest rally here on December 8 against the Karnataka government and the Centre.

Meanwhile, the farmers grievance day meeting held at the collectorate here on Friday, witnessed an empty hall with just the officials present, and the farmers staging a boycott, against the stance of Karnataka.

Farmers led by various associations gathered at the entrance of the building and staged a demonstration.

(Courtesy: The Indian Express)

Scholars, politicians protest land acquisition from Tamil University

Leaders of various political parties, Tamil scholars, members of various Tamil associations came together on a platform on Monday against the acquisition of 62 acres of land from the Thanjavur Tamil University for constructing the district collectorate.

The Tamil University Protection Movement and Tamil Development Protection Movement observed a fast in Chennai and urged the State government to give up its plan to use the University land for other purposes.

However, a petition questioning the land acquisition was dismissed by the Madras High Court on Monday.

PMK leader S. Ramadoss who wound up the protest in the evening said the university had lost its land whenever the AIADMK came to power.

“First, it acquired land for the South Zone Cultural Centre. When World Tamil Conference was held in Thanjavur, once again land was acquired for construction of houses. Now the government want to construct a collectorate. This move will completely erase the name of the university and people will remember only the collector’s office,” he alleged.

When asked what was wrong in acquiring unused land for other purposes, P. Maniyarasan, leader of the Tamil Desiya Pothu Udamai Katchi, said just because Loyola and Pachaiyappa’s Colleges had vast tracts of land, the same could not be transferred for other purposes.

“Today, the University has been neglected a lot and they are not even in a position to pay salaries to the professors and other staff,” he alleged.

When asked about the High Court’s First Bench dismissing his petition challenging the land acquisition, Mr. Maniyarasan said he would file an appeal in the Supreme Court.

Chief Justice M.Y. Eqbal and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam in their order said the transfer of land was for the public purpose of construction of district collectorate.

“The transaction will not in any way affect the poor and downtrodden people; rather it is for the use of the public at large. Hence no public interest is involved in the petition,” the Bench said.

CPI leader R. Nallakannu, former Madras University Vice-Chancellor Porko and many others participated in the protest.

Farmers stop trains demanding TN’s share in Cauvery!

Around 700 farmers, farm labourers and various party cadre protested in various parts of Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts on Thursday demanding release of more water from Cauvery. The protestors condemned the Karnataka government and also the Union government for failing to protect the rights of the state in Cauvery water row.

In Ayyanapuram near Thanjavur, around 300 protestors from Cauvery Rights and Rescue group consisting of Tamilar Desiya Iyakkam, blocked the Tiruchy-Mayiladuthurai passenger train. They raised slogans and condemned the Karnataka government for not releasing Tamil Nadu’s share in Cauvery water despite having water up to the brim in major dams in the state. A similar protest took place in Budhalur railway station.

In Thanajvur railway station, the protestors from Tamil Desa Padhu Udamai Katchi youth wing blocked the Mysore-Mayiladuthurai Express train, cadre of MDMK blocked the Ernakulam-Karaikal Express and Nagore-Tiruchy passenger train was blocked by the group convenor P Maniarasan.

The cadre of Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam headed by president N Sivasamy, blocked the Tiruchy-Mayiladuthurai Passenger train.

In Kumbakonam, Mayiladuthurai-Tiruchy passenger train was blocked by Viduthalai Tamil Puligal. The Tiruchy-Mayiladuthurai passenger train was blocked by cadre of Cauvery Farmers Protection Association headed by Thanjavur District Secretary Swamimalai Sundara Vimalanathan. The Bharatiya Kisan Sangha cadre blocked the Mayiladuthurai- Tirunelveli passenger train and Naam Tamilar cadres blocked the Tiruchy-Chennai Cholan Express. Cadre of both Naam Tamilar headed by state organiser A   took part in the protest.

(Courtesy: Express News Service - THANJAVUR)