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The Other Side Of The Kalakshetra Story: A JNU In The Making?

By
The Commune
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It all began when Leela Samson, the former director of Kalakshetra Foundation made an accusatory post against a teacher (who she did not name) on her Facebook account. The post was later deleted.

Over the past few days, several other articles pinpointing the nature of the teacher-student relationship in an institution like Kalakshetra have been cropping up, especially by the likes of The News Minute, The Print and so on.

According to TNM and The Print, students interviewed claim that a teacher named Hari Padman had behaved inappropriately with the students. However, a report by News 18 reveals that the students were disciplined by the teacher as is the culture of the institution.

While most of these accounts are anecdotal and far too few without any hard-hitting evidence, the truth behind the matter is far from what has been reported by TNM which has even exaggerated the location of institution saying, “Kalakshetra’s geography isolates it from the city, and most students doing their fine arts courses live on campus.”, sounding as if young girls and boys are taken to an isolated island to be tortured and harassed.

Kalakshetra Foundation is located in Thiruvanmiyur at the edge of Adyar, Chennai which is one of the prime spots of the city. Just like Theosophical Society in Adyar, the institute has a sprawling campus with greenery and feels completely different from the hustle and bustle of a busy city.

The institute was founded on the principle of a gurukula system by Rukmini Devi Arundale and to date has been following that tradition and style of teaching and learning. An integral part of Indian culture and knowledge system, is the guru-sishya parampara which is the mode of transmission of knowledge – be it the arts, philosophy, or spirituality. In this parampara or practice, the disciple (sishya) lived with the teacher (guru) and learn not just the subject matter but also moral values and life skills. The relationship between the guru and the sishya is considered sacred and is based on mutual respect and devotion.

This Indic tradition has been a target of attack by the leftists who for long have likened it to an exploitative system with their oppressor-opressed binary. Artist-activists such as TM Krishna, Chinmayi, and Anita Ratnam have been propagating the idea that not everything about the guru-sishya relationship is sacred and that it must be scrutinised.

Leela Samson And The Controversies Surrounding Her

During her 7-year tenure as the head of the organisation, Leela Samson has been accused of making “irregular” appointments and placing “arbitrary” contracts flouting rules and procedures as the Director of Kalakshetra Foundation. Doubts were also cast over her qualifications by her own colleagues from Kalakshetra.

There have also been allegations made against Samson herself like the one below. However, news portals did not find it fitting enough to report on.

The Case So Far

The sexual harassment allegations against Haripadman are based on anonymous posts on social media platforms. The Director of the institution, Revathy Ramachandran, had already established an Internal Complaint Committee when the matter was brought to light. Despite the absence of an official complaint, Revathy Ramachandran took suo moto action to address the issue. The internal investigation, led by the current director of the Kalakshetra Foundation, Revathi Ramachandran, concluded that the allegations against the accused teacher Hari Padman were baseless rumors created by “vested interests” to damage the institution’s reputation.

On March 19 of this year, the ICC cleared Hari Padman of any wrongdoing. The National Commission for Women also found no evidence to support the allegations. After initially calling for action against Hari Padman by the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP), the National Commission for Women (NCW) later decided to close the case. The NCW issued a statement stating that after reviewing the Director’s clarification and the report submitted by the Internal Complaints Committee, no proof of sexual harassment was found on the premises of Kalakshetra. As a result, the Commission decided to close the matter since the victim denied experiencing any sexual harassment during the IC committee’s inquiry.

Furthermore, the Kalakshetra director Revathi Ramachandran met with the DGP to submit the ICC’s findings. As per the state police chief’s statement, Kalakshetra conducted an internal inquiry through its committee and found the allegations to be “baseless.”

In a media statement, the Kalakshetra Foundation declared that a comprehensive investigation into allegations of sexual harassment made over social media determined that there were no such cases and that the allegations were unsubstantiated.

On 29 March 2023, NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma visited the campus to enquire about the harassment allegations.

So, the institute on its part has followed every due process in order to ensure a safe space for all. Yet, a few students have boycotted ongoing exams and have been sitting in protest demanding ouster of Haripadman.

The Other Side Of The Story

Inside sources from Kalakshetra who wished to remain unidentified note that most of the allegations of sexual harrasment and other types of harassment by the teacher Haripadman and other dancers/students are either completely fictional or small issues blown out of proportion.

Insiders say that the core issue is of three teachers namely – Nirmala Nagarajan, Nandini Nagarajan and Indhu Nideesh – who harbour professional rivalry against Haripadman. A majority of the students who are aware of the drama have refused to come out and have chosen to remain silent fearing reprisal from the other side.

“It’s not sexual harrasment but just plain professional rivalry by bitter teachers who are ready to sacrifice the institution of Kalakshetra to get their way”, notes a very close source from Kalakshetra.

The Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) committee has been very active and even has a Leftist lawyer who has herself stated there is no evidence in the complaints that have come in thus far. However, sources say that new allegations are being concocted actively by Nirmala Nagarajan et al., instigating students to protest demanding Haripadman be kicked out.

In a development that surfaced late Wednesday, 29 March 2023, screenshots of a complaint filed by a dancer of Kalakshetra with NCW, the Kalakshetra Board and the Ministry of Culture, surfaced on social media.

In these screenshots three teachers have been named and accused of allegedly collecting evidence of harassment against the teacher in question (Hari Padman) and the institution itself.

Some instances mentioned in the complaint point to the fact that a female teacher may have harassed a male student. However, this has not been highlighted anywhere or taken up by the CARE Spaces organisation which has vociferously campaigned for the female students.

Another screenshot of the complaint in the same tweet thread indicates some displeasure in the steps taken by the present director in restarting a repertory.

In another set of screenshots that became public, the original ‘report’ by The News Minute seems to fall flat.

 

It was also noticed that an organisation named CARESpaces.org seemed to be toeing the agenda of peddling a certain narrative.

  1. On 29 March 2023, a person who has been with Kalakshetra for 12 years wrote a complaint to the Secretary of Union Ministry of Culture coming in support of Haripadman and the institution.

The complaint says “I have known Haripadman sir for 12 years and I have never seen him make a single inappropriate remark to anyone. He is a strict teacher and he is not abusive. He is also very dedicated to dance and Kalakshetra. Haripadman sir only taught PD for two years and last year he only taught interns and repertory. So, the other students don’t know him.”

Like in the previous accounts, this complaint also blames Nirmala and Indhu for the unravelling episode saying that the two circulated rumours against Haripadman with a promise of removing probation concept if they protest against him.

“Nirmala teacher is the key person who has started all this.”, the complaint notes.

It also blames Nandini saying she blows up a routine matter like a teacher scolding a student into a sexual harassment issue.

“She has been leaking information to outsiders – activists and press – even before she takes it to the POSH committee. This damages the reputation and credibility of the institution of Kalakshetra.”, the complaint noted adding that Nirmala and Nandini are targeting people they want gone.

“Kindly consider this as a complaint from me and I request you to please order an investigation into the activities of Nirmala teacher, Nandini teacher and Indhu teacher. Please do not allow Kalakshetra to be destroyed.”

Attack On Haripadman? Attack On Kalakshetra? Or Attack On Guru-Shishya Parampara?

Whether dance or music, any art for that matter, requires strict disciplined life, and penance to master. This includes following a strict diet, routine, etc. Confusing discipline and rules for harassment is something that is commonly seen among the woke generation. Detaching bhakti and devotion from the arts has been a concerted attempt by leftists over the years and trying to make the sacrosanct nature of a gurukula and the guru-sishya relationship and everything within Sanatana Dharma seems to be the aim. If students are unable to follow these guidelines and rules, there are several other institutions available in the country that are even more “flexible” in this regard for them to choose from.

That being said, it is possible that a sadist or sexual predator may take undue advantage of Guru-Shishya Parampara. Such instances of abuse have to be dealt sternly following due process of law based on a comprehensive investigation.

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Teen Who Died Of Custodial Torture Suffered 96 Injuries In His Body, Post Mortem Report Reveals

By
The Commune
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According to the detailed post-mortem examination reports of the 17-year-old boy who was beaten to death in an observation home in Chengalpattu a few weeks ago, the boy’s body showed at least 96 injuries. Gokul Shree, who was accused of theft and apprehended by the Railway Police, was reportedly tortured and beaten to death in an observation home. 

Gokul Shree, a 17-year-old teen, was arrested on December 28 by the Railway Police in Tambaram on suspicion of stealing a battery from a railway station. He was sent to a children correctional facility because he was a minor. On December 31, he was rushed to Chengalpet Government Hospital with complaints of seizures, where he passed away within hours.

The preliminary autopsy report showed that the child was subjected to a physical attack, had severe contusions on his legs, and several external injuries on his body. The child was beaten severely before being killed, and the majority of his injuries were were ante-mortem. The parents, however, were not given access to the complete autopsy report.

On the basis of the post mortem report, six prison officials of the correctional facility were arrested. S Mohan, 30, superintendent of prisons, P Vidyasagar, 33, assistant superintendent of prisons, J H Raj, 29, barber at the juvenile home, prison wardens D Vijayakumar, 30, M Saranraj, and teacher R Chandrababu, 40, were arrested.

In this context, the victim’s parents were provided the full autopsy report of the deceased teen Gokul Shri. At a press conference conducted on Monday at the Press Club in Chennai’s Chepauk area, the post-mortem reports were presented to the public. The press conference was attended by the victim’s mother Priya, the Marxist Communist Party’s Chengalpattu district secretary Bharti Anna, and the state head of People’s Watch Organization Aseerwadham.

Bharti told reporters that the boy was tortured by sprinkling chilli powder in his eyes to see if he was deceased, and that the post-mortem report revealed that his body had 96 injuries. They also used sharp pins to prick his eyes to see if he was dead. They also poured hydrogen per oxide into the teens mouth. He went on to say that the victims in the much-discussed Sathankulam murder case were wounded in only 18 places, whereas Gokul Shri was injured in 96 different places before dying.

He added that the child spoke to his mother from a Railway police officer’s phone a day before his death and said he was alright. However, after being lodged in the correctional facility, prison authorities began beating him from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. He claimed that a team of six officers headed by Inspector Mohan assaulted the child, resulting in his death.

He said, “After being delayed, the matter has now been transferred to the Cri,me Branch, Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID). CB-CID must resolve this case as quickly as possible. On April 12, we will hold a protest in Chengalpattu, demanding the arrest of those responsible for the torture. The post-mortem reports were given to the victim’s family after almost two months.”

(With inputs from ToI and RedPix)

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Loyola College Mgmt Allegedly Deny Ex-Gratia Money To Family Of Deceased Student Who Died In Accident

By
The Commune
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The Loyola College management, which pledged to pay ₹1 crore as compensation for the student’s death as a result of their alleged negligence and violation of the law, has been delaying payment to the deceased student’s parents, according to reports. The parents of the students have now stated that they will initiate a lawsuit against the administration of Loyola College and its principal, Rev Dr A. Thomas, SJ.

Samuel, a Loyola College student, was in his first year of MA Economics. The national welfare program committee of the Loyola college had planned to hold a special camp in the Vizhupuram district on its behalf. For that purpose, on February 28, 2023, at 7 AM, five college professors officially took more than 50 students from Loyola College, Nungambakkam, Chennai to Vizhupuram by college bus.

The professors instructed the bus driver to return to campus from Vizhupuram with the bus as the camp would not be over in a single day. Later, at 6 PM, professors from Loyola College and another private college in the area rented a cargo vehicle, Mahindra Magic, to take the students to the camp in Alambatti village near Thirukovilur.

More than 30 students were forced to travel in a cargo vehicle that is unsafe for human travel. The Loyola faculty then rented a car to get to the camp. They also directed the cargo vehicle’s driver, Manivannan, 23, son of Ezhumalai from Chitthaamoor village, to return to the same location to pick up another 25 students who were waiting.

According to reports, the cargo vehicle that carried more than 30 students was in poor condition, and the driver lost control of the vehicle on a sharp bend in the road, causing the vehicle to capsize.

Over 20 students were severely injured and were rushed to Vizhupuram Government Hospital for treatment. A heavy blow to the the head rendered a student identified as Samuel unconscious on the spot. He was rushed to the hospital but died on the way.

The college administration called Samuel’s father and informed him that his son met with an accident and was severely injured. They additionally urged him to get to Vizhupuram Hospital as soon as possible.

When Samuel’s parents arrived at the Vizhupuram government hospital, the college management informed him that his son had died. The relatives of the deceased student immediately gathered in front of the Loyola College campus in Chennai.

The college principal, Thomas, advised the parents of the deceased student not to cause a fuss and urged them to collect the student’s body. They promised to assist the family in whatever way they could. Following the assurance given by Loyola College principal Thomas, the parents of the deceased student consented to the post-mortem at the government hospital in Villupuram, collected the body, and buried it in Kilpakkam, Chennai.

When the principal, Thomas, went to the deceased student’s house, at his request, the parents told him that they needed ₹1 crore in compensation and a job for the deceased student’s sister, who had finished an MBA degree. Principal Thomas, who agreed to the compensation, paid ₹15 lakhs in advance.

Later, when the parents went to meet with the principal Thomas to demand the remaining compensation, he dodged them. Another member of the college management informed the parents that he will speak with principal Thomas and get back to them as soon as possible about the pending compensation.

Despite the fact that the student died more than a month ago, the parents of the deceased student have not received a response from management or Principal Thomas. The parents of the deceased student have stated that they intend to file a complaint alleging that the Loyola college management cheated them by asking them to bury their son in exchange for money.

The parents claimed that the college management violated the Motor Vehicle Act by using a cargo vehicle to transport people, which resulted in their son’s death. They have urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and the Minister for Higher Education Ponmudi to intervene in the matter and take action against the Loyola College administration.

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Justice Joseph Allegedly “Smiles” At SG’s Reference To Brahmin Genocide Calls Made By DMK Leader

By
The Commune
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Feature Image: Left - Justice, Right - Representative

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (29 March 2023) was hearing a plea regarding alleged hate speech made against Muslims in rallies across Maharashtra.

Reports noted that the hearing saw a heated exchange between Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta appearing for the Centre and judges Joseph and Nagarathna.

SG Tushar Mehta wanted to include other instances of hate speech to this petition.

Bar and Bench which reported the proceedings stated that when SG Tushar Mehta mentioned about a DMK leader calling for the butchering of Brahmins, Justice Joseph apparently smiled to which the SG retorted saying that it is not a matter to be laughed at. The SG was reportedly making a reference to the speech made by DMK spokesperson Rajiv Gandhi who had said that Tamil Brahmins should have been killed as per the directions of EV.

Justice Nagarathna asked the SG what made the DMK leader say so.

“Do you know who is Periyar?”, Justice Joseph reportedly asked the SG to which the latter noted that just because a hate speech is said by someone famous, it cannot be pardoned.

When the SG urged the justices to take a look at te video of a child in a PFI rally in Kerala raising slogans calling for preparation for the last rites of Hindus and Christians, Justice Joseph said “yes yes we know..”.

“Then you should have taken suo Motu cognisance” said the SG to which Justice Nagarathna responded “there are cracks in the idea of fraternity”.

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Khalistani “Resurgence”: Substance Or Hype?

By
Anand Krishna
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In recent weeks and months, Khalistan groups have been upping the ante both inside India and abroad. The inspiration is clearly from outside, including from Pakistan, but there is now a local angle to it with the rise of Amritpal Singh’s Waris Punjab De. The latter have been trying to create mayhem in our border state. Outside India, our diplomatic missions have been attacked, including most recently in London and San Francisco. Many Hindu temples have been vandalised in Australia and elsewhere. So, what is really transpiring on the ground? Is India set to face another wave of extremism in Punjab? Or is it a well-orchestrated ploy by anti-India forces abroad to ‘bleed India with thousand cuts? In context of these disturbing events, this opinion piece will try to argue that why the Khalistan movement is on decline in contrast to the frenzy seen in popular media in India and understand why there is a need to debunk the game of ‘smoke and mirrors’ played by Neo-Khalistani trying to make the movement mainstream.

A Plot Hatched Abroad

It can be argued that here is little to no support for the Khalistan movement in Punjab, despite the state facing its fair share of challenges such as a struggling agricultural economy, declining employment opportunities, drug addiction among young people, and an ever-present threat from neighbouring Pakistan. The violent armed uprising by Sikh militants in the 1980s and 1990s left a dark chapter in the state’s history, and the people of Punjab have no interest in repeating that experience. The recent incidents of Khalistani activists replacing the Indian flag at the Indian High Commission in London, vandalising the Indian consulate in San Francisco, and protesting in Canada’s British Columbia only serve to highlight that the Khalistan movement remains nothing more than a fantasy for those who have little to no connection with ground reality in Punjab.

Fringe groups in Sikh diaspora, particularly in Canada and the United Kingdom, has been vocal supporters of the Khalistani movement. For example, the World Sikh Organization (WSO) in Canada has been accused of promoting separatist and extremist views. In 2018, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was criticised for attending a Sikh event where separatist flags were displayed. Similarly, in the UK, there have been reports of pro-Khalistan rallies and events, some of which have been attended by British politicians. Pakistan has also been accused of providing support to Khalistani groups. Indian officials have alleged that Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has been providing funding and training to Khalistani militants. In 2020, Indian security forces arrested a suspected Khalistani militant who they claimed had been trained in Pakistan. In most of the times, lax handling of the issue by Western nations and the hands of Pakistan were the driving factor fuelling the Khalistan propaganda abroad.

It is noteworthy that the Indian government has taken several steps to counter these groups and their activities. One such step is the use of diplomatic pressure to prevent foreign governments from supporting separatist movements in India. In 2019, for example, the Indian government protested to the Canadian government after it emerged that Sikh extremist groups in Canada had been seeking to raise funds for the Khalistani movement. In 2019, the Indian government also banned the extremist Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) group. The government has also frozen bank accounts of suspected financiers of the Khalistani movement and taken other measures to disrupt the flow of funds to these groups. Through diplomatic pressure and legal measures to disrupt the flow of funds and crack down on individuals and organisations suspected of supporting the Khalistan movement, India is playing its part in handling these groups. Therefore, there are clear indications that the movement confines mostly among these fringe groups. To have a clear idea of the issue we must look into the situation on ground and how it indicates that the movement is in decline in contrast to the popular narrative.

Ground Reality

One of the reasons for the decline of the Khalistan movement is the decrease in public support. The movement was at its peak in the 1980s when many Sikhs felt marginalised and oppressed by the Indian government. However, since then, the situation has improved, and many Sikhs have moved on from the idea of a separate state. According to a survey conducted by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in 2019, only 2% of Sikhs in Punjab support the Khalistan movement.

The decline of Sikh militancy in Punjab has also contributed to the decline of the Khalistan movement. Since the early 2000s, the violence has decreased significantly in Punjab. According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, there were only two militant-related fatalities in Punjab in 2020, compared to 488 in 1991. Another factor that has contributed to the decline of the Khalistan movement is the decrease in funding. The movement has struggled to raise funds both domestically and internationally due to increased scrutiny and opposition from the Indian government and the international community. The Indian government has also taken several steps to curb Khalistani separatism. The Modi government has been particularly aggressive in cracking down on the movement, which it views as a threat to national security. The government has arrested several Khalistani leaders, including Jagtar Singh Johal and Harmeet Singh, on charges of terrorism and conspiracy. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, the number of people arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for terrorism-related offences has increased from 800 in 2015 to 1,294 in 2019 and militants form a major chunk in these.

There are also several indications that the Khalistan movement is mainly confined to social media platforms and certain fringe elements abroad. Most of Khalistan propaganda has been mainly driven via social media platforms and does not enjoy the hype on ground level in Punjab. For example, the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) organisation has been using social media platforms to promote its “Referendum 2020” campaign, which aims to hold a referendum on the creation of Khalistan. The SFJ has been carrying out this through various hashtags on Twitter, such as #Referendum2020 and #Khalistan, to spread their message and build support. Similarly, several individuals on social media platforms have used hashtags such as #KhalistanZindabad and #FreeSikhPoliticalPrisoners to create instability in India. The Indian government has also taken many steps to prevent the disturbing trend of Khalistan propaganda on social media platforms. For example, back in 2020, the government asked Twitter to remove over 1,100 accounts that were spreading misinformation and promoting the Khalistan movement.

The voice among mainstream Sikh politicians also is not in favour of the movement. Many prominent Sikh leaders have stepped up in criticising the movement, including local Punjabi leaders. This trend indicates that the representatives of the Punjabi people do not consider the Khalistan movement as an important issue for the people. Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, for example, has been a vocal critic of the movement, stating that it is divisive and irrelevant in today’s India. He has called for unity among all Punjabis and has emphasised the need to focus on development and progress. Other local Punjabi leaders have also spoken out against the Khalistan movement. H.S. Phoolka, a former member of the Aam Aadmi Party and a prominent Sikh lawyer, has stated that the movement has “no relevance” in today’s India and that it is time to move on from past grievances. Similarly, Satnam Singh Kainth, a former Akali Dal leader and the chairman of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front, has criticised the movement as being “anti-national” and detrimental to the interests of the Sikh community. Thus, the idea of Khalistan has been mostly disowned by Punjabi people.

To summarise, with the current government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in power, which takes a tough stance on matters of national security, it is unlikely that the Khalistan movement will gain any significant traction in the country going ahead. It is true that the Khalistan movement is on its wane but it should not be an invitation to let the guard down against separatist forces. Being a country surrounded by two hostile nations India stands to lose if any separatist tendencies are allowed to fester on its borders. But at the same time the mainstream media shall take the moral road and avoid going on an overdrive to paint a picture that Punjab will go back to the horrors of 1980s-1990s.

(This article was originally published in The Pulse and has been republished here with permission.)

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Is Congress Pulling RaGa Down Or RaGa Pulling Congress Down?

By
M Ananth Narayan
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If I were Rahul Gandhi, I will first sack my advisors, speech writers and strategists and bring in a brand new team. I know it’s a sweeping statement as I am not sure if the others were wrong or Rahul Gandhi simply lacks the skill to pull it off and ends up giving a totally different message than what was intended by his support team. I can also imagine the pain his team might be going through too. It will be fair then to conclude that the failure of Congress in building a strong brand “Rahul Gandhi” can be attributed equally to his team – advisors, strategists, speech writers etc. apart from the person himself. 

Let’s start with an example of the strategy applied in 2013 when Rahul Gandhi called the ordinance brought by the UPA government in 2013 to shield convicted lawmakers from immediate disqualification from the house as utter nonsense and tore some piece paper. What was the strategy? Probably they were trying to show Rahul Gandhi as an honest, fearless, young leader but what they did wrong was they were trying to do so by belittling their own government. The senior leaders looked stupid as an outcome of this, and Rahul Gandhi’s image also didn’t get any better in the eyes of the public leave alone getting votes. It was such a terrible advice given by someone to Rahul Gandhi. It’s another matter that it was the right thing to do and it’s another matter that the same event has come back to bite Rahul Gandhi as he proudly mentions now on his twitter handle that he is a Dis’qualified MP. 

Some of the speeches that Rahul Gandhi has given in the past were so hilarious that it looked like he was trying very hard to prove the BJP right on being a ‘Pappu’. Internet was full of comic videos using his speeches. Aloo dalo sona nikalo, failing to pronounce the name Vishweshwaraiah, copying a condolence message from mobile phone, suddenly hugging the Prime Minister and winking at his colleagues later, wearing a janeu (sacred thread worn by hindus) on top of a jacket instead of wearing that inside to some of the recent ones like using the Modi surname inappropriately, Bhagwan Ram ne GST lagayi aur notebandi ki kya? etc. were all such terrible goof ups that one can’t help wondering whether he did these on his own or someone advised him to do so. A bad teacher and a bad student combo is always going to be an eventual disaster. 

Rahul Gandhi’s recent speeches in the UK were again terribly ill-advised. His advisors should have realized that there is a very high level of nationalistic thought in India today and going to UK and crying over democracy dying in India would not augur well with most of the Indians. This was exactly similar to Mani Shankar Aiyer appealing to Pakistani leaders to bring Modi down. Congress does this mistake again and again and never seems to learn from them. Another recent example was Priyanka Gandhi’s speech asking whether Lord Ram was a Parivaarvadi. What was the thought process here? It was again similar to Rahul Gandhi’s comment on Lord Ram and GST or demonetization.

Rahul Gandhi’s recent dialogue that he is not Savarkar and a Gandhi never apologizes etc. was another terrible political mistake. Everyone knows that he has already apologized a couple of times earlier including the one where the court itself rapped him. What did Congress get out of this? This didn’t help in Rahul Gandhi’s credibility but on the other hand it must have upset several Maharashtrians for whom Shri. Veer Savarkar is an icon. This was proved when Udhav Thackeray had to come out openly and warn Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi’s attempt at bravado failed to give any great outcome to Congress and to himself. The fact that Congress’s protests saw only the Congress workers on the roads shows that the general public is indifferent about what is happening with Rahul Gandhi and don’t seem to think that something utterly wrong is happening in the country and don’t care if the US claims to be watching.

I am seeing one new development out of this disqualification. This has spread awareness within communities that if a politician speaks badly about their community they can take him or her to task. Every foul mouthed politician who has been targeting a particular community in his speeches will now think twice before speaking. 

Some people have started saying that this is an inside job in Congress to get Rahul Gandhi out of the way but their dreams will never come true. It will be Rahul, Priyanka and Priyanka’s kids that will always lead the Congress until there is a party called Congress. Someone jokingly said, this is more of setback for BJP than the Congress as Rahul Gandhi was actually a star campaigner for BJP. I don’t think BJP has to worry much as Rahul Gandhi is not going anywhere. He is free, at least for now, from the responsibilities of an MP and will work harder. 

On a serious note, if I ask myself has Congress failed Rahul Gandhi or has he failed the Congress, I think the answer will be both. Congress and Rahul Gandhi have to seriously introspect if they even want to retain their current seats in the 2024 elections. After all only a strong strategy, communication plan, great communicators and on-ground delivery all falling in place together helps you win in politics.

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What Lies Ahead For OPS?

By
Ashok Kumar
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In a major victory for Edappadi K Palaniswami, the Madras High Court on 28 March 2023 dismissed all petitions challenging the elections to the appointment of former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami as the party’s General Secretary. O. Panneerselvam (OPS) and his supporters PH Manoj Pandian, R Vaithilingam and JCD Prabhakaran had sought a stay on the General Secretary elections and challenged the resolutions passed by the General Council meeting held on 11 July 2022.

Justice K Kumaresh Babu dismissed the petitions, saying there was no reason to entertain the applications, which sought to prevent the AIADMK from implementing resolutions that abolished the posts of coordinator and joint coordinator and reinstated the post of general secretary.

Following the court’s orders, AIADMK Election Officers Natham Viswanathan and Pollachi Jayaraman proclaimed Edappadi Palaniswami to be the party’s new General Secretary.

Following the passing of former chief minister and party general secretary J Jayalalithaa, this is the first time the party has a general secretary with absolute authority.

With this, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) has emerged as the undisputed general secretary of the party founded by MG Ramachandran.

Though the O Panneerselvam faction will challenge this order, the chances of obtaining a reprieve are slim. While the legal battle will keep taking its course, what are the political options for O. Panneerselvam?

Election Commission

Though EPS was successful in defeating the OPS faction in all judicial cases, when it comes to election matters, the Election Commission, a constitutional body, will have the ultimate say. The RK Nagar by-election is a prime illustration. Though TTV Dinakaran, under the guidance of Sasikala, had the support of the majority of MLAs and MPs when the by-election was announced first, the Election Commission said that it does not have time to read all the affidavits filed by both Sasikala and OPS faction, and thus froze the symbol.

The scenario is no different here. The Election Commission website still lists OPS as the AIADMK Coordinator. Even for the Erode East by-elections, the Election Commission suggested an approach to select a candidate that it said would only apply to that election.

Therefore the OPS faction has a glimmer of optimism left in the Election Commission.

Play Spoilsport

TTV Dhinakaran, the leader of the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, played spoiler in the 2021 Tamil Nadu assembly elections, securing 10 lakh plus votes and preventing ADMK’s victory in 21 plus seats in the elections. According to the poll findings, this harmed the AIADMK not only in the south and central regions, but also in a few pockets in the north.

AIADMK was able to reduce TTV Dhinakaran’s impact in the South and Delta region with the support of OPS, who belongs to the same community as TTV Dhinakaran and also enjoys the trust of the Devendra Kula Vellalar community. OPS demonstrated his closeness to PM Modi, for whom that community has unilateral support.

If OPS joins forces with TTV Dhinakaran, the ADMK will suffer a double blow in the Southern and Delta region, as they will lose both Thevar and Devendira Kula Vellalar votes.

It is worth noting that even OPS stated that if necessary, he will join forces with Dhinakaran after the Supreme Court upheld in February 2023 an order by the Madras High Court allowing his friend-turned-foe EPS to stay as the AIADMK’s interim general secretary.

New Venture

Joining TTV Dhinakaran’s AMMK would be political suicide because it would admit that his vote bank would be less than TTV Dhinakaran’s 2.5%. If OPS believes he is a pan-Tamil Nadu leader, he should contest in all 40 Tamil Nadu constituencies in the forthcoming 2024 parliamentary elections, by launching a new party.

However, OPS’s public display of character has demonstrated that he is unfit to start a new party because it would necessitate a large outlay of his own funds. Ever since the feud between EPS and OPS came to public, EPS has been very active in his political life by conducting large public gatherings and meetings, which needs a large chunk of money. OPS on the other hand hasn’t proved himself to be a fighter, except for spending for his lawyer and court fees.

OPS holding an alternative general body meeting with their supporters and claiming that his general body meeting is legitimate when EPS is holding a general body meeting with his supporters is common knowledge in politics. However, OPS did nothing of the sort, demonstrating that he is unwilling to give a befitting fight. Hence, OPS is unlikely to launch a party to take on his adversary Edappadi Palanisamy.

Other Options

Other low-probability choices for OPS include joining BJP to chart a new path, reaching a truce with EPS and staying within ADMK albeit under the latter, or gracefully retiring from politics. OPS joining the BJP will bring value to the party because it will have a Thevar face with no negative votes. OPS joining ADMK under EPS is also not out of the question, as he stated in the past that even his dead body must be wrapped in ADMK flag when a controversy arose a few years ago about him joining BJP.

Whichever path he chooses to go, he has to accept that he has lost his ground in the AIADMK.

OPS may have lost this battle but he may not let EPS win the war.

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After Group 2 Exam Mess Up, Irregularities Flagged In TNPSC Group 4 Recruitment, PTR Denies

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The Commune
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TNPSC Cancels Asst Public Prosecutor Exam Scheduled For This Year, Reschedules To Feb 2025

The Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) held preliminary exams to Group 4 posts in July 2022 to fill 7,301 vacancies in multiple government departments, the results for which were declared on 24 March 2023.

Reports mentioned that a large number of candidates who cleared the exam belonged to two private coaching centres.

Around 2000 candidates who cleared the exam belonged to one coaching institute from Tenkasi said reports. Apparently, the institute itself had boasted of the feat with advertisements.

While the institute in question has said that the the selection of 2000 candidates is indeed true as it has 40 centres across the State, opposition parties have flagged concerns citing irregularities.

BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai said that the news of 2000 people of from a single training center is a blow on the hard work of thousands of youth.

“While the commission has already announced that it is going to investigate the incident in which 700 people from Karaikudi center won the land surveyor exam, irregularities in the Group 4 exam results that have come out after eight months of waiting, is like insulting the youth of Tamil Nadu who have worked tirelessly preparing for the exam. The Government of Tamil Nadu should conduct a thorough investigation and re-examination should be conducted if there have been any irregularities in the examination results.”, Annamalai said.

AIADMK MLA from Bodinayakkanur O. Panneerselvam too flagged the issue demanding a detailed inquiry into the recent Group 4 exam results.

5 Lakh People Failed To Clear Tamil Says TNPSC

Many candidates also complained that they couldn’t view their results to which the TNPSC has stated that around 5 lakh people have failed to clear the Tamil qualifying paper.

Interestingly, when the Group 2 exam fiasco panned out, the TNPSC stated that candidates need not worry about the Tamil qualifying paper as 98% of the candidates clear it.

PTR Underplays And Denies

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan who also holds the portfolio of human resources management denied any irregularities saying the allegations are baseless. But he has sought a detailed clarification from the commission’s member secretary.

“Appropriate action will be taken if any malpractices, as claimed, have taken place,” PTR said responding Edappadi K Palaniswami’s calling attention motion in the Assembly.

This is the second instance in a matter of a month where the TNPSC has found itself in bad light.

The Group 2 Exam Fiasco

Earlier on 25 February 2023, there was commotion in several districts due to a delay in the conducting of Group II and Group II-A exam.  The delay had occurred due to the incorrect distribution of question papers and answer sheets by the examiners. According to reports, after the examiners realized that the question paper and answer sheets were incorrectly distributed, the candidates were instructed to write the exam on an already written answer sheet, which was written by the person who received it during the previous incorrect distribution.

Furthermore, when the candidatess inquired about the incorrect register number on the OMR sheets, the invigilators misled them by claiming that those were dummy numbers.

TNPSC officials took back the question papers and answer sheets from the examinees and sent them out of the hall after realizing that the question papers and OMR sheets had been distributed incorrectly. Some of the examinees who had phones outside the exam hall used them to look up answers to questions they remembered from the incorrectly distributed paper.

After outrage from candidates hitting the headlines, TNPSC admitted to the confusion and said that it had instructed the respective districts to give the candidates extra time due to the delay in starting the exam. However, not all candidates in all centre’s were given the extra time, say many candidates.

It is to be noted that this kind of blunder and mismanagement has never happened in the 9 decade history of TNPSC.

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Move Over RaGa, Will Action Be Taken Against DMK School Edu Min For Calling Brahmins ‘Pickpockets’?

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The Commune
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Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as an MP from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency on Friday (24 March 2023) in accordance with a Surat trial court order, which had convicted him in a criminal defamation case and sentenced him to two years in prison on Thursday for his remarks “how come all thieves have Modi surname?”

Following this, a section on the social media demanded that a similar case be filed against the DMK leaders in constitutional positions, citing their habit of abusing the Brahmin community in public meetings.

In this context, an old video of DMK Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi quoting EV Ramasamy Naicker calling the entire Brahmin community as ‘pickpockets’, has been making the rounds on social media.

In his address to Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and various other Islamic organisations on October 16, 2021, incumbent minister Anbil Mahesh quoted a conversation between Brahmins and EV Ramasamy Naicker (rabid anti-Hindu, anti-Brahmin speaker), saying, “In those days Brahmins went to Periyar and asked him why they were scared of Brahmins, despite the fact that they made up only 3% of the population.”

Anbil Mahesh cited EV Ramasamy’s response to Brahmins, saying, “EV Ramasamy narrated a story. When a festival occurs at a place, thousands of people will attend it. Those attending the festival will keep checking their pockets because they will have money in their pockets. After narrating the short story, EV Ramasamy Naicker stated that only 3% of individuals in a crowd of 1000 will be pickpockets.”

By quoting rabid anti-Brahmin speaker EV Ramasamy Naicker, DMK Minister Anbil Mahesh implied that the entire 3% Brahmins in Tamil Nadu are pickpockets.

This old video of DMK Minister Anbil Mahesh is going viral on social media, with many demanding that a criminal defamation case similar to the one filed against Rahul Gandhi be filed against the DMK minister for insulting the entire Brahmin community.

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RaGa Shown The Doors By Lok Sabha, Again: Housing Committee Serves Ultimatum To Vacate Govt Bungalow

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The Commune
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rahul gandhi terrorist attack

Days after his disqualification as Lok Sabha MMP, Congres leader Rahul Gandhi has been asked to vacate his government-allotted bungalow at 12, Tughlaq Lane by 22 April 2023.

Rahul Gandhi was disqualified after he was convicted to two years jail by a Surat court in the Modi surname defamation case which pertains to his Kolar speech of 2019 where he said “how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?”

According to the Article 102 1(e) of the Constitution and Section 8(3) of the Representation of People Act, 1951, when read together, a Member of Parliament can be disqualified if he or she is convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for two or more years.

Rules do not allow a disqualified parliamentarian to continue in government accommodation, and is given a 30-day period to vacate the official bungalow.

The notice to vacate the bungalow was served by the Housing Committee of Lok Sabha. However, Rahul Gandhi can seek an extension of his stay which may be considered by the panel.

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