Monthly Archives: December 2018
Chennai’s ‘Rs 5 doctor’ S. Jayachandran is no more
He had endeared himself to residents of North Chennai
North Chennai’s famous ‘₹5 doctor’ S. Jayachandran is no more. He passed away on Wednesday morning after a brief illness. Ever since news of his death spread, people from Royapuram and Kasimedu have been flocking to his house-cum-clinic on Venkatachalam Street in Old Washermenpet to pay their respects.
The 71-year-old doctor, an alumnus of Madras Medical College, used to treat people often for free during his 43-year-long career.
His fee was ₹5 at the most and he used to give medicines to patients, often buying them from his own pocket. Posters have come up in the locality and patients like Vinoth, who was saved by the doctor when he was just 7, have stayed put at his home.
“I was brought here to him in an unconscious state. But in the evening I walked back. I brought my daughter as a 6-day-old infant when she vomited blood and he saved her too,” said Mr. Vinoth.
The doctor, an alumnus of Madras Medical College, ran his clinic for 43 years in north Chennai. He is survived by his wife, also a doctor, and a daughter and two sons. The last rites would be performed on Thursday.
Long-time friend Ernest Paul said Jayachandran had pride in being a resident of north Chennai and always wanted to project the area in a positive manner. “He was active in several associations and was always encouraging youngsters,” he said.
M.D. Dayalan, another long-time well-wisher, said that the doctor would send elderly patients back home by rickshaws if they came walking to his clinic. “He would even give them money to buy footwear if they were diabetic or had any foot injury,” he recalled.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Deepa H. Ramakrishnan / Chennai – December 20th, 2018
14
Tamil Nadu: Sculptors to bring back tales of unsung dalit activists
Activists like Veerammal, Vanjinagaram Kandan and Cuddalore Pandian had fought for the rights of the oppressed at different periods of time from 1890 to 1990.
Chennai :
An alumni group from various government fine arts colleges in Tamil Nadu is in the process of etching in stone portrait statues of unsung dalit activists who fought for the rights of the downtrodden.
Activists like Veerammal, Vanjinagaram Kandan and Cuddalore Pandian had fought for the rights of the oppressed at different periods of time from 1890 to 1990.
“I have compiled a list of 26 such activists for making their statues,” Dalit historian Stalin Rajangam told PTI. In the 1950s, Veerammal, belonging to Tiruchirapalli, constructed a school for dalit girls.
Hailing from Madurai, Vanjinagaram Kandan, during the 1980s, fought for the rights of dalits to access water.
While Tirunelveli’s Ponnusamy fought for temple entry, Pandian sought the right to refuse to play the Parai (drum) when demanded by dominant castes, Rajangam said.
“Kandan, Ponnusamy and Pandian – all were murdered for fighting for the cause.
There are a lot of others who contributed during the century, but these 26 names had enough documents and photographs available,” Rajangam said.
Former Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai, Principal, G Chandrasekaran, who is leading the team of sculptors said Mahatma Gandhi is an icon.
However, there were also a lot of people who worked on the ground but were not as recognised as him, he said.
“This is an attempt to appreciate the contributions made by such unsung heroes,” Chandrasekaran said.
An initiative of director Pa Ranjith’s ‘Neelam Panbaattu Maiam’ (Neelam Cultural Centre), the 26 statues would be displayed at a three-day event – Vaanam Arts Festival – to be held in Chennai from December 29 to 31.
Neelam Cultural Centre coordinator Udaya said the festival would display various dalit art forms.
Rajangam said while 25 of them were natives of Tamil Nadu, a foreigner who made it to the list is James H A Tremenheere.
Tremenheere was the Chengalpattu collector in the 1890s. He assigned 12 lakh acres to the oppressed classes of the Madras Presidency, Rajangam said.
The sculptors are from Government College of Architecture and Sculpture, Mahabalipuram and Government College of Fine Arts at Kumbakonam, Puducherry and Chennai.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by PTI / December 13th, 2018
The golden touch
The 50-year-old Minstrels will perform its annual Christmas concert tomorrow
There’s a wonderfully still moment at the start of every carol concert when you are visited by ghosts of Christmases past. Among the memories of good times, for the Minstrels, it is a throwback to singing of joy and hope in the leafy bylanes of Purasaiwalkam half a century ago. Founded in 1968, by school friends who loved a game of cricket as much as they loved pitching their voices together, the Minstrels have been singing at special services in and around Chennai since then.
“We were all students of Madras Christian College School and lived in the same neighbourhood. We had a lot of time and our parents thought we could put our fledging guitar skills and voices to use. We first sang at the CSI Missionary Chapel, Mookathal Street, in 1978 and since have been singing at special services in churches,” says John Manikam, choir director and one of the founding members of the Minstrels.
The all-male choir that initially had 10 members and swelled to 30, is now a 16-voice, four-part harmony ensemble. “Members are scattered across age groups — the youngest is 18, the oldest 64 — and we don’t strictly audition for it. We welcome anyone who can carry a tune,” says John, who took over from Donald Madhavaraj.
The choir that sings hymns and gospel songs in both English and Tamil, counts the music of the Seekers as one of their early favourites. “For the upcoming concert we will be singing Don Moen’s ‘Emmanuel has come’ and our all-time favourite, ‘Devan nammaku adaikalam’.
Two concerts a year by the Minstrels — a Christmas worship service and a Lenten song service — raise funds for families from disadvantaged backgrounds. The choir has also recorded and released DVDs.
Have they considered opening the choir to women? “We stuck with what our parents asked us to do,” laughs John.
This year’s edition of Echoes of Christmas Day, will be held on December 13 at the Emmanuel Methodist Church, Jeremiah Road, Vepery, at 6.15 pm. The event is free and open to all.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home>News> Chennai / by Deepa Alexander / December 12th, 2018
11th
Best Woman Parliamentarian Award for Kanimozhi
Vice-President to bestow honour at event
DMK MP Kanimozhi has been selected for the Best Woman Parliamentarian (Rajya Sabha) set up by Lokmat newspaper for 2018.
“I am happy that the announcement has come at a time my leader and brother M.K. Stalin is in Delhi to meet the national leaders,” Ms Kanimozhi told The Hindu.
A jury of eminent personalities headed by Murali Manohar Joshi selected her for the award and it will be presented to her by Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu on December 13.
She said the award would serve as a constant reminder to improve her performance as a Parliamentarian.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Tamil Nadu / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – Decembr 10th, 2018
Six chopper pilots of Indian Navy honoured in Chennai
The Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command Rolling Trophy for the trainee pilot standing first in order of merit in Flying, was awarded to Lieutenant Devanshu Tyagi.
Chennai :
Six officers of the Indian Navy were awarded the prestigious ‘Wings of Gold’ by Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh AVSM, NM, Director General-Project Seabird, after graduating from the 91st Helicopter Conversion Course (HCC) at Naval Air Station-INS Rajali, Arakkonam, on Friday.
The six officers, who underwent rigorous flying and ground training for 21 weeks at the Helicopter Training School (HTS), INAS 561, were honoured in the presence of Commodore TV Sunil, Commanding Officer of INS Rajali.
The Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command Rolling Trophy for the trainee pilot standing first in order of merit in Flying, was awarded to Lieutenant Devanshu Tyagi. The Sub Lieutenant Kunte Memorial Book Prize for standing first in order of merit in ground subjects, was awarded to Lieutenant Yogi Malhotra.
The Governor of Kerala Rolling Trophy for standing first in overall order of merit, was awarded to Lieutenant Yogi Malhotra.The newly qualified pilots will be appointed to various front-line operational units of the Indian Navy.
On the front lines
The newly qualified pilots will take on various missions such as Search and Rescue (SAR), reconnaissance, surveillance and anti-piracy patrols.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / December 08th, 2018
Activist Kausalya gets married to a ‘parai’ player
Kausalya, who took to activism after her husband Shankar’s murder in Udumalpet in March 2016, married a parai player here on Sunday.
Her marriage to Sakthi (27), a Vellalore resident and visual communication graduate, took place at the Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam around 10 a.m., in the presence of TPDK Secretary Ku. Ramakrishnan, Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam leader Kolathur Mani and a few other leaders of other like-minded outfits.
Kausalya, who learnt to play the parai drum, had known Sakthi because of various programmes she attended to create awareness on caste-based violence under the Shankar Samooga Needhi Arakkatalai, she established. She took to activism after her parents, along with a few others, murdered her husband Shankar as they were opposed to the inter-caste marriage.
Sakthi runs ‘Nimirvu’ a band that plays parai.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Special Correspondent / Coimbatore – December 09th, 2018
All you need to know about Anukreethy Vas, India’s contestant in the Miss World 2018 pageant
As India hopes that Anukreethy Vas brings back the crown for the second time in a row, here is a list of all the interesting facts you should know about this beauty with a heart.
On 19th June 2018, Anukreethy Vas was just 19 years old, when she became the first olive skinned beauty to win the Miss India title.
As India hopes that Anukreethy Vas brings back the crown for the second time in a row after Manushi Chiillar’s win last year, here is a list of all the interesting facts you should know about this beauty with a heart
Anukreethy grew up in Trichy, in a very conservative society. But that did not stop this Tomboyish girl from exploring life as she rode bikes and roamed around the town.
As a single parent, Anukreethy’s mother has been her constant source of support and gave her ‘all the freedom’.
In her words, “My mother is also my father, and my superhero. If I had had a 6 pm curfew all my life then I wouldn’t have come this far especially in the fashion industry,”
Anukreethy is currently pursuing her Bachelors in French literature from Loyola, Chennai to fulfil her mother’s wish of seeing her become a translator.
A Biriyani lover at heart, Anukreethy is also a state level athlete who is good at singing and dancing.
Though she had no professional training in modeling before, Anukreethi went on to win the Miss India title and her future plan is to pursue Fine Arts and become a supermodel.
Anukreethy is also an active member of Beauty with a Purpose campaign through which she promotes right to education. She also runs an orphanage for 30 underprivileged kids and works towards uplifting the lives of transgenders. She is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Manushi Chillar who crowned her with the Miss India crown and her favorite motto is – The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today. So be the best version of yourself every day.
Anukreethy’s answer to the final question which won her the Miss India Pageant reinstates the fact that she is a woman of substance. Asked whether success or failure was a good teacher, she said, “I would say failure is a better teacher because when you get continuous success in life, you will feel content at a point and your growth will stop. But when you get failures continuously, the soul will have the fire and you will keep working hard until you reach the goal.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Hindi / by Online Desk / December 08th, 2018