1000 and more arrested for protesting against imposition of English in TN education!

Demanding the Tamil Nadu government to withdraw the imposition of English medium of instruction in government run schools, about 1000 Tamil activists attempted to lay siege St. George Fort on August 7,2013.The protesters were detained by police when they rallied towards the Fort from Manroe Statue to submit their demand petition to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.The protest rally was flagged - off by Kunnangudi Haneefa from Tamil Nadu Manithaneya Makkal Katchi and led by Tamil Nationalist Communist Party leader -  P Maniyarasan.

The protesters urged the Tamil Nadu government to drop off the proposed English medium of instruction in government schools and to enact a law to make Tamil language as one of compulsory language subject in both government and private schools up to class XII. English or other language should be taught from Class VI. The other demands includes the upgradation of school infrastructure, special reservation in higher education and employment for the students educated in Tamil medium of instruction. Tamil scholars also demanded the state government to curb the practice of teaching 10th Class subjects in 9th Class and 12th Class subjects in 11th Class in private run schools.

Thamizhaga Vaalvurimai Katchi founder Velmurugan , MDMK Deputy General Secretary Mallai Sathya, Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam General Secretary Viduthalai Rajendran , Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam General Secretary K. Ramakrishnan , Tamil National Liberation Movement leader Thiyagu, Marxist-Periyarist Communist Party leader V.Anaimuthu , Professor Prabha Kalvimani,Activist Gana.Kurinji, Thozhilalar Seeramaippu Iyakkam leader Sekar, Tamil Nadu Makkal Katchi spokesperson Arun Shorie, Save Tamils Movement Co-ordinator Senthil , May 17 Movement Co-ordinator Thirumurugan Gandhi , Tamil scholars , advocates and other Tamil activists were participated in the protest.

The detained activists were later released in the evening. The struggle committee led by P Maniyarasan submitted the demand letter to personal secretary of the Chief Minister in the Secretariat.

Centre failed to form statutory bodies for Cauvery, say farmers

Members of Cauvery Urimai Meetpu Kuzhu and farmers staged a demonstration near the railway station here urging the Union government to form the Cauvery Management Board and Water Regulation Committee immediately.

The demonstration was led by P. Maniarasan, Convenor of the Kuzhu. Maniarasan said that the union government should have formed the statutory bodies when the final award of the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal was published in the gazette. Due to the delay, Karnataka had not released the due share of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu this year.

But now 40,000 cusecs of water was released from Karnataka after the state received copious showers due to South West Monsoon and it could not store the excess water in its reservoirs. “Karnataka has been using Tamil Nadu as a spillway by releasing water when it could not store. There should be distress sharing”, Mr. Maniarasan said.

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu should take a delegation of all party leaders to Delhi and appeal to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to interfere and make Karnataka release water, he added.

Durai Balakrishnan, assistant general secretary, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Ayyanapuramj C. Murugesan, general secretary, Thamizhar Desiya Iyakkam, A. Nalladurai, convenor of the Naam Thamizhar Katchi, T. Manimozhiyan, general secretary of Thamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam, and Cauvery Dhanabalan, general secretary of Cauvery Vivasayigal Padukappu Sangam took part in the agitation.

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)