Justice PS Mishra and Justice Shivraj V Patil, the two judges in the Rajakannu case in the film Jai Bhim, have a legacy of standing up for justice and humanitarian intervention. The film Jai Bhim dealt with the case of Rajakannu who was tortured and murdered by policemen at a police station in...
Bharathimani who died earlier this week was not only known for his interesting and thought provoking writings but for the dignity with which he handled life’s challenges. His daughter said on his passing away that he faced disease with dignity. Bharathimani had several faces: actor, writer and...
This year, Padma Shri, one of the highest civilian awards, has been bestowed on Sheik Mahaboob Subhani and his wife Kaleesha Mahaboob, exponents of Nagaswaram . As much as the award recognizes their talent, it recognizes nagaswaram music as a whole. Sheik Mahaboob Subhani and Kaleesha Mahaboob...
In Tamil Nadu, where various seasons are just shades of summer, rain is a respite. The chilly weather after copious rainfall is sensual and romantic. No, we are not talking of the terrifying cyclones that are upon us now, but a normal rainy day accompanied by melodious Ilayaraja songs and spicy...
Valliyappan Olaganathan Chidambaram Pillai or VOC was an important figure in the freedom struggle in Tamil Nadu. He had the guts to challenge the British monopoly in maritime trade by starting the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company. The venture earned him the title ‘Kappalottiya Tamizhan’ but he...
In pre-Independence Chennai, Chitrakulam area in Mylapore was an adda for writers, among other things. Big names in Tamil literature used to meet there. It was in one such meeting that Kalaimagal magazine was born. They took inspiration from a popular English magazine, Triveni, those days and...
We have seen how poet and freedom fighter Subramaniya Bharathi was a pioneer in English to Tamil translation. It may be timely to recall to recall how Bharathi reported and wrote about the cyclone that rocked Puducherry in November of 1916. The report was published in Swadesamitran newspaper on...
(The first part of this series traced the history of government control of temples, second dealt with whether other religious places of worship have similar government control. This is the third and concluding part. The articles are part of the Matchup section that provides a platform for...
The people of Chennai bore heavy losses in the 2015 Chennai floods. Loss of life, property and livelihood was common. Among the precious belongings lost were collector’s items. One such loss was Rengiah Murugan’s collection that included publications giving details of non-brahmin mutts in Tamil...
Many collections of Subramaniya Bharathi’s poets come with his recommendations for which raga they should be sung in. Many of the songs sung today are set in ragas different from his recommendation, but, in his time, there was a Carnatic musician who earned Bharathiar’s praise for the way he...
