DMK President M Karunanidhi on Wednesday asked Tamil Nadu government to obtain documents offered to be provided by members of a royal family in connection with the Katchatheevu issue and submit them along with others in the Supreme Court in support of its plea for retrieval of the islet ceded to Sri Lanka.
The kin of Ramanatha Sethupathy, a former king of Ramanathapuram, had reportedly said there were documents to show that the islet came under their father’s erstwhile administration and that they were ready to give the documents in this regard to the Chief Minister, Karunanidhi said.
“They have also assured all support to state government for the retrieval of Katchatheevu… Therefore, I insist that state government gather the (documentary) proof mentioned by the Ramanathapuram royal family and those in its possession and come forward to present them in Supreme Court,” he said responding to a set of questions in party mouth-piece ‘Murasoli.’
Tamil Nadu Government has filed a petition in the apex court seeking retrieval of Katchatheevu, an islet in the Palk Strait, which was ceded to Sri Lanka by India in 1974 by way of an agreement.
Karunanidhi has also moved the Supreme Court on the matter.
The Centre had recently submitted in the court that no Indian territory, including Katchatheevu, was ceded to Sri Lanka, and the question of retrieval did not arise.
Karunanidhi also lauded BJP MP Tarun Vijay who had recently demanded in Rajya Sabha that Tamil be made the second official language of the country, and recalled that DMK had made a similar pitch in its 2011 election manifesto.
PTI
source: http://www.zeenews.india.com / Home / Wednesday – September 11th, 2013
As many as 120 trading ships crossed Red Sea every year from Alexandria to ‘Muziri,’ now called Pattanam in Kerala, during the 1st century AD. Historians in the city said the concept of globalisation was not something newly invented.
Historians and chroniclers from Chennai said seafarers from Greek and India in earlier centuries were master navigators.
“The ancient methods of sea navigation were remarkable and several observations made by Greek sailors during the 60 AD give us a different perspective of Indian rulers. Till the first century, traders and seafarers considered the entire Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea as the Erythrean sea,” said eminent historian K.R.A. Narasiah, who delivered a lecture on the topic ‘Periplus of the Erythrean sea’ (Guide to the Red Sea) on Thursday at the state archaeology department.
Highlighting how Sangam literature had captured the trade between the west and east, he said, “During the first century AD, the kingdoms were highly prosperous and several foreigners had made the sub continent their home since at least 2,000 years ago.”
Interestingly, seafarers used the Ganga for navigation, according to historians. “The ships were smaller in size and were not heavy. Through Gangesh these ships carried goods till Pataliputra, now Patna,” he added.
Historians also said several mysteries are yet to be uncovered. “‘Periplus of Erythrean Sea’ was gleaned from assorted records from diaries of early ancient Greek sailors.
It was first translated by famed historian Wilfred H. Schoff in 1912, and his work is widely accepted as the most precise translation of what transpired in trade between these great nations during 60 AD,” said Prof. C. Somasundara Rao, retired professor of history, Andhra University.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / by Prashanth Vijayakumar / September 20th, 2013
Would any of us know that the city of Madurai not only encompasses the monumental remains but also the graves of the important persons belonging to the history? Therefore it comes as no surprise that the city has been nicknamed the ‘Athens of the East’.
The St. George’s cemetery located in Kakathoppu (crow’s grove) houses some of the graves of the British that date back to the time of East India Company’s regime in Tamil Nadu. The oldest graves in the cemetery dates back to 1773 and it is said to have belonged to Captain Christopher Theophilus and Samuel Evas. Sulaimaan, Retired Assistant Director of the Art and Culture Department of Madurai, sheds light on the historical evidences that have been revealed through studies conducted at the cemetery. “When the East India Company was entirely established, they decided to allot an exclusive graveyard as the population grew manifold. They selected this area in Kakathoppu and buried the war heroes of those times including their friends and relatives. The cemetery is more than two hundred years old and houses the bones — including that of the famous General Alan who was the first British person to raise the tax claim to the then ruler Veerapandiya Kattabomman.
The graves in the cemetery are built in a European style. An old hearse that was used to carry the bodies still exists on the premises. Pooja Venkatram, a college student, who came to know about the cemetery, recently says, “After my friends told about this old cemetery and history associated with it, my curiosity was piqued. I visited it with few of my friends for a college project and delved deep to study the history of the place. It was shocking to know that most of the graves belonged to the babies of those times. We were told that it was due to the unbearable heat that led to the death of these little ones. It is such an overwhelming feeling to cross the place every time and it gives me a feeling that the glories of the centuries that was once roaring with praises have been now locked and laying silent inside.”
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Lifestyle> Travel / DC / byu Teena Limitton / March 20th, 2013
Suganya is seen with a bouquet at a college event held recently. – DC
Chennai:
Twin sisters Suganya and Suriya pursuing BSc Maths in MOP Vaishnav College for women in the city are making their parents proud.
Daughters of flower sellers, these girls string flowers together after college hours and their parents sell them to their regular customers. After knowing the family’s financial position, the college principal Dr K. Nirmala Prasad offered scholarships and also asked them to enroll in bouquet making classes at the college free of cost.
“We learnt bouquet making and now we have plans to start our own business. Thanks to our college lecturers and friends. The college also purchases flowers and bouquets from us for various events,” say Suganya and Suriya.
Though it was not a smooth journey for the twins and their younger brother, Suganya says, “Amma and Appa encourage us to study well. Sometimes we string flowers even till 8 pm and then my mom and dad go on cycles to sell them.
We want to study well and make our parents proud,” says Suganya, who wants to pursue IT and get a job. Suriya wants to develop her family business. “I want to become a florist and also work for deaf and dumb children,” she says.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / January 28th, 2013
M Patanjali Sastri, the first member of the Madras Bar who became the Chief Justice of India in 1952, was indeed a Tamilian and hence holds the distinction of being the first CJI from Tamil Nadu, it now emerges.
Since the popular perception among members of the Chennai judiciary is that Sastri hailed from Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, which was mentioned in Express on June 30 in the report on the elevation of Justice P Sathasivam as the next CJI, Saran Patanjali, the grandson of Sastri, has sought to set the record straight. He clarified that his grandfather was born in Mandakolathur (see passport copy on top right), which is in present day Tiruvannamalai district. The old passport of Sastri, preserved by the grandson along with black and white historic photographs, proves that his place of birth was indeed Mandakolathur.
Saran Patanjali said the ‘error/anomaly pertaining to the nativity’ had hurt the family members, and added: “Sri M Patanjali Sastri was the son of Sri Krishna Sastri, a Tamilian who was a Sanskrit scholar and Headmaster of Muthialpet School in Chennai.” Since Sastri is a Tamilian, he was the first CJI from Tamil Nadu, said Patanjali, who is the son of P Nagarajan, the eldest of Sastri’s sons.
Of Sastri’s eight children — three sons, five daughters — a daughter, Tirupurasundari, resides in Bengaluru and even she was upset over the report mentioning her father as a ‘Telugu’, said Patanjali, who studied law but pursued a career in management and is now Vice president of El Forge Ltd in Chennai.
Among Sastri’s descendents, only one grandson, V Balachandran, had had a career in law. He had practised at the Madras High Court till his death about three years ago.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service – Chennai / July 03rd, 2013
RBI regional director J. Sadakkadulla (right) unveiling ‘My stamp’ at the head post office in Chennai on Friday. — DC
Chennai:
Soon people can get themselves featured in postal stamps along with their pets as the ‘My stamp’ initiative is gaining popularity across the country. Already, this novel idea of the postal department has hit record sales with over 60,000 people having booked for ‘My stamp’ covers.
Young crowds have been lured to include their image as sender, say officials of the postal department. “The applicant merely needs to fill a form and submit a photo to the department which will issue his or her photo embedded in the stamp,” said an official.
Surprisingly youth have taken the lead in buying ‘My stamp’. “I love writing letters to my friends. It always helps oneself to improve their language also it will be good memorabilia. and this ‘My stamp’ initiative is a great idea,” said K. Karthika, a college student.
Applicants can receive the form at all philatelic bureaus in the state or at district HQs of the postal department and in Chennai, the philatelic bureau on Anna Salai is handling the ‘my stamp’ application. “The main aim of the project is to attract youth as sending personal letters between people have become a thing of the past. This measure will evoke a sense of attachment with the post,” said an official.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / May 04th, 2013
The three-hour programme, the brainchild of Co-optex’s new managing director U. Sagayam, will favour ‘ordinary’ people — farmers, weavers, and their wives will showcase their latest line of outfits. / Photo: S. Sivasaravanan / The Hindu
Farmers, weavers, transgenders will display line of clothes on Saturday
On Saturday, the city will play host to a unique fashion show. Eschewing svelte models in favour of ‘ordinary’ people, Co-optex has decided that farmers, weavers, and their wives will showcase their latest line of outfits.
Alongside them on the ramp will be folk artists, physically challenged residents, and members of the transgender community.
The aim? To survive in a cut-throat market and to bring Co-optex’s products closer to those who matter, but are generally sidelined by mainstream showrooms.
The three-hour programme is the brainchild of Co-optex’s new managing director U. Sagayam, who has set a high target for the organisation.
For it to survive in the market without the advantages of an advertisement blitzkrieg, he said, it was necessary to challenge cherished facts.
And so, in a daring experiment, regular residents, who know next to nothing about walking the ramp, will display Co-optex’s clothing line.
Mr. Sagayam said he hoped this, along with other sales campaigns, would help make Co-optex a popular brand among a sizeable section of the population before the year is out.
The fashion show, to be held at Co-optex’s Thillayadi Valliammmai complex, will also include a performance by visually impaired people.
The National Institute of Fashion Technology will provide technical support. “But the participants will wear our garments. Weavers, farmers, transgender community members and physically challenged persons survive on the margins of society and are rarely recognised for their work. Co-optex will honour their contributions,” Mr. Sagayam said.
The show will also be organised in Madurai, Coimbatore and Tiruchi.
“During a visit to Arupukkottai soon after taking over here, I was impressed by the hospitality of the weavers,” he said, adding that this inspired him to go ahead and experiment.
Last year, for the first time in its 78-year history, Co-optex managed to earn profits, by netting Rs. 244.61 crore through retail sales.
The organisation has set a target of Rs. 400 crore for the current financial year. “The competition is high now,” Mr. Sagayam admitted.
Several novel initiatives that were introduced last year, such as the ‘Mapillai’ set (clothes for bridegrooms), ‘silk for all’ and ‘old for new’ saris, were a huge hit with customers, Mr. Sagayam added.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by R. Sujatha / Chennai – May 03rd, 2013
Cycling, martial arts, books, designing and entrepreneurship… youngsters’ hobbies range from the conventional to the unconventional. Vanshika Mohta talks to a few youngsters about their avocation.
The word ‘hobby’ originated from the old ‘hobby-horse’, a common name given by the English to their ponies, something the kids, who often played with their wooden toy versions, were fond of, and gradually evolved to mean a favourite pastime.
Hobbies are like the fingerprints of one’s desires and emotions. If you want to keep the zeal on, be it professional or personal, your hobby can supply your mind and self with the indispensible bouts of freshness it needs to keep going. If you have a hobby, realise it, pursue it and live it. It’s the true inner refuge from the cacophony of the outside.
Shyamini Pillai: Reads books with a passion. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Book worm
She was four when Shyamini Pillai, now a 26-year-old Chartered Accountant with Randstad in Chennai, discovered solace in books. A voracious reader, she is currently taking three books down simultaneously! She prefers anything from murder mysteries to chick-lit to mythology, by Indian or foreign writers in the electronic or paperback form, and picks books based on her mood. “I had crazy work timings during my Articleship days as a CA student, returning around one or two in the morning, and my friends would wonder how I’d still have the energy to stay up to read,” claims Shyamini, who cannot sleep without turning a few pages. She falls short of space here, but “back home, in Kochi, I could take you on a tour from wall to wall filled with rows of books. Don’t be surprised if you find some under the bed too,” she laughs! Inspired by words, she tried her hand at writing poetry and short stories when in her Std X, but doesn’t plan on pursuing that further. A die-hard shopping buff, she calls that her second love. No prizes for guessing which series by Sophie Kinsella she enjoys reading! “I relish spending my free time with family and friends. Otherwise, I’m a sports enthusiast and a gym-freak.”
Harsh Gagrani: Makes time for cycling despite a busy professional life./ by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Two tyre story
He juggles between tutorials, authoring books and being a part-time quizmaster, but forces himself to squeeze in space for his hobbies which include cycling, a lot of reading and watching movies/TV. With his own share of busy and not-so-busy periods,
Harsh Gagrani, 25, founder – LegalEdge Tutorials and author, from Bhopal makes a conscious effort to allot, however limited, time for cycling every day. “My hobby, for me, is much more than just a way to detach myself from my work for a certain amount of time. It acts as an amazing stress buster, it often instigates me to think out of the box and best of all — it often gives me a much -needed break from all the running around I do while I’m working,” he discloses.
He got his first cycle when he was 10 years old and would seize hours to catch a ride with his friends. Not surprisingly, cycles were replaced with other vehicles, but he managed to pick it up again after college and now, one can often find him rejoicing in a ride alone in one of Bhopal’s cycling clubs. Although he doesn’t go on regular expeditions, he grabs the opportunity if he can and declares that, “if my passion and interest for the same continue, and I manage to sneak in some more time from my work for cycling, I might think about going on long cycling trips.”
Rahul Saraf: Part of a peer group club. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Sporty steal
In a profession which involves travelling for about 15-20 days of a month, Rahul Saraf, 26, Director, Kaizen Cold Formed Steel, manages to steal some time for sports, something which has stayed with him since school days. “I joined the Presidency Club a while back and mostly play badminton, golf and snooker. Cricket happens twice or thrice a week,” he recounts. “It’s been 10 years since I played my first badminton match and I developed a liking for it right away.”
Other than being a field for him to socialise and catch up with friends, it gives him a challenge to face and overcome.
He often participates in Inter-club or Intra-club tournaments when possible, peer groups being one of his primary motivating factors. “Playing gives me a different high altogether. It’s an amazing equalizer for all the ups and downs one faces in a normal day and is a productive way to vent one’s frustration,” he admits. He strives to be in shape and is also trying to get into a regular gym routine.
Roli Maheshwari: Dancing for physical and mental upliftment. / by Special Arrangement / Th e Hindu
Happy feet
Roli Maheshwari joined her first dance class under Shiamak Davar’s when she was five and hasn’t left dancing since. “During family weddings, we never hire a choreographer and I prepare almost all the dance routines for the family functions.”
Operating her own business, this 23-year-old fashion designer from Delhi starts work at nine in the morning and goes on till seven in the evening. Busy seasons see her working into the wee hours of the night, but when she heard of belly dancing classes, she re-organised her schedule.
Having always wanted to learn dance, Roli steals three hours out of her work pattern, twice a week and has been managing comfortably for a year now. “The training is ardous and by the end of it, my stomach muscles ache so much, I have difficulty eating,” she accepts, “but if you can’t find time for your hobby, there’s no point in working hard elsewhere,” she believes. The satisfaction of learning something new keeps her going.
Take a stroll
She was one step away from pursuing an MBA when she decided that she didn’t want to study further and enjoyed something else much more. Having interned under a designer for six to nine months, Hasmeet Chawla, 23, Mumbai, started her own line of accessories – Get Accessorised —and has been working on her own for a year now. “I never concentrated much on classes and would end up sketching something or the other. But once I went to Stds XI and XII, I did not think about it again and got into the usual college procedures. It was only after I finished my graduation that I finally revived this hobby and managed to turn it into a profession,” she narrates.
She finds inspiration from nature, common objects, etc. If I have to take a break, I watch movies, go on my evening walks, or listen to music. Mostly of the times, I work for hours together with music in the background,” she says. Five-day long exhibitions and one in every two months are all part of this pursuit. “I bring out in images what people imagine in words and that gives me an inexplicable joy.”
Sachin Agarwal: Pursuing Articleship and entrepreneurship side by side. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Sporty sessions
While work is hectic through the week, respite comes on weekends for Sachin Agarwal, 23, doing his Articleship with Deloitte in Mumbai. “I love to meet with my friends, give out creative ideas, and have debates. All of us are from such different backgrounds that there’s a lot to learn. Three months ago, four of us launched a website, an online retail platform, on hearing about its market from of friends,” explains Sachin, who has been taking time out to work on the website for the past six months, and admits that the venture is less work and more fun.
With one-and-a-half hours per day for three days a week, the gym is his other haunt. “It’s a brilliant kick-start to my mornings and helps me overcome lethargy, making me more agile and energetic for the rest of the day. Moreover, the trend among my peers encourages me to keep going back even when I have not been regular,” he reveals. Saturday evenings are earmarked for football, cricket or volleyball and he also takes regular trekking trips with once the monsoon kicks in.
Nishant Shah: Passionate about gaming and martial arts. / by Special Arrangement / Th e Hindu
Gaming guru
“I come across a new challenge and experience a surprise every day. My speed, dexterity, strength have all enhanced,” articulates Nishant Shah, 23, Market Analyst, Chennai. He undergoes one and a half hours of intensive training in mixed martial arts, each day after work for five days a week and has been doing so for the past eight months. “When I was younger and I’d watch Karate kid or see people do cartwheel, I’d say to myself that I could never do all that. Now I’m actually doing much more! There are times when we’re just running, running like maniacs, or learning how to retaliate and roll out of a troubled situation,” he says, exhilarated.
The other two days of the week he returns to his hobby — video games. “Gaming has evolved from just jumping left and right and shooting to so much more.” To him, they are like short narratives, an experience not very different from reading a book or watching a movie, except that the story is in the player’s control. “I’m completely immersed in the characters; they transport me to a parallel universe. If I read about a great game online, I don’t mind staying up a few hours extra to try it out,” he confesses.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Vanshika Mohta / Chennai – July 03rd, 2013
With the Supreme Court raising its concern about adulteration of milk, a research scholar from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) has developed a colour-based sensor (membrane), which changes colour when the milk gets spoilt.
Concerned over how people get fooled by milk traders who sell spoilt milk to people, Anshika Agarwal, a research scholar in the department of biotechnology at IIT-M decided to come up with a solution to help people buy good quality milk.
She started to work a year ago to solve the problem as part of her Ph.D research. “Milk often gets spoilt before the expiry date printed on the sachet. Keeping this in mind, I developed a sensor which is sensitive enough to detect milk spoilage at anearly stage,” said Agarwal, doing research in electrospinning (electrical charge draws very fine fibres from a liquid.).
The membrane (sensor) would be printed on the external wall connected by a small piece of sensor, which would sense the quality of milk and change the membrane’s colour in the sachet. “My sensor is cost-effective and easy to incorporate in packaging system. Prof T.S. Chandra of the Biotechnology department and Prof T.S. Natarajan from the Physics department have helped me a lot in developing this membrane,” she said.
K. Sekar, a milk vendor said,“People keep complaining about the poor quality of milk being supplied to them but now if this membrane is fixed, I am sure we will get to know the quality of milk when its supplied to us.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / by N. Arun Kumar / July 07th, 2013
When several parts of the state are still facing water shortages, Dindigul town has reported steady rise in groundwater level after the recent rains. The residents now laud the municipality for its intensive drive to create awareness on rainwater-harvesting measures in the town.
The water table in Dindigul town, which had touched an all time low of 600 feet earlier, has climbed up to 500 ft. The residents, who are the beneficiaries, are happy they complied with the municipality and laid down the rainwater harvesting structures in time.
A survey of buildings with the rainwater-harvesting structures, including houses, commercial complexes and industrial units, was done in June this year, said Dindigul municipal commissioner T Kumar. Out of 20,337 buildings, only about 3,000 had rainwater-harvesting structures then. Soon, 30 teams of municipal employees swung into action and made door-to-door visits, insisting people to fix the structures. Their efforts paid off and today over 12,000 buildings in the town have rainwater harvesting structures.
The municipal workers talked to the residents and sensitised them on the need to harvest the rainwater. Senior town planning officer M A Palaniappan said the government has designed specific rainwater-harvesting models according to soil condition. Dindigul has sandy soil which enables easy percolation of the rainwater; hence; the residents were asked to install structures which cost about Rs 3,000 for a 1,000 square-feet structure. “We specify that each structure should have a depth of, at least, one meter,” he said. Buildings that adopt the system have spot a sticker saying “rainwater-harvesting measures implemented”.
V Marudharaj, municipal chairman, is passionate about the concept. He propagates the importance of harvesting the precious natural resource among the residents of the town. The municipal office has model structures of the system to give residents an idea about the system. The residents were also asked to refurbish the old harvesting infrastructure, Marudharaj said.
To avoid water crisis, the municipality even restored the Gobalsamudram tank spread over four acres in the heart of Dindigul town. “We took up the restoration work that was pending for the last 40 years. Shrubs were removed and all the sewage that flowed into the tank was diverted. The tank has been fenced and only rain water will be allowed to flow into it from the nearby buildings in future. Two wells within the tank were also deepened. If there is good rainfall, this tank will be filled with sparkling rainwater,” Marudharaj explained about the measures undertaken.
Rajarathinam, a resident, said the water in his domestic borewell has gone up by 5 ft after the recent rains and that he is happy that he installed the rainwater harvesting system. Jayalakshmi, another resident, noted that garden plants are now growing well after she put up the system.
Sources say that the administration should insist on the implementation of the rainwater harvesting system in villages also.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai> Water table / by Padmini Sivarajah, TNN / September 14th, 2013
