More than 40 students have levelled sexual harassment allegations against one Dr. Syed Tahir Hussain of Madurai Government Hospital.
Dr. Syed Tahir Hussain is a senior Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at the Madurai Government Hospital.
Students studying B.Sc in Operation Theatre and Anesthesiology complained to the college authorities on 6 May 2023 stating that Dr. Syed Hussain was constantly harassing them sexually. An enquiry committee was formed as per Supreme Court mandated Vishaka guidelines.
According to Dean S Rathnavel, an eight-member Visaka Committee conducted an investigation after the complaints were received. 18 female students, one nurse, 2 senior students and 2 teachers were interrogated and written statements were obtained from them.
They alleged that Dr. Syed Hussain misbehaved in the operation theatre by touching them at inappropriate places and making sexual innuendos. He also allegedly made students to remove their masks in the operation theatre putting the patients at risk of infection. If students didn’t remove the masks, he himself reportedly removed it from their faces.
He also made inappropriate and racist remarks on a fair-skinned girl saying that her parents have done “good deeds”.
He is said to have pulled the hair of girl students casually and made comments like “you look beautiful, your hair is nice, your eyebrows are done well”.
Not just students, even patients were sexually harassed by Dr. Syed Tahir Hussain say reports.
Taking cognizance of the complaint and written statements submitted to Vishaka Committee, the Director of Madurai Medical College has suspended Dr. Syed Hussain.
However, Dr. Syed Tahir Hussain has denied the allegation claiming to be innocent and that the suspension has been done in haste.
He said that this has been done out of vendetta as he claims to have confronted the irregularities in transfers and promotions that happened during the previous rule.
He also claimed that one of the student who was injured and whom he and treated was coerced to give a statement against him.
Many on social media have questioned the silence of The News Media and similar media outlets that had gone gaga over sexual harassment allegations in Kalakshetra Foundation.
Let's see the crowd which went for woman safety for Kalashetra go here and conduct PR.
Our loathsome, lowly, leftist, anti-national, pseudo historians, while profusely palavering plaudits on the plunderers and pillagers like Ghaznis, Quasims, Khiljis, Timurs, Ghengis Khans, they condescendingly, superciliously, disdainfully mention in passing, under the pretext of justification, just a few names like Chhattrapati Shivaji, Rana Pratap etc., thus, blacking out achievements of lot of other preeminent heroes and perfidiously presenting a distorted picture of our nation’s history with an intent to create a feeling that we are congenitally inferior, insecure, incomplete, indigent and impoverished.
But, do we know that Taimur was defeated by a woman warrior Rampyari Gurjar Chauhan? Or, Ghazni was defeated seventeen times, yes, seventeen times by Vudhyadhara, Chandela, a Rajput king? Now, take your breath, can we believe that there was a Hindu warrior who, not only stopped the invaders from entering, but himself invaded the Arab countries and marched majestically as far as the banks of Euphrates river in Central Asia, converted Muslims to Hindus and himself married princesses in the lands of his conquests totalling hundred girls among whom thirty five were Muslims?
Can’t believe? Search for the name Bappa Rawal. An addendum: The city of Rawalpindi, presently in Pakistan was built by him, as a symbol of his victory!
Early Years
Bappa Rawal was born in 713 CE. His childhood name was Kalbhoj. When he was three years old, His father, Rawal Mahendra II and all other male members were assassinated in a battle. Bappa Rawal had to remain in disguise assisted by his two loyal Bheel servants. He was brought up by his mother with the help of those Bheel attendants.
After his father’s death, he along with his mother used to stay with the Bheel Tribal community, and they helped the young prince learn the warfare tactics, tips, tricks, and techniques. As a young prince, Bappa ruled over the ravines inhabited by the Bheel community, and this experience equipped him with managerial and martial abilities that proved to be of immense utility in his future as a warlord. He succeeded to the throne and became a king at the age of 21.
He gave up his name on ascending the throne and took the title of Bappa Rawal, where Bappa indicates father and Rawal is the family name.
In 734 CE, at the age of 21, he defeated Man Mori, ruler of Chittoor, and conquered the Chittoor fort. He was the eighth ruler of the Guhilot Rajput dynasty, but he didn’t continue the name of his dynasty of seven generations, when he came to the throne. Instead, he established Mewar kingdom, which lasted as long as 1250 years! (728 CE-1950 CE). Mewar is the birthplace of many great warriors such as Rana Kumbha, Rana Sanga, Rana Uday Singh, Maharana Pratap and Rani Padmini, to mention a few.
His Mind-Blowing Conquests
Umayyad Caliphate was a gigantic kingdom of thirty five nations in Central Asia, ruled by a mighty emperor Muhammed Bin Quasim. That rapacious marauder, having defeated Iran, Afganisthan, Sind and after plundering their wealth and destroying temples and civilisational heritages, set his pleonectic eyes down further south in 738 CE. That was his fatal mistake. To drive that menacing enemy out and teach that predator an unforgettable lesson, Bappa Rawal created a confederacy of warriors by uniting the Hindu rulers of Ajmer and Jaisalmer. Under his leadership, a series of battles, called ‘Battle of Rajastan’ was fought when Bappa Rawal ruthlessly decimated the enemy, chased and drove them into the deep desert beyond Ghazni in Afganistan. After successfully raiding Afghanistan, he defeated and killed Commander Salim of Afghanistan and made his own nephew, king of Ghazni.
As a visionary commander of army and a ferocious fighter, he knew that it is not enough if the enemy is exterminated within our border alone but should be annihilated in their homeland as well. So, He marched ahead, wiped them out and established his reign upto Iran. On his way back, he erected guard posts at every hundred kilometres, each with one thousand troops and headed by Rajput chiefs, so that the enemy cannot dream of striking again. Thus the Islamic invasion was successfully thwarted for more than four centuries till the Second battle of Tarain in 1192 CE. To further fortify the North West Frontier, he built a city by name, Rawalpindi [presently in Pakistan] and made that place his military base. Stationed there, he launched sixteen successful attacks in north west, thus expanding his kingdom of Mewar upto Iran. His guts, grit, gallantry were so astonishing that the Arabs were mortally afraid even at the mention of his name. They christened him ‘Hindu invader’! His vast empire extended Sindh, Baluchistan, Ghazni, Kandahar, Khorasan, Turan, Isfahan, Iran in Central Asia!
Devotion To Siva And Last Years
Valiant and venturesome warrior was just one side of his personality. On the other side, he was a pious devotee of Shiva! He had an esoteric, spiritual relationship with his guru, Harit rashi, a saint in the Pasupata sect of Saivism, who is said to have guided him in his ventures and blessed him with victory. He constructed a Shiva temple in Udaipur, by name, Eklingji, the ruling God of Mewar dynasty. Eklingji Temple is still one of the most famous temples of Rajasthan. Located in the town of Eklingji (Kailashpuri), the place got its popular name from the temple. The temple is very grand, magnificent in conception and perfect in execution. He issued gold coins, depicting Shiva, His trident and Nandi, to commemorate the establishment of Mewar kingdom. He initiated the tradition of worshipping this deity, that is being followed by his descendants to this day. Many details about Bappa Rawal can be seen in the book, Ekalinga Mahathmya.
While he was ruthless, rancorous and relentless to his enemies, he was charitable, compassionate and considerate to his own subjects. Since, he was immensely loved by his people, they looked at him as their father and started calling him ‘Bappa’ [Father].
Bappa Rawal ruled his vast empire before he took to spiritual path to submit and surrender himself to the devotion of God Shiva. After abdicating the throne in 753 CE, he retreated to the forest and completely submerged himself into the devotion of Lord Shiva. He is known to have lived very long, perhaps exceeding hundred years and attained the divine feet of God Shiva at a very ripe age. In short, his life epitomised the dictum enshrined in Kalidasa’s Mahakavya, Raghuvamsam described as under:
[The kings of Raghu dynasty, in their adolescence are masterly in studies; in adulthood predisposed for material pleasures; in old-age gravitating towards saintly activities, and finally yoking their minds with the Absolute and ultimately evicting their souls from their bodies to attain moksha.] [1-8]
An Underrated Legend
In short, Bappa Rawal, the most under-rated hero in history, was a true kshatriya – pugnacious, combative, militant, bellicose, truculent, defiant, aggressive. His motto was simple: Attack! Offence is the best form of defence. In the present day warfare, the inane, insipid, asinine ethical canons of conscience, convention, comportment, consideration are all anachronism. We live not in Threta yuga, but Kali yuga, dog-eats-dog world, where the scheming, shrewd, sharp, sly victor is always right. If only our subsequent kings, chieftains, warriors had scrupulously been unscrupulous in adopting this principle, they could have successfully thwarted onslaughts of the aliens later in history.
Now, let us reflect on the most vital aspect of history chronicling. The mighty Romans invaded and conquered Britain in AD 43. But, not a single mention can be found in the history books of schools in Britain. The Mongols under the notorious bandit Chenghis Khan pulverised China in 13th century AD. The Chinese children are never taught about it. Their historians meticulously ensure that their future generation is kept insulated from such gloomy defeatist details, justifying that it will interfere in their aim of inculcating in them positive spirit of patriotism and pride, chutzpah and courage.
On the other hand, it is indeed shocking to note that, even after seven decades of freedom, we have to punctiliously search for Bappa Rawal to know anything about him. It is awful, appalling, atrocious that all our history books have, while scrupulously blacked out his heroics as well as the victories of our own kings, shamelessly, sing paeans on the fake victories of foreign invaders in profusion.
It is imperative that an immediate sweeping change is made in all our history text books throughout our nation, weeding out all the portions of foreign intruders and instead, plant in them, the true magnificent, majestic, monumental triumphs of our own monarchs, on reading which, our future generation will saunter through the globe with pride and pomposity, elation and euphoria. When are we going to start and complete the exercise, since, till then, in every academic year our younger generation, i.e., the future citizens of our nation will continue to be fed with false, farcical, fabricated, fictitious negative narrations as history, deleterious to their psyche?
(Parasuram Sharma is a retired bank officer and an octogenarian whose interests include Sanathana Dharmam, Samskritam, history and politics.)
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The News Minute Shabbir Ahmed’s ground report on the Tamil Nadu hooch tragedy makes no mention of DMK Minister Gingee Masthan, or the DMK member and illicit liquor kingpin Maroor Raja, who were alleged to be involved in the tragedy but instead kept looking for scapegoats in lower-level administration.
The death toll from the consumption of illicit liquor in Tamil Nadu has risen to 24. The alleged incident occurred in Ekkiyarkuppam, a small fishing hamlet in the Villupuram district. A significant number of fatalities were also reported in Sithamur, Chengalpattu district. Amaran, who is thought to be the main suspect in the case, was apprehended by police. Based on his confession, the police were looking for Muthu, a bootlegger who was absconding. However, On May 16, he was arrested near Tindivanam based on his mobile location. According to reports, he was apprehended by police while on his way to surrender before the court.
He confessed to the police that he receives supplies from Raja alias ‘Maroor’ Raja, the husband of DMK 20th ward councilor Ramya, who is known for his association with DMK minister Masthan. Following his confession, Maroor Raja was arrested and charged with Goonda Act. More information on the DMK’s involvement in the Hooch tragedy can be found here.
The involvement of DMK councilor Maroor Raja and DMK minister Senji Masthan in the illegal Hooch network was widely reported in major news outlets such as Vikatan, Thanthi, and a few others. However, The News Minute’s Shabbir Ahmed, who recently posted a video claiming to be a ground report on the hooch tragedy, not once mentioned DMK Minister Masthan or the DMK councilor husband Maroor Raja, who is considered a kingpin in the hooch network.
No mention was also made about Amavasai, an accused in this hooch deaths tragedy who is said to be the brother of Sithamur DMK ward councillor Nagappan. Amavasai has been named in the FIR registered by the Tamil Nadu police but was also awarded ₹50,000 compensation. He pretended to have consumed poisonous liquor and got himself admitted fearing arrest.
Throughout the interview, TNMurasoli’s oops TNM’s Shabbir Ahmed blamed the lower level police officers and revenue officials for the hooch tragedy, and in some instances, he questioned the action taken by the DMK government against officials who colluded with criminals.
He mentioned the involvement of DMK functionaries in the hooch tragedy only once during the interview. However, he purposefully avoided naming them. He also attempted to downplay the role of DMK functionaries in the tragedy by claiming that both the ruling and opposition parties are involved. He said, “While we claim that illicit liquor was sold with the assistance of the police, we cannot deny the political involvement in the tragedy. Political parties supported illegal liquor sellers. There are ‘some’ from the ruling party and ‘many’ from the opposition party involved. What action has been taken against them?”
Though a person interviewed by Shabbir stated that only low-level functionaries of political parties such as circle secretaries bribe police officers, he never inquired about DMK functionary Maroor Raja’s involvement. That person further added that illicit liquor sales increased drastically in the last two years after DMK came to power. He also mentioned Edappadi Palanisamy’s speech in the Tamil Nadu assembly and questioned the inaction of the DMK government.
He also blamed the revenue administration and the Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW) for the tragedy. He stated that the PEW collaborated with criminals and that illegal spirits sales occur throughout Tamil Nadu, not just in Vizhupuram and surrounding areas.
Throughout the interview, he never mentioned DMK Minister Senji Masthaan’s role in saving hooch network kingpin Maroor Raja.
The alleged ground report by TNM begs the following questions:
1) Is TNM trying to bury the role of higher ups in the DMK by shifting blame on lower level police and district officials and making them scapegoats?
2) Is Shabbir attempting to save Minister Masthan because they belong to the same religion?
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Actor and music director Vijay Antony welcomed the gradual withdrawal of ₹2000 denomination notes saying that it will only bother those who hoard money and not the common public.
On 19 May 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to withdraw the ₹2000 denomination notes from circulation.
The move came amidst a steep fall in the circulation of ₹2000 notes.
As per RBI Data, total value of ₹2000 note in circulation has declined from ₹6.73 Lakh Crore on March 31, 2018 to ₹3.62 Lakh Crore as of March 31, 2023.
The declined is steep from 37.3% to 10.8% of total notes in circulation, which has warranted the move.
₹2000 notes can now exchanged into banknotes of other denominations up to a limit of ₹20,000 at a time at any bank with effect from May 23, 2023 until September 30, 2023.
Though it continues to be a legal tender, banks will not be issuing ₹2000 notes during withdrawals.
In light of this, Vijay Antony has welcomed the move.
‘Pichaikkaran 2’, directed by Vijay Antony, was released in theatres yesterday (20 May 2023). Vijay Antony has acted, directed, composed the music and produced the film himself. The film stars Kavya Thapar as the female lead. Radha Ravi, Yogi Babu, YG Mahendran, Mansoor Ali Khan and John Vijay are also part of the cast.
Vijay Antony had come to Rakki Cinemas in Ambattur to witness the audience reaction for his latest movie. He met the people to thank them for the response and later addressed reporters,
When asked about the RBI’s decision to withdraw ₹2,000 notes, he replied, “Only those who hoard money will be in trouble and are worried. The public is happy”.
It is worth noting that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief MK Stalin had criticized the move saying it was a ‘trick; to deflect from the BJP’s debacle in Karnataka.
Even before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetization of ₹500 and ₹1000 notes on 8 November 2016, a scene in the first part of Pichaikkaran had a reference to the same.
The thought-provoking scene shows a beggar proposing a catchy idea to a radio jockey to solve the issue of black money. He says that the root cause of poverty and lack of development in India is bribery and corruption, and if it is abolished, he will say that there will be no beggars in the country. He points out that if the ₹500 and ₹1000 notes are abolished then the corrupt who take bribes have to take them in packs of ₹50 and ₹100 which will take a lot of space. He says that they will have no option but to deposit in bank and pay tax as investing in gold or real estate will have their own risks.
Just 8 months after the release of Pichaikkaran 1 movie, came demonetization. And now Pichaikkaran 2 has hit the screens amidst withdrawal of ₹2000 notes.
There has been a lot of fuss over the Union Finance Ministry’s recent announcement about 20% Tax Collection at Source (TCS) on international credit card transactions under the Liberalized Remittance Scheme (LRS).
LRS is part of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) 1999, which lays down the guidelines for outward remittance from India.
All resident Indians are allowed to freely remit up to $250,000 per financial year without informing the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
But what prompted the government to make a decision?
Driven by the euphoria to escape the scorching heat and break out from the shackles of COVID-induced lockdowns, people have started traveling again. India reported a 30-40% surge in tourism during this season. The Finance Minister, in her budget speech, announced a hike in the Tax Collected at Source (TCS) collected on foreign remittances, including the booking of tour packages. The surge in TCS rates is expected to come into effect from July 1, 2023.
While it was obvious and clear that the TCS hike would apply to the foreign tour packages and the rates were expected to increase from 5% to 20%, the Finance Ministry issued a circular on May 16, 2023, which clarified that the increase in TCS rates would also apply to all credit card transactions made overseas in foreign currencies.
Earlier, the overseas use of international credit card transactions was not included in the liberalized remittance schemes (LRS). This has been changed to include international credit card transactions under the LRS. As per the LRS, individuals can remit up to $2,50,000 a year, accounting for $12.68 billion in 2020-21, $19.61 billion during 2021-22, and $24 billion in 2022-23. Overseas travel accounted for more than half of the remittances.
It must be noted that the payments made using debit cards or other instruments were treated under the LRS. Credit cards were exempted under Rule 7 of the FEM(CAT) rules for a pre-specified LRS limit. Some individuals were found to transact exceeding the LRS limit, and data pointed out that often, international credit cards were issued with limits exceeding the LRS threshold of USD 2,50,000. There were also instances where the LRS payments exceeded the incomes disclosed by individuals. RBI had called out to the government to bring about uniformity between credit cards, debit cards, and other money instruments used in foreign exchange and to restrict the LRS by-passers.
Is TCS The Final Tax?
In reality, TCS is not a final tax. If you are a taxpayer, you can claim the TCS against your regular income or adjust against the income tax liability for that financial year.
In case the person is not a taxpayer, then the 20% tax might not have a major impact. It must be noted that as per the new regime, the tax rate slab of 20% begins to apply for income above ₹12 lakhs and 30% for income over ₹15 lakhs. So, this may not have a pronounced impact on the poor household or lower-income groups.
What Is The TCS Rate Applicable For International Use Of Credit Cards?
The budget proposed no changes to the TCS rate of 0.5% applied to the remittances exceeding ₹7 lakhs towards education made in the form of loans obtained from financial institutions. Along similar lines, the FY24 budget proposed to maintain the 5% TCS rate on remittances exceeding ₹7 lakhs made for the purpose of medical treatment and educational purposes (without loans). The budget proposed a hike of TCS rates from 5% to 20% for all other purposes under the LRS as well as the sale of overseas tour packages.
This means that if you purchase an overseas tour package from an international agent in foreign currency using your credit card, then you will have to pay a 20% TCS from 1st July 2023. This also extends to cover the foreign currency purchase from authorized dealers. The bank that has issued the credit card will collect the 20% TCS from the cardholder and deposit it in the PAN of the credit card holder, which can, in turn, be claimed and adjusted against the income tax liabilities for that financial year.
Now, What Is In Store For Frequent Travelers?
The travelers may have to bear the 20% extra cost while booking their travel, but it will not be an additional cost. The TCS can be adjusted against the income tax liabilities. People who do not have an adequate tax liability to adjust against the TCS, he/she should claim a refund.
To claim the refund, you may have to submit the invoices, receipts, TCS certificate, and bank statements to demonstrate that your tour payments are well within the LRS limits. The TCS information will be made available on Form 26AS, and one must ensure that the TCS mentioned in the credit card statement sync with the amount mentioned in Form 26AS. While accounting for credit card limits, ensure that you are conscious of leaving a 20% buffer for TCS rates.
As the TCS rates were not applied to the usage of international credit cards until now, defaulters had escape routes, and there were many cases of foreign remittances exceeding the LRS limit of USD 2,50,000. Now this rule is expected to bring about uniformity and consistency in international payments, and the same TCS applies to all remittances irrespective of the mode of payment.
Is There A Difference Between Booking A Travel Package Through An Indian Travel Agency And An International Agency?
In reality, it is not, and here is why. Say, if your tour package costs $1000, your domestic travel agent will collect $1200, including the TCS. On the other hand, when you book your travel through an international agent, it is considered a Forex transaction. The tour operator will collect only $1000, but the bank that issued the credit card will collect $200 as TCS. The difference lies in paying upfront vs. paying at a later period of time.
The TCS rates apply uniformly to the trips, no matter whether you book them through the international agents or domestic travel agencies.
So, if you are a frequent traveler, do not panic, and remember that the increase in TCS rates isn’t an additional cost. You can always claim the payments later while you file your quarterly returns.
Will It Affect Those Studying Abroad Or Going For Medical Treatments?
There will be no changes in medical or educational expense as the TCS remains at 0.5% concessional rate provided.
What Will The 20% TCS Achieve?
It will end the differential treatment of debit and credit cards. It will bring about a prudent foreign exchange management system preventing by-passing of LRS limits.
It will primarily affect the High Networth Individuals (HNI) who invest in stocks, bonds, and assets outside India. It is basically a tax that taxes the rich and does not impact an average middle-class Indian.
Yes, 20% TCS on international credit card payments might not help the state coffers much but it does give fodder for scaremongering the growing middle-class Indian that they too will be taxed who form the core base of the BJP.
Sindhu Bharathi is a research analyst specializing in policy research, economic modelling and management consulting.
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Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief K Annamalai on Saturday (20 May 2023) took a jibe at the newly formed Congress government in Karnataka saying that the Nobel Peace Prize should be given to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar if the duo doesn’t fight by 2024. He also predicted the “collapse” of the state government within a year.
Annamalai said, “The way that constitution of India is designed, the council of ministers with the boss as Chief Minister, the Chief Minister and the council of ministers are accountable to the honorable Governor that’s how the current constitutional governance in India is. In Karnataka what we read in Newspaper is, one Chief Minister will rule for two and half years, another chief minister will rule for two and half years. Till then one guy will get Deputy Chief Minister Post, one Chief Minister will get ten ministers, another chief ministers will get ten ministers, the AICC will get 10 ministers, totally 30. Have you seen this kind of structure anywhere in the world? There has to be one accountability of the Chief Minister, but here there is three accountabilities.”
K Annamalai said, “I see Karnataka government collapsing like a pack of cards a year from now. If DK Shivakumar and Siddharamaih don’t fight by 2024, then the Nobel Peace Prize should be given to both of them, because the structure of the government is itself faulty.” He said, “Both leaders will be CM for 2.5 years. Siddharamaih, Shivakumar, and AICC have 10 ministers each. What kind of structure is this?”
He also questioned that when there is no unity between the congress, then where is the opposition unity?
He further said that this is only putting mirror to the country that how opportunistic these leaders have become.
“And I see no opposition unity continuing beyond the swearing-in ceremony.”, Annamalai said
#WATCH | "I see Karnataka govt collapsing like a pack of cards a year from now. If DK Shivakumar and Siddharamiah don't fight by 2024, then the Nobel peace prize should be given to both of them…": BJP Tamil Nadu President K Annamalai takes a jibe at Congress govt in Karnataka pic.twitter.com/2Dv87UbVQz
An audio clipping of a Twitter Spaces discussion has gone viral where Mike Benz, a former senior diplomat of the US State Department reveals how the US funds organizations to interfere in Indian elections.
Mike Benz was Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Communications and Information Technology at the US State Department. He had also served as a White House speechwriter for President Trump and advised on tech matters.
Mike Benz explained how US State Department was funding various entities in Indian media to create a narrative against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2019 general elections.
Mike Benz said, “When democracy is used by any proxy of the foreign policy establishment, it’s used to create a predicate for regime change, for a change in that country’s elected government. Principally in order to control various political, media, social, and cultural levers to give basically more freedom and leeway to state departments and intelligence whose influence is limited by state action in that targeted country. I thought of the India thing for a long time. Because I remember very vividly in 2019 when the Atlantic Council was holding conferences about what to do about India and the problem of internet and communications freedom in India because it was leading people to be Modi supporters and Modi was perceived as a populist sort of a part of a new non-aligned movement.”
He said, “The thorny role that India played on the side of the state Department in the national security state during portions of the cold war. When you see this right now with the fact Modi is basically non-aligned on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. You have got declarations by the Indian financial minister who has talked about how they are going to continue to basically buy Russian oil and gas. There is the purchasing of arms and other equipment. And India plays a very very important role with respect to America’s foreign policy vis-a-vis China.”
He further said “So, India lose very large. And Modi’s nationalist proclivities make it a unstable and sometimes adversarial piece on the state department chessboard. They want somebody in there who is like a Trudeau who is like Annalena Baerbock in Germany essentially.”
Mike Benz explained how Annalena Baerbock who is the Foreign Minister of Germany was groomed by NATO and that the Green Party, which was backed by NATO, was being used as a proxy to shut down the Nord Stream pipeline on regulatory grounds over basically climate-type pretext.
“She is the perfect photocopy replica of the picture-perfect vassal state of the Western interest.”, he said.
Mike Benz also said, “I support Western interests but there are dirty tricks. There’s fair play and there’s dirty tricks. And what they are doing with Modi is dirty tricks. We have lived through three years of high-intensity Russia Gate over a hundred thousand dollars in Facebook ads. And we have got probably thirty million dollars at least that have flowed from the state departments to do the same thing in India somewhat explicitly. Because this is all done through the Atlantic Council, global engagement standards and USAID and funding of different pop-up censorship mercenary groups that we send over there under the guise of saying ‘oh well, they’re fact-checking groups, or these are digital resilience groups, or media literacy groups’. But what they are is they are censorship mercenaries who put pressure on Indian civil society and communications platforms in order to stop the ability of Modi supporters from accessing other party mines. It’s very similar to what they did in Brazil with Bolsanaro when they basically got Sergis Moro (currently Minister of Justice and Public Security and former federal judge) and the court system there to ban Telegram when Telegram said that it would not censor so-called misinformation. The High Court in Brazil not only banned Telegram but they put a criminal penalty for accessing Telegram and a $10000 fine by VPN.”
He implied that what the US did with Brazil to bring a regime change by overthrowing Jair Bolsanaro, they’re trying to do the same with India.
Adolf Hitler’s rise as a ruthless dictator can be attributed to the Nazi Stormtroopers also known as ‘Brownshirts’ (because of their khaki uniform) who were infamous for their operation outside of the law and their violent intimidation of Germany’s leftists and Jewish population.
This private army of ruffians and bullies indulged in thuggish vigilantism to intimidate opponents going after anyone and everyone who dared to question the Führer.
Two years before the Brownshirts were formed, the ‘Black Shirts’, a colloquial term used to refer to members of the Fascist organization Fasci Italiani di Combattimento, was created by Benito Mussolini in Italy in March 1919. The majority of the Black Shirts were disgruntled ex-soldiers. They posed as champions of law and order and violently attacked anyone who criticized Mussolini, their leader.
About a century later, history seems to be repeating itself on the other side of the world, in a democratic India, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu under the DMK regime of MK Stalin.
The ‘black shirts’ of Tamil Nadu (as the DK, DMK and other Dravidian Stockists are colloquially called) have formed their own version of Black Shirts.
Dravidian Model Of Fascism And Nazism
As popularized by Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai, the DMK ecosystem is like layers of an onion. One layer comprises cinema actors and social media influencers and underneath that layer is the layer of Dravidian Stockist journalists and media outlets who control and peddle narratives favourable to the DMK. The next layer is the ideologues and other fringe yet core outfits like Dravida Kazhagam, Dravida Viduthalai Kazhagam and so on. The next layer is the DMK leaders and the core of the onion is the first family of the DMK.
This ecosystem has long held a grip over the popular narrative. They were able to successfully control what was broadcast on these mainstream news channels. Even if DMK cadres sexually abuse a woman police officer in broad daylight and that woman police officer is forced to withdraw her complaints due to DMK pressure, these news outlets will not hold prime-time debates against the DMK. But with the democratisation of social media, the DMK ecosystem is losing its ground with netizens and Tamil Nadu opposition parties calling out the bluffs and fallacies of the DMK.
Therefore, DMK has modeled ITWreports, a Twitter handle on the lines of the BlackShirts of Mussolini and BrownShirts of Hitler.
ITW Reports: A DMK Cyberbully
Prior to 20 April 2022, the DMK government arrested dissidents, primarily those without financial support, but there was no organized effort.
On April 20, 2022, they launched the Twitter handle ITW Reports, which was promoted by the official DMK IT Wing and DMK IT Wing secretary TRB Rajaa (now a Minister in Stalin’s cabinet), in an organized effort to collect information about dissidents and go after them.
The ‘ITW Reports’ handle identifies itself as an ID to report abusive content against individuals, organisations and Tamil Nadu Government (read it as DMK leaders, DMK and DMK government). It claims to clamp down on fake news and other malicious content on social media.
However, in the name of pursuing legal action against those who spread misinformation about the DMK and the government, they are literally going after all of their opponents and dissidents for trivial social media posts and memes.
This officially unofficial and extended arm of the DMK IT wing works with the machinery of the Tamil Nadu Police arresting DMK critics and low-level cadres of parties like AIADMK, BJP, AMMK, and NTK.
Here are a few instances that show how Tamil Nadu police is being used as a mercenary of the DMK.
Instance 1
DMK IT wing members went after a Naam Tamilar functionary named Ganesh Kumar alias Nila Kannan for posting an image of late Chief Minister Karunanidhi having food with three of his wives.
Though it is a fact that Karunanidhi had three wives, DMK IT wing members could not digest that an opponent was pointing to it. Naam Tamilar Ganesh Kumar was arrested eventually.
It is worth noting that one DMK supporter thought the DMK government’s arrest of the NTK cadre was excessively severe. He said, “Pity don’t file a case!!! Just warn him!!! That should be enough.”
பாவம் டா வழக்கு பதிவு செய்யாதிங்க!!! எச்சரிக்கை செய்யுங்க போதும் !!! எப்படியும் சின்ன பசங்கள தான் இருப்பாங்க !!எல்லாம் சீமான் தான் சொல்லனும்!!!
In another case, in response to a DMK supporter’s derogatory tweet about Naam Tamilar Katchi chief Seeman, NTK supporter Ramachandran Durai posted an abusive tweet about Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin and a TV anchor. Though the image posted by an NTK supporter was abusive and derogatory, the image posted by a DMK supporter was equally abusive. NTK Ramachandran has been arrested, but the DMK supporter who abused NTK chief Seeman is still free to roam and continue his abuse.
சமூகவலைதளத்தில் மிக கொச்சையாக கீழ்த்தரமாக அருவருக்கத்தக்க வகையில் பதிவுகள் பகிர்ந்த பெரம்பலூர் மாவட்ட நாம் தமிழர் கட்சியை சேர்ந்த ராமசந்திரன் துரை என்ற நபர் மீது 4 பிரிவுகளின் கீழ் வழக்கு பதிவு செய்யப்பட்டு சிறையில் அடைக்கப்பட்டான். pic.twitter.com/fDJ2rQ96jk
In the first two instances, the tweets by NTK supporters were abusive and derogatory. However, ITW Reports has gone after even harmless criticism.
Instance 3
Biriyani Man 2, a popular YouTuber, posted a video taking a dig at Udhayanidhi Stalin who said continued protest against NEET is the ‘secret’ to get NEET abolished.
Biriyani Man’s video contained no derogatory remarks directed towards the DMK or Udhayanidhi Stalin. However, DMK supporters wanted him arrested because they did not want their crown prince to be trolled by anyone.
A Twitter handle named @Mark2Kali_ (a rabid Dravidian Stockist handle that spews hatred against Hindus, particularly Brahmins) had alleged that the Biriyani Man channel is spreading malicious campaign about the DMK government and tagged DMK leader TRB Rajaa and ITW Reports handle.
On December 27, 2022, Tamil Nadu Police arrested an AMMK functionary for a meme targeting Chief Minister’s son Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Sports Ministry. The AMMK functionary shared a screenshot from the film ‘Gentleman,’ in which actor Senthil introduces games like “coupling”, “spooling”, etc, stating that the new Tamil Nadu sports ministry will be introducing such new games.
Instance 5
On 21 February 2023, BJP supporter John Ravi had posted a picture of MK Stalin sitting on the steps of the Tiruvarur Temple tank with the caption “Who had said that the ladies are coming here to bathe at night?”
In another post, he had shared a picture where DMK Minister Duraimurugan can be seen holding Karunanidhi by the jaw with the satirical caption conveying a fictional conversation between the leaders.
Duraimurugan says “Thalaivare, you could’ve gone to second show cinema instead of giving birth to a nincompoop and burdening on our heads”, to which Karunanidhi replies “I had indeed gone to the cinemas”.
The ‘ITW Reports’ filed a complaint against John Ravi following which the Tamil Nadu police went all the way to Gujarat to arrest him.
Instance 6
On March 22, Tamil Nadu Police arrested one of the admins of Voice of Savukku for a meme targeting Chief Minister MK Stalin, ex-Finance Minister (now IT Minister) PTR Palanivel Thiyagarajan, and the recently announced monthly assistance scheme for women.
The Voice of Savukku handle posted a video of Kavundamani and Senthil’s comedy in which Kavundamani picks ladies for factory work. The meme depicted CM MK Stalin as actor Kavundamani and PTR Palanivel Thiyagarajan as actor Senthil, attempting to poke fun at the DMK government’s selection criteria for the monthly assistance scheme.
Other Critics Who Have Been Arrested By DMK Government
Krishna Kumar Murugan, a political researcher who is known for tweeting data points countering DMK, was arrested on Wednesday (21 September 2022) in the case of alleged ‘defamatory’ posters caricaturing Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. It should be noted that the image for which Krishna Kumar was arrested was originally designed by Vikatan for its cover pic depicting TN BJP chief Annamalai. Krishna Kumar used the same image with MK Stalin’s face instead of Annamlai’s.
Vice President of Tamil Nadu BJP’s Industrial Cell Mr. Selva Kumar was arrested by the Tamil Nadu police on Wednesday (12 April 2023) morning. He has been arrested allegedly for criticizing Tamil Nadu Electricity and Liquor Minister Senthilbalaji. Initial reports say he was arrested for calling Senthilbalaji “Ganja Balaji” owing to the rising drug menace in the state.
Maridhas, Karthik Gopinath, Kishore K Swamy, NTK’s Seethaiyin Mainthan are among those arrested by the DMK government for their Facebook posts and tweets.
It should also be noted that ITWreports only takes legal action against those who abuse the DMK and its first family. DMK members and supporters can go to any length to abuse their opponents, and the ITW Reports turns a blind eye.
Abusive Tweets Of DMK Members
On 11 March 2022, DMK Rajya Sabha MP MM Abdulla unleashed an abusive tirade against two individuals, one of whom is a woman journalist, for speaking against the DMK IT wing whose members allegedly harass anyone who criticizes the party on social media. DMK MP launched an abusive rant against ‘Savukku’ Shankar and the woman journalist, claiming that those two journalists will do hand*** for ₹5 and blow*** for ₹10.
A Dravidian Stock handle named 5Gவடை (@shereef5G7647) had once posted a derogatory image of Jesus Christ mocking slain LTTE terrorist Prabhakaran and Naam Tamil Katchi head Seeman.
This handle has posted so many tweets abusing Prabhakaran.
பிரபாகரனிடம் எனக்கு பிடித்ததே அவரின் கட்டு மஸ்தான "Six pack" உடல் தான்
சட்டுனு குனிஞ்சு கால தொட முடியாது ஆனால் போராளி என்று ஊரை ஏமாற்றி, மிரட்டி, ஓசி சோத்த தின்னு உடம்பை வளர்த்த பரதேசிதான்🤣🤣
Jayachandran DMK (@jaya2016maha), another rabid Dravidian Stockist and a member of DMK has abused late AIADMK leaders Dr. MG Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa, ex-BJP leader Gayathri Raguramm, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and many others.
Another Dravidian Stockist named Dr. Aravind Raja (@AravindRajaOff) had portrayed DMK critic Savukku Shankar as a pimp supplying women to ‘Kamalalayam’ (BJP Tamil Nadu headquarters).
However, the Tamil Nadu police have not taken action against these handles.
DMK Government’s “Social Media Monitoring Cell”
When PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan as Tamil Nadu Finance Minister presented the state’s budget for the year 2022-23 in March 2022, he announced that a ‘Social Media Monitor Centre’ would be formed ‘to battle fake news and misinformation on social media platforms’.
It was mentioned that the state government has decided to form a special Social Media Monitoring Centre under the police department.
Incidentally, the ITW Reports was created in April 2022 by DMK IT Wing.
Based on the directions of the MK Stalin-led DMK government, the Tamil Nadu Police formed a special ‘Social Media Monitor Team’ to monitor social media sites in September 2022.
According to reports, a whopping 203 officials and police personnel have been deputed for the task of “monitoring fake news on social media intending to create tension, riots, online frauds, drug smuggling, etc”.
Back in March 2022, The Commune bad expressed concerns about this stating that the DMK government with the state police machinery under its control might use it to muzzle dissenting voices which is what seems to be happening.
Questions That Demand Answers
1) If the objective was to counter fake news and online abuse, why hasn’t the Tamil Nadu police taken action against DMK members and other Dravidian Stockists despite complaints being registered?
2) Why hasn’t the Tamil Nadu police arrested U2 Brutus ‘Minor’ who derogated Hindu God Shiva and Goddess Kaali?
3) Why hasn’t the Tamil Nadu police taken action against Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam who abused Hindu Gods like Marriamman and Ayyappan?
4) Why hasn’t action been taken against DMK members who have abused BJP, AIADMK and NTK leaders?
5) Is Tamil Nadu Police here to work for the people or as a mercenary of DMK?
6) Is ITW Reports part of this “Social Media Monitoring Cell” of Tamil Nadu police?
7) Is taxpayer money being used to fund ITW Reports to go after DMK critics?
(Vallavaraayan is a political writer fighting Dravidian Stockists.)
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DMK stage speaker Shivaji Krishnamoorthy who had verbally abused and threatened to gun down Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi using terrorists has been inducted back into the party.
The DMK has revoked his suspension just four months after he was suspended for his abusive rant and threats against the Tamil Nadu Governor.
“Shivaji Krishnamoorthy has apologized for his acts. Following this, his suspension is cancelled.”, DMK Minister and party’s General Secretary Duraimurugan said.
In January 2023, Shivaji Krishnamoorthy had stoked controversy by talking derogatorily about Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, Tamil Nadu BJP President Annamalai, BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
Referring to Governor Ravi’s refusal to read the address verbatim in the Assembly, the DMK man said “CM Stalin has ordered us not to scold the Governor. I would have placed flowers on his feet and thanked him with folded hands if that ‘mayirandi‘ (cuss word in Tamil) had read the speech correctly. But, since that ‘La*ade Ka Bal‘ (cuss word in Hindi meaning pubic hair) refused to read what was given to him and refused to say Ambedkar’s name, don’t I have the right to slap him with a slipper?”
He added, “You (Governor) have taken an oath on the constitution written by Ambedkar. If you are not mentioning his name in your speech, then you go to Kashmir. We’ll send a terrorist to shoot and kill you, La**de K* B*l.”
“Otha (cuss word to refer one’s mother), if we can make a great leader like Indira Gandhi apologise, you are nothing to us.”, Shivaji Krishnamoorthy said.
Abusing Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai, he had said ““In the Tamil Nadu BJP, there is one person named Annamalai. He claims he gave up his prestigious IPS position to serve people. However, the government had made significant investments in your training. But you wasted all of that money. After wasting all of the government’s money, you, ‘Echa Soru‘ (cuss word referring to leftover food eaten by others), ‘Pottai‘ (a derogatory term for women), are criticizing Thalapathy Stalin?”
The DMK man had also abused Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami saying “Thalapathy Stalin took over the government when COVID was at its peak. Before that Palaniswami was the Chief Minister. Take a look at his teeth. ‘Echa Soru’. If we cut him into pieces, people in eight towns can eat his flesh. He is looking like a fat frog. When Edappadi and the entire world were saying to maintain social distance during COVID, our leader Stalin was the only one who asked us to gather together through ‘Ondrinaivom Vaa’. Our leader, MK Stalin, is not like Edappadi Palaniswami, a fat pig, or O Panneerselvam, who can’t walk, or former Speaker Dhanabal, who looks like he has piles.”
Shivaji Krishnamoorthy had also abused BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan and Annamalai’s mother as well.
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It has not been long since AIADMK General Secretary and Opposition Leader Edappadi K Palaniswami referred to the actors who were vocal during the previous ADMK regime but conspicuously silent on various socio-political issues during the DMK regime. Suriya Sivakumar, one of the actors mentioned indirectly by Edappadi K Palaniswami in his speech, has now credited (albeit indirectly) the DMK government for Supreme Court’s verdict on Jallikattu.
The Supreme Court of India on 18 May 2023 dismissed the petitions challenging the law permitting Jallikattu, the bull-taming sport that is seen as an integral part of Tamil culture.
The Constitution bench upheld the validity of amendments made by Tamil Nadu to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA Act).
This judgement has put the final nail in the coffin for the attempts by PETA India and Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) in getting the Tamil sport banned.
The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) of which DMK was part of showed great interest in banning Jallikattu. In fact, on December 15, 2015, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote a letter to the Human Society International, an organization similar to PETA, voicing his strong opposition to Jallikattu. Not only did he say that this most ‘horrible’ form of entertainment be not promoted, but he also wished the organization success in their goal of banning it.
Then Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had banned Jallikattu by adding bull to the list of animals prohibited for ‘performance’. He had welcomed the Supreme Court’s ban on Jallikattu in 2014 and called it a barbaric sport.
In fact, the Congress party (of which Suriya’s sister-in-law Nagma is a member) had called for a ban on Jallikattu in its 2016 Tamil Nadu Assembly election manifesto. The National Herald, the mouthpiece of the Congress, published an article criticizing the protests in a slanderous manner saying that Tamil men used the protests to ‘assert their manhood’ after feeling emasculated under the iron-fist rule of later former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.
However “actor” Surya, who has remained silent on the recent hooch tragedy and also on all socio-political issues that have occurred during the DMK government, has come forward to indirectly praise the DMK government, despite the fact that history reveals that the DMK-Congress government is the reason for the ban on Jallikattu.
Surya said in a tweet praising the state governments of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, that is the DMK and the Congress, “Happy and proud to note the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s ruling, upholding Jallikattu that’s integral to our Tamil culture & Kambala to Kannada culture! Hearty congratulations to both State Governments and respect to all those who fought consistently against the ban.”
Happy and proud to note the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s ruling, upholding #Jallikattu that’s integral to our Tamil culture & #Kambala to Kannada culture! Hearty congratulations to both State Governments and respect to all those who fought consistently against the ban.…
