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SB 403: A Hindumisic Legislation That Deserves To Be Ripped Apart And Thrown In The Dustbin

By
Anand Krishna
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A law aimed at expressly prohibiting caste discrimination in California was overwhelmingly approved by the state’s Senate Judiciary Committee, despite heavy opposition from Indian-American individuals, business and religious organisations.

The measure, presented by State Senator Aisha Wahab, proposes to alter the Unruh Civil Rights Act’s anti-discrimination policy by including caste as a protected group.

This decision has sparked widespread outrage in the United States. To protest the proposed California Caste Bill SB 403, major Hindu and Indian companies and temples have issued a strong statement condemning it.

The signatories to this statement include:

– Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), the largest hotel owners association in the nation with 20,000 members who own 60% of the hotels in the United States, responsible for 1.7 per cent of the nation’s GDP.

– AASOA representing over 8300 store owners throughout the nation

– Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference (HMEC) an umbrella organisation of Hindu temples in North America with the participation of 600 temples in its conferences

– Hindu Business Network (HBN)

– Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective (HinduPACT), an initiative of World Hindu Council of America (VHPA), the oldest and one of the largest Hindu organisation in the US

It is not the first-time anti-caste legislation is being passed in the US. On February, 2023 Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant, a member of the Trotskyist Socialist Alternative political party, succeeded in passing a bill adding the category of ‘caste’ to the city’s non-discrimination statute.

So, what is all the fuzz about? While Hindus are uniting in India, in abroad anti-Hindu forces are sowing discord among NRI community by raising false narrative about divisionary practices. And what is the result?

If we look in to the rising Hindumisia in the West and the pattern of so called ‘activists’ trying to divide Hindu community, one thing is clear, there are vested ‘activists’ with vested ‘funded’ interests sitting behind the wheel.

But, before we head in to the legislation itself which will legalise ethnic profiling of Hindus in US, it is important to understand the vested activists who are behind this anti-Hindu propaganda.

This includes anti-Hindu activist Thenmozhi Soundararajan.

Equity Labs And The Truth Behind Thenmozhi Soundararajan

Harking back to the horror of days of EVR, when venom was spewed on Hindus in Nazi style, Mrs. Soundararajan now imports this toxic EVR politics into dividing the Hindu community abroad. The anti-Hindu hate in the west fuelled by despicable activists is a threat that needs to be checked for the harmony of Hindu community.

Equality Labs, the brain behind the anti-caste discrimination resolution in Seattle, has been spearheading a nationwide campaign. Seattle became the first US city to outlaw caste discrimination in February. In the United States, Equity Labs founded by Thenmozhi Soundararajan an alleged Dalit and apparently converted to Christianity is notoriously known for pushing deeply orchestrated anti-Hindu and anti-India propaganda demonizing Hinduism.

South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow (SALT) and Equity Labs pushed anti-CAA protests which culminated in the 2020 Delhi riot. Other initiatives such as Students Against Hindutva, Holi Against Hindutva, and Stand with Kashmir are not just campaign hashtags but support violent Islamists and terrorists.

Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an organization with links to Islamic terror groups is listed as one of the signatories on the website of Holi Against Hindutva (cleverly hidden among the various student groups).

Thenmozhi Soundararajan and equity labs has a history of displaying constant Hindumisia and spreading false information about Hinduism and cultivating anti-Hindu hate in the US.

For example, In April 2022, tech giant Google cancelled a talk by Thenmozhi Soundararajan, owing to the fear that it might create ‘division and rancour’ in the workplace. In another instance she joined White Supremacists in targeting Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal over his caste when he was newly appointed. They falsely assumed him to be Brahmin and targeted him over the same. Thenmozhi went to the extent of claiming that it is a tradition for “White cismen” to transfer power to “Brahmin cismen” in the Silicon Valley. Her allegations reek of caste hatred as Parag Agrawal was chosen solely based on his credentials.  He has been a long-time employee at Twitter and had very good relations with Jack Dorsey himself. Even so, Thenmozhi Soundararajan made it appear as if caste had a major role to play in the decision.

Who can forget that back in 2018, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, had stoked a massive controversy when he held an anti-Brahmin placard that said ‘Smash Brahminical Patriarchy’, a poster designed by Thenmozhi Soundararajan. She not only regularly lambasts Hinduism regularly but also discredits Hindu beliefs, practices, and traditions.

Last year, anti-Brahmin activist Thenmozhi Soundararajan went on an unhinged tirade against the ancient Indian Hindu practice of Yoga. In a tweet, she claimed, “What does it mean to address the structural violence at the heart of yoga? I break the silence on the religious abuse that is at the heart of yoga and how healing begins with de-brahminising and decolonizing.”

The anti-Brahmin activist then went on to demonise Hindu beliefs of ‘Dharma’ and ‘Karma,’ based on her skewed understanding of the concepts. She then whitewashed the gory history of the Islamic invasion and Christian evangelism by suggesting that forceful conversions to Abrahamic Faiths were in fact the fallout of Brahmanism in India. 

California Caste Bill SB 403

Hindus in US are protesting the bill. Vipul Patel, president of Asian American Shop Owners Association (AASOA), said the bill is based on the fabricated narrative of caste discrimination in America. In order to have a clear understanding we need to understand how this specific legislation reeks of Hindumisia.

The bill presents a convoluted and broad definition of “caste.” The definition of “caste” in this bill makes every person of the Indian subcontinent, and businesses run by them suspect of discrimination, including those who practice vegetarianism!

The bill perpetuates the colonial narrative of “caste,” introduced by the Portuguese and promoted by British colonialists. It will lead to harassment, discrimination, bullying and violence against Hindus. The promoters of the “caste” narrative have malevolent intentions, as demonstrated by their public statements. 

One statement, for example, says, “Hindus are sick people of India, it is their religious books who train the mind.”

This bill is built on unsubstantiated data and an unproven court case. It also makes ugly and unsubstantiated claims about South Asians engaging in harassment, bias, wage theft and caste discrimination in various sectors.

SB-403, not only maligns the Hindus but treats them in a manner different from every other racial and ethnic group as a matter of policy.

Apart from the vague definition of caste, the bill also launches an invasion of privacy against the Hindus. It problematizes associational marriages and marriage preferences of South Asians, as a result implementation and enforcement of SB-403 may require intrusive questions about marriage and socializing preferences.

There are an estimated 3.2 million Hindu Americans of Indian origin in the US and in this atmosphere of Hindumisia in the US, none of their lives seems to be safe at this moment.

Apart from this there are ample evidences that this legislation is being crafted solely to target Hindus in the US subjecting them to racial profiling. As per studies, discrimination on the basis of caste are extremely rare.

Half of Indian Americans surveyed in this study reported alleged discrimination, the basis of discrimination reported was mainly colour (30%), gender (18%), religion (18%) and national origin (1%).

Only 5% of those surveyed reported encountering alleged discrimination based on caste, with almost half of those respondents reporting the perpetrator of the alleged discrimination being of non-Indian origin, indicating that caste may have been conflated with some other factor or basis.

Most Hindu respondents (53%) do not identify with any caste group at all. Within the group that does identify with a caste, there is a significantly lower number of U.S.-born Hindu Indian Americans who identify with a caste group (34%) versus those that are foreign-born (53%), which may indicate that caste identification becomes increasingly less relevant with every generation. The study and the findings make us question the intention behind the springing up of anti-caste legislation.

Is it an attempt by vested activists and Left-Liberal cancel culture cannibals to demonize Hinduism? Or is it a master plan to divide and sow discord within NRI community in the US? Whatever the truth is, Hindu community in the US is putting up brave resistance against the propaganda against Sanatana Dharma.

Rising Hindumisia In The West

Hindumisia  or anti-Hindu hatred have a tragically long history which continues to this day across the globe. They are fuelled by a range of factors, including religious intolerance, religious exclusivism, a lack of religious literacy, misrepresentation in the media, academic bias still rooted in oftentimes racist, colonial-era mis portrayals and, in the diaspora, generalised anti-immigrant xenophobia and hatred.

This has been professed by colonisers of the Indian subcontinent in form of control over temple wealth and enactment of acts such as Lex Loci Act, 1850 which was one of the root causes for 1857 first war of Indian Independence.

Presently, this is being done in Islamic countries and western nations which are being ignored by mainstream media. In Pakistan for example, 1,000 girls between the ages of 12-25 from minorities are forcibly converted to Islam every year and married to their abductors, which described the situation as a “human-rights catastrophe” and in Bangladesh, these incidents are being considered as a part of daily life for Hindus.

For example, a mob of 200 perpetrators desecrated ISKON temple in Dhaka which was part of incidents targeting Hindu’s in Bangladesh and surprisingly this incident happened on March 17th, 2022 which came right after the United Nations (UN) declared March 15th, 2022 as International Day to combat Islamophobia. India had risen to this occasion and rightly questioned the existing bias during the passage of the UN resolution.

During the passage, India along with France explained ‘Vote of concern’ stating that combatting the hatred against one specific religion was being elevated to an international day for the first time. In fact, this also marked the instance where in atrocities against other religions, specifically, non-Abrahamic religions are being ignored. The political ambivalence to concerns of Hindu community is also an issue in the West. Recent attacks and the lack of credible condemnation against vandalization of Hindu temples in Australia, vandalization of temples in Canada, anti-Hindu violence in the UK and general violence against Hindu’s in the Subcontinent speaks volumes on this issue.

The US, leader of human rights enforcing its ambit via military measures across the world had never recognized slaughter of Hindu Bangladeshis during 1971 war but US administration was happy to recognise Armenian genocide by Turkey which fits their propaganda of being human rights champions perfectly.

The violence against Hindus and scathing attacks in the form of discriminatory legislation in western nations are resulting in a wave of anti-Hindu climate fuelled by ‘paid’ activists spreading misinformation about Hindu culture and traditions. It is high time that these so called ‘progressive regions’ of the world acknowledge rampant anti-Hindu hate crimes and take measures against it instead discriminating against the victim, which are the Hindus themselves.

In short, the SB 403 is a dangerous anti-Hindu racist and casteist legislation which has the potential to victimize the so-called ‘victims’ themselves who are asking for it today.

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Ponniyin Selvan Route Map: Your Quick Guide To Travel The Path Of Vandiyathevan

By
The Commune
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Want to read an interesting and short retelling of the popular novel Ponniyin Selvan? Want to travel along the path of its hero Vandhiyathevan covering 100 spots with helpful google map links to guide you? Ponniyin Selvan Route Map is the book you need to read!

The book is written by Tamil Labs, the pen name of an unabashed Kalki and Bharathi fan, who writes threads on Twitter about Tamil literature, temples and culture.

In fact, this book is based on the threads written by him on Ponniyin Selvan’s characters, plots, places, cuisines and historical tidbits.

Anyone who’s read the popular Tamil novel Ponniyin Selvan, would have surely thought about taking a journey on the trail of its jubilant hero – Vandhiyathevan. Loyal fans wouldn’t even call this a journey, they’d consider it a pilgrimage to cover the Chola lands where events from the novel take place.

But do these locations from the 10th century exist even today? Yes, they do! And the trail is filled with scenic spots, marvelous architecture and grand temples.

This Ponniyin Selvan trail has become quite popular, with multiple tourist companies organising this as a heritage tour package. One popular Tamil magazine charges upto ₹18,000 per person for organizing a 3 day trip from Chennai.

But this really need not be such an expensive affair in the 21st century, as most of the locations mentioned in the book are a few Google Searches away.

This book documents 100+ locations mentioned in the novel, along with the Google Map Links so that you may plan your own road trips or family outings, thus saving you exorbitant costs from companies who’re trying to encash your love for Ponniyin Selvan. The sheer magnitude of the novel – with 5 volumes and 2400+ pages, can throw some people off guard.

This book delightfully retells the entire story as Kalki envisioned it, with dialogues and descriptions, but in a much shorter book (two hours reading time), taking a few creative liberties with the plot. Consider this book as an earnest and short retelling of Ponniyin Selvan, plus as a reference manual for the locations mentioned in the novel. The fact that it got the recognition of scholars, historians, journalists, authors and even movie stars (including Karthi who played the role of Vandhiyathevan in the film adaptation) speaks for its credibility and interest quotient.

Are you ready to travel into the mesmerizing world of Kalki, be awestruck by the magnanimity of the characters and maybe shed a teardrop admiring their sacrifices?

Tamil Labs has taken the trouble to condense the 5 part magnum opus of Kalki Krishnamurthy into an easily consumable guide book.

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This Organization Is Bringing Back The Lost Hindu Brethren In Andhra Pradesh

By
The Commune
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Andhra Pradesh is a hotbed of evangelical activity with missionaries indulging in forced conversions of marginalized Hindu people – either through allurement or denigration.

Concerned Hindus often express their anguish but rarely do we find individuals and institutions plunging themselves to stop the menace or take steps to bring back those who have left the Hindu fold.

Samarasata Sewa Foundation (SSF), headquartered in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh is one such organisation that is working to protect and preserve the native Hindu faith.

The idea of a Hindu organization was conceived and promoted by the late Sri P.V.R.K. Prasad, an IAS officer whose career included esteemed positions such as Executive Officer to the Tirumala Tirupati Devastanams (TTD), Chairman of Visakhapatnam Port Trust, Special Chief Secretary to Government of Andhra Pradesh and Media Advisor to former Indian Prime Minister Sri P.V Narasimha Rao. The current management team of the organization is made up of eminent and successful citizens with a proven track record across both the public and private sectors.

SSF is involved in many activities like:

1) conducting temple-centric activities in an effort to revive and promote “temple culture”
2) expanding availability and access to temples by restoring existing ones and building new temples where necessary.
3) making house visits to vulnerable Hindu families locally, as and when necessary
4) organizing regular bhajans for communal fellowship and
support at the grass roots level
5) preventing conversion to other religions by offering timely Hindu spiritual advice, counselling or other asisstance.
6) encouraging a culture of inclusion by empowering marginalized/ vulnerable/ lower caste Hindu communities in matters of religion including their involvement in temple affairs.
7) striving to bring about Hindu unity across class/caste/ sectarian differences.

SSF actively encourages “Ghar Wapsi” (return of a converted person to his native faith of Hindu religion and culture). As they say, a thorn can only be removed by another thorn, SSF emulates the modus operandi of missionaries by distributing the “Bhagavat Gita” and train local youth from marginalised communities in taking up priestly duties at temples in their localities. They also conduct door to door campaigns to raise awareness of Hinduism, answer questions and address any concerns. They run “bal vikas” educational programs for the children of the economically disadvantaged communities.

The SSF also works in collaboration with reputed, experienced Hindu organizations like the TTD (Tirupati Tirumala Devastanam), Art of Living, Hindu Dharma Parirakshana Trust (HDPT) and a few others. Hundreds of Hindu “dharma pracharaks” trained by the SSF, are engaged in a movement to spread awareness of the basic tenets, principles and values of Hinduism. The pracharaks visit several households, specifically of the marginalised commnities, to spread the message of Hindu dharma, conduct Hindu rituals and encourage those who have converted to Christianity to return to the Hindu fold. The extensive data collected from surveys conducted across thousands of villages in the state of Andhra (religious/ cultural activities, needs of the poor, festival celebrations, management of temples, religious conversions, political concerns Etc) guide the SSF pracharaks in planning and prioritizing the organization’s work at the village and mandal level.

The organization has so far constructed around 500 temples in the residential colonies of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), fishermen and other economically vulnerable classes. Additionally, in collaboration with the TTD of Tirupati Lord Balaji, 500 people from the SC, ST, and fishermen communities thus far, have been trained to conduct Hindu rituals, nitya puja, vratas, katanas, and other shodasa pujas. Involving the weaker, vulnerable and marginalized sections of society in the organizational as well as Hindu religious and cultural activities undertaken by the SSF, has started to bring a sense of belonging, support and pride among them.

The organization has set up advisory bodies at the district, mandal and village levels. Each body has a convener. They organise several social, religious and cultural events in the villages that they have started to work in. At the village and mandal level, the goal is to recruit 10 active members from every village.

The “pracharaks”(publicists, local leaders ), workers and volunteers that SSF identifies and trains are people from all castes, classes and communities that show a passion for protecting and propagating the Hindu dharma.

To know more about the organization, click here.

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Dravida Model: DMK Govt Introduces Liquor ATM In Chennai’s VR Mall

By
The Commune
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In yet another effort to boost sales of TASMAC, the state-owned liquor marketing and sales company, the DMK government has installed an automated liquor machine in Chennai.

Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan stated in the Tamil Nadu budget speech that he estimates TASMAC, the Tamil Nadu government’s liquor sales company, to earn ₹50,000 crores in revenue for the fiscal year 2023-24, an increase of 5000 crores from the previous fiscal year.

Accordingly, the DMK government has been bringing changes to the government rules to ensure that sales of liquor increase in Tamil Nadu through TASMAC. A few days ago, the DMK government issued an order granting a special license to allow liquor service in conference halls, convention centers, marriage halls, banquet halls, sports stadiums, and household functions.

The F.L. 12 special license would be valid for one or more days. On payment of license fees, it would be issued by the Deputy Commissioner/Assistant Commissioner (Excise) with the Collector’s approval. This permit allows guests, visitors, and participants at international or national events to possess and serve liquor.

However, after facing severe backlash, the government was forced to withdraw its order allowing liquor to be served in marriage halls. The general public and the opposition parties criticized the DMK government for trying to turn everyone in Tamil Nadu into an alcoholic.

While the controversy surrounding allowing liquor to be served in marriage halls is yet to subside, the DMK government has come up with another innovative method to increase sales of liquor in Tamil Nadu. In this regard, TASMAC has installed automated liquor vending machines at the VR Mall in Koyambedu. It is set up in such a way that anyone can pay for and obtain the liquor. According to reports, the automated liquor machine was installed a week ago. It is said that the brand of liquor can be selected using a touch screen and paid for using a credit or debit card.

A video demonstrating how to obtain liquor from an automated machine of TASMAC has gone viral on social media, with many criticising the DMK government for selling liquor in a public mall.

(With inputs from ThanthiTV)

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DMK & D Stock Media Cry Foul Over Tamil Thaai Anthem Row In Karnataka, Annamalai Hits Back

By
The Commune
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On Thursday (27 April 2023), a video of BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai on a political stage in Shivamogga went viral on social media.

In the video, as Annamalai along with former Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka KS Eshwarappa and other leaders rise up, the Tamil Thaai anthem begins to play.

While Annamalai can be seen standing still, Eshwarappa can be seen asking the organizers to play the Karnataka official song first and so the Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu was stopped mid-way.

This video was made into a political issue by the DMK and Dravidian Stockist media in what many consider an attempt to whip up Tamil passion to divert focus away from the series of setbacks DMK government has been facing in Tamil Nadu.

DMK MP Kanimozhi has demanded an apology from Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai for “disrespecting” the state anthem ‘Tamil Thai Vazthu’ during the DMK’s election campaign in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district.

Kanimozhi on her Twitter handle said, “How can someone, who could not stop his party members from degrading ‘Tamil Thai Vazthu’, care about people of Tamil Nadu?”

Alleged ‘journalist’ Shabbir Ahmed of Dravidian Stockist propaganda outlet The News Minute (TNM) tried to amplify the trivial issue saying that BJP wants Tamil votes but won’t allow Tamil Thaai anthem to be played

However, Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai hits back on DMK’s Tamil Anthem Row, saying that it is customary for a state’s own anthem to be played before another state’s anthem.

Hitting back at DMK for the Tamil Anthem row, Annamalai said, “Eshwarappa organized a public meeting in Shimoga in Karnataka. Eshwarappa wanted Karnataka Anthem to be sung before the start of the meeting. It is customary to play Karnataka Anthem before any event. However, the audio operator wrongly played Tamil Anthem. Even the Tamil anthem which was played was not proper. Despite that, I stood up and paid respect. However, it is customary in Karnataka to play the Karnataka Anthem before the Tamil Anthem. Hence what happened is not wrong.”

Annamalai tweeted an old news clip of Chief Minister MK Stalin, then the Opposition Leader, in which MK Stalin insults the national flag by not saluting the flag after hoisting it in front of Anna Arivalayam. It also states that the national anthem was not played after hoisting the flag.

In his tweet, Annamalai said, “Do you need all this with a leader who doesn’t know to play the national anthem after hoisting our national flag? Isn’t it your history of removing the line “Kannadamung Kalitelungum Kavinmalayalamum Tuluvum” from the Tamil anthem song, thus sowing the seeds of division?”

“Our only mission is to save the Tamil people from you and DMK’s cheap politics. Do not worry,” he added.

Many on social media pointed said that this is an attempt to divert the attention of people away from the IT raids taking place in the DMK’s first family-linked GSquare real estate firm.

The Commune in an editorial published a few days ago predicted that DMK MP Kanimozhi will come out with a trivial issue to divert attention away from IT raids, and that has exactly happened. The article can be accessed here.

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Tamil Nadu BJP Functionary Hacked To Death, Miscreants Threw Bomb At His Car And Stabbed Multiple Times

By
The Commune
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PPG Shankar (42), a BJP Tamil Nadu functionary was hacked to death by miscreants when he was travelling in his car to his home on the night of 27 April 2023.

Shankar hails from Valarpuram area next to Sriperumbudur in Kanchipuram district. He was the President of Varapuram Panchayat Council and the State Treasurer of BJP Tamil Nadu Scheduled Caste wing.

On Thursday morning Shankar had come to Chennai and went home at night in his car with the driver. His car was cornered near Nasarathpet signal on the Chennai – Bengaluru highway when a mysterious gang hurled a country bomb at the car, causing damage to the entire front part of the car.

Knowing that his life was in threat, he got out of the car and ran on the road to survive. The men who were in hiding chased Shankar, massacred him to death, and later fled the spot.

Police later arrived at the crime scene and are investigating the motive behind the brutal murder.  They are examining the surveillance camera footage from the area and searching for the killers. A special team has been formed to nab the killers.

PPG Shankar’s brother (some reports say friend) PPG Kumaran, who was Sriperumbudur’s union councilor and a businessman was hacked to death by rowdies in the same manner (with bombs thrown and armed gang hacking to death) in October 2012.

It is said that PPG Shankar was planning to take revenge on Vairam from Kunradthur area who was involved in the assassination of PPG Kumaran and hence Vairam’s supporters preemptively killed him. The police are also investigating this angle.

BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai expressed shock and condemned the brutal murder of PPG Shankar calling it yet another instance of Tamil Nadu’s law and order going for a toss.

BJP Tamil Nadu State Secretary SG Suryah said that if a man is being killed by hurling bombs in the middle of the road, it shows the incompetence of the police that is under MK Stalin’s control.

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ED Raids TANGEDCO Officials, ₹360 Crore Lying As FD In SIC Seized

By
The Commune
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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) stated on Thursday that it searched multiple locations in Chennai belonging to officials of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) and South India Corporation (SIC), a Chettinad Group group company.

The ED said in a statement that a total of ₹360 crore was recovered during the raids. The searches were carried out last Friday, and the locations included the former director (coal) of TANGEDCO, government officials, and key management personnel of SIC and Western Agencies (Madras), according to the ED.

“Various incriminating documents, digital evidence, property documents, and ₹360 Crore lying as fixed deposits in the accounts of South India Corporation were seized during the searches,” the Enforcement Directorate said.

The investigation was opened in response to an FIR filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption in Chennai alleging fraudulently defrauding TANGEDCO, a PSU of the Tamil Nadu government, by claiming excessive payments for coal transportation from the Visakhapatnam port totaling hundreds of crores.

This loss to TANGEDCO occurred in collusion with TANGEDCO officials between 2001 and 2019. The initial six-month tender was extended for a period of 19 years due to an injunction petition filed by one of the related parties.

Apart from TANGEDCO, searches were carried out at a number of locations associated with Chennai-based Chettinad Group as part of an anti-money laundering investigation. The group is involved in a variety of businesses, including cement manufacturing, logistics, and construction, among others. The group’s offices in Chennai, Trichy (Tiruchirappalli), and a few other locations were raided. In December 2020, the Income-tax Department searched the company and claimed to have discovered tax evasion totaling more than Rs 700 crore.

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Hypocrisy Much? How DMK Govt Has Pushed Aadhaar Aggressively Than BJP Govt

By
Ashok Kumar
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The DMK which opposed linking Aadhar to various schemes when the BJP government at the Centre pushed for it, is now pushing Aadhar aggressively for state government schemes. This article is intended to call out the double standards of the MK Stalin-led DMK.

M.K. Stalin, who was then the opposition leader, opposed the plan to link the subsidy for cooking gas cylinders to Aadhaar in 2016 and claimed it would be difficult for the poor, particularly women.

Not only did he oppose the move to link Aadhar with central government schemes when he was in opposition, but also Chief Minister MK Stalin had recently opposed the Election Commission’s move to link Aadhar with voter ID to weed out multiple votes for a person.

However, after assuming power the DMK government under MK Stalin’s leadership has vigorously used Aadhar than the BJP for various state government schemes. Here is a list of state schemes that the DMK government under MK Stalin has made Aadhar mandatory.

Labor welfare and skill development department

This department is administering the welfare schemes to the unorganized workers of Tamil Nadu which are being implemented through the Tamil Nadu Manual Workers Social Security Welfare Board and 15 other Welfare Boards. The department has made Aadhaar mandatory for an individual eligible to receive benefits under the schemes. The notification is dated September 1, 2021.

Health and family welfare department

According to the DMK government notification dated 25th October 2021, any person registering end-stage organ failure patients waiting for cadaver organs in the Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu registry will be required to produce Aadhar. Also, an Aadhar card is compulsory for the transfer of wait-listed patients from one hospital to another and the registration of deceased organ donors.

Social welfare and women empowerment department:

According to the notification of the DMK government dated 16th November 2021, the beneficiaries of schemes like Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS), Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS), Differently Abled Pension Scheme (DAPS), Destitute Widow Pension Scheme (DWPS), Destitute / Deserted Wives Pension Scheme (DDWPS), Chief Minister’s Uzhavar Padhukappu Thittam (CMUPT), and Pension to Poor Unmarried Women of age 50 years and above (UWP), who receive a sum of Rs.1,000/- per month is required to furnish proof of possession of Aadhaar number or undergo Aadhaar authentication.

Adi Dravidar and tribal welfare department

The SC/ST students getting State Post Matric Scholarship, those getting free education up to Post Graduate level (Women) belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Caste students converted to Christianity students are required to furnish Aadhar details according to the notification of DMK government dated 1st December 2021.

Tamil Nadu health systems project

On February 11, 2022, the DMK government made Aadhar mandatory for Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme Integrated with Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

Backward classes, most backward classes, and minorities welfare department

The department has made Aadhar mandatory for various schemes like Free Education Scholarships to Degree Level, Free Education Scholarships to Polytechnic Level, and Free Education Scholarships to Professional Level for BC, MBC, and Denotified Community students based on a notification dated March 23, 2022.

Labor welfare and skill development department

As per the notification dated 30th May 2022, the department mandates Aadhar for Tamil Nadu Manual Workers Welfare Scheme.

Youth welfare and sports development department

Notification dated 31st May 2022 made Aadhar mandatory for the following schemes:

Special Scholarship for Elite Sportspersons (ESP),
Special Scholarship for Mission International Medal Scheme (MIMS),
Special Scholarship for Champion Development Scheme (CDS),
High Cash Incentive to the medal winners in the National and International level competitions,
Prize Money to the first three winners in the State Games for Chief Minster’s Trophy,
Prize money to Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu competitions,
Cash Award to Chief Minister’s State Sports Award
Cash Award to Chief Minister’s State Youth Award

Agriculture and farmers welfare department

Aadhar has become a requirement for 19 programs run by the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, including the National Agriculture Development Programme (NADP), the National Food Security Mission (NFSM), and the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil (NMEO). The notification was dated 8/6/2022.

Social welfare and women empowerment department

Notification dated 19th October 2022, made Aadhar mandatory for the following schemes under the department:

E.V.R Maniyammaiyar Memorial Widow’s Daughter Marriage Assistance Scheme
Annai Theresa Memorial Orphan Girls Marriage Assistance Scheme.
Dr. Dharmambal Ammaiyar Memorial Widow Remarriage Assistance Scheme.
Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy Memorial Inter-caste Marriage Assistance Scheme.

On 29th July 2022, the DMK government made Aadhar mandatory for the registration of birth and death. In addition, various schemes under the different ministry have made Aadhar mandatory to become the beneficiary of the scheme. The most recent example is where Aadhar is linked with electricity connection in Tamil Nadu.

It is worth noting that except for the GST amendment, in which Aadhaar was required for GST registration, all notifications issued to date have been by bureaucrats and have not involved any sort of interaction with the assembly.

This demonstrates how hard the DMK government has pushed for the integration of state government programs with Aadhar.

(With inputs from Srikanth.CashlessConsumer )

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Puthiya Tamizhagam Chief Dr Krishnasamy Urges DMK Govt Not To Discriminate When Providing Ex Gratia

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The Commune
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stalin krishnasamy dmk

Puthiya Tamizhagam Chief Dr. Krishnasamy questioned Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on the discrimination in giving Ex-Gratia amount and urged CM MK Stalin to give Rs 10 lakhs to each of the families who lost their lives in the Munnar incident.

In a statement released on 27th April, Dr. Krishnasamy said, “On April 22, 2023, three people from the Manoor area of Tirunelveli district died on the spot in a vehicle accident in Munnar, Kerala state. More than 20 people were seriously injured. Two of the treated patients died. They are all from poor, simple agricultural labor families.”

He added, “We have requested that ₹10 lakhs be distributed from the Chief Minister Relief Fund to the families of the five people killed in the incident. Even after nearly a week, the government is yet to provide the Ex Gratia amount to the families.”

The victims of the accident include 55-year-old Janaki, 59-year-old Perumal, and his 79-year-old mother Valliammal, 8-year-old boy Suseendran and 4-year-old Susilendran.

Dr. Krishnasamy further added, “When two people died in a fire 5000 km away in an Arabian country, the Tamil Nadu government announced a ₹10 lakh compensation. The Tamil Nadu government has the responsibility to assist Tamils regardless of where they belong to. The government, which compensated the families of those who died in the fire accident in Arabia, should also compensate the families of those who died in the Munnar incident.”

He ended by saying, “Furthermore, no government should act in a discriminatory manner. It is, however, in no way appropriate not to compensate the five Tamil families who may have been pushed into poverty as a result of the Munnar vehicle accident last week. This demonstrates that the government acted discriminatorily. Therefore, I reiterate that ₹10 lakhs should be given to the families of the victims who died in the Munnar road accident as soon as possible.”

It is worth noting that the DMK government has given the family of VAO Loorth Francis, who was killed by the sand mafia in Thoothukudi, an Ex Gratia amount of ₹1 crore. However, the family of D Lakshmanan, deceased army personnel who died in an August 2022 terrorist attack in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, received only ₹20 lakhs.

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