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Sabarimala: Pilgrims Once Again Face Long Hours Of Traffic In Pala-Ponkunnam Route; Stranded For 12-14 Hrs

By
The Commune
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Sabarimala is grappling with an overwhelming surge of pilgrims, leading to severe disruptions and protests due to inadequate facilities. The situation escalated on Monday, with reports indicating heavy traffic jams, restrictions on vehicle movement, and pilgrims facing a lack of essential amenities such as food, water, and toilets.

The Pala-Ponkunnam route to Sabarimala witnessed intense traffic, resulting in an approximately 8 km-long jam from Elikulam to Elangulam Temple Junction. Some vehicles were reportedly stranded for over 12-14 hours, prompting frustration among the pilgrims. Police measures, including the halting of buses at Vaikom, further fuelled discontent, leading to protests against the authorities’ actions.

On 24 December 2023, the hill shrine experienced its highest pilgrim turnout of the season, with 1,00,969 devotees ascending the ‘Pathinettampadi’ (18 steps) for a glimpse of the deity. Pilgrims faced extensive waiting times, with queues stretching from Neelimala, and the situation persisted into 25 December 2023 – Christmas day. Strict control measures were enforced by the police at Pampa and Nilackal.

The restrictions imposed by the police on vehicle entry in Pamba and Erumely exacerbated the situation, contributing to significant traffic congestion. Pilgrims, including women and children, were left waiting for hours, with some expressing disappointment over the lack of basic facilities. The Kerala High Court had recently directed temple authorities and the police to ensure pilgrims are provided with snacks and drinking water.

As the current pilgrim season, known as Mandalakalam, progresses, Sabarimala continues to witness an unprecedented influx of devotees. With the Mandala pooja scheduled for 27 December 2023, the temple is expected to close for three days before reopening on the fourth day. 

Speaking to Asianet News, devotees from Karnataka stranded on the road in their vehicle said, “In the morning we arrived here at 8 AM. It is already a whole day now. There is no food or water to drink. No one should come to Sabarimala next time. I am begging you with folded hands, nobody should come. Please. At least they should have informed us. The police here are not handling the situation properly. They are not allowing vehicles to pass freely.”

Another devotee from Karnataka said, “There is no water or toilet facilities. This is a shame for the Kerala government. Police are doing dadagiri. They are showing their shoe if we ask anything. We have not had food since 8 PM last night. Why are they doing this?”

Another devotee said, “Even Tirupati is better than this. Tirupati is very good. Kerala government is unable to handle the crowd that comes in large numbers just for 2 months.”

A Karnataka Union leader named Jagadish said, “In Karnataka, CPM is good. In Kerala, it is no good. No improvement at all. There is no toilet or water. Shouldn’t Pinarayi Vijayan do something about all this?”

The plight of the devotees took a distressing turn as pilgrims from various states, including Chennai, Coimbatore, and West Bengal, found themselves stranded without access to food, water, or toilet facilities. Complaints arose regarding the blockage of vehicles, leading to protests, including devotees lying on the ground on the Pala Ponkunnam Road. Water scarcity issues were exacerbated by vendors selling water at exorbitant prices.

To get stranded in a place that is not one’s hometown or home state without food and water is a big cause for concern. 

(with inputs from Manorama)

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“Paarpaan (Brahmins) Will Control Courts”: DMK IT Wing Shares Alleged Quote Of EVR Slandering Judiciary Amidst Ponmudi’s Jail Sentence And Justice Anand Venkatesh Getting Allotted MP/MLA Portfolio

By
The Commune
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“Paarpaan (Brahmins) Will Control Courts”: DMK IT Wing Shares Alleged Quote Of EVR Slandering Judiciary Amidst Ponmudi’s Jail Sentence And Justice Anand Venkatesh Getting MP/MLA Portfolio

With the arrest of former DMK minister K Ponmudi, the party and other Dravidianists seem to be jittered especially after it was reported that Justice N Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court will hold MP/MLA portfolio from 2 January 2024.

So, once 2024 begins, all suo motu revision petitions against sitting and former Ministers will get listed before him once again after a break of 3 months when he was sitting in Madurai Bench.

In a post intended to remember EV Ramasamy Naicker (hailed as Periyar by his followers), the DMK IT Wing shared a post quoting him. Indirectly, the post seemed to take jibes and abuse the judiciary. The post said, “The day we struggle and bring laws, the paarpaan (slur word for Brahmin) will be the one who will keep the court under his control!”

The Hindu on 23 December 2023, reported that Justice N. Anand Venkatesh is set to resume handling cases involving both sitting and former Members of Parliament as well as Legislative Assembly members starting 2 January 2024, as per the roster for the first three months of the upcoming year.

The report stated that Chief Justice Sanjay V. Gangapurwala, acting as the master of the roster, decided to reassign the MP/MLA portfolio to Justice Venkatesh following a three-month hiatus from 3 October 2023. During his previous tenure in this role, Justice Venkatesh initiated suo motu revisions against the discharge/acquittal of Ministers K. Ponmudy, K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, I. Periyasamy, and Thangam Thennarasu, along with former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and former Minister B. Valarmathi in various cases.

The suo motu revision petitions raised in August 2023 stirred considerable tension in political circles. Subsequently, he had to discontinue the hearings of these petitions due to his relocation to the Madurai Bench. As a result, Justice G. Jayachandran was assigned the portfolio for three months from 3 October 2023. However, none of the six suo motu revision petitions have been resolved since then, causing anxiety among lawyers in the High Court about which judge would take on the MP/MLA portfolio during the next three-month roster period commencing on 2 January 2024.

The uncertainty was particularly heightened because Justice Venkatesh was scheduled to return to the principal seat of the High Court in Chennai after completing his tenure in the Madurai Bench. An official sitting arrangement list released on 22 December 2023 confirmed that Justice Venkatesh would indeed be resuming his responsibilities for the MP/MLA portfolio.

It is noteworthy that when the judgement against Ponmudi was announced, the DMK and its ally, the VCK had cast aspersions on the judge who delivered the verdict. VCK head Thirumavalavan had said, “Nowadays, there’s a fear that even judges too are being ‘Sanatanised’”.

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The Print Uses Clickbaity Title Calling EVR As “South Indian Socrates”, Here’s Why He Is Not

By
The Commune
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The Print shared an article, on their X handle, on 24 December 2023, to mark the death anniversary of Dravidian ideologue, EV Ramasamy Naicker also referred to as Periyar in the region. The caption of the X post read, “Periyar, the ‘South Indian Socrates’ who smashed Brahminical patriarchy On his death anniversary, read #ThePrintProfile by Aananth Daksnamurthy @aananth95“

The X post of The Print gave a link to a 2018 article with the title that hailed EVR as the ‘Socrates of South India’.

Does The Article Talk About Socrates And Periyar? Or Their Connection?

The article which claims to be a profile of EVR does neither. There is no mention of Socrates or any philosophy connecting the two. It just traverses the life history of EVR from birth to death. It touches upon a short anecdotal mention of who gave him that title. 

The Print’s title describing EVR as ‘south Indian Socrates’ stems from a lie that has long been peddled by DMK and Dravidian Stockists but has been busted.

Was EVR Really A South Indian Socrates As Claimed?

For long, a myth was peddled by the Dravidianists that EVR was conferred the title of “Socrates of South-East Asia” by UNESCO. This “fact” had secured a prominent spot in Tamil Nadu school textbooks and was even included as a question in annual examinations and Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission exams.

Nevertheless, this recognition was later debunked and exposed as a sham. An email response from the UNESCO office in Delhi verified that no such award or title was bestowed upon E.V. Ramasamy Naicker.

This so-called award itself contains a glaring error. The title of the award reads “Socrates of South-East Asia.” However, the fact remains that India is not part of the South-East Asia grouping. South-East Asian nations include Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. India falls under South Asia, not South-East Asia.

For over four decades, this lie has been peddled by the Dravidianists, influencing numerous articles and research papers on EVR that are based on this inaccuracy. Surprisingly, no one in the media or the so-called ‘intellectual’ circles, known for their commitment to factual accuracy, has ever addressed this blatant lie.

So, who presented the award to EVR? It was none other than the late former DMK leader M. Karunanidhi, in the presence of Dravida Kazhagam President K. Veeramani!

Brahminical Patriarchy

Now coming to the second part of the title – EVR smashed “brahminical patriarchy”. 

At some point in his life, EVR made a trip to Kashi. It is claimed that he was not allowed inside the temple or given food, mainly for the fact that he was not a Brahmin. It is also claimed that this disgrace he experienced coupled with being witness to “immoral behaviour”, floating dead bodies, and encountering beggars made him convinced that all this was Brahminical exploitation! 

What the article doesn’t cover is that the same EVR called for the genocide of Brahmins openly. He once said, “The first would be the destruction of the Congress party, the second the destruction of Hindu religion, and the third the destruction of the domination of Brahmins. The third would automatically happen when the first two tasks were completed. Gandhi’s response was not to our satisfaction.”

EVR had called for the ‘annihilation of Gandhi’ and ‘annihilation of Congress’ along with the ‘annihilation of Brahmins’. He even threatened to burn Mahatma Gandhi’s photos and raze down his statues.

EVR gave a genocidal call to kill 1000 Tamil Brahmins to ‘eradicate caste’.

He said “If to eradicate caste we need to burn the agraharams (Tamizh Brahmin house colonies) and murder at least 1000 Tamizh Brahmins then we will do exactly that” declaring the date of genocide as 26th November 1957, the Constitution Day. Reacting to this genocidal call, Nehru wrote a letter to then Chief Minister of Madras K. Kamaraj saying that EVR’s call might lead to strong communal feelings which could even lead to murders. “I do hope that you will take adequate notice of this”, Nehru wrote in his letter to Kamaraj.

Anguished by the virulent vitriol spewed by EVR, Nehru shot off another letter to Kamaraj on 5 November 1957 in which he asked EVR to “be put in a lunatic asylum” and let his “perverted mind be treated there”.

Nehru once again wrote to Kamaraj on 4 December 1957, stating that EVR’s activities were the most barbarous thing that he had come across in a civilised country.

Overall in what seems like an article that does not touch upon important facts, it only seems as if the title and the caption were written in a clickbaity fashion to grab eyeballs from all sections of the social media population. 

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Self-Styled ‘Fact-Checker’ Mohammed Zubair Tries To Buttress DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran’s “Hindi Speakers Clean Toilets” Remark, Says It Is An Old Video

By
The Commune
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As Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Dayanidhi Maran’s derogatory comments on Hindi speakers surfaced online once again, Dravidianists and alleged fact-checkers jumped into the scene with their explanations and justifications.

Most prominent among those buttressing the DMK was the alleged fact-checker Mohammed Zubair of propaganda outlet Alt News. His explanation for the video was that it was a 4-year-old video.

Targeting ANI for the reportage, he wrote, “Hello @smitaprakash, Denounce Dayanidhi Maran’s Anti UP/Bihar speech in strongest terms, But your News Agency @ANI, @PTI_News and other News Channels getting video bites should atleast mention that you/they are running his 4 year old speech from June 2019. By not doing so, Your agency and other News Channels are proving that they are running a Propaganda set by the ruling Govt.”

His tweets buttressing Dayanidhi Maran was reposted by the DMK MP himself.

In multiple tweets, Zubair kept repeating that the video was four years old but never condemned the hate speech of the DMK MP.

Zubair, a serial fake news peddler himself had many a times shared old tweets of his ideological/political comments to target them. He had even targeted veteran personalities like Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar and very recently an X handle named Gabbar Singh.

When all-in-all commentator and TV debater Dr. Sumanth had called out his double-standards, the Islamist propagandist justified saying “People can and should share the old tweet/video for calling out their hypocrisy. But News Channels and News Agencies sharing a 4 year old video as recent and asking politicians to give their reaction/video bite for the old video is wrong.” without uttering a word about the derogatory comments on Hindi speakers made by DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran

What Did Dayanidhi Maran Say In The Video?

During a public address, the DMK MP stated that people who learn Hindi end up as construction workers and toilet cleaners in Tamil Nadu, while Tamilians who are not proficient in Hindi occupy high-ranking positions in the IT sector.

He said, “We asked you to study Tamil and English. You studied. Look at Sundar Pichai, he is now the CEO of Google. He would have been a construction worker if he had studied Hindi. Our children hold high-level positions in IT firms and earn a good living. Look at those who studied Hindi. They work as construction workers and clean toilets.”

This is not the first time Maran made such derogatory comments against Hindi speakers.

During another public meeting, he referred to North Indians and Hindi-speaking individuals as ‘fools’ who would support the BJP in the elections.

In another diatribe, he ridiculed north Indians for chanting Jai Shri Ram during the India Pakistan World Cup match that happened in Ahmedabad. 

Speaking at a campaign-related event in Annanagar in October 2023, where he shared the stage with DMK Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, around the time when the Jai Shri Ram chanting “controversy” broke out during the ICC World Cup, Dayanidhi Maran said, “When the Pakistani players were playing and when they got out and returned to the pavilion, the audience surrounded them and chanted Jai Shri Ram. I just watched the video fully. What I got reminded of was that, after the 2019 Parliamentary election victory, when we went for the swearing-in ceremony of all MPs, there were 330 MPs from the BJP. And for the first time in the history of the Parliament, there were chants of Jai Shri Ram, they shouted so much. I bravely went there and shouted, Long Live Periyar, Long Live Kalaignar, Long Live Anna, Long Live Tamil. Only when I did that, did they shut up their mouths. Similarly, that video (match) is making the rounds on WhatsApp. The Pakistan team visited India in the 70s or 80s in Chepauk and won the match. After the victory, they carried out a victory lap on the ground. While they were doing it, the audience from Tamil Nadu and Chennai, gave them a standing ovation and respected them. Only now we can understand why “sanghis” live in the north and in Tamil Nadu the reason they have no place here is because of Dravida model rule, Periyar, Anna, Kalaignar, Thalapathy MK Stalin, and next Udhayanidhi Stalin. We didn’t say anything wrong.

Netizen Reactions To Zubair Tweet

Netizens questioned if the hatred/attitude of Dayanidhi Maran or anyone from the DMK toward Hindi speakers had changed over the 4 years or even before. 

Some even called out Zubair’s hypocrisy over sharing screenshots of other people from the past. 

Some others shared points about how Kamlesh Tiwari and Salma Rushdie were murdered and attacked (respectively) for something they had said in the past.

 

It is noteworthy that I.N.D.I Alliance member Nitish Kumar of the JDU, reportedly turned down DMK’s TR Baalu request for translation during their recent meeting. Nitish Kumar had reportedly said, “We live in Hindustan, Hindi is our national language, and everyone should know it.” 

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Yet Another Crack In I.N.D.I. Alliance? Tejashwi Yadav Condemns DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran’s “Hindi Speakers Clean Toilets” Remark

By
The Commune
-

An old video of DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran in which he derogates Hindi speakers has been going viral on social media.

The DMK MP while addressing a public meeting had said that people who learned Hindi work as construction workers and wash toilets in Tamil Nadu, whereas Tamilians who don’t know Hindi hold high-level positions in the IT sector.

He said, “We asked you to study Tamil and English. You studied. Look at Sundar Pichai, he is now the CEO of Google. He would have been a construction worker if he had studied Hindi. Our children hold high-level positions in IT firms and earn a good living. Look at those who studied Hindi. They work as construction workers and clean toilets.”

This other time, while speaking at a public meeting he had called north Indians and Hindi speaking people as ‘idiots’ who will vote for BJP.

The speech of Dayanidhi Maran slandering and derogating Hindi speakers has received widespread condemnation from different quarters.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, part of the Opposition’s INDIA bloc, condemned Maran’s statement. Yadav pointed out that while addressing social inequities is important, disparaging an entire population is unacceptable.

Tejashwi Yadav stated that, similar to his own party, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the DMK led by Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister MK Stalin, also upholds the principles of social justice. He expressed that it was inappropriate for a leader of such a party to make the contentious remark.

“Had the DMK MP highlighted caste iniquities, had he pointed out that only people from some social groups took up such hazardous jobs, it would have made sense. But to speak disparagingly of the entire populace of Bihar and UP is reprehensible. We condemn it. We believe that people should be respectful towards those coming from other parts of the country.”, Tejashwi Yadav said.

Tejashwi Yadav further emphasized that leaders of the DMK ought to refrain from making statements that contradict the principle of social justice.

Former Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, a prominent BJP figure from Bihar, challenged Chief Minister Nitish Kumar regarding Maran’s statement. “The continuous disrespect towards Bihar’s people must end,” Prasad stated. He added that the residents of Bihar are compelled to migrate due to the state’s situation under Kumar’s governance, who is part of the INDI alliance.

The Mahagathbandan in Bihar, comprising of the RJD and JDU along with DMK are part of the I.N.D.I. Alliance. Earlier during a meeting of the alliance in Delhi, Bihar Chief Minister and JDU head Nitish Kumar lambasted at DMK MP TR Baalu who had requested for Hindi translation of his speech.

During Nitish Kumar’s address in Hindi, DMK MP TR Baalu reportedly requested Manoj Jha to ensure translation. The request, however, seemed to irk Nitish Kumar, who responded by saying, “We live in Hindustan, Hindi is our national language, and everyone should know it.” 

The lack of protest or objection from the DMK in response to Nitish Kumar’s assertion raised eyebrows, leading to questions about the party’s stance on “Hindi imposition“.

 

“HR&CE Minister Conducting Christmas Celebrations Is Dravidian Model”: TN CM Stalin Says, BJP MLA Vanathi Hits Back

By
The Commune
-

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin participated at the Christmas celebrations organized by the DMK’s minority welfare wing at the Don Bosco School in Chennai on 22 December 2023.

Speaking at the event, MK Stalin said “I wish all my Christian brothers and sisters a Merry Christmas. Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Minister has organized this function remarkably. It is a Christmas function but has been organized by the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Minister Sekarbabu. This is Dravidian Model.”

He further said “This is happening as a festival of equality. India is a country where people of different religions live in harmony. Even if there are different religions, it will be among themselves and not against others. All religions preach love only. No religion preaches divisiveness. That is why an event organized by the DMK’s minority wing is being attended by believers as well.”

He went on to add “We are all bound together by the principles of unity and brotherhood. On this platform, you can observe the presence of revered individuals such as Mailam Bommapura Adheenam Sri Sivagnana Palaya Swamigal and former Justice N. Basha. But a few people are unable to accept this unity. Whoever uses politics as a communal tool is unable to accept communal harmony and unity. That’s why they don’t like DMK, as it fights to create such unity. But the fact is, no matter how many more years, that group can’t win in this soil ever.”

Criticizing the Dravidian Model, BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan said “The Dravidian Model is one where the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Minister Minister conducts a Christmas festival but cannot even greet on Hindu festivals.”

She further said “In the DMK regime, the HR&CE Minister can conduct Christmas function of Christians, Ramzan festival of Muslims, participate in ‘eradicate Sanatana Dharma aka Hinduism’ conference but can’t but can wish Hindus on Hindu festivals. This is the true face of Dravidian Model. The Chief Minister did not say this openly but this is what he would’ve thought in his mind.”

“Chief Minister Stalin attends the Christmas function and greets Christians which is to be welcomed. He has done his duty as Chief Minister. But only last month, 90% Hindus in Tamil Nadu celebrated Deepavali. As a Chief Minister for all people, not a single wish came from him. Not only for Deepavali, he did not wish for any Hindu festival be it Thaipusam and Vinayaga Chaturthi. Hating one particular religion, wanting to eradicate it, abusing it, not even wishing them for their festivals, is this the religious unity that CM Stalin speaks about? Is this religious harmony? How can there be peace and harmony when those who want to destroy only one religion are in power?”, she said in her statement.

She further said “DMK is not able to tolerate Hindus who are realizing the true face of DMK. DMK keeps insulting Hinduism for minority votes. Hindu-hating forces like DMK dislike BJP because it exposes this to people. So, stop lecturing others and respect all religions equally. Only then will there be peace and harmony.”

Busting YouTurn’s Propaganda On Rainfall Alerts Issued By IMD For South TN Rains

By
The Commune
-

On 22 December 2023, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman conducted a press conference to provide insights into the Central Government’s actions in response to the recent floods affecting Chennai and the southern districts of Tamil Nadu.

She said that the DMK government in Tamil Nadu failed to take adequate precautions steps to tackle the monsoons adding that no lessons had been learnt from the 2015 floods.

She accused the DMK government of negligence in handling the heavy rainfall situation in the southern parts of the state. According to Nirmala Sitharaman, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had provided advanced warning, but the government failed to implement precautionary measures.

Countering Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, YouTurn, a self-styled fact-checking outlet that is known for peddling Dravidianist propaganda under the garb of fact-checking, put out an X post claiming that the IMD’s statement on 12 December 2023, only indicated heavy rainfall for a few specific locations, refuting Sitharaman’s claims.

The Propaganda

“December 12: Heavy rain (6.45 to 11.5 cm) will occur at a few places on 16th. December 15: Very heavy rains from 16th to 18th. Orange Alert (11.5 to 20 cm). December 17, 1 PM: Very heavy rain on 17th. (Red Alert (above 20 cm) for very heavy rain on 18th. Orange Alert (11.5 to 20 cm).

Rainfall from 8:30 AM on December 17 to 8:30 AM on December 18:

Kayalpattinam 94.6 cm
Tiruchendur 68.9 cm
Srivaikagundam 62.1 cm
Moolaikaraipatti 61.5 cm
Manjoli 55.2 cm”
​

YouTurn claimed that the IMD had only issued a warning saying that isolated rainfall would occur in southern districts of Tamil Nadu on December 12 and 16. YouTurn claimed that there was no mention of heavy rainfall or extremely heavy rainfall.

However, YouTurn has been found peddling half-truths to peddle DMK propaganda.

The Truth

IMD typically issues rainfall alerts in four categories: Green, Yellow, Orange and Red and this is what they signify.

Green – No Advisory: A green alert signifies that while there may be a weather event in the vicinity, it does not warrant the issuance of any advisory.

Yellow – Exercise Caution: A yellow alert indicates adverse weather conditions with a likelihood of deterioration, potentially leading to disruptions in daily routines.

Orange – Get Ready: An orange alert is issued when exceptionally severe weather is anticipated, carrying the potential for disruptions in transportation, including road, rail, and air, as well as power supply interruptions.

Red – Take Immediate Action: A red alert is issued in anticipation of extremely severe weather conditions that are likely to significantly disrupt transportation, power distribution, and even pose a potential risk to life.

A Yellow Alert signifies potentially dangerous rainfall, which was given to Tamil Nadu on 12 December 2023 which should’ve made the government to brace for impact. An Orange Alert, indicative of very heavy rainfall, requires the State Disaster Response Force to implement necessary precautionary actions and be ready.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an early warning in the form of an Orange Alert for the southern regions of Tamil Nadu, indicating the likelihood of “very heavy rain,” ranging from 115.6 mm to 204.4 mm over a 24-hour period. This forecast aligns with the observed rainfall data in various areas of southern Tamil Nadu during the period from 8:30 am on 17 December 2023 to 8:30 am on 18 December 2023:

– Kayalpattinam: 94.6 cm
– Tiruchendur: 68.9 cm
– Srivaikundam: 62.1 cm
– Moolaikaraipatti: 61.5 cm
– Manjolai: 55.2 cm

The recorded rainfall in these locations substantiates the IMD’s warning, emphasizing the accuracy of the early alert regarding the potential for significant precipitation in the specified region.

A Red Alert, is declared only 12 hours before the expected time of cyclone’s landfall. The same is present in the Tamil Nadu Disaster Management Plan 2023 released by the current DMK government.

https://twitter.com/OnlyTruth2024/status/1738255368030212108

Image

State Disaster Management Plan Book

 

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“Again I’m Saying, I’m A Christian And I’m Proud To Call Myself A Christian But..”: DMK Scion Udhayanidhi Stalin Who Wanted To “Eradicate Sanatana Dharma” Says

By
The Commune
-

DMK scion Udhayanidhi Stalin who is also a Minister in his father MK Stalin’s government, participated at the Christmas celebrations held in Chennai’s Harbour constituency.

Seated on the dais was Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Minister PK Sekar Babu, Chennai Mayor Priya and other Christian pastors.

Addressing the audience, Udhayanidhi Stalin said “From the same platform last year, the speech I made became a big topic of discussion. I said that I’m proud to be a Christian, I studied in Don Bosco school and Loyola College. Again I’m saying, I’m a Christian and I am proud to call myself a Christian.”

Earlier in 2022, Udhayanidhi Stalin speaking at the Christmas celebrations organized in the same Harbour constituency said that he and his wife are Christians.

However this time, the DMK scion went on to play safe saying “But I am not going to stop there this time. If you call me a Christian, I’m a Christian. If you call me a Hindu, I’m a Hindu. If you call me a Muslim, I’m Muslim. I don’t have any caste or religion. I will keep telling that everybody is equal by birth. Our leaders – ‘Thanthai’ Periyar, ‘Perarignar’ Anna, ‘Muthamizharignar’ Dr. Kalaignar (Karunanidhi), our leader CM (Stalin) has taught us only this. I will keep talking about it anywhere, anytime, how many ever times. I am sure that you will agree with what I say.”

Udhayanidhi Stalin had landed himself in soup in September 2023 when he called for the ‘eradication of Sanatana Dharma’ also known as Hinduism saying “Mosquitoes, dengue, flu, malaria, corona – we should not oppose these things. They’ve to be eradicated completely. Same is the case with Santanam (Hinduism). Our first work should be to abolish/eradicate Sanatanam instead of opposing it.” This had led to a national outrage with even the I.N.D.I. allies distancing themselves from the DMK.

Coming back to the present speech at the Christmas celebrations, Udhayanidhi Stalin then went on to heap praises on HR&CE Minister saying that he is not just Sekar Babu or Seyal Babu (workman) but a ‘Super Seyal Babu’ adding that he is on the ground whenever there is a problem.

Speaking about the recent rains that lashed Chennai and the southern districts of Tamil Nadu, the DMK Minister said “Chennai received an unprecedented rainfall of 48 cm in a single day. All your houses would’ve been submerged in water. You all were angry with us for a day, I know. But none of us hid inside the house. Me, our CM, our brother Sekarbabu, brother Kavi, sister Priya, what a great Mayor. We all didn’t even go to our homes. Because even our houses were inundated, not just your house. But we did not hide inside our house. We stood with the people as people and carried out relief work. This is the difference between DMK and other parties. All the others will come at election time.”

He then went to pat himself and Sekarbabu on the back saying “Many people tell me – ‘We’re from a different constituency but we want to come to Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni because you do so many welfare programmes here.’ But when I see such events being organized here, I feel like shifting from Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni to Harbour constituency.”

He further went on to justify his comments against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying “Like brother Sekarbabu said, whatever I speak is exploding like a bomb. A big flood in Chennai. Our leader  requested the Union Government for funds saying that we’ve to give people relief, repair roads, and cater to the damages. Immediately, the Union Finance Minister says, ‘Are we an ATM machine to give you money when you ask for it?’. Our media friends asked me about this saying that the Union Finance Minister is saying so and so. I responded to that saying ‘Naanga enna un appan veetu kaasaya ketom? (Did we ask for your dad’s money?)’. Our Tamil Nadu people paid taxes. The taxes paid by you. The Union Government is denying the GST, tax paid by you. I spoke about that only.”

He also alleged that the Union Government was showing a step-motherly attitude towards Tamil Nadu and went on to claim that Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh which contribute less to the Central tax pool get more money.

“We have asked for ₹21,700 crore for the Chennai flood and the South District flood. But the Union Government has not paid a single rupee till now. The ₹450 crore they claim to have given is the last year’s funds that a state is required to pay whether or not a calamity strikes. They say that we have given everything. The day after the storm hit Gujarat in 2021, the Prime Minister visited his state and announced a relief fund of ₹1,000 crore. Also, from the Prime Minister’s relief fund, he gave ₹2 lakh each separately to the deceased. But when there was such a big impact in Tamil Nadu, they did not even provide the funds we asked for, and they did not even reach out to Tamil Nadu. ₹8,000 crore rupees have been given from the State Disaster Relief Fund to Gujarat, which has not suffered major calamities and has a smaller population than Tamil Nadu. If we give a tax of one rupee to the Union government, they give back just 29 paise. Tamil Nadu has paid ₹10,000 crore in GST in this month of November alone. However, we have been given a total of ₹900 crore as State Disaster Relief Fund this year. On the other hand, the state of Madhya Pradesh gave a GST of ₹3,000 crore but has been given ₹1,000 crore as State Disaster Relief Fund. Likewise, in the last 9 years, Tamil Nadu has paid ₹5 lakh crore as tax to the Union Government. We got back only ₹2 lakh crore. However, Uttar Pradesh has given ₹2 lakh crore rupees to the union government and the union government has given them ₹9 lakh crore as tax distribution.“, he said.

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Sun News Caught Spreading Misinformation Regarding Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Statements

By
The Commune
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Sun News has come under scrutiny for disseminating fake news concerning Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s remarks during a press conference held on 22 December 2023.

The news outlet reported that Sitharaman had allegedly stated, “We cannot announce the severe flood damages in Tamil Nadu as a national disaster.”

However, the Finance Minister’s speech has been distorted to peddle propaganda.

Contrary to Sun News’ claims, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not make any such statement during the press meet. Nirmala Sitharaman stated, “There is no practice of announcing any disaster, in any state, at any time, by any government (of India) as a National Disaster. Since there is a lot of interest in Tamil Nadu, even the Tsunami of December 2004 (UPA with partner DMK) was not declared as National Disaster.”

The misinformation has drawn sharp criticism, with Tamil Nadu BJP State Secretary SG Suryah condemning the spread of fake news by Sun News.

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DMK, VCK Cast Aspersions On Madras HC Judge Who Convicted And Sentenced Ponmudi To Jail; “Fear That Judges Are Sanatanized” Says Thirumavalavan

By
The Commune
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On 21 December 2023, the Madras High Court sentenced DMK leader K Ponmudi to three years in jail in a corruption case making him lose his position as Minister and MLA. A fine of ₹50 lakh has also been imposed on him However, he is not required to surrender immediately, as his jail term has been temporarily suspended for 30 days, providing him an opportunity to appeal his conviction in the Supreme Court.

Following the Madras High Court’s verdict, the DMK along with its ally VCK led by Thol. Thirumavalavan have been casting aspersions on the judge who delivered the verdict.

DMK MP and the party’s legal wing secretary NR Elango said “A judge is definitely above suspicion. But by law, he served as the Law Secretary during the AIADMK regime. Back then, he handled the files related to freezing of the assets in this case. This was not known when the case was happening. Ponmudi came to know about it only now. We informed this to the judge but he said that even if he had came to know of this fact earlier, he wouldn’t have recused himself from the case. We will definitely take up that issue in the Supreme Court.”

VCK head and Chidambaram MP too jumped the bandwagon. During a press meet, a reporter asked what was his view on the talks about the judge having been a law secretary during the AIADMK government to which Thirumavalavan said “There is a norm that judges and judgements cannot be criticized. But in the name of justice, be it in Ayodhya or other important cases, grave injustice has been done which cannot be refuted. Recently, the verdict that upheld the reorganization of Jammu & Kashmir and abrogation of Article 370 is not above criticism. This case too is being looked at in the same way.” adding that Ponmudi’s case was dismissed in the sessions court.

He further added “This is not a case which was appealed by petitioners. Justice Jeyachandran himself on suo moto heard the case. He was a Law Secretary during the AIADMK government. He was also involved in foisting the case against him (Ponmudi). He was involved in collecting the documents related to the case. It was pointed out in the court too. That time too he said that even if it had been pointed out earlier, he wouldn’t have recused himself from the case. Hence, it is clear from these facts that the judge has ulterior motives. All this will be heard in the Supreme Court I believe.”

Adding further, Thirumavalavan said “The courts are acting biased based on the information we get. The verdict given doesn’t show that it was delivered with honesty. He hearing the case suo motu, the fact that he was involved in collecting the necessary documents regarding the case is now out in the open.”

He further said “Nowadays, there’s a fear that even judges too are being ‘Sanatanized'”.

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