
May 20, 1985, Forty Years Ago: 56 Tamils Killed
Unidentified attackers killed 40 Tamil civilians and burnt Tamil houses in towns near the site of a recent massacre in the latest round of ethnic violence in Sri Lanka, the police said. Attackers also killed 16 Tamils in the eastern port of Trincomalee, despite an unofficial curfew imposed in some parts of town.
Quota Debate
Madhu Dandavate, Janata Party leader, said that the opposition parties were committed to the constitutional guarantees to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and backward communities. Dandavate suggested that a round-table conference of all parties concerned be called to sort out the reservation tangle which had led to widespread violence and disturbance in Gujarat in the last few weeks.
FICCI Meet
The private sector not only wants to play a bigger role in national development but also needs facilities and better government support to make it a success. This sentiment was reflected in three resolutions on the second day of the annual general meeting of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. R P Goenka, who is expected to be chosen vice-president of FICCI, moved the first resolution — about the distribution system in the service of consumers.
Sundarayya Dead
P Sundarayya, the founder-general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and a top leader of the Telangana movement, died at a private hospital in Madras, following kidney failure. He was 73 and is survived by his wife Leila Sundarayya, a member of the Andhra Pradesh state committee of the CPI(M).
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Amit Shah launches language hub to 'decolonise' admin
NEW DELHI: Continuing with his govt's 'decolonisation' project, Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday launched an Indian languages section within the department of official language as a step towards dispensing with the role of English in official communication. "It would prove to be a milestone in the path to freeing administration from the influence of foreign languages," Shah said as he announced the formation of Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhag. So far, English had been relied upon for easy and faster official communication and filework between the Centre and non-Hindi speaking states and also among the latter. "We will definitely win the battle against imposition of English upon us," Shah, who over his six-year tenure in MHA has ensured that all filework and official communication in MHA is carried out in Hindi, declared at the launch of the Indian languages section on Friday. Elaborating on the purpose of Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhag at a press conference last year, secretary in department of official language Anshuli Arya had stated: "Just like Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speeches in (non-Hindi speaking) states get instantly translated and can be heard by the public in their respective regional language, the Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhag, in collaboration with Centre for Deployment of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), will put in place a universal translation system for official communication. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like At Last, An ED Pill for 87¢ That Actually Works Health Alliance by Friday Plans Learn More Undo " "For instance, if the chief minister of Tamil Nadu writes a letter to the Centre in Tamil, the Union minister here can read it in his language and have the reply sent in Tamil. This will help bring the regional languages on to the centre-stage," Arya said. In his address on Friday, Shah said the Indian languages section had made the department of official language "complete" by providing a strong and organised platform to all languages, incorporating the linguistic diversity of India. Shah underlined that the Indian people's potential can be fully exploited only when their process of thinking, analysis and decision-making are in their mother-tongue. "Every language of ours is completely connected with other languages and development of all languages is not possible without each assimilate like rivers into the Ganga of Indian culture," the Union home minister stated.


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Justice Janarthanam, a quota warrior, is no more
Chennai: Former judge of Madras high court , Justice M S Janarthanam, known for his work on the reservation front and who had studied and recommended a 3% internal reservation for arunthathiyars among the Scheduled Castes, passed away on Friday. He was 89. Justice Janarthanam served in the high court from 1988 to 1998. He was appointed Tamil Nadu Backward Class Commission chairman in 2006 and served in that role until 2015. Chief minister M K Stalin said Justice Janarthanam would be accorded state honours and that he would personally attend the last rites, in recognition of the judge's contribution to social justice. "It was based on his recommendation that reservation was implemented for Muslims, Christians, and arunthathiyars in Tamil Nadu," Stalin said in a condolence message. Justice Janarthanam headed the state commission for backward classes and also was the one-man commission constituted by then chief minister, M Karunanidhi, to study the educational, social, and economic backwardness of the arunthathiyar community, which was part of the Scheduled Caste category. In Aug 2024, a seven-judge bench of Supreme Court, headed by then Chief Justice of India, Justice D Y Chandrachud, upheld the validity of the Tamil Nadu Arunthathiyars Reservation Act, 2009. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pinga-Pinga e HBP? Tome isso 1x ao dia se tem mais de 40 anos Portal Saúde do Homem Clique aqui Undo The Tamil Nadu govt had passed the Act based on the recommendation of the commission headed by Justice Janarthanam, providing a 3% internal reservation to the arunthathiyar community within the 18% quota provided for the Scheduled Caste in 2008. The Act brought together seven scheduled castes (SCs) — arunthathiyar, chakkiliyar, madari, madiga, pagadai, thoti, and adi andhra — as arunthathiyars for the sake of reservation on a preferential basis. Justice Janarthanam also served as president of the Tamil Nadu State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. "He was a firm but gentle human being. I have been associated with him since he was a registrar in Madras high court before his elevation as a judge of the court. His demise is a loss to the legal fraternity," advocate-general P S Raman said. Describing him as a shining example of the chairman of the Tamil Nadu Backward Classes Commission, PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss said Justice Janarthanam recommended a 10.5% reservation for vanniyars. CPM state secretary P Shanmugam said: "The passing of such a figure is a great loss to both the judiciary and democratic movements fighting for social justice." Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !


The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
Justice Janarthanam's moments of glory
Justice M.S. Janarthanam had, at least, experienced a few moments of glory in the last 20-odd years. After the Supreme Court, in July 2010, provided one year to Tamil Nadu to come out with justification along with quantifiable data for the continuance of the 69% reservation for Backward Classes (BC), Most Backward Classes (MBC) and Scheduled Castes (SCs)/Scheduled Tribes (STs), Justice Janarthanam, as the head of the State BC Commission, had authored a report in support of the quota scheme, as provided in the Tamil Nadu Act 45 of 1994. Exactly a year later, the then AIADMK regime, at a Cabinet meeting, adopted the findings of the report and decided that 'there cannot at all be any doubt regards the fixity of reservation of 50 per cent to Backward Classes, 18 per cent to Scheduled Castes and one per cent to Scheduled Tribes.' On the matter of 'creamy layer' among the BC and MBCs, his take was that though the 1994 law had been in existence for well over 17 years, the Lakshman Rekha line had not been crossed, warranting the application of 'creamy layer' exclusion.' This opinion was also accepted by the government. It continues to be in force. Nearly 20 years ago, when the demand was made for creating special reservation for Arunthathiyars within quota of reservation for SCs, the government had turned to Justice Janarthanam to consider it. In November 2008, he, as the head of a committee, submitted a report to the then DMK government that the representation of the Arunthathiyars in Groups A, B and C services under the State 'has been found grotesquely inadequate.' Consequently, a three percent quota came into force. for the Aruthathiyars. This has withstood the test of judicial scrutiny, says G. Santhanam, who served as Secretary of the BC, MBC and Minorities Welfare Department about 15 years ago. In 2012, he gave an opinion to the government for providing a 10.5% quota to Vanniyars within the 20%.. Though this was acted upon by the previous AIADMK regime nine years later, the Supreme Court, in April 2022, quashed the move.