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Better Tamil Nadu

Opinion

Badri Seshadri arrest: When ideologies and free speech collide

Badri Seshadri arrest: When ideologies and free speech collide

The Badri Seshadri arrest has to be seen in a broader context. Leftists and liberals stand for free speech, the right to criticize. They uphold equality, dignity for all, and so on. They are all for change. Rightwingers venerate what is timeworn and sacred in society....

‘Assembly should have power to sack Governor Ravi’

‘Assembly should have power to sack Governor Ravi’

Tamil Nadu Governor Ravi has waded into the Senthil Balaji controversy by first denying the shifting of portfolios and later by saying that Senthil Balaji should not stay in the Ministry. The governor is no stranger to controversy and has riled the DMK government in...

Anti-BJP battle: Congress has miles to go and promises to keep

Anti-BJP battle: Congress has miles to go and promises to keep

Congratulating the Congress on its landslide victory in the Karnataka Assembly elections, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has noted, “They have taught a fitting lesson to the BJP for its vindictive politics, establishing their Kannadiga legacy and pride. The BJP...

Mathi Memes

Editor’s Pick

Editor's Pick

Man-animal conflict: Why culling may work well

The recent incidents involving the tusker Arikomban in Kerala and later in Tamil Nadu have sparked a furore among the public and unsettled government officials in both states. There was an outpouring of sentiment from stakeholders on the rough handling of the elephant. However, the issue of...

man animal conflict

Politics

Karnataka bandh: Vatal Nagaraj weighs in

Vatal Nagaraj, former MLA and head of Kannada Chaluvaliga, is not supporting the Sept 25 bandh called by political parties in Karnataka on Cauvery but speaks for some in the state when he says Karnataka has exclusive rights over Cauvery. He...

As Kerala govt defaults, teachers save midday meals scheme

While the Tamil Nadu state government is on an expansion mode strengthening the midday meals scheme for school students with breakfast, the cash-strapped neighbour Kerala is struggling to serve noon meal for its over 30 lakh students of...

Babri Masjid: When communists fail…

My neighbour of 30 years in Chennai knocked on my door recently and offered what seemed like temple prashad. He said he had gone to Ayodhya as part of a family pilgrimage that included Varanasi. My neighbour's politics is typically Tamil, or Dravidian, if you will....

communists

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....

Onam

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...

no oil no boil

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

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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