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Debunking The Ashoka University Professor Sabyasachi Das’s ‘Research Paper’ On Manipulation Of Elections By BJP

By
Yajnavalkya
-

An alleged ‘research paper’ shared by an Ashoka University professor, Sabyasachi Das has been making the rounds in social media. The paper has allegedly not yet completed the critical review process and has not been published in any academic journal, the univ said.
The paper is allegedly about how the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been manipulating elections in India. A Twitter user M R Sharan shared an extensive thread on this “research”.

Ashoka University, however, clarified its stance, emphasising that while they promote research endeavours, they do not dictate the selection of individual research projects conducted by their faculty members. The university underscored that their emphasis lies on research papers that have undergone rigorous peer review and are subsequently published in esteemed journals.

A Twitter user who goes by the handle @saiarav neatly diced the paper and presented facts in Twitter threads debunking the entire paper and the threads have been reproduced here with permission:

Summarising the claims of the paper:

A) BJP won 41/58 LS seats in 2019 where the margin of victory was <5%. The normal expectation would be that it would win 50% or 29 seats, so BJP’s strike rate is a 12-seat outperformance.

B) The o/p can be attributed to either better electoral management or electoral manipulation. The paper seeks to prove it is due to manipulation.

C) There are two types of possible manipulation – deletion of minority voters from electoral rolls (registration manipulation) and manipulation at the time of voting (ballot stuffing for example) and while counting votes (both together called turnout manipulation).

As would be evident, for both registration manipulation and turnout manipulation, BJP will be in a position to do it only in states where they are part of the ruling alliance. So if indeed the victories were due to manipulation, one would see the higher strike rate being restricted to the NDA-ruled states. the author, in fact, even makes that claim.

However, for the complicated statistical jugglery exhibited throughout the paper, it gets this basic fact wrong. This pattern of outperformance is not limited to NDA-ruled states. Out of the 41 seats it won, nearly half are from non-NDA states.

Source: SaiArav Twitter

Not just that, it has a S/R of 66% wins in non-NDA states which clearly points to a superior electoral machinery.
Sure, its S/R is even better at 76% in NDA-ruled states. But this can very easily be explained by the fact that these are in states where BJP’s traditional strongholds and therefore BJP is more efficient in election management.

Source: SaiArav Twitter

**Note – 63% strike rate for non-BJP states in Nabrangpur (Odisha) is included which was a 3-cornered contest where BJP came third but margin versus was winner was <5%

As an aside, BJP’s lowest S/R is Bengal where it lost 4/10 closely contested seats – and we can be pretty sure that was not because of electoral manipulation by Mamta, right?

The evidence offered by the author for registration manipulation is that the growth rate in the electorate (vs 2014) in seats BJP won narrowly is 5% lower than the growth rate in ones it narrowly lost. Sounds compelling at first glance but turns out there is nothing at all abnormal with the growth rate of the electorate in BJP-win seats – the electorate grew by an average of 8.8%, right in line with the national electorate (8.7%)! It is those 17 seats that BJP lost narrowly which has an anomalous growth rate averaging 11.6%.

Source: SaiArav Twitter

All 4 seats BJP lost in WB had electorate growing higher than the national average – of course, that can’t be due to TMC indulging in electoral manipulation, can it? Anyway, the point is the author is indulging in outright statistical fraud when he claims BJP was deleting Muslim voters in these seats.

It turns out Sabyasachi Das has erred in assuming the two centrally administered territories – Andaman & Nicobar and Dadra & Nagar Haveli – as non-BJP ruled. This leads to erroneous S/R for BJP vs non-BJP states. He will also have to rework all his charts and data to correct for the above.

Sabyasachi Das also has included Nabarangpur (Odisha) in the list of narrowly lost seats by BJP but the party was a distant third in that seat. Indian National Congress came second there. It turns out Sabyasachi Das has erred in assuming the two centrally administered territories – Andaman & Nicobar and Dadra & Nagar Haveli – as non-BJP ruled.

Source: SaiArav Twitter

Given the overall small size, I bet it makes a meaningful difference to the results. For starters, the McCrary test, which forms the basis of the paper, will look very different, severely undercutting the thesis.

A Closer Look At The Issue Of Lower Electoral Growth Rate

Recreating the RDD chart validates the point that it is the narrowly-lost seats that show an abnormally high growth rate. Now we come to the most damning part of Sabyasachi Das’s paper. His claim that, in very narrow victory margins, the 2019 electorate growth rate of BJP-win seats was 5% lower than BJP-loss seats.

Source: SaiArav Twitter

The implication is clear – BJP might be deleting names of Muslim voters in seats with close contests (and hence the outperformance, failure of the McCrary test).
Someone pointed out to me that, for this analysis, no chart was provided. Well, turns out it was for a good reason. Because when plots the chart, turns the boot is on the other foot! Take a look at the chart (the horizontal line is the average growth in the electorate -~9%). What does it show?

Source: SaiArav Twitter

The electorate growth in narrow BJP wins is right in line with the national average. On the other hand, on the narrow-loss side, there are many seats with electorate growth way above average! And, that dear friends, is what is driving the -5% discontinuity jump.
Some of the narrow loss seats are in Bengal where the electorate growth is as high as 17% – almost double the national average. Knowing how the state is run, one can legitimately speculate about manipulation except that it will not be from the BJP, but from the TMC, in adding fake names to the rolls (but that is the subject of another paper).
Some other narrow-loss seats are just genuine outliers. For example, Andaman & Nicobar, which BJP lost by 0.7% showed an 18% growth. Dadra & NH, which again BJP lost by 4.5% saw a growth of 27%.
So what happens if we remove the outliers in electorate growth – say, all seats with growth of >15% and victory margin of <5%? The discontinuity shrinks to 1.2% from the 5% claimed in the paper.

Source: SaiArav Twitter

 

Examining The Assumption Of Alleged Manipulation By The BJP

I believe there is a fundamental error in Sabyasachi Das’s paper which makes most of the analysis redundant – The paper says the McCrary test does not fail in non-BJP states despite discontinuous jump because the p-value is >0.05. But corrected for input errors, I find that p-value <0.05.

Source: SaiArav Twitter

Why is this important? Because if the McCrary test fails in BJP-ruled states and doesn’t in non-BJP states, it implies that the outperformance in the former is possibly due to electoral manipulation using the state machinery, a point that is repeated throughout the paper.

Source: SaiArav Twitter

On the other hand, if the McCrary test fails even in non-BJP states, then the hypothesis of precise control (i.e., superior electoral management becomes the dominant hypothesis). Das’ perfunctory rejection of the precise control hypothesis based on two questions from CSDS becomes untenable, especially because on the question of social media being a differentiating factor, the paper itself finds that in non-BJP states, BJP’s outreach was superior.

Source: SaiArav Twitter

Of course, the casual rejection of the precise control hypothesis is untenable anyways considering that there are a dozen other ways of superior electoral management apart from worker visits to voters’ homes and social media outreach (perhaps, these aren’t even the two most important ones).

Ok, now let me get to the part about what Das got wrong. He classified the two centrally administered UTs (both seats that BJP lost) as non-BJP. Considering that the centre has administrative control over these seats, it stands to reason that they can indulge in the exact same manipulation (voter deletion, counting fraud, etc) as is being alleged for BJP-ruled states. Once we move the two seats to BJP-ruled states, the p-value of non-BJP states moves to <0.05.

Source: SaiArav Twitter

Voila! The outperformance of BJP in non-BJP now becomes statistically significant. So below is the p-value for each of the McCrary tests. Note that I am getting higher p-values than Das (probably due to him having a different bin width) and that’s even better because despite my p-values estimates being higher, I am getting p-value <0.05 for non-BJP ruled states. So under Das’ assumption, it should be even lower. I have replicated the McCrary charts (with those two erroneous data inputs) and my charts are fairly close to Das’s.

BJP Overall:
Source: SaiArav Twitter
Source: SaiArav Twitter
BJP states:
Source: SaiArav Twitter
Source: SaiArav Twitter
Non-BJP states:
Source: SaiArav Twitter
Source: SaiArav Twitter

Assessing Claims Of Unprecedented 2019 Outperformance

Another claim of Sabyasachi Das is that the McCrary test hasn’t failed in the past. Well, in both 2004/1999, there is a discontinuity for BJP – rejected only because of P>0.05. But when I use a bandwidth of 0.16, for 1999, I get a p-value of 0.037 which implies that the test fails!

Source: SaiArav Twitter

This is a great example of what Professor Shamika Ravi says – A difference between ‘significant’/’not significant’ itself is statistically insignificant! Minor changes in assumptions can change p making a result significant or insignificant depending on what u want.

Shamika Ravi says the following after reading the working paper on Democratic Backsliding. 

“The basic premise rests on close elections in 2019 being different from past close elections. When one looks at the data provided in the appendix, you don’t find any statistical difference b/w 2019 Vs 2004! #DeskReject. One must learn to separate political ideology from statistics. Pls read Gelman and Stern article (published) for better understanding and to avoid “misinterpretation & misrepresentation of statistical outcomes.””

For the record, BJP won 65/103 seats in 1999. Here is the comparison between 1999 and 2019 for closely contested seats broken down in more detail.

Source: SaiArav Twitter
Source: SaiArav Twitter

 

 

(Data published from Sai Arav’s Twitter)

(Yajnavalkya is an avid watcher of the Indian political economy)

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Is Indian Leftist Portal NewsClick Peddling Chinese Propaganda? NYT Investigation Reveals

By
The Commune
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The New York Times on 5 August 2023 released a report exposing a vast financial network connecting Chicago to Shanghai. This network allegedly makes use of American nonprofits as a means to promote Chinese propaganda on a global scale.

Source: NYT

The report names a “charismatic American millionaire” Neville Roy Singham who is renowned for his support of far-left causes as a socialist benefactor.

The New York Times asserts that it has traced hundreds of millions of dollars to various groups associated with Singham. These groups reportedly blend progressive advocacy with Chinese government narratives, operating across different locations from Massachusetts to Manhattan, even extending to a political party in South Africa and news organisations in India and Brazil.

The report states that “But Mr. Singham, 69, himself sits in Shanghai, where one outlet in his network is co-producing a YouTube show financed in part by the city’s propaganda department. Two others are working with a Chinese university to “spread China’s voice to the world.” And last month, Mr. Singham joined a Communist Party workshop about promoting the party internationally.” 

According to The New York Times article, while Singham claims that he does not operate under the direction of the Chinese government, there appears to be a blurry line between him and the propaganda apparatus. Notably, he shares office space with a company whose objective is to inform foreigners about “the remarkable achievements of China on the global stage.”

In New Delhi, corporate documents indicate that Mr. Singham’s network provided financial backing to a news website called NewsClick. The website’s coverage reportedly incorporated Chinese government talking points, with one video stating that “China’s history continues to inspire the working classes.”

ED Raids On NewsClick In 2021

On 9 February 2021, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a raid at the residence of Prabir Purkayastha, the founder and Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick. ED sources revealed that NewsClick had received ₹10 crores through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from an American company. 

Interestingly, Prabir Purkayastha claimed to have no knowledge of the reason behind the American company’s transfer of money to his company’s account, and he could not provide any evidence of work done for that specific company.

Upon further investigation, it was discovered that another US-based company had provided ₹20 crores to NewsClick, labeling it as ‘Export Remittance.’ This transfer was made in response to NewsClick’s content uploaded on a platform called People’s Dispatch.

According to sources, it was revealed that Purkayastha had received ₹1.5 crore rupees under the pretext of maintenance. Surprisingly, he had employed an electrician with only a ninth-grade education to handle the maintenance tasks at his office. The concerning part was that this transaction lacked any documentation, making it challenging for him to provide a valid explanation to the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

In July 2021, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) made public that their inquiry into the money laundering case related to ‘NewsClick’ had unveiled that the media outlet’s promoters had received around ₹38 crores from entities potentially associated with the Communist Party of China.

As indicated by an officer participating in the money laundering investigation, it came to light that ‘NewsClick’ had been involved in financial dealings with Neville Roy Singham, a businessman with Sri Lankan-Cuban origins. Singham allegedly channeled a total of ₹38 crore to PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd from overseas sources spanning the years 2018 to 2021.

The officials, while tracking the money flow of the media outlet, stated that Singham is connected to the propaganda arm of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The Communist Connection In India

According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the funds channeled to NewsClick were allegedly directed to Gautam Navlakha, who is facing charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) as an urban naxal, and also to a member associated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM). 

Founder Editor of NewsClick, Prabir Purkayastha, and the journalist Ravi Nair have been consistently critical of the Rafale deal and other strategic economic and defense initiatives of India. Their continuous attacks on these developments have apparently sparked concern and irked China.

Ravi Nair was also recently in the news for doing a hitjob on Adani for his article on AdaniWatch, an Australian NGO. 

How Indian “Journalists” Reacted to ED Raids On NewsClick

Ravish Kumar, a former employee of NDTV, raised objections and expressed concern during the ED raids, calling them as an “assault on press freedom.”

Others who supported Abhisar Sharma, known for his rabid Modi hatred and known for peddling fake news, and NewsClick, included Sayema, Ajit Anjum, Sakshi, and Kapri. 

So also usual leftist supporters like Rana Ayyub, Ram Guha, Swara Bhaskar, and Subhashini Ali voiced their support for NewsClick. 

The Editors Guild, along with “notable” figures like Shekhar Gupta, Sagarika Ghose, and Arfa Khanum Sherwani, defended NewsClick when ED raids happened.

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Portion Of Srirangam Temple Tower Crumbles And Falls, Hindus Orgs Allege HR&CE’s Negligence

By
The Commune
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During the early hours of Saturday morning, a segment of the eastern entry tower at Srirangam Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple collapsed. The incident occurred when the temple premises were unoccupied, thus causing no injuries. Nonetheless, this unexpected occurrence has deeply unsettled the temple devotees. Curiously, the incident has unfolded during an ongoing effort to mend the first and second-level compound walls of the temple entrance.

According to a report from PTI, “A section of the eastern entrance tower of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu, collapsed earlier today.”

As reported by ABP Nadu, repair endeavors to address cracks in the first and second-level compound walls were already underway when a portion of the first-level wall crumbled.

A report by Vikatan noted that the public has been demanding that the East Gate Tower should be repaired before any accidents happen.

Devotees and social activists had demanded that Srirangam temple towers and walls should be inspected and maintenance work should be carried out. However, the temple administration did not carry out the repair work, but they propped it up with planks and poles to prevent the top layer of cement from breaking and falling down, noted the Vikatan report.

Reportdly, a tender of ₹67 lakh rupees was floated for carrying out the maintenance work. Since no one came forward to claim the tender, the temple administration had said that it would carry out the maintenance work.

Following the incident, swift action was taken by the police and other teams to clear away the debris.

The temple administration was quoted saying that repair work will be done at a cost of ₹98 lakh from the temple fund. The renovation work will be carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the expert committee consisting of sculpture experts, archeology department officials and stapatis.

However, this mishap has triggered alarm among the devotees on this Saturday. Notably, Saturdays hold a special significance for Lord Ranganathar, and this incident has left people deeply perturbed.

Hindu Munnani in a press release alleged that the incident happened because of the negligence of Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department. State President Kadeswara Subramaniam said that despite Hindu leaders and devotees warning a few days ago about the precarious condition in which the temple tower was the HR&CE department failed to take immediate action.

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, situated in Srirangam at Tiruchirapalli, is a revered sanctuary dedicated to the Hindu deity Lord Ranganathar, an incarnation of Vishnu. Part of the 108 Divyadesam Vaishnavite temples of Lord Vishnu, this temple boasts a Dravidian architectural style and is extolled by the Alvars in their Naalayira Divya Prabhandam. It’s noteworthy for being the foremost of the 108 Divya Desams devoted to the deity Vishnu. References to the Srirangam temple are present in Tamil literature from the Sangam period as well as the epic Silapadikaram.

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Sathiyam TV News Anchor Peddles Half-Truths About Haryana Violence

By
The Commune
-

In a recent incident of spreading misinformation, fake news peddlers and Dravidian Stockists masquearading as journalists, including Alt News’ Mohammed Zubair have been called out for circulating a misleading narrative surrounding the violence in the Nuh region of Haryana.

It all began with Muhammed Zubair, a serial fake news peddler, who shared a video online showing a man in a white shirt firing gunshots towards the mountains from a temple premises where Hindus were allegedly trapped in a hostage-like situation. Zubair claimed that the man firing was associated with the Bajrang Dal, a Hindu organization, and insinuated that the violence was instigated by Hindus against Muslims in Haryana.

However, crucial details were omitted from Zubair’s narrative. The man in the video, identified as Ashok Baba, revealed in an interview with a news channel that the gun he used was licensed and that he fired in self-defense. According to his account, Islamic extremists were attacking Hindu devotees inside the temple, putting the lives of several women and children at risk. After witnessing continuous firing from the mob, Ashok Baba took action to protect those inside the temple.

Ashok Baba, a VHP worker and lawyer, stated that he has been a witness in several criminal cases and has helped apprehend criminals with bounties on their heads. Due to the threats he faced, the government issued him a licensed weapon for his personal safety. He clarified that his firing was not aimed at aggression but was a measure to deter the attackers and safeguard innocent lives.

This version of advocate Ashok Baba has been corroborated by the police officer who led the police squad that saved the 2500–3000 Hindus trapped in the temple.

In a video of India TV, the IPS officer recounted a planned attack on Hindu devotees who had gathered for the Jalabhishek Yatra during the auspicious Monday of the Shravan month. The attackers, armed with both stones and sophisticated weapons, were Islamists.

The IPS officer described the situation in Nuh as highly critical on the day of the violence. When she arrived, she was informed that around 2500 to 3000 people were trapped at the Nalhar Temple.

Mamata Singh further elaborated on the challenges faced by the police while attempting to rescue the Hindus stranded at the Nalhar Temple. She recalled how there was continuous heavy firing from the hills surrounding the temple on three sides. Despite a substantial police presence, they were vastly outnumbered by the rioters.

The incident, however, took a different turn when several Islamists, leftists, Dravidian Stock journalists and DMK IT wing members shared the video, falsely claiming that it was the BJP and “Hindutva Groups” that were instigating violence in Haryana. These misleading posts further fueled tensions and animosity between communities, escalating the situation unnecessarily.

In a tweet, Sathiyam TV news anchor Aravindakshan shared the video without providing the complete context and implied that Hindu extremists were attacking in the presence of the police with sophisticated weapons. His inflammatory remarks targeted the BJP and “Hindutva Groups,” adding to the divisiveness of the situation.

However, Aravindakshan’s tweet failed to present the other side of the story and omitted crucial information about the licensed gun used in self-defense by Ashok Baba. This irresponsible behavior by a news anchor has raised concerns about media ethics and the dissemination of accurate information.

Spreading half-truths and misleading narratives can have severe consequences, exacerbating tensions and inciting further violence. Authorities are now urged to investigate the matter and take appropriate action against those found guilty of spreading fake news and inciting violence through misleading narratives.

(with inputs from India TV)

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TN Temple Priest Takes Down Inebriated Intruder Who Entered Sanctum Sanctorum

By
The Commune
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A stunning incident at the Selva Vinayagar temple in Mangalam Street, Poochakkadu, Tiruppur district, has left social media buzzing with astonishment. In a rare display of courage and determination, a temple priest took down a criminal who had intruded into the sacred sanctum sanctorum, an act that has surprised many who knew the priest to be soft-spoken.

The incident occurred when an unidentified individual, reportedly under the influence of drugs, managed to enter the temple’s sanctum sanctorum. Fortunately, a vigilant woman devotee spotted the intruder and immediately informed the temple authorities. Reacting swiftly, the temple priest rushed to the sanctum sanctorum and confronted the intruder.

In a fearless display of bravery, the usually mild-mannered priest managed to drag the intruder out of the sanctum sanctorum and subdue him. Startled onlookers watched as the priest knocked down the miscreant and stood guard over him until help arrived.

The entire episode was captured on video by a bystander and quickly made its way to social media platforms. Scenes of a temple priest, who is traditionally seen as a symbol of calmness and serenity, taking down a criminal left netizens in awe. The video garnered rapid attention and began circulating widely across various social media platforms.

Later the local police were summoned to the scene, and the intruder was handed over to them. Upon investigation, the police identified the miscreant as Gokul, who already had a string of criminal cases against him. The prompt and courageous action of the temple priest helped in thwarting any untoward incident within the temple premises.

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“Feels Like Being In Pakistan”: Pakistan Coach’s Comments Sparks Row, DMK Spokie Hails ‘Dravida Model’

By
The Commune
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The Asian Hockey Champions Trophy series commenced in Chennai on 3 August 2023, bringing together six prominent hockey teams from the region. India, Pakistan, China, Japan, Malaysia, and Korea are vying for the prestigious title, showcasing their skills and sportsmanship on the field.

In a surprising turn of events, Pakistan suffered a 1-3 defeat against Malaysia in their opening match, leaving fans wondering if they would be able to recover in the tournament. However, their second match against Korea on August 4 saw a commendable performance, with the teams drawing 1-1.

Speaking after the match, the coach of the Pakistan team, Mohammad Saqlain, expressed pride in his team’s efforts. He revealed that the majority of the players had no prior international experience, making their achievement against a formidable Korean team all the more remarkable. “We have surprised everyone today. It is a great thing to have such a team and tie the match against a strong Korean team!” said Saqlain.

However, his next statement sparked a fresh controversy when he mentioned, “People of Chennai are kind and helpful. We feel like we are in Pakistan and not India.”

The seemingly innocuous comments attracted attention from various quarters, with some hailing the coach’s appreciation of the warm hospitality in Chennai. But soon, political leaders and social media users found themselves entangled in a heated debate.

Dravidian Stocks, a group known for its support of the DMK, started lauding the Pakistan coach’s remarks as an endorsement of their model of governance. Quoting Saqlain’s interview, DMK student wing president Rajiv Gandhi said, “This is the majesty of Dravida Model rule.”

The comments by Rajiv Gandhi were met with swift criticism from netizens who felt that attributing the coach’s statements to the political model was unwarranted. A social media user named NKR Iyer responded, “Yes, what you are saying is true Rajiv. Tamil Nadu is like Pakistan as we have inflation of food prices, insecurity to Hindu women and Hindu temples, breakdown of law and order, bomb blasts, and other issues that we see in Pakistan.” Several others criticized DMK for attributing a general comment of a sportsperson for their politics.

(with inputs from Vikatan)

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“Big Fan Of Christopher Nolan, Saw Interstellar Twice”: Annamalai Reveals

By
The Commune
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Amidst the ‘Oppenheimer’ fever sweeping across Tamil Nadu with theaters continuing to run packed shows even two weeks after its release, K. Annamalai, the President of BJP Tamil Nadu, enthusiastically disclosed his admiration for the renowned filmmaker Christopher Nolan.

Christopher Nolan, who is known for his mind-bending movies like Interstellar, Inception, Prestige, Memento, and the popular The Dark Knight Trilogy, has a huge cult following in India and Annamalai seems to be a member of the Nolan cult. Despite not being the most un-Nolan like Nolan film, his latest release Oppenheimer has received positive reviews from critics.

In an interview to Suhasini Maniratnam (actress and wife of film-maker Maniratnam), Annamalai revealed that he too is a big fan of Nolan.

“Especially Christopher Nolan, I’m a big fan of him. I’m not saying this because you’re here. Just like how I adore Maniratnam sir in Tamil, in English, I like Christopher Nolan very much. Very complex subjects he makes. Even if you don’t understand, his movies are such that they are compelling to watch.“, Annamalai said.

He further jovially said “Even today if you ask me what’s the story of Interstellar, I don’t know. But I saw it twice.“.

Annamalai also said that he likes the critically acclaimed The Shawshank Redemption and Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List.

He also revealed that he saw the latest Tom Cruise-starrer Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One.

With respect to Tamil film, Annamalai said that Rajinikanth-starrer Thalapathy is one of his favourites.

“There is a scene in which Rajini stands up and says ‘I dare you to lay a finger on me’ during the peace committee meeting. Great movie.“, Annamalai said.

He also said that he is a big fan of Kamal Haasan’s movies adding that Kuruthi Punal was a movie which as a police man he felt attached to.

“He says an important dialogue in that movie – every man has a breaking point, we just have to go till there.“, Annamalai said.

When asked about his views on films based on atrocities, Annamalai said “As long as it doesn’t go political, I’m fine with it. Sometimes when they impose their political philosophies I feel very odd. I don’t know if it is because I’m a politician. I see two things here as a politician. Common man watches it one way. I’ve that extra information. I see inside also. The truth comes out varnished. When it is imposed and deliberately spoon-fed, I feel uncomfortable.“.

He said that cinema has a very positive impact on society and explained how Maniratnam’s Roja instilled patriotism in every Indian.

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Six States, 60,000+ Players To Compete In Isha Gramotsavam

By
The Commune
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With an aim to rejuvenate the spirit of rural India and foster a sense of community, tradition, and healthy competition, Isha Outreach, the social development arm of Isha Foundation, will organise the 15th edition of Isha Gramotsavam, from August to September 23rd. Isha Gramtosavam is India’s biggest sporting event and will be conducted across the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Pondicherry. The grand finale will be played in front of 112-feet Adiyogi at Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore. 

The unique aspect of Isha Gramotsavam is that all players in the team are from the same village. This is not a tournament for professional players but is a platform which encourages everyone to play. From encouraging everyone to take up some form of a game to bringing back the fun of rural games and reviving dying traditional art forms, the whole initiative is carefully crafted so that the entire village comes together as a celebration and brings back the zest of rural life.

The grand rural sports festival will witness more than 60,000 rural people from more than 25,000 villages turning up to compete as athletes. The players stand a chance to win from a pool of prize money worth 55 lakhs. Matches kick start in Tamil Nadu from August 12 and anyone above the age of 14 is eligible to participate. The last day to register for the sports festival is August 12. 

Launched in 2004 by Sadhguru, Founder- Isha Foundation, says, “Of the many dimensions of activities that Isha has undertaken, Isha Gramotsavam stands out as a major movement to revitalise rural India through sports. Discrimination of caste, creed, and gender has been broken through this movement. Many youth have overcome their addictions. Isha Gramotsavam as an event has grown quite phenomenally in its size. We want to take this movement of revitalizing and transforming rural India through sport to greater heights. I would like to request all of you to participate in whatever way you can to make Gramotsavam reach many more people.” 

This year’s edition of Gramotsavam will feature Volleyball for Men, Throwball for Women, and rural games with Tamil Nadu additionally featuring Kabaddi for Men & Women. The winners in Volleyball and Throwball will receive Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh respectively. Men’s and women’s teams winning Kabaddi will take away prizes of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh respectively.  Apart from this, prize money and certificates will also be given to the winning teams in the club and divisional-level competitions. Spicing up things for the audience who are not part of any team, they will have an opportunity to compete in traditional sports competitions.

The past editions of Isha Gramotsavam have witnessed 8,412 teams, comprising 1,00,167 players participating in Isha Gramotsavam. Isha Outreach has been recognized as National Sports Promotion Organization ( NSPO ) by the Ministry of Sports & Youth Affairs. In the year 2018, Isha Outreach received the “Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar” award from the Hon’ble President of India for Sports Development. Sports celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar, Olympic medallist Rajavardhan Singh Rathore and Karnam Malleshwari have earlier participated as special guests in the finals of the sports festival. Mithali Raj, PV Sindhu, Virender Sehwag, Shikhar Dhawan have voiced support for Isha Gramotsavam. 

To register for Isha Gramotsavam, please visit: https://isha.co/gramotsavam-tamil   

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DMK Min Ponmudi Faces Opposition From College Principals Over Uniform Syllabus Implementation

By
The Commune
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dmk ponmudi party post

DMK Higher Education Minister Ponmudi faced strong opposition from college principals during a consultative meeting held at Anna University on 3 August 2023 to discuss the implementation of a uniform syllabus for Arts and Science colleges in Tamil Nadu. The meeting aimed to deliberate on a 900-page report proposing the adoption of a standardized syllabus across all institutions.

However, the idea of a uniform syllabus did not sit well with several college principals. Some expressed satisfaction with the existing syllabus, while others pointed out that they are bound to follow the guidelines set by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

In a show of dissent, Teynampet SIET college correspondent Faisur Rahman Sayeed vocally opposed Minister Ponmudi’s proposals and said that he cannot implement what the minister is saying, causing an embarrassment to the DMK minister Ponmudi. Subsequently, his mic was turned off. Tambaram MCC college principal Paul Wilson questioned whether they should adhere to the UGC guidelines or the new syllabus proposed by the DMK Minister.

Adding to the discontent, Madurai American College principal Davamani Christopher highlighted that certain courses offered by their college, such as BSC Data Science, were not covered in the proposed syllabus. Despite facing these questions and concerns, DMK Minister Ponmudi struggled to provide satisfactory answers, repeatedly defending the new syllabus developed with the input of 900 professors.

In contrast to the dissenting voices, Nandanam Government Arts College for Men’s Principal Jothi Venkateshwaran openly praised the new syllabus and hailed the DMK government. His positive stance received mixed reactions from other college principals present at the meeting, with some appearing displeased.

Raman, the principal of Chennai Presidency College, joined Jothi Venkateshwaran in singing paeans for the state government.

As the meeting progressed, DMK Minister Ponmudi sought the support of the principals by asking them to raise their hands in favor of the new syllabus. However, only a few hands went up, resulting in an embarrassing situation for the Minister. Undeterred, Ponmudi suggested that many principals secretly supported the new syllabus but were hesitant to express it publicly. He further stated that he would inform the press that the majority of college principals supported the new syllabus, and subsequently, he left the venue.

The consultative meeting highlighted the sharp divisions among college principals regarding the implementation of a uniform syllabus. As the discussions continue, it remains to be seen how the DMK government will navigate the opposition and garner support for its proposed changes.

(with inputs from NewsTamil24x7)

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‘No One Is Satan’s Child, Everyone Here Are Bharat Matha’s Children’, Says Arjun Sampath In Response To NTK Seeman’s Satan’s Children Remark For Muslims & Christians

By
The Commune
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Arjun Sampath, chief of the Indu Makkal Katchi (IMK), addressed the press on 3 August 2023 and discussed various critical issues in Tamil Nadu that have been making headlines recently. In his candid briefing, he delved into matters concerning the Mekedatu Dam construction, the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) land acquisition dispute, controversial comments by Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK)’s Seeman on minorities, and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Member of Parliament A Raja’s branding of the Arunthathiyar community.

When asked about the Mekedatu dam construction issue, he pointed out that the DMK had sought the central government’s intervention, despite being in alliance with the ruling party in Karnataka. Arjun Sampath suggested that the DMK could resolve the matter by engaging in discussions with their alliance partner, the Congress government. Drawing from the past leadership of MG Ramachandran as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, he highlighted that various river-sharing issues with neighboring states were successfully resolved through dialogue. Arjun Sampath emphasized that the DMK should prioritise the state’s rights over political alliances and not hesitate to consider breaking the alliance if necessary.

Moving on to the NLC land acquisition issue, Arjun Sampath expressed disapproval of the process adopted by NLC, stating that they had rushed into it without proper consideration. He believed that the judiciary’s decision to side with the farmers in this matter was just and fair. In his opinion, the DMK’s handling of the situation demonstrated double standards, suggesting that a smoother resolution could have been achieved if they had been more proactive in finding an amicable solution.

The press briefing also saw Arjun Sampath condemning actor Marimuthu for his insulting remarks against astrologers. He stressed that while some astrologers may be unscrupulous, it does not negate the scientific value of astrology as a whole. He believed that Marimuthu’s comments were insensitive and called for more sensible discourse on such matters.

Regarding NTK Seeman’s controversial comments calling Christians and Muslims the children of ‘Satan,’ Arjun Sampath strongly rejected such divisive statements. He asserted that in India, everyone is a child of Bharat Matha (Mother India), and such inflammatory remarks should be avoided.

The IMK chief expressed his strong disapproval of DMK MP A Raja’s branding of the Arunthathiyar community as scavengers.

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