On 29 August 2022, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan tweeted a picture of a news article published by The Hindu which stated that the state’s own tax revenue has shot up by over 50% in the first quarter of the current fiscal.
Glad to see coverage of TN's improving finances, under the leadership of @mkstalin who empowers us to do our best
Of course cultists & crap-posters like SGSuryah & his ecosystem of ignorant/bigoted bilge like Kathir & Commune will ignore the data & ask "what has the Govt done"🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/MzJx8i08ZN
In his tweet, PTR had targeted me and a few other entities that publish things to his liking saying “cultists & crap-posters like SGSuryah & his ecosystem of ignorant/bigoted bilge like Kathir & Commune will ignore the data & ask “what has the Govt done”“.
The DMK Minister has the habit of covering up his non-performance with bloated ego and arrogance. This time, he has done the same with some bloated claims.
Here’s some data for the kind attention of the Minister.
As evident from The Hindu article, the highest growth in the state’s own revenue has come from the State Excise Duty which reflects revenue from liquor.
Basically, the DMK government in Tamil Nadu has managed to sell more liquor to its people that has caused State Excise Duty to grow by 116.3%. Credit should go to PTR as after he took over as the Finance Minister, the Tamil Nadu government earned a whopping ₹36,013 crore from liquor sales in FY 2021-22, the highest ever.
Be that as it may. Even otherwise, the numbers for Q1 for this year is bound to be higher than Q1 last year because of the base effect as the entire country including Tamil Nadu was grappling with the second wave of the pandemic.
PTR must understand that not all Tamil people are dim-witted Dravidian Stockists to buy his arguments at face value.
The right thing to do would be to compare Q4 of last financial year with Q1 of this financial year and contrast Tamil Nadu’s performance vis a vis other similarly placed states.
Tamil Nadu’s own tax revenue (excluding State’s share of Union Taxes) for Q4 2021-22 was ₹37,718.09 crores. It has reduced to ₹35863.86 crores for the first quarter of this financial year.
Data compiled from CAG Monthly Key Indicators
Perhaps, The Hindu did not compare Q4 numbers of 2021-22 with Q1 numbers of 2022-23 as it may put PTR in a bad light.
On the other hand, the Q1 2022-23 numbers might look lesser than Q4 2021-22 numbers for states like Gujarat and Maharashtra at the outset. But, the own tax revenue without including Central Government’s devolution has seen a rise.
Data compiled from CAG Monthly Key Indicators
As evident from above, the own tax revenue of Gujarat has registered an increase of 4.88% this quarter than the previous quarter. On the other hand, Tamil Nadu has seen a decrease of 4.92%.
And what is to be noted is that Gujarat has achieved this growth without intoxicating its people with liquor.
It is true that many of the similarly placed states like Maharashtra and Karnataka have registered lower revenues this quarter when compared to the last quarter.
If PTR wants to claim credit for Tamil Nadu showing 50% rise in own tax revenue in Q1, well, many other states have registered higher own tax revenue when compared with Q1 of 2021-22. Maharashtra’s own tax revenue in Q1 grew by 68% and Gujarat’s by 50%. Both these states have shown lesser increase in State Excise Duties compared to Tamil Nadu which means that these states are not pouring alcohol in the mouths of people to earn revenue.
Surprisingly, Maharashtra’s own tax revenue in Q1 grew by 68% & Gujarat by 50% without a state FM with a Double PhD. (Guj without liquor revenue too)
So, instead of covering up his dismal performance by dissing his dissidents, the DMK Minister should seriously introspect himself and the work he has done.
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Sadhguru’s birthday, which falls on September 3rd, is celebrated as River Revitalization day, and on this occasion this year, farmers across Tamil Nadu have planted 2.5 lakh timber trees in their lands.
The trees were planted on the farms of 130 farmers within three days from 1st to 3rd September.
Similar tree planting events were held on the birthdays of Nammalwar, Nel Jayaraman, Maram Thangaswamy, etc., and are celebrated on a large scale all over Tamil Nadu. Cauvery Calling is an initiative of Isha Outreach under Rally for Rivers to revitalize river Cauvery, rejuvenate the soil, and improve farmers income. The movement is progressing rapidly towards the target of planting 242 crore trees in Cauvery catchment areas. In the last two years alone, 2.5 crore trees have been planted in agricultural lands.
A target of planting one crore trees has been set in Tamil Nadu alone this year and 35 lakh trees have been planted so far. By growing various timber trees like Teak, Neem, Karumaruthu, Vengai, Turmeric Kadambu, Sandalwood, Red Sandal, Kumizhi, Mahagani, etc., the income of the farmers increases quickly along with improving the soil fertility. Accordingly, Cauvery Calling is conducting various classes, directly and online, creating awareness amongst the farmers discussing various aspects of tree-based agriculture. Cauvery Calling Movement volunteers are meeting farmers recommending trees suitable for their soil and advising them on planting. They are additionally raising awareness about water management and emphasizing the need for rainwater harvesting.
Isha which has been doing such activities for more than 20 years, organizes awareness programs and
training in 37 districts of Tamil Nadu every two months by organizing thousands of farmers. Such
mega programs were recently held in Pudukottai, Coimbatore, Trichy, and other places.
(This is an official press release from Isha Foundation. The Commune was not involved in creating this content.)
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The National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (ICAR – NAARM) has bestowed the Best emerging FPO to The Velliangiri Uzhavan FPO, which has been functioning with the guidance of Isha.
This award was given at the Academy’s 47th foundation celebrations in Hyderabad on Sep 1. The Academy’s director Dr. Srinivasa Rao handed over the award to Mr. Kumar, Head of Velliangiri Uzhavan FPO, and Swami Chidambara, coordinator of Isha Outreach. Mr. Prem, CEO of Velliangiri Uzhavan was also present at the ceremony.
Mr. Kumar said, “In today’s event, 2 FPOs from all over the nation were awarded. We are happy that one of them is ours. This award inspires us to work even more and become even better. In 2013, with Sadhguru’s guidance, this organization was started in the Thondamuthur area and to date, it continues to be profitable. Our organization has a total of 1,063 farmers. The coconuts, areca nuts, vegetables, etc which are grown by them are sold directly to the market by us. In our first year we had a turnover of Rs 45,000 and in the last fiscal year (2021 -2022) we had a turnover of Rs 17.65 crores. This has been possible due to the unity between the directors and farmers who are members of the organization,
Isha’s guidance and the continuous support of Isha volunteers. On this happy occasion, I would like to express my gratitude to Sadhguru and Isha Volunteers.”
Vellianguri Uzhavan has earlier received the Best FPO award from then Chief Minister, Mr. Edappadi Palaniswami during the Republic day celebrations in 2021. It has also won the Outlook Magazine award in 2020 and the FPO’s stall was visited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Agri Expo in Uttar Pradesh.
(This is an official press release from Isha Foundation. The Commune was not involved in creating this content.)
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Anti-Hindu Brahmin-baiting ‘Dravidian Stockist’ and self-proclaimed ‘author’ Kannabiran Ravishankar (KRS), promoted for long by the top brass of the DMK, was earlier accused of faking his educational qualifications claiming to have a doctoral degree from University of California, Berkeley.
It has now been confirmed by UC Berkeley that KRS did not attend or receive any degree from any department of UC Berkeley.
It is over, Dravidians.
Your boy Mr Ravishankar Kannabiran has not attended or earned a degree at University of California, Berkeley. Any Dept.
Kannabiran who goes by the handle @kryes on Twitter, is the Editor-in-Chief of Dravida Pozhil, which according to its website is “a quarterly, bi-lingual, academic research journal with focus on Dravidian studies”. He is a high decibel foul-mouthed Dravidian Stockist promoted and platformed by the DK-DMK ecosystem.
He claims himself to be an ‘Investment Banker’ full time and an ‘Adjunct Professor’ in Comparative Literature (Tamil) part-time. He had presented himself as a Ph.D holder from UC Berkeley in many of his tweets, books and and forums. He had claimed that received a doctorate in ‘Comparative Literature’ from University of California, Berkeley. In a tweet, Kannabiran claimed that his department was School of South and South East Asian studies at UC Berkeley. However, it was found that KRS’s name is neither listed in the Ph.D Alumni Directory nor in the ongoing Graduate Students list of UC Berkeley.
Reality Check India, an anonymous Twitter handle has been exposing the anti-Hindu and anti-Brahmin vitriol spewed by KRS for a long time. Refer the blog here.
Kannabiran had claimed that his thesis title was “The Comparative Nuances of Drama and Social Justice between the Master Poets – Shakespeare, Shelley, Ilango & Kamban.”. However, neither the thesis nor any publications of Kannabiran Ravishankar can be found.
Kannabiran is known for distorting Hindu scriptures and fomenting hatred against Tamil Brahmin community with vile casteist abuses. He has made several derogatroy and vulgar remarks against Hindu Gods. Many of his tweets have foul language objectifying Tamil Brahmin women. He had even used private photos of Tamil brahmin families including that of children to spew the Dravidian ‘anti-Brahmin’ vitriol. Read more about KRS and his anti-Hindu, anti-Brahmin tweets here.
How KRS Was Platformed And Promoted By DMK Leaders
In October 2021, KRS called on DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and gifted a book on the late DMK patriarch Karunanidhi. In the picutre shared he is identified as a professor of Paris University.
He has been regularly featured in Dravidian Professionals Forum, an organization founded and headed by DMK MLA and current Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan and shares close ties with him.
People ask why I am so persistent. The Dravidian intensity of hate reaches into the highest reaches. That is really disconcerting to Tamizh Brahmins. I want to put it out.
In September 2021, DMK MP from Dharmapuri Dr. Senthilkumar had shared on his Twitter about his meeting with KRS. In his tweet, the DMK MP said “Met Kannabiran Ravishankar this evening and talked for a long time like friends for several days. Forgot to talk about his and my favorite actress ‘Silk’ Smita.”
முதன்முறையாக தோழர் @kryes Kannabiran Ravishankarஅவர்களை இன்று மாலை சந்தித்து பல நாட்கள் நண்பர்கள் போல் நீண்ட நேரம் பேசினோம்😍
பேச மறந்தது அவருக்கும் எனக்கும் பிடித்த நடிகை சிலுக் ஸ்மிதா வை பற்றி.☹️
On 20 August 2022, Periyar Maniammai Institute Of Science And Technology had held its 30th convocation with Dravida Kazhagam (DK) President K. Veeramani presiding over the function in which KRS was awarded the “Degree of Doctorate of Letters”.
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Everyone knows in India that Congress is in doldrums. Everyone also knows who is responsible for their plight today, the Gandhi family. The only people that don’t want to accept this reality at least in public are the leftover leaders in Congress. There can be various reasons for that. They might either be seeing a personal opportunity for themselves in the party staying close to Rahul Gandhi or they might not be confident of winning any election on their own merit or they just have a few years left of their political career and don’t want to be adventurous like Ghulam Nabi Azad or they see Congress as a safe place to continue their corrupt practices or they are just naive dreaming of Congress coming to power in 2024.
There has been a steady exodus of good leaders from Congress and everyone for the most part felt that the high command which is nothing but the first family was not accessible to them and did not want to hear anyone outside the coterie that keeps whispering in their ears information and strategies that were utterly wrong. None of them felt respected. Several of these people were very competent leaders who have won several elections for Congress. Who was responsible for the leaving of nearly around seventy such leaders over the last few years? It was the Gandhi family mainly Rahul Gandhi and his mother, Sonia Gandhi.
Congress still enjoys a decent ground worker base across India although they are in complete disarray as an organization in almost all states except for a couple, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and to some extent Karnataka. Bad strategies election after election, lack of a credible face in the high command in the eyes of the public, internal fights in states due to a weak central leadership, total failure in coming up with the right narrative are all the reasons for the steep decline. Who is responsible for all this? It’s again the Gandhi family who never want to let go of the reins of this party even at the cost of the destruction of the party. The National Herald case questioning by the Enforcement Directorate which the Congress itself publicized through their drama on the streets has not helped them improve their credibility in the eyes of the people. Most of India has stopped taking RaGa seriously which reflects in the very poor results in the last two general elections and even in several state elections. Congress is planning a long Padayatra but it will not help as there is no credible charismatic leader acting as the fulcrum like a Jagan Reddy or K. Annamalai.
After several chintan shivirs failing, it is being touted that they are going to have the election for the new President in October or so. It is going to be the same drama of Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi refusing to take the hot seat and other chamchas saying that only the Gandhis can lead them to victory etc. Even if actually a non-Gandhi is made the President, the Gandhi family will have the remote in their hands anyways. Ashok Gehlot’s name is making the rounds and rightly so, as he will fit this role really well. The likes of Sachin Pilot or a Shashi Tharoor will never make it. The Congress will continue to remain the same and operate the same way. BJP wouldn’t mind this at all.
The Congress legacy might stand a chance to survive if some of their leaders who genuinely want to serve the public break away from the Gandhi family led party and form a new party with a professional set up and go to the public with their narrative. Public might consider listening to what they have to say. I am not sure if anyone in the party today have the courage to do what Indira Gandhi did long time ago. She had the courage to break away in 1969 from the “Old” Congress and got significant success. However, she had the charisma and the skill to connect with the people pan India which is totally missing in the party today. Rahul or Priyanka is no Indira Gandhi to revive the party single handed nor are the likes of Sachin Pilot, Shashi Tharoor, Milind Deora, and G23 leaders etc. as bold enough to repeat what happened in 1969 albeit this will be in the reverse direction. Although this seems very unlikely and might remain just a hypothesis, let’s wait and watch!
Yet again, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan attacked BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai on Twitter mocking his family’s goat-rearing background, calling him a liar and a rabble-rouser.
Why won't I even address 🐐by name?
1) seeks publicity w/ Martyr's body 2) engineers slipper-throwing on car w/ national flag 3) lies blatantly 4) rabble-rouser
Vile beings like🐐& "High-Court Questions mental stability" are a curse on Tamil Society
PTR’s tweet comes in the light of Annamalai’s recent pressmeet in which he said that the leaked conversation between him and another BJP cadre discussing about PTR’s car getting slippered incident was true adding that BJP’s politics will be aggressive going forward.
Responding to PTR’s tweet, Annamalai pulled no punches and hit back with a blistering attack.
“Mr PTR, your problem is this: You & your coterie, who only live with your ancestors’ initials, cannot accept a self-made son of a farmer who also proudly practices farming – as a person.” Annamalai lashed out.
“Have you done anything worthwhile in this life except being born to a great lineage & a silver spoon? You are a curse to politics & our state!” Annamalai lambasted at PTR who often keeps harping on about his dynastic privilege.
Annamalai further said “You need to understand there are people like us too – who don’t travel in big planes; don’t shut down banks & importantly, have a balanced brain & a life.”
PTR had once said that he travels only in big planes and not smaller low-cost airlines.
“Finally, You are not worthy enough for my Chappals. I’ll never stoop to your level to orchestrate something like that. Don’t worry!” Annamalai concluded his tweet.
Mr PTR, your problem is this:
You & your coterie, who only live with your ancestors' initials, cannot accept a self-made son of a farmer who also proudly practices farming – as a person. (1/4)
This is not the first time that Palanivel Thiagarajan has made personal attacks on his political opponents. Earlier too, PTR has targeted Annamalai family’s goat-rearing background. In most of his tweets on Annamalai, he refers to the BJP leader as a goat.
Vanniarasu, a leader of DMK alliance partner Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), has given a clarion call for making Tamil Nadu a separate nation from India.
The VCK leader made the separatist call while addressing an event held in remembrance of Senkodi, the woman who self-immolated seeking the release of terrorists convicted of killing former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
“Today, to uphold Sanathanam (Hinduism), ‘they’ (referring to RSS-BJP) are trying to eliminate the depressed, most backward, and tribal people. Today, there is a lot of responsibility and need for us to fight against these forces of injustice. There is a need for us to go village by village. That is why our leader Ezhuchi Thamizhar (referring to VCK chief and Lok Sabha MP Thol. Thirumavalavan) on his birthday gave the proclamation for isolating the Sanathana forces and uniting ‘democratic forces’. From this year August 17 to next year August 17, we’re going to go village by village and fight the Sanatana forces. We’re looking towards youngsters driven by the ideologies of ‘Thanthai’ Periyar and revolutionary Ambedkar and mobilizing them. In this fight against these Sanatana forces, we won’t care to even lose our lives. VCK is fighting to defeat the Sanatana forces and to make Tamil Nadu trully a whole Tamil Nadu. “, Vanniaraasu said.
“On this death anniversary of Senkodi, independence… Tamil Nadu’s independence.. the rights of Tamils.. achieving Tamil Nadu as a separate nation from Indian Union.. that will be our pledge and duty towards Senkodi.”, the VCK leader said.
The VCK leader shared this video of the speech with the caption “Let us make Tamil Nadu a separate nation from the Union of India”.
It is to be noted that VCK is a key ally of the DMK and Congress in Tamil Nadu. This speech has stoked a new controversy in Tamil Nadu as the DMK and its allies like the VCK are known for exhibiting separatist streaks.
About Vanniarasu
Vanniarasu is the Deputy General Secretary of Thol. Thirumavalavan’s VCK. He is known for his rabid anti-Hindu speeches. The controversial leader who has been accused of illegally contesting from a constituency reserved for Hindu Scheduled Caste despite being a Christian.
In February this year, he let out a statement about VCK’s motive to destroy Hinduism in Tamil Nadu, as soon as it comes to power. He said that when his leader Thirumavalavan becomes the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, a rule will be brought to ban the wearing of ‘Poonool’ (sacred thread/ janeu) and that it will be the first step that will be taken to destroy Sanathan Dharma.
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BJP has emerged as the only party that is being run professionally today. It seems to be the only party that has a very strong talent strategy. It has been really successful in nurturing home grown talent as well as spotting and acquiring talent either from the public or from other parties. Much of its success today can be attributed to its ability to put the right man or woman in the right job and its ability to quickly course correct early in the game in case of any non-performance irrespective of the seniority of the individuals.
There are umpteen examples that shows BJP’s excellent talent strategy. Let’s take up the nurturing of the home grown talent first. Smriti Irani is a classic example of the eye for talent that BJP has. She was an actor before she joined politics. When BJP saw her skillsets, she was steadily nurtured and was given the room to grow quite fast within the organization. The fact that she was made the youngest cabinet minister in 2014 when BJP came to power talks volumes of how Modi’s BJP is open to give a position that they think a team member deserves even though it might look risky. Smriti Irani’s stint as the HRD minister was riddled with controversies and it looked like BJP had burnt its fingers taking this aggressive decision with a comparatively young member. BJP quickly did a course correction and moved her to Textiles but didn’t lose hope on her. She eventually went on to become a giant slayer by beating Rahul Gandhi in Amethi and now continues as a Minister of Women and Child Development. I won’t be surprised if she is made the Chief Minister of some state at some point in time. This is called nurturing of talent.
Another great example is Nirmala Sitharaman who seemed to suddenly emerge from nowhere and became the Defense Minister and was quickly given the Finance Ministry although everyone expected her to continue with Defense. How can we not take the names of the likes of Piyush Goyal and Ashwini Vaishnaw who are thorough professionals in their own right and are managing very key portfolios? BJP did not hesitate in taking Ravi Shankar Prasad’s portfolio and giving it to Ashwini or Kiran Rijiju even though the former is a very senior party member. This is a party that does not get bogged down by seniority or other compulsions like the Congress and takes tough and fair decisions. Mansukh Mandavia, Tejaswi Surya are other examples and the list goes on.
Who would have foreseen Yogi Adityanath becoming the Chief Minister of a big state like UP? As it was Modi’s BJP, this became a reality and he is now rocking as one of the best Chief Ministers of India. Only an organization with an excellent eye for talent and strategy can take such decisions. No wonder BJP is unbeatable today in the political stage of India.
Let’s now come to external talent acquisition strategy of BJP. The firebrand leader in Tamil Nadu, K. Annamalai, was a great addition to the BJP team who was an external acquisition per se. Annamalai in his interview has clearly mentioned that he took time thinking a lot of about which party he should join and finally chose BJP. Once he joined, BJP immediately realized his potential and made him the Vice President of the Tamilnadu BJP and some months later was rightfully made the party President there. Which other party today has taken such swift actions to give the rightful opportunity to the most deserving. It has turned out to be a win-win for both the individual and the party. Jyotiraditya Scindia was such a prize acquisition from competition. He was immediately given challenging ministries even though there might have been the risk of upsetting some tenured members in the party. Himanta Biswa Sarma is another example of an excellent talent acquisition again from competition and was given the right job at the right time, deservedly so. He is now shining in the North-east as one of the strongest BJP Chief Ministers. BJP is open to take people from the competition but they pick and choose the right talent and don’t shy away from growing them quickly by giving them plum posts instead of getting into the trap of applying the tradition hierarchical approach that some organizations take, fearing their existing talent might leave them if the new entrant jumps the line.
Most of the names that I have taken above are fairly young people who have lot of years left in their political careers. These examples point towards one thing. Modi’s BJP is an organization with a clear talent strategy that keeps merit as the sole parameter for growth within the party. Their people strategy gives more weightage on quality rather than quantity in terms of number of years spent in the party for a member to grow. I don’t see this in any other party today and this is secret of BJP’s unstoppable success. If you are a youth or a person with excellent skills and you aspire to make it big in politics by working hard and smart for the public with sincerity and honesty, Modi’s BJP is your destination!
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Anti-Hindu Brahmin-baiting ‘Dravidian Stockist’ and self-proclaimed ‘author’ Kannabiran Ravishankar (KRS), promoted for long by the top brass of the DMK, has been accused of faking his educational qualifications claiming to have a doctoral degree from University of California, Berkeley.
Kannabiran who goes by the handle @kryes on Twitter, is the Editor-in-Chief of Dravida Pozhil, which according to its website is “a quarterly, bi-lingual, academic research journal with focus on Dravidian studies”.
In Dravida Pozhil’s website, Kannabiran is mentioned as “Professeur adjoint – Littératures comparée (tamoul), Université de Paris, France.”
Kannabiran claims himself to be an ‘Investment Banker’ full time and an ‘Adjunct Professor’ in Comparative Literature (Tamil) part-time. He allegedly received a doctorate in ‘Comparative Literature’ from University of California, Berkeley.
However, questions have been raised over his educational qualifications now with a few Twitteratis exposing that his claims of having received a doctorate from UC Berkeley is bogus.
A Filtered Vulgar Anti-Hindu Bigot
Kannabiran is known for distorting Hindu scriptures and fomenting hatred against Tamil Brahmin community with vile casteist abuses. He has made several derogatroy and vulgar remarks against Hindu Gods. Many of his tweets have foul language objectifying Tamil Brahmin women. He had even used private photos of Tamil brahmin families including that of children to spew the Dravidian ‘anti-Brahmin’ vitriol.
Exhibit 1
If the ‘Karuppar Koottam’ YouTube channel run by followers of E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker (known as ‘Periyar’ by his followers) had abused Tamil God Murugan by slandering the devotional hymn Kandha Sashti Kavasam, Kannabiran Ravishankar distorted the hymn with sexual innuendos objectifying film actresses Anushka Shetty and the late ‘Silk’ Smitha.
Below are the screenshots of his tweets.
Exhibit 2
Back in 2018 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking at the first International Solar Alliance had said that the world should look to Vedas to combat climate change, Kannabiran Ravishankar shared a derogatory image of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati with the caption “Please turn to Vedas for Underwear change and Climate Change”.
Exhibit 3
In another instance, he had shared an illustration from Thailand Ramayana saying that ‘Makaradhwaja’, the son of Hindu God Hanuman was born when Hanuman’s sperm fell on the mouth of a mermaid.
Exhibit 4
He had also abused the famous 12th century Tamil poet Sekkizhaar calling him a traitor and ‘venom’.
One of the greatest Tamil literary works Periyapuranam written by Sekkizhaar was given vulgar twist by Kannabiran Ravishankar. In a Twitter thread, the Dravidian Stockist sharing some verses of the text wrote that Sekkizhaar’s Periyapuranam was Tamil literature’s ‘masterpiece’ of obscenity.
Exhibit 5
He had even called for the razing down of the Thiruvalluvar Temple at Mylapore, Chennai saying that a Brahmin woman (referring to Goddess Vasuki) has been enshrined in the temple.
Exhibit 6
In another tweet, he had abused Goddess Devasena, one of the consorts of Lord Murugan.
Courtesy: @realitycheckind
Exhibit 7
In another tweet, he had shared a derogatory image of Lord Vinayakar and Goddess Saraswathi saying “Bachelors, your desire over aunties isn’t wrong. What Ucchishta Ganapathy is doing to Auntie Saraswathi? Lift the dressing and see.”
Exhibit 8
He had also abused members of the Saiva Vellalar communities as ‘Pannnada’, a derogatory Tamil cuss word. He had said that Saiva Vellalars along with Brahmins had institutionalized caste structures in Tamil society.
Targeted Attacks On Tamil Brahmins
Kannabiran has made several vicious and targeted attacks on Tamil Brahmins especially the women members of the community. From spiritual discourser Vishakha Hari to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, KRS had spared none.
He had made casteist and a sexist reference to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Brahmin and woman identity when he said to a Twitter user “Why are you fighting? Go eat the ‘Maavadu’ and pickle prepared by Nirmala Maami”.
He had also made sexual comments on well-known spiritual discourser Vishakha Hari saying “Maami looks nice. Seems like Mama only needs to go to the gym?”
He had once commented that he would keep ogling at the “Madisaar Maami” (referring to Vishaka Hari) for an entire day as she looks “so pleasant”.
Sharing the image of former Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan clad in her traditional attire, Kannabiran wrote “A snake will strike without consideration of time. A Paapaathi (Dravidian slur word for Tamil Brahmin women) will strike at the correct time. Understand that Paapaathi > Snake.”
Picture Courtesy: @realitycheckind
In another tweet, he had called the now-retired IAS officer a “Paapathi Sirukki” (a Brahmin Bimbo).
Courtesy: @realitycheckind
He also picks pictures of unsuspecting Tamil Brahmins and uses them to spew anti-Brahmin canards.
In 2018, he had enacted a drama using kids in which they were taught to forcibly remove the poonool (sacred thread) of a kid disguised as a Brahmin.
Dravidian accounts are abuzz with the familiar "Poonool (TamizhBrahmin Janeyu) Pulling" motif a very familiar one. In reality it is nothing but an assault on a person. Here are #Dravidian-Tamils in *New Jersey USA* creating a cultural event out of this. pic.twitter.com/5VpQYAgLMo
During the hijab controversy, he had shared a caricature of a Brahmin pulling the hijab of a Muslim woman and captioned it with the poem of Mahakavi Bharathiyar on Draupadi’s vow.
Did KRS Really Receive His Ph.D From UC Berkeley?
On 20 August 2022, Periyar Maniammai Institute Of Science And Technology had held its 30th convocation with Dravida Kazhagam (DK) President K. Veeramani presiding over the function. KRS had received the “Degree of Doctorate of Letters” in this convocation ceremony.
SKP Karuna, another prominent Dravidian Stockist and a friend of KRS had put a tweet saying “Even though he has received a doctorate from the prestigious UC Berkeley for his research on Tamil literature, the man who is fighting non-stop to uphold the dignity of Tamil is being rewarded a honorary doctorate by Thanthai Periyar University. Proud moment to be a Tamil.”
Following this, a Twitter handle by the name The Common Swadeshi put out at a series of tweets disputing Kannabiran’s claims of having received a Ph.D from UC Berkeley.
*Trying to find a Dravidian ideologue's UC Berkeley PhD – A thread.*
This tweet has been seen on the timeline and the name UC Berkeley caught my eye as it is one of the top educational institutes. A doctorate from there piqued my interest. (1/11) pic.twitter.com/7nQTkZa8Zw
In 2014, KRS had claimed to a Twitter user that he was doing his Ph.D under Prof. George Hart in University of California, Berkeley and that his thesis got accepted.
When this alleged scam by KRS came to light, he produced a foreword written by Prof Hart in an attempt to pass it on as a proof of his educational credentials.
However, a Twitter user by the name Vij Van who claims to have enquired with Prof. Hart shared the latter’s reply to his email in which Prof. Hart noted that KRS was neither his student nor has he worked with him.
Kannabiran Ravishankar’s name is neither listed in the Ph.D Alumni Directory or ongoing Graduate Students list of UC Berkeley. However, he had claimed in a tweet that his department was School of South and South East Asian studies at UC Berkeley.
Reality Check India, an anonymous Twitter handle which tracks Dravidian discourse has been following up this case for a long time. According to Reality Check India, they now have confirmation from the Assistant Director of Media Relations and Communications University of California, Berkeley that there are no records of a Kannabiran Ravishankar at the University.
In his recent book “Tamil or Sanskrit” KRS introduces himself as a Ph.D holder from UC Berkeley having worked in New York Columbia University and Paris University.
In a conference organized by Periyar International USA in 2019, KRS presented himself as a Professor in CNRS Paris (Sorbonne) and did not mention his UC Berkeley PhD presumably because Prof. George Hart was also a speaker.
Now, his claim of being a ‘Researcher and Adjunct Professor at the Paris University has also come under question as there is no Kannabiran Ravishankar mentioned in any of the university websites.
Jean Luc Chevillard, a Senior Researcher at Université Paris Diderot cleared the air that KRS does not have any institutional connection with the CNRS or with any French university.
I know him only through twitter. I understand he is a Tamil #ஆர்வலர், with a great enthusiasm for Tamil. To my knowledge, he does not have any institutional connection with the CNRS or with any French university.
KRS’ Google Scholar page shows him having a verified email at Kurtz Institute. However, the link leads to the website of Dravida Pozhil and not that of Kurtz Institute, a non-profit organization established by one Paul Kurtz of which he is said to be a board member. It is noteworthy to mention that this Paul Kurtz was awarded a honorary degree by the Periyar Maniammai University.
Another anonymous Twitter handle by the name “Everything is upside down” had posted the chain of emails he/she had sent to UC Berkeley institute about KRS’s Ph.D claims. Officials of the university had stated that the Office of Registrar could not find anything dating back to 1975.
What has come across as a major red flag is a heavily edited image of a person holding a Ph.D diploma, shared by KSR in 2017 claiming to be himself.
Responding to a Twitter user, who had asked what the doctorate was on KTR said that he received Doctor of Literature (Tamil) 1.5 years ago.
If one observes the above picture shared by KRS closely, it can be seen that the name of the institution is written as “University of California Santa Barbara” and not “University of California Berkeley”.
A Twitter handle by the name Internet Dinosaur had done a reverse search on the image and found it to be lifted from a online graduation gown catalog.
Defending himself, KRS shared a long note standing by his credentials but unwilling to clear the air. He stated that he might lose his job if he does.
“Why not place all the information in public domain? Why only share my certificates with a selected few concerned? Why can’t it be placed in the open? Why not give my work address or my guide’s name in public? Yea, it can be done. But will their frenzy stop? With that information, they will write to my department and ask me to be removed. For that, they will take some Twitter screenshots calling me anti-Brahmin, anti-Hindu, etc. Before this, there were many such anonymous letters from people!”, he had said in his note without giving proof of his Ph.D credentials.
Kannabiran claims that his thesis title was ” The Comparative Nuances of Drama and Social Justice between the Master Poets – Shakespeare, Shelley, Ilango & Kamban.”. However, neither the thesis nor any publications of Kannabiran Ravishankar can be found.
About his association with Paris University, he said that there are many Paris universities like Paris 1, Paris 2, apart from three Sorbonne universities. “I am only a part-time (Adjunct) in one of the Sorbonne university. My full-time job is different. Not all visiting professors are listed online.”, he had said.
However, both American University of Paris and Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne have said that KRS is not affiliated with their institution.
How KRS Was Platformed And Promoted By DMK Leaders
In October 2021, KRS called on DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and gifted a book on the late DMK patriarch Karunanidhi. In the picutre shared he is identified as a professor of Paris University.
He has been regularly featured in Dravidian Professionals Forum, an organization founded and headed by DMK MLA and current Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan and shares close ties with him.
Source: @realitycheckind
He is not a nobody – KRYES is one of the engines of the Dravidian 'discourse' ; If @PTRMadurai the fmr head of DMK IT Wing and his staff do not know him- he could clarify publicly.
In September 2021, DMK MP from Dharmapuri Dr. Senthilkumar had shared on his Twitter about his meeting with KRS. In his tweet, the DMK MP said “Met Kannabiran Ravishankar this evening and talked for a long time like friends for several days. Forgot to talk about his and my favorite actress ‘Silk’ Smita.”
முதன்முறையாக தோழர் @kryes Kannabiran Ravishankarஅவர்களை இன்று மாலை சந்தித்து பல நாட்கள் நண்பர்கள் போல் நீண்ட நேரம் பேசினோம்😍
பேச மறந்தது அவருக்கும் எனக்கும் பிடித்த நடிகை சிலுக் ஸ்மிதா வை பற்றி.☹️
As evident from his Twitter, KRS is a high decibel foul-mouthed Dravidian Stockist having close ties with the ruling DMK. He had presented himself as a Ph.D holder from UC Berkeley in many of his tweets, books and and forums. However, there is no record of his Ph.D at the UC Berkeley as per the information available on public domain. A mail from the university also confirms his non-candidature. His other claims of having worked at CNRS Paris – Sorbonne University also looks prima-facie doubtful.
If by chance, KRS happens to be a Ph.D holder from UC Berkeley or a faculty of one of the Paris University as he claims to be, then these institutions must confirm whether they approve of his Nazi-style demonization of Hindus and Brahmins in particular.
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During the mid 20th century there were a few brilliant Carnatic Music vidhwans who also were best film actors in the Tamil Film Industry. M.K Thyagaraja Bagavathar, GN Balasubramaniam, M.S. Subbulakshmi, and MM Dhandapani Desikar, to name a few. The last named artiste cum vidhwan MMD was born on August 27, 1908.
He was not only a carnatic vocalist but a good actor and composer of krithis.
M M Dandapani Desikar was born in Thiruchenkaatangudi a very famous place because it was there that one of the 63 Saiva saints, Nayanmars, Siruthonda Nayanar was born. Desikar made his debut at Tirumarugal, noted for its Siva temple and for its brilliant nadhaswaram maestro Natesan. His intial teacher was his father Muthiah Desikar, from whom he learnt, Thevaram, Thiruvachakam, and Thirupugazh. He belonged to Odhuvar community who recited devotional songs at temples and his father was able to teach him the traditional, new and all the ”pannisai’ tunes and songs. Desikar was a student of the carnatic music doyen, Kumbakonam Rajamanickam pillai for some time.
1940 was in the thick of Thamizh Isai renaissance when Desikar contributed a lot to its progress with his multi-talented prowess.
He was teacher for 10 years a teacher at the Okkur Lakshmanan Chettiar Thevara Patasala and a Professor and Head of the Department of Music, Annamalai University for fifteen years. He published the works of Bharati, several Tevarams, Divya Prabandhams and Tiruppugazhs in a book entitled Isai Tamizh Paamalai. This book also includes his compositions which reveal his command over music and the language. He published quite a few Thamizh music works under the auspices of Thamizh Isai Sangam.
He gave many concerts in Chenbnai and other places in Tamil Nadu including at Annamalai University. Desikar received several awards which include,’Pandisai Pulavar Kone’, ‘Thevara Mani’, ‘Sangita Sahitya Siromani’, ‘Tirumurai Kalanidhi’, ‘Thandaka Vendhu’, ‘Pannisai Vendhan’, ‘Isai Pulavar’, ‘Kalaimamani’ ‘Isai Perarignar’ from the Tamil Isai Sangam/’Sangita Natak Academy Award’.
MM Dhandapani Desikar acted in quite a few films which are popular and are liked for its music even today To name a few, let me recollect Pattinaththaar, Nandanaar, Thaayumaanavar, Maanickavaacagar, and Tirumazhisai Azhvaar, In all these early Tamil films he was the singing hero.
Some other popular songs of M M Dandapani Desikar are even sung in many vocal performances.
– Unnaiyanri utra thuna… (bhavAni),
– Velanai (AndOLikA),
– Anjezhuttinai nenjile ( Raga vinOdini),
– Anai mugathone ( Devamanohari ),
– Isaiyin ellaiyai (subhapantuvarALi),
– Adiyenai kaaathu arulvai angayarkkanni – kamboji raga.
– Arula vendum thaaye angayarkkanni niye – Sarfamati raga.
– Inba kanavonru kanden – in ragamalika.
– Panniru kai velavane pazhanimalai- Hamsanandi
– Thamarai pootha thadagamadi – Hindustanigandhari
His songs in the film Nandanar composed by the great saint poet Gopalakrishna Bharathi were hits and remembered even today.
Desikar lived at T.Nagar, Chennai and passed away on June 29, 1973.
One of the greatest Tamil literary works Periyapuranam written by Sekkizhaar was given vulgar twist by Kannabiran Ravishankar. In a Twitter thread, the Dravidian Stockist sharing some verses of the text wrote that Sekkizhaar’s Periyapuranam was Tamil literature’s ‘masterpiece’ of obscenity.
Busting DMK Fin Min PTR’s Bloated Claims Of TN’s Improving Finances
On 29 August 2022, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan tweeted a picture of a news article published by The Hindu which stated that the state’s own tax revenue has shot up by over 50% in the first quarter of the current fiscal.
In his tweet, PTR had targeted me and a few other entities that publish things to his liking saying “cultists & crap-posters like SGSuryah & his ecosystem of ignorant/bigoted bilge like Kathir & Commune will ignore the data & ask “what has the Govt done”“.
The DMK Minister has the habit of covering up his non-performance with bloated ego and arrogance. This time, he has done the same with some bloated claims.
Here’s some data for the kind attention of the Minister.
As evident from The Hindu article, the highest growth in the state’s own revenue has come from the State Excise Duty which reflects revenue from liquor.
Basically, the DMK government in Tamil Nadu has managed to sell more liquor to its people that has caused State Excise Duty to grow by 116.3%. Credit should go to PTR as after he took over as the Finance Minister, the Tamil Nadu government earned a whopping ₹36,013 crore from liquor sales in FY 2021-22, the highest ever.
Be that as it may. Even otherwise, the numbers for Q1 for this year is bound to be higher than Q1 last year because of the base effect as the entire country including Tamil Nadu was grappling with the second wave of the pandemic.
PTR must understand that not all Tamil people are dim-witted Dravidian Stockists to buy his arguments at face value.
The right thing to do would be to compare Q4 of last financial year with Q1 of this financial year and contrast Tamil Nadu’s performance vis a vis other similarly placed states.
Tamil Nadu’s own tax revenue (excluding State’s share of Union Taxes) for Q4 2021-22 was ₹37,718.09 crores. It has reduced to ₹35863.86 crores for the first quarter of this financial year.
Perhaps, The Hindu did not compare Q4 numbers of 2021-22 with Q1 numbers of 2022-23 as it may put PTR in a bad light.
On the other hand, the Q1 2022-23 numbers might look lesser than Q4 2021-22 numbers for states like Gujarat and Maharashtra at the outset. But, the own tax revenue without including Central Government’s devolution has seen a rise.
As evident from above, the own tax revenue of Gujarat has registered an increase of 4.88% this quarter than the previous quarter. On the other hand, Tamil Nadu has seen a decrease of 4.92%.
And what is to be noted is that Gujarat has achieved this growth without intoxicating its people with liquor.
It is true that many of the similarly placed states like Maharashtra and Karnataka have registered lower revenues this quarter when compared to the last quarter.
If PTR wants to claim credit for Tamil Nadu showing 50% rise in own tax revenue in Q1, well, many other states have registered higher own tax revenue when compared with Q1 of 2021-22. Maharashtra’s own tax revenue in Q1 grew by 68% and Gujarat’s by 50%. Both these states have shown lesser increase in State Excise Duties compared to Tamil Nadu which means that these states are not pouring alcohol in the mouths of people to earn revenue.
So, instead of covering up his dismal performance by dissing his dissidents, the DMK Minister should seriously introspect himself and the work he has done.
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