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Savukku Shankar: Once a soaring idealist . . .
Savukku Shankar, the social-media influencer, is in the limelight yet again. But behind bars now, on flimsy and even imaginary charges and attacked while in custody. His lawyers apprehend the draconian Goondas Act could be invoked against him. It is rather...
Better Tamil Nadu
Opinion
One nation, one poll: DMK against it ideologically, AIADMK under Jaya was for it but EPS-OPS have flip-flopped
(This article was first published in July 2018) (The first part of the series looked at why the one nation, one poll idea is a ploy by NDA government to come back to power; the second looked at the legal complications in bringing this about; this article deals with...
One nation, one poll: Why the Chief Election Commissioner calls it ‘very difficult’ to achieve
(This article was first published in July 2018) The first part of the article dealt with how the one nation, one poll proposal may be help BJP in the short-term by giving it an advantage in the next Lok Sabha polls. The question is whether it has the intention or the...
One nation, one election: A ploy by Modi to come back to power in the centre
(This article was first published in July 2018) The first thing that must be understood about the move to have simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the state Assemblies is that it is aimed at establishing single party rule throughout the country, including in...
Mathi Memes
Mathi Memes: He can’t act, he can’t dance. Yet Ajith’s Valimai is a smash hit
Actress Khushbu was referring to the reception to Ajith's film Valimai. In what seemed like a mix of admiration and envy, she tweeted in Tamil: “Only you [Ajith Kumar] draw such crowds.” On Wednesday (Feb 24) evening, at a theatre in Thoothukudi, there was a large...
Editor’s Pick
Politics
Revanna Scandal: Minimal impact on Karnataka’s second phase voting
The second phase of the election for 14 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka are over and the state has recorded a robust 69. 17 per cent voting on an average with Shivamogga topping with 79 per cent voting in the state. The lowest in the second...
The real Rae Bareli choice: Incompetence vs brutality
As far as Amethi and Rae Bareli are concerned, the BJP does have a point. Ideally speaking the entire clan should be booted out of UP. The condition of their so-called pocket boroughs is pathetic. Visited the region not long ago and found even...
Sleaze video scandal rocks election landscape in Karnataka
As the second phase of general elections in 2024 looms closer, the political arena in Karnataka is ablaze with controversy following the emergence of hundreds of sleaze videos allegedly involving MP candidate Prajwal Revanna from the powerful...
Is the BJP scared of India Shining redux?
India Shining, the nation may be, but the BJP's election campaigns still take no prisoners. Anything goes is their style and substance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attacks on the opposition may seem stretched but they are deliberate. From...
Savukku Shankar: Once a soaring idealist . . .
Savukku Shankar, the social-media influencer, is in the limelight yet again. But behind bars now, on flimsy and even imaginary charges and attacked while in custody. His lawyers apprehend the draconian Goondas Act could be invoked against him. It is rather...
Culture
Warli tribe’s colorful tradition
At the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples celebrated near Mumbai recently, the cynosure of all eyes was the parade of adivasis: The most striking feature about them was that the clothes and hats they wore and the musical...
Coconut food festival adds flavour to Aadi in Kongunadu
Tamil Nadu abounds in festivals marked by various food items depending on the geographical and cultural features of the regions. The Kongu region comprising Salem, Erode, Dharmapuri, Namakkal and Tirupur celebrates the advent of the Tamil month...
One hundred years of goli soda
In Tamil Nadu, the very mention of soft - or cool - drinks brings back to mind goli soda. Time was when goli soda was served to guests at home as a token of honour. Post-Independence, the industry expanded. But after the advent of the foreign...
How TN working women can feel more at home in workspaces
TN may boast of females contributing more to the paid economy but major challenges exist for working women. In September 2022, a 15-day residential training program for the Tamil Nadu Education Fellowship— a 2-year scheme launched by the School...
Who celebrated Onam first? Answer: The Pandyas
(This article was first published on Sept 7, 2022) As Keralites throughout the world are celebrating Onam festival, the cultural festival of Malayalees cutting across caste and religion, a public holiday has been announced in several districts of Tamil Nadu too....
Food
GI tag for Vellore thorny brinjal, Ramnad rotund chilli
In recognition of Tamil Nadu’s indigenous varieties of brinjal and chillies, the thorny brinjal of Vellore and the rotund chilli of Ramanathapuram have been given the geographical indication or GI tag. ‘Mullu kaththarikaai’ (thorny brinjal) is...
Drink water regularly; it does more than just quench thirst
Drinking enough water every day plays a great role in maintaining human health. Water accounts for 75 per cent of the substances our body is made up of, and drinking enough water aids digestion and regulates metabolism. How much water should you...
Have greens everyday to keep diseases at bay
Food in itself and of itself is medicine. So goes an old Tamil adage. Familiar with the medicinal properties of greens, our forefathers made them a part of their daily diet. Modern doctors too insist on taking greens regularly as they play a...
Drop it like a hot potato: Boiled good, french fries bad
Is potato good for health or not? Some vouch for the potato’s health benefits such as being able to prevent cancer. But others say the tuber is anything but healthy. So, which is it? Potato, one of the world’s important food crops, is a...
No oil no boil — raw food restaurant serves superfoods
In the midst of an explosion of exotic food fads and Internet gourmet gurus, Chennai’s own Kannamma Neelakandan flips all our assumptions about food on their head — by serving delicious, multi-course meals without cooking! On the outskirts of the city in...
Civic Issues
CMDA crosses 50 years: Time to assess
Urbanization has reached such a level in Tamil Nadu that the functioning of the CMDA (Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority) is under the lens now. A failing CMDA is an indication of the poor state of urban governance in the state reflected in declining...
Ground zero Tiruvannamalai: Why does TN fail on road safety?
At least 15 people have died on a stretch of a national highway in prosperous Tamil Nadu that connects Tiruvannamalai and Bengaluru in just ten days during October 2023, bringing the State closer to another dubious road traffic accident record. Only some months...
Environment
TN’s urban planning ignores climate change threat, causing huge losses
Close on the heels of crippling rain and flood in Chennai during 2021, the 2023 monsoon has wreaked havoc in the city and later in the Thoothukudi - Tirunelveli belt in Tamil Nadu. It is becoming clear that the pattern of urbanisation and urban planning in the...
Kerala caught in storm over Justice for Arikomban
Kerala: Protest marches, road blockades, endless poster campaigns on digital platforms, legal wrangles, vociferous discussions in television channels, poetry readings, music albums, cultural resistance and much more — Kerala is caught in jumbo debate over problem...
Sports
Chennai, TN, the surfing capital of India
Surfing in Chennai and all of Tamil Nadu has seen a surge in popularity, captivating both locals and tourists along the state’s long and breathtaking coastline. The state's diverse range of surf spots cater to surfers of all levels, making it an enticing...
CSK’s Gujarati, GT’s Tamil talent bode well for IPL
“You do get emotional; the first game at CSK everyone was chanting my name. My eyes were full of tears,” said an emotional Mahendra Singh Dhoni as he led Chennai Super Kings to a record fifth IPL final on Monday. So without going into the details of how and where...
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