Tamilnadu News Archive: May 2007

Kalaignar TV bags the telecast rights of 'Sivaji'
Thursday, May 31, 2007 | AY

As an indicator of an impending channel war in the Tamil Nadu state, the yet-to-be launched pro-DMK Kalaignar TV has bought the telecast rights of superstar Rajnikanth's latest movie, 'Sivaji', slated for release on June 15. At Rs 50 crore, 'Sivaji' is the most expensive movie made in Tamil cinema. Apparently, the ruling party's backing has helped the Raj TV management, the promoters of Kalaignar TV, to bag the deal. 'Sivaji' could be telecast only three years after its release. The significance of the deal can be gauged from the fact that Rajni's previous movie, 'Chandramukhi', which is running in some select theatres even two years after its release, is yet to be telecast on TV.

Imran Khan to skip Chennai ACC seminar
Wednesday, May 30, 2007 | AY

Islamabad, May 30 (ANI): Pakistan's World Cup winning captain Imran Khan will not participate in a seminar organised by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in Chennai during the Afro-Asia Cup due to his political commitments. "There are too many things happening on political front in Pakistan and, so, Imran has expressed his regrets for not participating in the seminar. We're disappointed," The News quoted ACC chief executive Syed Ashraful Huq, as saying. Huq said Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene and former South African captain Shaun Pollock were "certain" to participate in the seminar, with 'Leading Cricket' as its theme on June 8. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sharad Pawar and his Pakistani counterpart Dr Nasim Ashraf are also likely to attend the seminar."Right now, there are plans for two Board chiefs too, to take part in the seminar," Huq said, hinting at Indian and Pakistani cricket board heads.Besides a representative from women's cricket, there could be a guest speaker from Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) also.Afro-Asia Cup gets underway in Bangalore on June 5 with a 20Twenty match. The first ODI will be played on June 6 at the same venue, while the last two one-dayers will be played in Chennai on June 9 and 10. The first edition of Afro-Asia Cup was hosted by South Africa in August 2005. (ANI)

Karunanidhi meets Sonia Gandhi
Tuesday, May 29, 2007 | Nayan

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who is on a two-day visit to the capital, met Congress President Sonia Gandhi today.
He also met some leaders of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA).Karunanidhi, accompanied by Union Surface Transport Minister T R Baalu held discussions with Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence, for around half an hour.The leaders are understood to have discussed the issue of UPA’s Presidential candidate.After the meeting, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam (DMK) chief, Karunanidhi said the discussions on the issue would be taken up during his next visit in the first week of June.
Karunanidhi also met the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chief Sharad Pawar, and Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI-M General Secretary Prakash Karat on the issue.
The Left has set the criteria for the presidential nominee as someone who has a political background and firm secular credentials. “Discussions are on with all the friendly parties and the idea is to have a candidate with impeccable secular credentials, understanding of political complexities and who could ensure balance between the judiciary, Parliament and the executive. There will be no compromise on that, CPI (M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury had said.Names of External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde are doing the rounds for the UPA Presidential candidate.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has entrusted former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee with the task of consulting its allies to decide on the Presidential candidate
BJP had earlier made it clear that it was seeking elevation of Vice President Bhairon Singh Sekhawat for the post of President, and in this regard the party had also held consultations with its alliance partners earlier this month.
The term of incumbent President A.P.J Abdul Kalam ends on July 24. (ANI

UAE to build $1bn tech zone inTamil Nadu
Tuesday, May 29, 2007 | AA

UAE developer ETA Star Properties plans to construct a $923 million technology business park in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The park will include an integrated township and is to be located in the state’s Kancheepuram district. The project, announced today, is expected to provide jobs for approximately 50,000 people. The two sides have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and construction is scheduled to start in August and will take place over a three-year period. The entire land for the project had been privately purchased by ETA Star Properties’ parent company the ETA-Ascon Group. Spread over 17.5 million square feet, the development will include apartments, row houses, bungalows, a shopping mall, car parks, hospitals, schools, hotels and service apartments, as well as the technology park.

CBSE announces Class Ten results for Ajmer and Chennai
Monday, May 28, 2007 | AY

New Delhi, May 28 (ANI): The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) today declared the Class Ten results for two zones - Ajmer and Chennai. Students can see their results on their e-mail addresses after it is registered on www.cbse.nic.in, www.results.nic.in and www.cbseresults.nic.in.Individual results can also be availed on http://mtnldelhi.in, http://bol.net.in and http://delhi.mtnl.net.in.The students from Delhi, Allahabad, Guwahati and Panchkula have to wait for a day more, as the results will be announced on Tuesday. Over seven lakh students, from India and abroad, appeared for the examinations this year.The CBSE has already declared the Class Twelve results. For the first time, the CBSE has 80 percent of successful candidates in its list.The average pass percentage was 80.64 percent, in which the girls again outshone the boys with their passing percentage being a little over 85 percent. The passing percentage among the boys remained 77 percent.The pass percentage for the disabled was 80.75 percent. Six among them have scored above 90 percent.Chennai topped among the cities while Delhi retained the fourth position with the pass percentage being 81.93 up by 2.72 percent from last year. (ANI)

Vellore engineering students design car for a New York competition
Sunday, May 27, 2007 | AY

Vellore (Tamil Nadu), May 27 (ANI): A thirteen-member team of engineering students from Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) has designed an all-terrain car, which will represent India in New York during a prestigious Collegiate Design competition. Powered by a 300-cc horsepower engine of Belgian make, the car can attain a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour. It is fitted with Australian tyres. The specially prepared car is all set to zoom past the grounds of Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, where it will participate as the maiden Indian entrant for the ensuing Collegiate Design Competition. Tagged "Agastya", this team is all set to earn pride for the country with its maiden entry in such a prestigious event, scheduled for June 7 to 10 under the aegis of the Society of Automotive Engineers."It is an all-terrain vehicle; not a car meant for the roads but an off road vehicle. It runs better on hilly and mountainous terrain. It has been especially made for a race that is going to be held in Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. It is organised by Society of Automotive Engineers, which encourages talented engineers. I am in fourth year mechanical. I have designed the model of this car," said Avinash Mitt, a student-member of team "Agastya".It took about two lakh rupees for these innovative engineering students to design and assemble such a car. According to one of the student-members of Agastya, it could be useful for commercial purposes if the input costs are reduced. "It can be used in places like granite quarry, swampy areas etc. It can be driven easily as both its tyres are balanced. It has been fabricated keeping in mind certain parameters. Thus, it can work easily on rough and rocky areas," said Kaushik another team member.The Collegiate Design Competition is an international event in which students design, fabricate and even drive various types of automobiles including formula-style racing car. It is sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers.The determined members of Agastya took around eight months to roll out the car from their workshop at the Vellore Institute of Technology campus. (ANI)

Six km of Talakundha forest gutted in mysterious fire
Sunday, May 27, 2007 | AY

Thalakundha (TN), May 27 (ANI): About six-kilometre area of Talakundha forest in Tamil Nadu has been gutted in a fire, which is suspected to have broken out from a small volcano. The fire and smoke from a crater in the forest continue to spread. Hot black coal-like material, possibly magma, can be seen inside it. "We received information that a large amount of smoke was emerging from the forest. Initially, I thought it might be a forest fire. But when fire services went there, they saw a huge fire and smoke coming from the forest, and due to the heat, trees were falling down. We still cannot make out what has caused this. If the same situation continues, a major fire accident may take place,” said Sardar, a fireman. “This seems to be very dangerous and also the gas coming out from the earth is causing nausea to people in the vicinity", he added. The forestland seems to have collapsed by about five-six feet because of the volcano-type situation. Geologists said methane gas could be coming out of the craters, which causes dizziness and nausea. Locals said they have been seeing the fire in the forest for the past one month. Some village elders even said that their ancestors had talked about similar fire some 100 years ago in the vicinity. Interestingly, the only active volcano in India is located in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. (ANI)

DMK nominates Karunanidhi's daughter to contest for Rajya Sabha
Sunday, May 27, 2007 | AY

Chennai, May 26 (ANI): The ruling DMK party in Tamil Nadu today nominated Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi to contest for one of the Rajya Sabha seats from the State. Kanimozhi's nomination comes after the recent feud in the party that saw Union Telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran's exit from the Cabinet. DMK is contesting two Rajya Sabha seats from the State, and has left one seat each to Congress and the CPI. Kanimozhi's election is certain and so the other three seats from where DMK coalition members will be contesting. (ANI)

DMK nominates Karunanidhi's daughter to contest for Rajya Sabha
Sunday, May 27, 2007 | AY

Chennai, May 26 (ANI): The ruling DMK party in Tamil Nadu today nominated Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi to contest for one of the Rajya Sabha seats from the State. Kanimozhi's nomination comes after the recent feud in the party that saw Union Telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran's exit from the Cabinet. DMK is contesting two Rajya Sabha seats from the State, and has left one seat each to Congress and the CPI. Kanimozhi's election is certain and so the other three seats from where DMK coalition members will be contesting. (ANI)

India, Russia to jointly develop Hypersonic Cruise Missiles
Saturday, May 26, 2007 | AY

Tiruchirapalli, Feb 2 (ANI): Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director of the Delhi based BrahMos Aerospace Centre A Sivathanu Pillai said here that India and Russia are working towards developing a Hypersonic Cruise Missile, a more advanced version of the BrahMos. Calling India a leader in the category of the supersonic missile system owing to the success of the BrahMos Cruise Missiles, Pillai, who is also the Chief Controller of the Research and Development wing of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), reiterated that the leadership can be sustained through mutual efforts. The 2.8 Mach supersonic speed makes the BrahMos unique as all other cruise missiles are sub-sonic at present. It has a much-longer strike range, and is an ultimate force-multiplier. Pillai also added that India was also contemplating configuring a new weapon system which would be more advanced than Brahmos. Pillai said Russian Defence Minister Sergei Borisvich Ivanov, during his visit to India in January had held discussions on the ways and means to go beyond BrahMos. The discussions were on the lines of sustainability and strength to be introduced in the current line of production. Both partners are looking at improvised and advanced features in the new weapon system which includes pin-pointed accuracy on various types of targets, user-friendly design, more commercial viability and greater cost-effectiveness. The plan which will bring together specialized panels of experts from both countries, hopes to get crystallised in another six to twelve months, added Pillai. Pillai also confirmed that an under-sea launch version of BrahMos was ready to be test fired. Considering the huge market for cruise missiles, it was decided during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi during the Republic Day parade, to sell at least 1000 of the jointly-developed BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to friendly countries in the near future. The export version will basically be the anti-ship variant of the 290-kilometre range BrahMos, already inducted into Indian Navy. (ANI)

Indrajith says no to Tamil films
Saturday, May 26, 2007 | AY

Indrajith is a man with a difference. When almost everybody in mollywood is tring to go to Kollywood and make it big he has consistently kept refusing roles offered to him. Director S. Selvam had offered to him Rameshwaram opposite jeeva and Bhavana. The film is based on Srilankan refugees who come to the shores of Tamil Nadu seeking political asylum. He had also declined a role in Vijay starrer Pokkiri. He is currently doing Heartbeats opposite Simran and is expected to act in a Priyadharshan movie.

At least 27 killed, 5 injured in Coimbatore wall collapse
Saturday, May 26, 2007 | AY

Coimbatore, May 24 (ANI): At least 27 people were killed and five injured when the compound wall of a bar collapsed in Anupparpalayam in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore District late on Wednesday night. According to the police, the accident occurred when the 22-foot high wall adjoining a vacant plot collapsed over the makeshift building being used by the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) to run a liquor shop-cum-bar. The injured are undergoing treatment at the Coimbatore District Hospital and at the Government Hospital in Tirupur. The dead bodies are yet to be identified. (ANI)

Dalits get priesthood lessons in Tamil Nadu
Saturday, May 26, 2007 | AY

By JaikumarChennai, May 25 (ANI): Hundreds of Dalit students have joined a year-long certificate course in 'Agama Sastras' (priesthood studies) at the Parthasarthy Samy temple in Chennai. The Tamil Nadu Government has opened six 'archaka' (Hindu priest) training centres across the state.Traditionally, priesthood is restricted only to Brahmins. But the State Government, by law, has broken the tradition and allowed students from every caste to take to priesthood.At these new training centres, Dalit students wear the traditional vermilion marks on the foreheads and holy threads."I belong to the Dalit community. I always wanted to learn the Bhagwad Gita but never got the opportunity to learn. As per the new system put in place by the Tamil Nadu Government, I can learn Hindu religious rituals, "said Anbalazhan, a student from Thiruvallur district.The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the State Government runs these centres."We have currently 31 students attending our classes. We provide them free boarding, lodging and books. It is being provided by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Department, “said Jayaraman, an official of the Parthasarthy Samy Temple. The State Government officials have said the scheme is meant to institutionalise Dalit-inclusion, and make it more widespread. The scheme also provides a monthly stipend of 500 rupees to all students.The Supreme Court had ruled in 2002 that ‘Dalits’ could be appointed as priests in temples as long as they were qualified to conduct the rituals. Several political parties in Tamil Nadu, including the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) are products of mass anti-Brahmin movements in the early 1900s. (ANI)

Madurai Assembly by poll on June 26
Saturday, May 26, 2007 | AY

New Delhi, May 25 (ANI): The Election Commission today announced holding polls for the Madurai West Assembly constituency on June 26, which fell vacant in February due to death of its sitting member S.V.Shanmugam.“It has been the clear and consistent policy of the Election Commission that the bye elections shall be held at the earliest possible opportunity in order to ensure that no segment of the Indian people remain unrepresented for long time,” a release from the Commission stated.With today’s announcement the moral code of conduct has come into force in the District.The last date for filing nominations is June 8 and the counting of votes will take place on June 29. (ANI)

Jyothirmayi gest a handful of movies
Tuesday, May 22, 2007 | AY

Jyothirmayi done about 20 films in Malayalam, and has had three releases in Tamil. Her new release 'Naan Avan Illai', where she shares frames with four heroines, is getting her a fair share of appreciation too. And there is 'Periyar' where she plays Nagamma, wife of Periyar.

Nation pledges to counter terrorism on Rajiv Gandhi’s death anniversary
Tuesday, May 22, 2007 | AY

Sriperumbudur/ Mumabi, May 21 (ANI): As a tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 16th death anniversary today, people from all walks of life pledged to fight against terrorism.The day is observed as Anti-Terrorism Day in the country.Hundreds gathered to pay homage to Rajiv Gandhi at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, where the charismatic leader was assassinated by a suicide bomber during a poll campaign.Several workers of the state unit of Congress party, of which Rajiv Gandhi was a member, pledged to fight terrorism as they paid floral tributes to him.“His vision and commitment is great for our country's progress," said Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President M. Krishnasswamy.In Chennai, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi paid homage to the departed leader and also administered oath to his Cabinet members to work against terrorism.In Mumbai, Congress workers observed Anti-Terrorism Day by taking out a motorcycle rally to spread Rajiv Gandhi’s message against terrorism.“We want to realise the dreams of Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi towards putting a halt to the menace of terrorism,” said Maharastra State Congress Committee Secretary Yogesh Dubey.Earlier today in Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Rajiv Gandhi's widow and Congress party president Sonia Gandhi, his children Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka, his son-in-law Robert Vadra, and other eminent personalities offered tribute to the departed leader at his memorial -- Veer Bhumi. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on this day in 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu during a poll campaign. LTTE suicide bomber Thenmuli Rajaratnam, also known as Dhanu, and several others, some of whom are in jail serving life terms, reportedly assassinated him. (ANI)

Mirugam
Monday, May 21, 2007 | AY

Uyir turned out to be a path breaking film. The movie had its share of controversies but in the end, director Saami and actress Sangeetha walked away with all accolades. Now that the hue and cry has died down, Saami is on the job of shaping Mirugam, saga of a man and his brutal ways in a dry area of South Tamilnadu nearly four decades ago. The duo of Sabesh-Murali are the musical composers for the movie produced by Karthik Jai. Cinematography is by Ramnath Shetty. Shooting which began in Ayirkulam village (near Madurai) is on at a brisk pace. Of the real life happening, Saami said 'the man was so crude to stab his pregnant wife as the culmination of his uncouth ways.

DMK MP Radhika Selvi sworn in as Minister of State
Monday, May 21, 2007 | AY

New Delhi, May 18 (ANI): V Radhika Selvi, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Member of Parliament from Tiruchendur in Tamil Nadu, was sworn in as the Minister of State in the Home Ministry on Friday.President A P J Abdul Kalam administered the oath of office and secrecy to Selvi at a brief function in the Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhawan.Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, other Cabinet members and Selvi’s relatives were present at the ceremony.Selvi’s induction follows developments in the DMK in the wake of the resignation of Union Minister for Communication and Information Technology Dayanidhi Maran form the Cabinet. DMK decided to have Maran removed on charges that he betrayed the party's first family -- that of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. (ANI)

Abducted Indian fishermen return home from Sri Lanka
Sunday, May 20, 2007 | AY

Chennai, May 20 (ANI): Eleven fishermen abducted by Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels two months ago, have returned home safely, officials said. The fishermen were abducted by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in March this year when they out in sea for fishing, and had been in their captivity since. Tamil Nadu Director General of Police, D. Mukherjee, said interrogation of the released fishermen confirmed that they were kidnapped by the Tamil tigers. "All the eleven fishermen who were abducted have now reached Chennai, and on interrogation, it has been ascertained that all of them were in the custody of LTTE," he said. The fishermen told officials that they were kept in captivity on an island near Mannar in Sri Lanka. However, one more fisherman was yet to be released. On their return, the fishermen met Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi in Chennai. The State Government has announced a compensation of rupees 10,000 to them. (ANI)

A Raja hints at abolition of roaming charges
Sunday, May 20, 2007 | AY

Tiruchirappalli, May 20 (ANI): Union IT and Communications Minister A Raja has hinted that the Centre may consider abolishing domestic roaming charges imposed by various telecom service providers. Discussions were still on in this regard, as committed by Dayanidhi Maran, Raja told reporters. Earlier Maran had said that he was about to announce the waiver of roaming charges as a 'gift to the nation' on Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi birthday on June 3. Commenting on the chances of bringing Chennai telephone services under the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL), he said: "Such decisions could not be taken just like that, as after all it has been hardly four days since I assumed the new office." Raja took charge of the Ministry after Maran’s resignation, which came after the administrative committee of the DMK passed a resolution to secure his resignation from the Union Cabinet. The demand came in the wake of what is termed as 'mischievous' poll surveys published by his newspaper Dinakaran and Sun TV that brought the succession battle within the party out in the open. (ANI)

Karuppusamy Kuthagaikaarar
Saturday, May 19, 2007 | AY

'Karuppusamy Kuthagaikaarar' has made more profit at the box office. Without making a big deal in the name of heroism, 'Karuppusamy Kuthagaikaarar' is presented in a natural way. Karan's realistic character and portrayal has won over the viewers' hearts. Kolkata girl Meenakshi has done well. A big plus point of the film is Vadivelu as Padithurai Pandian. After Kaipulla, this film will give Vadivelu a good name. 'Karuppusamy Kuthagaikaarar' has received a very good response throughout Tamilnadu. "After 'Spiderman 3,' the film that has received most favorable response is 'Karuppusamy Kuthagaikaarar.

Coimbatore foundry and forging units lament high costs
Saturday, May 19, 2007 | AY

Coimbatore, May 19 (ANI): Foundries and engineering industries in Coimbatore are faced with a serious dent to their fortunes due to the spiralling prices of raw material and other input costs.Coimbatore, once known as the ‘Manchester of South India’, is the second largest city of Tamil Nadu and contributes considerably in the country’s sixth position internationally in manufacturing cast iron products.Reportedly, around 4500 foundries here produce five million tonnes of cast iron products annually worth around Rs. 24,000 crores. The constant price hike in the input materials has amplified the manufacturing cost of cast iron by 20 per cent in the last two years. Consequently, the iron industry has hinted at a 13 percent rise in the selling prices of their products which the end users are sure to object. According to Muthuswami, the President of the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association, these trends may reflect negatively in the industry's overall annual performance. "In today's scenario, around 7,000 iron industries are there in South India and out of the total, 5,000 are there in Coimbatore, which are involved in the production of pumps, motors and other manufacturing products. The price revision in cast iron and other raw material leads to an increase of nine to ten per cent in selling prices. Our customers insist over a five per cent price reduction of price annually. They say that the products which they are getting from China and other countries are cheaper then our products. Thus the small industry is facing a price problem," said Muthusami.A scarcity of pig iron and the incessant rise in the price of pig iron and metallurgical coke has shaken the industrial units here which are also known as Kovai. This has seriously affected both the domestic and export markets of light engineering goods. Reportedly, the problem has been provoked by the rise in the price of imported low ash metallurgical Chinese coke. A solution to these problems is possible says Shanmuga Sundaram, President of South India Engineering Manufactures Association (SEMA). In his view, the Government should scrap the exiting five percent custom duty on copper to zero and the tariffs on other raw materials too should be relaxed so as to save the South Indian industry from worse days ahead. "There is no margin for us because of raw material prices. If it continues for some more time, the industry is going to doldrums. In the last budget also we sent a memorandum to the Finance Minister requesting abolition of import duty of copper and he has reduced it to five per cent from seven per cent. But still the copper sale has reduced from 2005 levels. So we are requesting the government again and again to reduce the import duty to nil," said Sundaram.Citing the Government's intention to promote the use of steel among Indians considerably by increasing its per capita consumption from 29 kilograms per annum to levels closer in the developed countries which is in the range of 400 kilograms, Sundaram said that these objectives seem to falling short of desired results. (ANI)

Bollywood calling: Asin shifted her base from Chnnai to Mumbai
Thursday, May 17, 2007 | Nayan

After ruling Kollywood as the number one actress, Asin is now eyeing to make it big in Bollywood. This is indeed a feat as after long a south Indian actress is making her mark in Bollywood. She has shifted base from Chennai to Mumbai and has made filmmakers hop mad to sign her. She joins the big league of actresses here signing Aamir Khan starrer to be directed by A.R Murgadoss.

Vellithirai
Thursday, May 17, 2007 | Nayan

Actress Gopika, who has a string of successes under her belt in Kollywood, is now cast opposite Prithviraj.She will play the female lead to Prithviraj for a movie titled Vellithirai. The movie is produced by Prakash Raj and directed by Viji, who penned the dialogues for Mozhi.The movie is a remake of Malayalam blockbuster Udayananu Tharam which had Mohanlal, Meena and Srinivasan in lead roles.

Naan Kadavul
Thursday, May 17, 2007 | AY

Naan Kadavul has changed hands. The director and producer of the film have dropped out the film. Problems for the film started when the commencement of the shooting of the film, which was launched with great expectations, was delayed. Because of this delay, the films lead actress Bhavana quit the project. To add to this, the cost of production of the film exceeded the films budget when shooting of only 10% of the film was over. Because of this budget blowup, he handed over the film to another producer Sivasri Srinivasan. The shoot of Naan Kadavul will resume from next week in and around Chennai and a temple near Vellore.

'Chennai 600028' a surprise Tamil hit
Wednesday, May 16, 2007 | AY

Distributors were not interested in 'Chennai 600028', neither were theatre owners because the film had no big names to boast of. But it has turned out to be a winner at the box office. Now big theatres are opening their doors to the film and many distributors ruing their decision. The film, produced by S.P.B. Charan, the son of well-known singer S.P. Balasubramaniam, is a surprise hit.

Trisha Nandhu going for re shooting
Wednesday, May 16, 2007 | Nayan

With Trisha enjoying a good run in Tamil and Telugu, most of her Telugu films are either being remade or dubbed into Tamil as well as Tamil movies dubbed into Telugu. The latest one to be remade is her blockbuster film Athadu with Mahesh Babu which is being remade in Tamil as Nandhu. A huge star cast which includes Prakash Raj, Nasser Kotta Srinivasa Rao and Brahmanadham play key roles and are equally popular in Tamil. The original was directed by Trivikram, but now director/cinematographer Solai Raja has bought the remake rights and is re-shooting certain scenes to suit the Tamil audience. While KV Guhan is the cinematographer, Mani Sharma is the music composer.

Threat from low-flying LTTE aircrafts has changed radar option for India
Tuesday, May 15, 2007 | AY

New Delhi, May 14 (ANI): After the three 'air-raids' carried out by rebel Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, India is trying its best to secure sensitive installations in Tamil Nadu and Kerala from such apprehended attacks, and in this regard have pressed more mobile radars, UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) into service.The low flying lightweight aircrafts used by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have posed 'serious concerns' among the Indian defence forces since there are greater chances that the high-range RADARS used by military might fail to detect the intrusion.Keeping this in mind, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is mobilising small mobile Russian made RADARS in and around all the strategic installations in the region, including the nuclear plant at Kalpakkam."All the vital and sensitive installations have been secured, " sources in the IAF said.The Indian Navy will soon press two more UAVs in service to keep vigil in the coastal areas. One UAV has already been keeping an eye there. Vice-Admiral Raman Prem Suthan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, told reporters that two more naval ships will now be patrolling the Palk Straits apprehending "spill over of ongoing skirmishes between the Sri Lankan Navy and the Sea Tigers of the LTTE into Indian waters".With this the total number of naval ships patrolling the area would increase to four.Apart from this, IAF will soon be deploying Aerostat Radars (ARs) along the Tamil Nadu coast and fresh order for four more ARs have been placed with Israel after the successful working of the two Israeli EL/M-2083 Aerostat RADARS which were purchased form Israel in 2004.The present order is a follow-on order of the same deal.The AR is balloon-borne radar system tied to the ground and is an early warning and control phased array radar, which is designed to detect hostile approaching aircraft from long ranges, especially when they approach at low altitudes. These have a range of 500-kms and data gathered by the radar is transmitted to a central air defence command or control centre where it comprehensive air situation is monitored.However, they are very vulnerable and could easily become intruding aircrafts target.The Tamileelam Air Force (TAF), the air wing of the militant LTTE, has raided the mainland Sri Lanka thrice, the latest being on April 28 after it first carried out the air strike on March 26. (ANI)

I will always be a DMK loyalist, says Maran
Monday, May 14, 2007 | AY

Chennai, May 14 (ANI): Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Dayanidhi Maran, who quit his post of Communication and IT Minister on Sunday, today said that he will always remain a party loyalist. “I am still a DMK man, but I am sad because of the accusations levelled against me. And I am thankful to my leader (M Karunanidhi) for giving me the opportunity to perform,” Maran told reporters here. He also maintained that he had nothing to do with the Sun TV or Dinakaran poll survey that said that M K Stalin and not M K Azhagiri should be Karunanidhi’s political heir. Maran’s resignation came after the administrative committee of the DMK on Sunday passed a resolution to secure the resignation of Maran in the wake of what is termed as 'mischievous' poll surveys published by his newspaper that brought the succession battle within the party out in open. Karunanidhi and his party are apparently upset that the Maran brothers had not heeded to his advice to call off the poll survey on who would be Karunanidhi's successor. Maran, however, said that he has very good relation with Stalin, who is the youngest son of the DMK party leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi and Azhagiri, the elder son of party’s chief. He also said that he wont’ take any ministerial post even if it was offered now, and admitted that Congress president and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson was upset over his quitting from the Cabinet. Commenting on the telecom scenario in the country, Maran said that he was planning to abolish roaming charges applicable on mobile network on the occasion of Karunanidhi’s birthday. “I hope my successor at the Centre would take forward the plan taken during my tenure,” he said. (ANI)

Tamil Nadu Legislature to have modern complex soon
Sunday, May 13, 2007 | AY

Chennai, May 12 (ANI): Tamil Nadu will construct a modern and spacious complex for its Legislative Assembly at a new location soon.Chief Minister M Karunanidhi made the announcement in the Assembly, which is presently housed at the Fort St George built by Robert Clive over three centuries ago.The new complex would be modern and more spacious than the existing one, he said.He also said that its foundation stone would be laid very soon with the probable date of completion before the expiry of the current Assembly's term in May, 2011.He, however, did not mention the location for the proposed complex.The structure would come up without demolishing any educational institutions or taking away university land, he said.The previous AIADMK Government called off its plan to construct a new secretariat-cum assembly complex in the Queen Mary's Women's College complex site on the Marina beach road, following resistance by the students of the century-old institution.Then, former Chief Minister J Jayalalithha had laid the foundation for the new complex at the Anna University Complex in the city’s Kotturpuram area.But, the project did not take off due to non environmental clearance by the Centre. (ANI)

Chennai’s journalists protest arson attack on Dinakaran office
Sunday, May 13, 2007 | AY

Chennai (Tamil Nadu), May 13 (ANI): Scores of journalists in Chennai staged a protest against the recent arson attack on the office of the Tamil daily, “Dinakaran”, in Madurai, in which three employees were killed. The rally was held near the state police chief's office here and a charter was presented demanding a fair and speedy probe into the matter."It is surely a pre-meditated, pre-planned and deep-rooted conspiracy hatched by some people in Madurai. This has to be exposed by the state police. But on the other hand, 250 journalists who pressed for this legitimate demand have been arrested. That shows that the police are not interested in taking action,” said M. Rangaraj, the President of the Madras Reporters Guild.Rangaraj further said that now it is only left to the Central Bureau of Investigation to deliver justice to the affected families. “We fail to understand why the police are hesitating to take action against the real culprits of the attack," he added. Tamil Nadu Police have so far arrested 30 suspects, including the Madurai Mayor who belongs to the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Two computer engineers and a security personnel of Maran-family owned “Dinakaran", choked to death after a mob set fire to the office on Wednesday.Police and employees of "Dinakaran" blamed the attack on supporters of M K Azhagiri, the elder son of Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi.Azhagiri's supporters were enraged after an opinion poll in the newspaper said that his younger brother and state minister M.K. Stalin should succeed his 84-year old father as the next DMK head.Azhagiri's supporters burnt copies of the "Dinakaran", attacked its office with bricks and sticks and smashed windows. "Dinakaran" is owned by Kalanidhi Maran, the brother of Communications and Information Technology Minister Dayanidhi Maran. (ANI)

Karunanidhi celebrates 50 years show
Saturday, May 12, 2007 | Nayan

All the bitterness of the Madurai Dinakaran episode took a backseat as a galaxy of national leaders, led by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi descended on Chennai to heap praise on chief minister M. Karunanidhi on the occasion of his completing 50 eventful years as a member of the Tamil Nadu Assembly. Karunanidhis name will forever be written in gold in the history of Tamil Nadu and the history of our nation. His services to Tamil Nadu, to the Tamil people, and to the entire nation are indeed remarkable and are difficult to rival, said Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Grandnephew Dayanidhi Maran was conspicuous by his absence. Some said he was told to stay away and others said he opted to remain at home rather than face the hostile reception at the show. He had, however, gone to the airport to receive the Prime Minister and Ms Gandhi.

Time has come to make a women President: CPI
Saturday, May 12, 2007 | Nayan

The CPI may like a woman to be the next President of the country, according to Mr D Raja, all India secretary of the party. Speaking to reporters at the Chennai airport, Mr Raja pointed out that independent India had never had a woman President. We feel the time has come to make a woman the next President of the country, he added.

Hindu Munani goes to MHC on Ramar Palam
Saturday, May 12, 2007 | Nayan

The Hindu Munani moved the Madras high court urging it to restrain the Centre from demolishing or tampering with the Ramar bridge while going ahead with the Sethu Samudram Canal Project. Hindu Munani founder president Rama Gopalan in his public interest litigation said that the Centre could complete the project without damaging or tampering with the Ramar Palam. He also urged the court to direct the Sethu Samudram Corporation Limited to consider their representation that no damage be caused to the Ramar bridge.

DMK’s split wide open, as Dinakaran office is set on fire
Saturday, May 12, 2007 | AY

Chennai, May 9 (ANI): The issue of Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi’s successor today took an ugly turn when supporters of one of his sons, M K Azhagiri set the office of a local daily on fire in protest against publication of a survey that declared M K Stalin, another son of Karunanidhi, as his political heir. The survey, which was carried by the local daily, Dinakaran, along with AC Nielsen, gave 70 percent people’s approval for Stalin to become the political heir of Karunanidhi and only two percent to M K Azhagiri.People claiming to be Azhagiri’s supporter today burnt the Madurai office of the local daily. Two people reportedly died in the incident.Azhagiri’s supporters also ransacked the office of the daily in Cumbum, Theni, and burnt copes of the newspaper at several places like, Dindigul, Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar and Tuticorin.Stalin, who is now the Minister for Rural Development and Local Administration in the Tamil Nadu Government, had been the mayor of Chennai and has his father Karunanidhi’s support.Azaghiri is now the Deputy General Secretary of the DMK and has considerable influence in the southern districts of the State. (ANI)

Tamil Nadu Governor Barnala lauds Karunanidhi's contributions
Saturday, May 12, 2007 | AY

Chennai, May 11 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala today lauded Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi for his contributions to the state in over 50 years of public service.Delivering a special address in the State Assembly in the historic Fort St George complex, Barnala led a galaxy of political leaders in showering encomiums on Karunanidhi, a man who had set an unparalleled record of winning all the 11 Assembly elections that he had contested. Describing the octogenarian as the "people's Chief Minister," Barnala said he should be seen as a role model for members of legislatures at all times. "We have seen many types of Golden Jubilee celebrations. The only person in India who has seen a golden jubilee in legislature through 50 years of democracy is Karunanidhi. This goes to prove that he is a great genius as far as the philosophy of democracy is concerned," he said in a felicitation address at the House. The function which marked the commencement of the two-day celebrations, was attended by members of all legislature parties except the main opposition AIADMK and its ally MDMK. Union Ministers belonging to the DMK, party MPs and former MLAs were also present as special invitees. Stating that he knew Karunanidhi for nearly four decades, Barnala said he had stood firm during difficult times and had undergone trials and tribulations for the cause of Tamils and Tamil Nadu. PMK president G K Mani said Karunanidhi always fought for social justice, which was also the basic ideal of PMK. When the Vanniya community held agitations demanding separate reservation, Karunanidhi created the Most Backward Community category and provided 20 per cent reservation, he said. CPI-M floor leader C Govindasamy said Karunanidhi lost power while protecting his principles in 1976. He was dismissed that year due to his strong opposition to Emergency. His speech in Tamil Nadu assembly against Emergency was later published as a book-- Vaalum Kedayamum (sword and shield)-- which was an inspiration to those who fought for democracy at that time, he said. During the Emergency, Karunanidhi provided shelter to CPI-M activists and leaders in the state and the party would always remember that. When the DMK leaders and cadres were subjected to oppression by the Congress government during the anti-Hindi agitation in 1965, the party supported the DMK's struggle, he recalled. CPI leader Sivapunniyam said Karunanidhi's hardwork was unmatched and even his severe critics lauded him for this quality. DPI leader K Selvam said Karunanidhi was a staunch follower of Periyar, and therefore, had to be subject to the 'conspiracies' of the affluent sections of the society. (ANI)

Muslims in Tamil Nadu decry Gujarat fake killings
Saturday, May 12, 2007 | AY

Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), May 12 (ANI): Over 700 protesters belonging to the Dowath Jamath, a Muslim organisation in Tamil Nadu, stage a protest against the fake encounters in Gujarat on Friday evening. They demanded the dismissal of the Narendra Modi Government."Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, in connivance with the police officials, is out to eliminate Muslims. So, he should be dismissed. This protest by the Tamil Nadu Jamaat is a symbol of that and we will continue our struggle until the dismissal of the Modi Government. The tainted officers of the police service should be punished," said Jaffer Ali, the General Secretary of the Dowath Jamath.The Gujarat Government's role in the staged killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kausar Bi, besides another unidentified man in November 2005, was denounced. Three senior police officers - - D.G. Vanzara and Rajkumar Pandyan from Gujarat and Dinesh Kumar M.N. from Rajasthan Police were arrested last month for the death of Shiekh, Kausar Bi and the third unknown man, after the Government of Gujarat confirmed the crime before the Supreme Court. Gujarat Police have claimed that Sheikh was a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative, and was planning to assassinate Modi. The fake encounters have triggered a nation wide debate over such staged killings by security forces at the behest of their political bosses. (ANI)

Hand rolled cigarette units shut shops in Tamil Nadu
Saturday, May 12, 2007 | AY

Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu), May 12 (ANI): Scores of workers involved in the making of beedi, a cheap cigarette substitute, are on an indefinite strike against government directives to print warning symbols on beedi packets. Poor and impoverished workers, most of whom are women, say the ban on smoking in public places has already crippled the tobacco industry and following the directives would add to their woes. "The Central Government's direction will cost us heavy. No one will come to buy the beedis. This is my only profession. I will be completely ruined if I have to leave this. We as it is earn a meager amount. So, the government should pay heed to our demands and withdraw the order," said Meeral, a worker. "The Government has to withdraw this order. We are living a life of penury. How much do they want us to suffer? Like this, we will all die," said Davlath, another worker. Abdul Kapoor, the Secretary of the Beedi Workers Association echoed the workers' concern. "If we print these statutorily pictorial warnings, the beedi sales and production will come down. This will certainly affect the employment of rural people who are employed in the beedi industry in thousands, particularly in southern districts. In this, nearly 90 percent of the population are rural womenfolk who are earning their livelihood through this," he said. Beedi units are the livelihood of many people, most of whom live in utter poverty and inhale vast amounts of tobacco dust that affect their respiratory system giving rise to ailments like asthma, tuberculosis and bronchitis. For rolling 1,000 beedis, these labourers get about rupees 20. A woman worker, in addition to her household work, can roll over 1,000 beedis a day, which adds to the family income. The job is labour-intensive and is primarily dependent on the domestic market. Exports are mainly to the Gulf and other places that have a significant Indian population. Measuring about two inches, each beedi is hand-rolled using the fragrant leaves of the tendu plant, which grows in forests, and filled with specially grown and cured tobacco. Seventy percent of tobacco smoked in India is in the form of beedis. Additionally, the beedi industry also provides employment to farmers who grow the special tobacco and to people who are engaged in its marketing and distribution. The beedi industry contributes 145 million dollars in terms of excise revenue. India, with an annual tobacco production of 545 million kilograms ranks third after China and the United States. Out of the total tobacco output only one fourth is exported. Nearly 431 million kilograms is consumed domestically. (ANI)

Tripur units in workers crunch
Thursday, May 10, 2007 | Nayan

The hosiery industry in Tripur is facing acute shortage of skilled labour, as the migratory labourers who are being recruited for the job are inexperienced. There is a demand for about 25,000 labourers who have knowledge of the job, but the industry is unable to get people who are familiar with the technicalities. The industry is not able to recruit experienced hands.

School girl directing documentary film on social relevant theme
Thursday, May 10, 2007 | Nayan

A 14 year old schoolgirl is directing a documentary Tamil film Manithaneyam on the socially relevant theme of drug abuse to create awareness among youth. Ms Meenakshi, the daughter of Subramanian, is a Class 10 student at the Devasagayam Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Pasumalai in Madurai. She is also a member of the 16-year-old Humour Club in Madurai.

Chennai to get Tidel Park III
Thursday, May 10, 2007 | Nayan

The Tamil Nadu government has decided to set up Tidel Park-III with an international conference hall in Taramani on 25 acres of land, M. Karunanidhi announced in the Assembly. Making various announcements in the House, the chief minister said SIPCOT would create an electronic goods exports centre at Orgadam on the outskirts of the city. It will attract Rs 1300 crore investment and provide employment for 23,000 people,he added.

Doctors negligency caused death of a villager
Thursday, May 10, 2007 | Nayan

Sheer negligence on the part of the duty doctors at the emergency ward of the Government General Hospital here caused the death of a 35-year-old poor villager. What is worse, it appears the hospital staff fudged the medical records of the patient, Ravi of Thirukazhikundram, to make it seem that he was brought dead and that it was a medico legal case.

No irregularities in procuring TV sets: CM
Wednesday, May 9, 2007 | Nayan

Chief minister M. Karunanidhi denied the Oppositions allegation that there were irregularities in allocating funds for the implementation of the free colour TV scheme for the poor. AIADMK legislator Mr D. Jayakumar claimed there were irregularities in procuring TV sets. But thats not true. The entire process of procuring and distributing the TV sets has been transparent. I am ready to face the noose if you can prove that irregularities were committed, Mr Karunanidhi said.

DMK’s split wide open, as Dinakaran office is set on fire
Wednesday, May 9, 2007 | AY

Chennai, May 9 (ANI): The issue of Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi’s successor today took an ugly turn when supporters of one of his sons, M K Azhagiri set the office of a local daily on fire in protest against publication of a survey that declared M K Stalin, another son of Karunanidhi, as his political heir. The survey, which was carried by the local daily, Dinakaran, along with AC Nielsen, gave 70 percent people’s approval for Stalin to become the political heir of Karunanidhi and only two percent to M K Azhagiri.People claiming to be Azhagiri’s supporter today burnt the Madurai office of the local daily. Two people reportedly died in the incident.Azhagiri’s supporters also ransacked the office of the daily in Cumbum, Theni, and burnt copes of the newspaper at several places like, Dindigul, Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar and Tuticorin.Stalin, who is now the Minister for Rural Development and Local Administration in the Tamil Nadu Government, had been the mayor of Chennai and has his father Karunanidhi’s support.Azaghiri is now the Deputy General Secretary of the DMK and has considerable influence in the southern districts of the State. (ANI)

Prime accused in Villupuram bomb blast surrenders
Monday, May 7, 2007 | AY

Chennai, April 9 (ANI): The prime accused in the Villupuram jeep blast that had claimed 17 lives on Saturday, surrendered before a Magistrate at Vellore on Monday.Manalipattu G. Sekar was taken under police remand for 15 days, since he owned the godown from where explosives were transported.Sekar used to supply explosives for blasting rocks from his explosives godown at Pathuripulliyur in Villupuram District, said police. . Nagappan and Annamalai, working for Sekar were arrested yesterday on charges of negligence and violation of safety guidelines while transporting gelatine sticks and detonators, said police. On Saturday, 17 people were killed and over 20 injured when a jeep laden with explosives' and detonators exploded at Senthur village in Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram District on Saturday. According to rules gelatine sticks and detonators should not be packed together and the quantity in the jeep was probably more than permissible limits, said police (ANI)

Australian insect threatens Eucalyptus trees in South India
Monday, May 7, 2007 | AY

Coimbatore, April 8 (ANI): A new gall insect, which has migrated from Australia, has started damaging large swatches of Eucalyptus plantation in South India, and is feared to be posing threat to an estimated 80 lakh hectares of plantation. Eucalyptus is an important pulpwood species, which is widely used in the paper and Rayon industriesFirst reported in Malakampadin area in Tamil Nadu, the damage has now spread to the neighbouring States of Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.According to Coimbatore-based Institute of Forest Genetic and Tree Breeding (IFGTB), as much as 80,00,000 hectares of eucalyptus plantation is under severe threat.The authorities first took note of the growing menace when they found large parts of Eucalyptus trees in Andhra Pradesh forests damaged due to the alien insect.The 1.1-1.4 mm tiny Leptocybe Invasa produces galls on leaf mid-ribs (Principal vein of a leaf) petioles (stalk by which leaf is attaches to a stem) and shoot tip which slowly damages the trees."It has affected the growth of the plant very much. It is a new Hymenoptera vast group of insect. It lays eggs inside the leaves and the stem and blocks the sap flow to the tip of the plant, so that the shouts droop down and it is found that the normal growth is affected. If it continues uncontrolled then there would be heavy loss of wood production of Eucalyptus and leads to an economic loss," said, T. Gunashekaran, Chief Conservator of Forest and Conservation Group Coordinator.In 2000, the infection was reported in the Middle East and subsequently it spread to most Mediterranean countries and northern and eastern Africa. Though no specific pesticides are available to kill the insect, researches suggest early treatment cedes the damage."As soon as you locate this problem you prune or cut off the plants which are affected or the parts of the plant which are affected and apply pesticides like systemic pesticides so that the pesticides goes inside the plants and kills the insect," said, Prashanth Jacob, Research Scientist.

Baalu calls upon states to implement e-governance in transport
Monday, May 7, 2007 | AY

Coimbatore, Apr 21(ANI): Stressing on the need for road safety, Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, T.R. Baalu today called upon the states to implement e-governance in the transport sector with a view to mitigate the problems being faced by people as well theenforcement agencies.Addressing the 10th meeting of the National Road Safety Council being held in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu today, Baalu said the Centre has already finalised the policy issues regarding implementation of e-governance in this sector. This would be provided through Central assistance in the form of software development and its transfer to the States, said Baalu. However, Baalu expressed disappointment at the actual pace of its implementation by the State Governments through Smart Card based Driving Licences, Registration Certificates for motor vehicles saying, “it has not been quite encouraging”. Baalu urged the Ministers-in-charge of Transport attending the Council meeting and also the State officials to implement the new initiatives of the Government in their respective States.Referring to the recommendations of the Sundar Committee set up to tackle the issues concerning road safety and traffic management, Baalu said that the Report has already been sent to all State Governments and asked the States’ representatives to send their views on it.Emphasising that the Centre and States should join together to remove impediments and allow seamless flow of traffic across the country he said, “a beginning could be made by harmonising tax structure amongst the neighbouring states or at a zonal level”. Regarding effective enforcement of various provisions under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, Baalu observed, “if the provisions are strictly implemented, the number of road accidents and associated fatalities would certainly be contained”. The Transport Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, Orissa, Sikkim, West Bengal, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh attended the meeting. Besides the Director Generals of Police and Transport Commissioners / Transport Secretaries from various States were also present on the occasion.(ANI)

Amateur bikers test their skills in Coimbatore
Monday, May 7, 2007 | AY

Coimbatore (TN), Apr 28 (ANI): Amateur bikers took part in a unique bike racing competition here on Saturday, which provided them a platform to turn professionals.Twenty-five bikers from across Tamil Nadu were judged on parameters such as speed and driving skills.Unlike other motorbike races, there were two finishing lines. The bikers, timed on the clock, would finish the race by crossing one line but had to make sure they did not cross the second.Crossing the second line would have had them disqualified. The bikers were not only forced to push the throttle, but also pull the brakes to be sure the bike halted between the two lines."It is an event targeted towards enthusiastic bikers. We want to give them a feel of what professional biking is all about. This is not only about the speed but we want to check the speed, control and skills of the bike," said Abhijit Kulkarni, an organiser.Venu Ramesh and Bijo were adjudged winners in 125cc and 250cc categories respectively. They have also qualified for the mega finals to be held in Indore in June.The next race of the 12-legged competition would be held in Bangalore.Motorcycle racing is at a nascent stage in the country, but is slowly picking up with the rising popularity of Narain Karthekayan, the country's only Formula One driver. (ANI)

Tamil Nadu villagers enjoy Spanish style bullfight near Madurai
Monday, May 7, 2007 | AY

Keelapati (Madurai), March 7 (ANI): The sport of bullfighting is popularly associated with Spain, but a non-descript village in Tamil Nadu also enjoys this dangerous sport known as "Jallikattu". Unarmed males of Keelapati Village near Madurai battle it out in the fields with enraged bulls, and in the process some of the participants suffer serious injuries and even die. "They announce a prize of 'Kuttuvilakku' (a lamp) or a television set, to whoever succeeds in taming the bull. I won it this year. The bulls are fed very well throughout the year and they are given proper care," said Sunderpandi, the winner of the competition. Bullfighting in Tamil Nadu is said to be a centuries-old sport. Young winners were richly rewarded and even marriages were fixed during the event.Drunken bulls, with horns sharpened to make them more dangerous, are let loose from an enclosure into the crowd where thousands stand to participate or view the craving to showcase one's machismo motivates the young and not so young participate. "I've been injured many times during the bullfight in the past few years. But I've always had great fun. I have been participating since the age of seventeen," said Mayandi, a participant.A public interest petition was filed in the Madras High Court to ban the game, but the sport continues albeit with a few medical professionals present to attend to injuries. (ANI)

Devotees throng Meenakshi Temple to witness divine wedding
Monday, May 7, 2007 | AY

Madurai (TN), Apr 29 (ANI): Thousands of devotees congregated at Meenakshi Temple here on Sunday to participate in a unique ritual of celestial wedding.The wedding of Goddess Meenakshi, the presiding deity of the temple, with Lord Shiva, is part of an elaborate ten-day long Chitirai Peruviruzha festival, which began on March 30.“It is a very precious day for the people of Madurai today. It is the festival of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Shiva wedding. Every year thousands and lakhs of devotees of Lord Meenakshi and Lord Shiva come to the temple for their wedding anniversary,” said Raja Patter, a priest at the Meenakshi Temple.Married women, on this day, get Mangalsutra (a necklace, symbol of a married woman) tied around their necks by their husbands."Women get their Mangalsutra tied again by their husband on this day. They return to their respective homes with lot of contentment. The belief behind this tradition is that husbands will have a long life," said Shanti, a devotee.The annual event is seen as renewal of life.Preparations for the ceremony are started weeks in advance. It is believed to be inauspicious to return from the temple without eating the feast. Over 150 people took three days to prepare the purely vegetarian temple feast.Temple authorities say the surge of devotees for this year's ceremony surpassed previous years’ attendances. (ANI)

49 kids take part in first national Optimist Boating Championship in Chennai
Monday, May 7, 2007 | AY

Chennai, May 7 (ANI): Forty-nine children experienced the thrill of participating in the first optimist boating championship in Chennai over the weekend. The Optimist is a small, single-crew sailing dinghy.The maiden coastal national championship was organised by the Tamil Nadu Sailing Association. The championship witnessed children aged up to 15 years, representing their States in the event. . Viewers cheered their favourite teams, as they manoeuvred the pram-bowed racing dinghies, affectionately called "Optis." The flat-bottomed Opti is believed to be the safest and single best starter boat. "It really inspires me because it is a very different sport form the normal sports. It requires physical fitness plus mind power. You need to assess the situation, there are a lot of tactical position you can do. So, it is a very captivating and an amazing sport," said Nishant, a participant."This sport is not just about discipline but also enables participants to develop self-control. That is what we basically use, and beyond a point, you will capsize. You need to plan and anticipate how much wind energy you require to move on water,” said Ashok Thakkar of the Tamil Nadu Sailing Association.“Besides, it teaches them about a lot of rules which everyone has to abide by. In a way, it teaches all participating sailors about the value of self-control and significance of abiding by rules," added Thakkar.Mainly because of its economical simplicity and the practical size and weight restrictions it places on any skipper, it has become the most popular craft for introducing children to the sport of sailing. In some parts of the world, this boat is commonly called the "Opti" or "Oppy". Optimists are among the only boats well-suited for complete beginners to intermediate sailors aged between eight and 15. Very small children are sometimes "doubled up" in Optimists but, generally, the boats should be regarded as single-handers. It is in this mode that children gain the most in terms of confidence and improved skills.The Optimist is the biggest and most competitive youth racing class in the world. As well as the annual world championship the class also has six continental championships, attended by a total of over 700 sailors a year. (ANI)

Hindus worship Rameshwaram's "floating stones"
Sunday, May 6, 2007 | AY

Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu), April 2 (ANI): Everyday, a large number of devotees from across the country visit the ancient temple at Rameshwaram to worship Lord Rama and to watch the so-called "floating stones". The "floating stones", said to be four in number, weigh about 10 to 20 kilograms and have never drowned since the ages. They have been kept in a water tank, which is located inside the premises of Panchmukha Hanuman Temple in Rameshwaram, located about 600 kilometres from Chennai. These special stones are believed to be a part of the mythological bridge, which was laid by the erstwhile King Rama between India and Sri Lanka with the help of Lord Hanumana and his monkey brigade. "These are the part of the pieces found to be floating on the sea. Some were even as large as 200 feet. Though some people do not believe it, but we worship it. A lot of researchers are working on it, even as NASA (National Aeronautical and Space Administration) officials have taken pictures of the bridge and are conducting research," said T.R.G. Mohandoss, a temple priest.Today, these stones have a religious sanctity, as people from all walks of life regard them as a part of ancient history. According to Mohandoss, the ancient stones were nearly 200 to 300 feet in size, and he bases this on details available in the ancient scriptures. Several devotees have said that they have touched and tried to press the stones into the water, but they keep on coming up. The process evokes devotion and worship with flowers. The Hindu scriptures state that Lord Rama, with the help of Hanuman, the monkey God, and his brigade of monkeys, had constructed the bridge, built from Rameshwaram on the Indian coast to Lanka, which has been mentioned as "Lanka" in the epic Ramayana. According to the Hindu epic Ramayana (Chapter 66), The Great Causeway, the bridge was constructed at Rama's request by his allies. The bridge was supported on floating sand rocks but the gods were said to have later anchored the rocks to the sea bed, thus creating the present chain of rocky shoals.Legend has it that the Demon King Ravana abducted Sita, Lord Rama's consort, during 14-year self exile. To free his wife from Ravana's custody, Rama waged a war and with the help of a large brigade of monkeys, and eventually won. (ANI)

Karunanidhi announces "exclusive" reservation for Muslims, Christians
Sunday, May 6, 2007 | AY

Chennai, April 5 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi announced in the State Assembly today that the state government has decided to create a religion based quota in government jobs and seats in educational institutions of the state.Amidst a raging controversy over the Supreme Court (SC) stay on the 27 per cent reservation for OBC students in the elite educational institutions, Karunanidhi said he has decided to provide ‘exclusive’ reservation for Christians and Muslim minorities based on the Second Class Backward Commission report by J. A Ambashankar. Accepting the recommendations of the state Backward Classes Commission, headed by Justice M Janardanam, Karunanidhi told the Assembly that his government would take legal steps to implement the ‘exclusive’ reservation for minorities, once the SC pronounced its verdict on the 69 per cent reservation case, pending before it, Details on the exclusive reservation would be announced only after consultations with "friendly parties" of the DMK, Karunanidhi added.The Ambashankar Commission was to estimate the number of backward class people among the Hindus, Christians and Muslims in the state. Tamil Nadu has 254 groups in the OBC list.For long Muslims and Christians in the state had been demanding exclusive reservation in government services and educational institutions.The DMK had accepted their demand, in its election manifesto for 2006 Assembly elections. The government had also assured of taking firm steps for reservation of Muslims and Christians during the state budget session, besides urging the Centre to provide separate reservation for minorities. Earlier in the day advocates in Coimbatore have observed a day long token fast today in protest against the SC’s verdictOver the past one week Tamil Nadu has experienced numerous protests against the SC's directive and the stay order. And the latest one happens to be the day-long fast by members of the Bar in Coimbatore. On March 30, Tamil Nadu Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution demanding the immediate resumption of Parliament to discuss the SC verdict. The resolution asked the Parliament to take a decision to ensure that OBCs' are not adversely affected by the apex court verdict.On March 31, the DMK and its allies had called for a twelve-hour shutdown in the state to protest against the Supreme Court's verdict. (ANI)

Tamil Nadu farmer gets a unique burial with his beloved car
Sunday, May 6, 2007 | AY

Sivapuram (Tamil Nadu), April 8 (ANI): A farmer in Tamil Nadu set a unique example of a man 's love for his prized possession by opting to be buried after death with his vintage car by his side. In his last wish, Kanniyan Alias Narayanasamy, a resident of Tamil Nadu's Sivapuram Village, requested his friends to bury his long-cherished vintage Morris car along with his dead body. And, the friends obliged. His unusual last wish turned into a modern-day Pharaoh due to his love for the vintage car. He held the post of Village Head in Sivapuram village but remained closely attached to his vintage queen, which he purchased in the late 50s.Everyday, Kanniyan would work for long hours to ensure the vintage car was kept spick-and-span despite a shortage of spare parts. The car remained his best companion for over four decades and Kanniyan made it a point to travel to any function or religious ceremony in this car."My father bought this car on 1958. He would prefer to go to any place or for any festival in this car. He loved it very much. Before he died, he asked the family and friends to bury his pet car along with him. We just fulfilled his last wish," said Ashokan, Kanniayan's son.A large crowd of villagers gathered to witness the unique burial. Kanniyan's dead body was taken out to the graveyard in a procession and kept in the driver's seat before being rolled inside a special burial pit. Kanniyans always maintained that his vintage car had brought him immense good luck and, perhaps, it would bring the same in the other world too. (ANI)

MECON bags power plant contract in TN
Sunday, May 6, 2007 | AY

New delhi, Apr 10 (ANI): The Public Sector, Metallurgical and Engineering Consultants (MECON), has bagged contracts for 2 x 500 Mega Watt (MW) Power Plant in Tamil Nadu (TN), which is being promoted jointly by the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) and the State’s Electricity Board. MECON would provide detailed engineering and consultancy from concept to commissioning for two units of 500 MW each to be set up at Tuticorin. Earlier, MECON had provided similar service to the NLC for their 2 x 210 MW expansion programme which was successfully completed in 2003. With the rising business in power sector, MECON is preparing a road map to develop its strategic business unit further. The power plant division at Ranchi is being augmented with more resources and latest design softwares to facilitate better and timely services to the valued customers. (ANI)

Madurai District villagers go in for mass fishing to celebrate festival
Sunday, May 6, 2007 | AY

Madurai, April 10 (ANI): Villagers in Tamil Nadu's Madurai District visit the Muthan Swamy Thrukovil Pond that lies within the Kallandhiri Muthan Swamy Thirukovil Temple for en-masse fishing, as part of a local fish festival here. Organised on the final day of the week-long Temple festival, the festival allows devotees from five villages to fish in the temple’s pond without charge. Later, the villagers take away the fish to their homes, believing it is God’s gift. The main purpose is to help clear the pond of old fish.Every year, village elders and astrologers determine the appropriate date in the Tamil calendar's first month of 'Chittarai' to clear the pond. The practice has been on for years. According to some estimates, over 5,000 people converged at the Muthan Swamy Thrukovil Pond to perform the annual fishing ritual. "Muthan Swamy Thrukovil pond is used commonly be residents of five villages around it. This is a community activity with no caste or class discrimination. From time immemorial, this ritual has been observed by the villagers. Every year, we conduct this fishing festival and anybody is allowed to participate in it," Ilamman, a village leader said. "Many of us came from Pudupet (another village) and we are all very happy today. We have made a very good catch and each fish is about three kilograms," said Murugan, one of the devotees from a village. (ANI)

50-day old Pakistani infant undergoes cardiac surgery in Chennai
Sunday, May 6, 2007 | AY

Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Apr 12 (ANI): A 50-day old Pakistani infant, who suffered from multiple cardiac related problems, has successfully undergone surgery at the Madras Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology (MIOT) Hospital here. MIOT surgeons operated on little Rayan to fix three defects in her heart.“All the abnormalities were corrected in one go with an elaborate and complex surgical procedure last month,” said Robert Coelho, Director and Chief Paediatric Surgeon of MIOT hospital."From heart point of view, this child is normal. There is no heart defect left. In the long term also, this child can have a normal heart and grow up like a normal child," he added. Coelho along with his team - Dr. Roy Vargeese and Dr. Prashant Shah operated on Rayan’s heart for five hours and corrected all defects, including two septal defects and a major Patent Ductus Arteriosus, which promotes an abnormal circulation of blood between two of the four major arteries located near the heart.Rayan's father Tariq, who is based in Dubai, said he was overwhelmed and grateful to the Indian Government for granting him a visa for the emergency operation."We came all the way from Dubai to Chennai. We never thought that we would be going to India keeping in mind that we were Pakistanis. But I am thankful to Indian Government for granting us visa in no time. They just took 24 hours to give us visa and everything has gone very smoothly. We did not have any problems in coming to India. We just came like we came to our own country," he said.According to Tariq, doctors in Dubai said Rayan had severe heart failure and advised that she to undergo open-heart surgery quickly. He said facilities for open-heart surgery in such small infants with multiple heart defects was not available in the UAE or in Pakistan. And the financial implications were formidable in UK. Finally, doctors in UAE suggested Dr. Coelho’s name. India is becoming a popular low-cost destination for complicated surgeries and medical treatment for people in its neighbourhood.New Delhi had eased visa requirements for Pakistani children seeking medical treatment in India in 2003. (ANI)

Former Lanka PM asks help from India to combat LTTE
Sunday, May 6, 2007 | AY

Chennai (Tamil Nadu), May 5 (ANI): Former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe today appealed to India and the international community to provide help to his country for curbing the militant activities perpetrated by the Tamil Tiger rebels."I think the Sri Lankan Government now has to talk to the Indian Government, with the EU (European Union), with the United States and decide what course of action has to be taken. Because unless and until we can get mobilised and get together all our people and international support which we had earlier, it is not possible to resolve this conflict. The government so far has not been able to do that," said Wickremasinghe, who stopped here on his way to home after a ten-day trip to Dubai.Terming the situation in Sri Lanka as 'serious', he said that his United National Party (UNP) would discuss a strategy, as soon as he returned to Sri Lanka.Colombo and New Delhi have been deeply concerned as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) recently acquired air capability, striking Sri Lankan army bases in the recent past.Hundreds of people in the island nation have been killed in spiraling violence since July 2006 that shattered a truce brokered in 2002.

Professional courses admission still confuse
Sunday, May 6, 2007 | Nayan

The confusion over admissions to professional courses still continues due to lack of clear-cut orders from the state government regarding the counselling, according to seasoned observers of the education scene in the state. The admission process for professional colleges would be very tricky this year. First, the cut-off mark this time would be determined for 200 marks, instead of 300, in which maths would be calculated for 100 marks and 50 marks each would be calculated for physics and chemistry.

Peace process in Srilanka not functional now: Wickremasinghe
Sunday, May 6, 2007 | Nayan

There is an urgent need for the international community, including India, to quickly step in and bring peace in Sri Lanka through a negotiated political solution, leader of United National Party (UNP) Ranil Wickremasinghe said. India, the rest of the world and the political parties in Sri Lanka are of this view. Such a negotiated political solution should not only meet the aspirations of all communities in Sri Lanka but also safeguard its territorial integrity and democratic form of governance, he said.Mr Ranil, who stopped at Chennai enroute to Colombo from Europe, told media that the peace process in Lanka was not functional now.

Kaviyam
Saturday, May 5, 2007 | AY

'Kaviyam' is being made in Tamil and Malayalam at the same time, so the hero is from Malayalam field and heroine from Tamil field. After 'Nenjil Jil Jil' Aparna has not been seen in Tamil films. Now, she will act as heroine in 'Kaviyam.' Jaisurya is the hero. He played the cancer patient in 'Vasool Raja MBBS.' Both Jaisurya and Aparna rely a lot on this film. She hopes it will give her good mileage like 'Mozhi' did for Jyotika. The reason is, Aparna also plays a mute character in this film. Rathish Ramiya directs the film. It is said the producer is a Tamilian residing overseas. Aparna's family runs schools abroad. There are rumours that it could be that they found the producer through their contacts, or that Aparna's family is itself producing the film under an assumed name. The shooting for 'Kaviyam' is to start soon and it will be completed in one full schedule.

Former Lanka PM asks help from India to combat LTTE
Saturday, May 5, 2007 | AY

Chennai (Tamil Nadu), May 5 (ANI): Former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe today appealed to India and the international community to provide help to his country for curbing the militant activities perpetrated by the Tamil Tiger rebels."I think the Sri Lankan Government now has to talk to the Indian Government, with the EU (European Union), with the United States and decide what course of action has to be taken. Because unless and until we can get mobilised and get together all our people and international support which we had earlier, it is not possible to resolve this conflict. The government so far has not been able to do that," said Wickremasinghe, who stopped here on his way to home after a ten-day trip to Dubai.Terming the situation in Sri Lanka as 'serious', he said that his United National Party (UNP) would discuss a strategy, as soon as he returned to Sri Lanka.Colombo and New Delhi have been deeply concerned as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) recently acquired air capability, striking Sri Lankan army bases in the recent past.Hundreds of people in the island nation have been killed in spiraling violence since July 2006 that shattered a truce brokered in 2002.

DMK will not interfere in land acquisition process: Minister
Friday, May 4, 2007 | Nayan

The DMK government, made it clear that it would not interfere in acquisition of lands for firms establishing Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in the state. The state, taking into account the West Bengal episode, has decided not to acquire lands for the formation of SEZs. It is for the companies setting up SEZ and the landholders to sort it out. The government will not interfere in the land acquisition process, electricity minister Arcot N Veerasamy told the Assembly.

Exnora International staged demo at Japanese Embassy
Friday, May 4, 2007 | Nayan

Activists from Exnora International and the Corporate Accountability Desk staged a demonstration in front of the Japanese Embassy in Chennai to protest Japans policy of dumping its toxic waste in India. The group also demanded that the ongoing bilateral discussions on the India Japan Economic Agreement should not liberalise waste trade and that the negotiations should be opened up for public participation.According to sources, a member of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Japan has dumped nearly 2,000 tons of trash, including 270 tons of toxic waste, in India over the last four years.

Tamilnadu's school holds a world record for having largest number of twin students
Thursday, May 3, 2007 | AY

Sivaskasi (Tamilnadu), Feb.27 (ANI): Believe it or not but the 59 pairs of twins, studying in a school in Tamilnadu, have earned the school a unique distinction. Today, for having the biggest number of twins in any school across the globe, the school holds a world record. The 110-year-old Hindu Nadar Victoria School is situated in Sivakasi town of Tamilnadu. Interestingly, of the total fifty-nine pairs of twins there are three pairs of twin teachers too. The Hindu Nadar Victoria School created a record beating American school St Louis Marshall School that has only 29 twins. The school earlier made a record for having the largest number of twins in a single school. This school also featured in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1999. The coincidence of having the world's largest number of twins in the school gave its principal an opportunity to do a study on these students' behaviour. After realising the presence of twin students in such a large number, Albert Selvaraj, the principal of the school, initiated a project to study their behaviours and monitored them closely. "We started monitoring twin students closely and the result of close watch was astonishing. All twins preferred to study in the same class, wanted same uniforms and behaved like friends. They were so identical that when you see their progress cards, it will also be the same," said J. Albert Selvaraj, Principal of Hindu Nadar Victoria School . The twins score almost equal marks in the examinations and prefer to study in the same class and behave like friends. The teachers who teach them in the classroom not find it difficult to deal with twins. They are also happy with school's performance. "We don't face any problem in teaching twins in the classroom because they get easily mingled up with their friends. However, it is easy to deal with the grown up twins than the younger ones," said Jeya Femila, a teacher. "I am very happy that our school is on the top for having the largest number of twins in the same school campus. The earlier record is set by an American school with 29 children," said Ezhil Arasu, another teacher at Hindu Nadar Victoria School. Meanwhile, some grown up twin students are finding it difficult to pursue their higher education due to financial constraints. Higher education would cost them a double expenditure as usually both have the same aspirations. "My father is a daily wage earner and cannot afford to spend double the amount for our higher education. So, it is very difficult for us to opt for higher education together," said Ram Kumar, a student. At the Nadar Victoria school the students' education was almost free of cost. But the thought about pursuing higher studies in future cause furrows on their forehead. (ANI)

Tamil Nadu to venture into jatropha cultivation
Thursday, May 3, 2007 | AY

Chennai, Apr 16 (ANI): Tamil Nadu is all set to foray into the large-scale commercial cultivation of jatropha, a bio-diesel plant, in over 100, 000 hectares of land. According to Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugam, the plans include constructing bio-diesel plants. Keeping this into mind the state is planning to cultivate 20, 000 jatropha plants every year for coming five years. At least four companies have expressed their interest for contract farming of jatropha and its allied extraction units. Tamil Nadu doesn’t only promote commercial cultivation of jatropha, but it is also seen as means of eradicating poverty and unemployment in rural areas, Arumugam said. As the main problem in jatropha cultivation is the availability of good quality seeds, the State Government has allocated over 48 million rupees to produce its seedlings. Tamil Nadu Agriculture University is training farmers on jatropha oil blending, bio-diesel conversion and value addition to the by-products and other related issues. Some of the business conglomerates are also doing their bit to promote its cultivation. Speaking at a conference on April 14, the newly elected Chairman of Madurai zone of CII (Confederation of Indian Industries) V. Krishnamurthy, said that a core team would be formed with the assistance of the State Government to promote jatropha cultivation. On March 27, the University conducted a free training programme on jatropha cultivation and bio-diesel production in which farmers were exposed to topics related to crop improvement using new varieties and hybrids, production of quality planting materials, crop management, plant protection aspects, jatropha oil blending, bio-diesel conversion and value addition to the by-products. (ANI)

SC asks Karnataka, Tamil Nadu to amicably resolve Cauvery issue
Thursday, May 3, 2007 | AY

New Delhi, Apr 23 (ANI): The Supreme Court has asked the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Governments to find an amicable solution to the Cauvery water dispute. In response to a writ petition filed by Cauvery Water United Association, Bangalore and others, a bench comprising of S. B. Sinha and Markandey Katju fixed the hearing on the petition for next week. The Apex bench had asked the parties concerned, including the Centre and the States, to sit together and work out an amicable solution to the river water-sharing dispute, instead of compelling the Court to give a verdict in this regard. The judges said that the Court verdict might not satisfy all sides concerned. The Court added that every major city in the country is facing a severe water crisis and blamed that unchecked construction activity going on these cities is resulting in depletion of water sources. After a long wait of 16 years, the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal pronounced its verdict, giving 419 thousand million cubic (TMC) feet of water to Tamil Nadu and 270 TMC feet to Karnataka. In addition to this, Kerala was given 30 TMC ft and Puducherry 7 TMC ft of water. (ANI)

Chennai artist creates beautiful art works from cotton
Thursday, May 3, 2007 | AY

By Jay KumarChennai, Apr 20 (ANI): Muni Rathnam an artist from Chennai, has crafted numerous eye-catching art works, including paintings of Hindu deities from cotton fabric.Muni a 53-year-old, is a self-taught artist. A schoolteacher by profession, Muni has been making paintings and sculptures out of cotton for the past 25 years. The technique involves mixing cotton and glue to give a texture to the figure drawn and then Muni decorates it as per the requirement of the painting. "The figure is drawn and first covered completely with cotton and glue. Then the painting is coated with enamel paints of various colours according to the requirement. Then finally jewels and other accessories are applied to give a finishing touch to the painting," said MuniThough he works with other mediums like stone and sand, his cottoncreations are more in demand. He made sculptures of Lord Ganesha, Mother Teresa, Lord Venkateswara or Lord Vishnu and many other objects. A miniature bullock cart won Muni acclaim from various quarters. Muni now plans to adopt more innovative and new techniques for the paintings and he intends to conduct classes for aspiring artists to take his art to the general public.(ANI)

Tamil Nadu zoo begins research on breeding lion-tailed macaques
Wednesday, May 2, 2007 | AY

Chennai, April 15 (ANI): A zoological park in Tamil Nadu has initiated a special project, the first ever of its kind in India, to breed the endangered lion-tailed macaques, an Old World monkey found only in the Western Ghats of South India.The project started at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, one of the largest zoos in South Asia -- located in Vandalur, 30 kilometres from Chennai, is a part of a coordinated captive breeding programme of the monkey species. "The zoological park is now holding nine females and seven males constituting 16 animals. In the earlier stage, we had only a few animals. Now the government of India has decided to have a coordinated breeding programme for the lion-tailed macaque. So this is the first project in India for breeding this unique endangered species," said Mani Mozhi, a biologist at the Aringar Anna Zoological Park. Under this State sponsored project, the wild animals taken from several zoos including Chennai, Trivandrum and Mysore zoos will be pooled into groups. To establish the basic behaviour pattern among the captive lion-tailed macaque, veterinarians working on the artificial breeding of the animal are carrying out regular behavioural observations for a better understanding of the social interaction of the medium-sized furry black monkeys. The Lion-tailed macaque gets its name from its long black tail, which has a slight tuft of hair on the tip and is found mainly in the southwestern parts of the country. The Lion-tailed macaques, which commonly live in small groups, are ranked among the most rare and most threatened primates. Destruction of their habitats is seen as one of the major factors for the cause of decline in their population. The fur of the Lion-tailed Macaque is dark-brown or black. Its outstanding characteristic is the silver-white mane, which surrounds the head from the cheeks down to its chin, which gives this monkey its German name of "Beard Ape". The hairless face is black colored. With a head-to-tail length of 45 to 60 cm and a weight of 3 to 10 kg it ranks among the smaller macaques. The tail is medium length with a length of approximately 25 cm and is a black tuft at the end, similar to a lion's tail.The Lion-tailed Macaque is a diurnal rain forest dweller. It is a good climber and spends a majority of its life in the upper canopy of tropical moist evergreen forests. Unlike other macaques, it avoids humansAccording to figures of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) there are approximately only 2,500 of these animals living scattered across areas in southwestern India, especially in Kerala. (ANI)

Chennai zoo’s rock python attracts visitors
Wednesday, May 2, 2007 | AY

Chennai, April 30 (ANI): Visitors to Chennai’s Aringar Anna Vandalur Zoological Park are being drawn to a rock python that has laid 40 eggs this past week. The 20 foot reptile is on of the longest in the world say zoo officials. "This is one of the longest snakes in the world which breeds regularly. It is fifth time that this python has laid eggs in the enclosure. The young ones will be hatching out on the 65th day," said Manimozhi, a biologist at the Vandalur Zoo. Pythons lay eggs and then arrange them in a pile. They coil around the pile until all eggs are hatched. Since pythons cannot regulate their internal body temperature, they cannot incubate their eggs. They raise the temperature of their eggs by slight moments of their body. The rare hatching event has attracted a lot of visitors and their tiny-tots. "I have visited many places like the snake park, and have seen many varieties of snake. This is the first time I am visiting Vandalur Zoo. I have seen an unusual sight with a python who has laid around 40 eggs, something I could not see before. It is always better to bring children to see such sights because, otherwise, it is not possible to have such a real life experience," said Pushpa John, a visitor Children also expressed delight over the experience. "I had visited the Vandalur Zoo earlier, but this is the first time that I have seen a snake who has laid around 40 eggs. This is really astonishing," said Anaka, a young girl. A python may live more than 20 years. They are solitary creatures, but males and females seek each other out to mate. The female coils about her eggs to incubate them. Young pythons have many natural enemies like eagles, crocodiles, leopards and hyenas.As per herpetology, among the different varieties of python, the one found in India is named rock python. It is an arboreal snake, once fairly common throughout the jungles of India, Sri Lanka, and the East Indies. (ANI)

Koovagam festival guest African-American Kentucky
Wednesday, May 2, 2007 | Nayan

The Koovagam festival this year had an unusual guest from Kentucky, USA. Ms Diepiriye S. Kuku Siemons, an African-American, and an aravani herself, has been yearning to make it to the festival since she heard of it some months ago. I have been here for two days now and its amazing to see the camaraderie among the aravanis here, helping each other dress and listening to each others troubles and making friends. I think there should be such a festival in the United States too, she said.

Anna University issue: Jaya challenges DMK government
Wednesday, May 2, 2007 | Nayan

Opposition party leader and AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalithaa has charged the ruling DMK government of misusing its power to relax the attendance criteria in the Anna University (Chennai) for favouring chief minister Karunanidhis grandson, a senior ministers grandson and an IPS officers kin. In a statement, here on Tuesday, Ms Jayalalithaa said that on April 18 the university had issued a circular to all departments informing them that undergraduate and postgraduate students with a mere 40 percent overall attendance can be permitted to appear for the semester examinations. We have to come know that the vice-chancellor had moved a resolution in the universitys syndicate meeting for relaxing the norms for chief minister Karunanidhis grandson, a senior ministers grandson and an IPS officers kin. The vice-chancellor, inspite of the opposition of the syndicate members, had passed the resolution, she said.

Simbu interview on a Tamil magazine
Tuesday, May 1, 2007 | Nayan

Simbu is a fresh interview on a Tamil magazine confessed the reason behind his break up. He said that it is his second love-fail. The first one is Rajni Kanths daughter and that is known for all. He said, I was over possessive with Nayantara. Im rough in mind set and easily get anger. I shout losing my cool and also utter filthy language when I get anger. Nayan couldnt accept that. Adding to that I also asked all her producers to talk to me before signing on any project. Its me who has to dictate terns and put conditions. Even this disturbed Nayan. So, we got split.

Madras Veterinary College student sits for strike
Tuesday, May 1, 2007 | Nayan

Students of the Madras Veterinary College staged a sit in strike on to protest against the state animal husbandry ministry for its failure to fill up vacant posts of veterinarians.About 3,000 veterinarians in the state are unemployed since the early 1990s. Even as the state government ignores their plight, the Veterinary University is introducing new courses and training programmes that will only ensure there are more unemployed in the state, demonstrators said.

Murder case: Ibatamizhan surrenders
Tuesday, May 1, 2007 | Nayan

T Inbatamizhan, a minister in the erstwhile AIADMK regime, was remanded to judicial custody till May 7 by the judicial magistrate in connection with the murder of the husband of the Srivilliputtur municipality chairperson. The former minister who was on the run surrendered before the judicial magistrate Subadra. He has been lodged in the Madurai central prison. Anna Durai Selvan (45) husband of Srivilliputtur municipality chairperson Sundarai was hacked to death by a gang on Jan 27, 2007.

Eunuchs welcome Tamil Nadu Government move to assure their basic rights
Tuesday, May 1, 2007 | AY

Eunuchs holding red coloured balloons and umbrellas, walked through the streets of Koovagam in Tamil Nadu on Monday to welcome the State Government's move to assure their basic rights. The State Government had recently passed an order providing for their free healthcare and education. The DMK-led coalition Government is also mulling over whether to legalize and introduce free sex re-construction surgery at state-run hospitals. Eunuchs, however, said more measures are needed for them to gain social acceptance. "They are making houses for us and they are giving us free operations. But for the present generation, we are demanding more. There is a lot of discrimination. In schools, boys’ tease us by calling us eunuchs. These types of problems should not arise," said Subikha, a eunuch. There is no official estimate of the eunuch population in India, but unofficially the number is pegged at around 500,000. They normally make a living by collecting cash "gifts" from people on auspicious occasions like weddings, the birth of a child, or a religious event. A festival called "Aravan”, held annually in April-May, is the time when the eunuchs rededicate themselves to the service of their deity. The festival of Aravan signifies the cultural high-point of the eunuch community. They get married to a mythological character of the same name.

Now, a purified glass of sea water for your family
Tuesday, May 1, 2007 | AY

India may soon be able solve the drinking water crisis in many of the coastal areas of the country, with the indigenous development of a cost-effective desalination plant by its scientists. Sagar Shakti, the offshore desalination plant, has been developedby the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) that promises to address country’s drinking water woes considerably. According to S. Kathiroli, the Director of National Institute of Ocean Technology, the cost factor has invariably been a major concern in the country, especially along the south- west coast where drinking water is scarce. The process is a controlled recreation of water cycle that brings about rain. It involves flash evaporation of warm surface seawater and condensation of the vapours with cold deep-sea water. The method is environment- friendly, and simple enough not requiring too much skilled manpower. NIOT claims the drinking water thus obtained grades above current standards in India. The total dissolvable solid proportion in the water is 10 particles per million as against the national standard of 2000 particles permillion. The only bottleneck, such plants could face would be transportation of desalinated water to the mainland, as such plants are ideally located 30 to 40 kilometers off-shore. Currently a pilot desalination project provides potable water to Kavaratti, Lakshadweep, though on a much lesser scale. NIOT now plans to set up a plant with a capacity of over 10 million liters a day, with private sector partnership and in about a-year-and-a-half. (ANI)

Chennai Zoo inmates beat the heat in comfort
Tuesday, May 1, 2007 | AY

Authorities at the Chennai Zoo have pulled out all stops to keep animals at the complex comfortable, even as temperatures continue to soar. Authorities at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur near Chennai have made arrangements for enough water for drinking, wading, bathing, and to keep the animal shelters cool. A special menu has also been prepared for four chimpanzees,acquired from Singapore two years ago. These chimps are given a nutritious diet that includes milk, chana grams, apples and banana. Water is sprayed all over the enclosures thrice a day to beat the scorching heat. Srinivasan, an elephant keeper, takes care of their special needs. In October, 2005, our zoo got four chimpanzees, two male and two female from Singapore named—Kuppi, Kokkitokko, Sokki and Toeri. Keeping in view the new environment, particularly the summer heat, we have been taking extra care of these chimps,” said Srinivasan. Watching the animals enjoy their food and relaxation time has brought a smile to the faces of onlookers, especially children. The tiny-tots and their parents are simply fascinated to see these animals being fed and bathed in the zoo. Spread over 510 hectares, the zoo houses at least 46 endangered animals. It is considered one of the biggest zoos in South East Asia, comprising over 170 species of mammals, aviaries and reptiles.

Bangalore, Chennai to host Cricket Afro-Asian Cup in June
Tuesday, May 1, 2007 | AA

New Delhi, Apr 11 (ANI): Bangalore and Chennai will host the second Afro-Asian Cup one-day series in June during which three matches between combined teams from the Asian and African continents will be played. Bangalore will host the first match on June 6 and Chennai on June 9 and 10, Sharad Pawar, chairman of Afro-Asian Cricket Cooperation, told reporters. He said the International Cricket Council (ICC) has granted one-day international status to the three games. The series will be preceded by two Twenty-20 matches, one between the women's teams of the two continents, in Bangalore on June 5. "This will be the first time that the international 20-20 cricket is being played in India. Afro-Asian Cup does much to raise the funds necessary to push the actualities and support for the youth and junior cricket. The money will make tangible difference to many of the upcoming cricketers of the Africa and Asia. More opportunities for the competition and coaching will be created as a result and as the game broaden and deepen its appeal across our two vast continents, crickets will emerge even stronger, " Pawar said. He said that the African Cricket Association and Asian Cricket Council would do their best to support them. “Five matches are being played for the worthy cause namely 'cricket for unity'. With these opening remarks it is my privilege the Afro Asian Cup to be held on June 2007 and that will be in Bangalore and Chennai," added Pawar. The Asia team for the tournament and the men's Twenty20 game will be selected on May 11. Conceived as a fund-raiser for the African Cricket Association and Asian Cricket Council, the inaugural edition in South Africa in 2005 ended in 1-1 draw. The prize money for this year's cup is 100,000 dollars. (ANI)

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