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The Hindu
5 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
World Environment day marked by tree plantation drives
The Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) celebrated World Environment Day by organising a plantation drive on the Madras University campus on Thursday. The event which was organised in partnership with Communitree, a non-governmental organisation, witnessed more than 10,000 native tree saplings being planted across the university campus. In a press release, the initiative reinforces KVB's deep-rooted commitment to sustainability and community-led environmental action. It also aims to enhance the region's green cover and contribute to long-term biodiversity by developing a dense, self-sustaining urban forest ecosystem. B. Ramesh Babu, Managing Director and CEO of KVB and S. Elumalai, Registrar of Madras University, participated in the event. Apollo Cancer Centres along with Apollo Proton Cancer Centre jointly organised a sapling plantation drive at the Elcot IT Park, Sholinganallur, to mark the World Environment Day. Over 500 saplings were planted emphasising the commitment to a greener and healthier planet. Karan Puri, Chief Executive Officer of Apollo Cancer Centres (ACC) and Apollo Proton Cancer Centre (APCC), participated in the event. The Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) having pledged to plant one lakh saplings during the financial year 2025-26 has started by planting trees at the Manali Refinery. H. Shankar, Managing Director of CPCL inaugurating the drive said this year's theme focussed on 'Ending Plastic Pollution Globally.'
The Hindu
6 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Governor must apologise for belittling T.N.'s educational standards: TNCC chief
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K. Selvaperunthagai on Wednesday criticised Governor R. N. Ravi for belittling the education development and quality of education in Tamil Nadu, which is one of the States to excel in terms of education and literacy in the country. He demanded an apology from the Governor to the people of Tamil Nadu. In a statement, he questioned about what the Governor knew about the quality of education in Tamil Nadu, further adding his comment that it was not just enough to study but that one must possess knowledge and talent was ridiculous. 'Many of the government-run universities in Tamil Nadu like Anna University, Madras University, Bharathiar University have received 'A' or 'A+' grade certificates from the National Assessment and Accreditation Agency. In the last five years, more than 35,000 doctorates have been awarded in Tamil Nadu government universities alone based on quality research. These universities conduct research under UGC guidelines,' he said. Mr. Selvaperunthagai further pointed out that Tamil Nadu has been rated as one of the best States in the 'Quality Education' category in the NITI Aayog Sustainable Development Goals Index India list (2020-21). In the School Education Quality Index (SEQI), Tamil Nadu government is leading the way in the quality of education, role of teachers, and development of students in schools.' 'The Governor should immediately withdraw this insulting statement and apologise to the people of Tamil Nadu. Otherwise, we warn that the Opposition against him through democratic means will only grow stronger,' he said.
Hindustan Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Taste of Life: Doer of Gandhiji's philosophy of decentralised democracy
Pune: The Government of India Act of 1935, a landmark piece of legislation, brought about significant democratic reforms in India. It granted a large measure of autonomy to provinces, ended the 'dyarchy' system at the provincial level, and introduced direct elections. Mahatma Gandhi had been talking and writing about the implementation of democracy since the 1920s. His model of democracy and development was based on an upward movement of authority from the base to the apex, unlike the British model. He imagined a democracy where the village was the core unit. For this to happen, the people had to be educated and the village self-reliant. The concept of 'gramoddhar', or village upliftment and development, was thus central to Gandhiji's philosophy of decentralised democracy. However, this development was not limited to material wealth. He wanted the villagers to be spiritually and intellectually equipped to be able to think and make decisions about themselves, their villages, and their country. As a result, India in the early 1930s witnessed a heightened discussion centred on the upliftment and development of villages that gained momentum after the reforms of 1935. That the villagers were uneducated and hence not eligible to participate in the democratic process was a favourite argument of a certain section of the society. Gandhiji and his followers not only staunchly opposed this, but also made efforts to bring about a change. Reverend AG Hog, principal of Christian College, addressed students at the convocation of the Madras University on August 10, 1935. He said, 'More than ever before India needs to find in her citizens qualities of the kind which is the function of the universities to foster and develop. She needs citizens, men and women, who learn to think for themselves and to act as they think and whose judgements have the well-informed and sympathetic wisdom that comes from wide and wisely chosen reading. She needs those who seek a charitable and sympathetic understanding of views with which they disagree. She needs those who speak nothing but the truth. Where, if not to her universities, shall she look for such citizens?' The Marathi newspaper 'Dnyanaprakash' in its editorial on August 14, 1935, quoted this speech to stress upon the need for 'gramoddhar'. It appealed to the educated class to work in villages and urged the universities to modify the curriculum to make education more inclusive. It also featured an article next to the editorial about the work done by Mr DS Modak in the village of Mundhwa. Modak, the personal assistant to the Collector of Poona, believed in 'gramoddhar' and was one of the few who walked the talk. In the 1930s, he did some exemplary work at Pimple, Ranjangaon, and Mundhwa, the villages around Pune. He worked hard to make these villages models for 'gramoddhar'. Mundhwa was five miles from Pune and known all over Maharashtra for its paper mill, which was visible from the Hadapsar Railway Station. But the village was far from clean. Sewers from Pune flowed into Mundhwa. There were puddles of dirty water everywhere. The roads were always full of mud during the monsoon and dust flew everywhere during the summer. Modak decided to change this. But he wanted the change to come from the villagers themselves. He knew that the villagers could not be ordered around. The importance of self-reliance had to be explained to them without being condescending. He had to treat them with respect and dignity. He had to earn their trust and he could not do so by living in Pune. He started spending a lot of time in Mundhwa. He visited the village every Sunday and sometimes after work. He ate with the farmers and went to their farms with them. He strived hard to make them see him as one of their own. In 1934, the residents of Mundhwa were convinced of the need to improve the condition of their village. The villagers decided to build a drainage system themselves in the village without relying on the government. Groups were formed who took turns to volunteer with the construction activity. A few months later, Mundhwa boasted of clean roads and a fairly sophisticated drainage system. Modak invited the 'Gramsudhar Samiti' (village improvement committee) constituted by the Congress party to visit the village. The Samiti was impressed and requested Modak to continue with his work. Modak often discussed the economic upliftment of their families with the farmers. He realised that the money earned from farming was not sufficient to guarantee a decent standard of living and that additional activities were necessary to supplement the income. He introduced beekeeping and jam-making to the people of Mundhwa. Mr Balaram, who worked with the agricultural department, visited Mundhwa every Sunday to teach the vocation of beekeeping. Mr Narhar Gangadhar Apte spent a month in Mundhwa to teach jam-making. There were many orchards, gardens, and sugarcane farms in Mundhwa. The guavas from the village were quite popular in the Bombay Presidency. The proximity of these gardens was stimulating for the bees to build their hives. Fruits like guava were cheaper in season and resulted in losses for the gardeners. But the business of guava jam made sure that they did not incur any more losses. When the market did not fetch a decent price for guavas, instead of selling the fruit at a low price, the farmers made jam that could be sold throughout the year in the markets of Poona Cantonment and Bombay. The additional income from selling of jams resulted in an increase in the enrolment at the local school. A night school was soon started for adults. Children of farmers and herdsmen who worked during the day attended this school. Modak also introduced soap-making as a business in Mundhwa. He had told the Samiti that the upliftment of villages was not possible unless the income and purchasing power of the villagers did not improve. According to him, better roads, buildings, and drainage systems did not mean much unless the villagers had sustainable sources of income that enabled them to sail through emergencies like famines and floods. The income also enabled them to seek better education. In this regard, he put forth a proposal for land consolidation during a meeting with the Samiti. This consolidation of holdings was supposed to benefit the farmers in several ways -brokerage would be curbed, farm income would increase, and the living conditions of the farmers would improve. Many residents of Mundhwa wholeheartedly embraced the scheme and tried to persuade every landholder to accept consolidation. I do not know how long Modak continued to work at Mundhwa. In his address, Rev Hog said - 'Remembering that India consists mainly of villages, I can conceive of nothing more noble, and for a true son or daughter of a university nothing more appropriate, than a life spent in combating the ignorance and other social ills that hold villages of India in thrall.' 'Maharashtra', a Marathi daily published from Nagpur, complained on January 18, 1936, that public lectures related to village upliftment were usually crowded, but there were very few people in cities like Nagpur, Pune, and Bombay who participated in this work. It wrote that if one tried to see how much work was done in villages, they would be disappointed. Modak and the villagers of Mundhwa were honourable exceptions. They took up 'gramoddhar' when India was about to enter upon a constitutional experiment, the precise issues of which no one could foresee. Gandhiji's genius lies in combining democratic principles with the upliftment of villages. Perhaps it is not too late to revisit his ideas. Chinmay Damle is a research scientist and food enthusiast. He writes here on Pune's food culture. He can be contacted at
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Road in Virajpet named after educationist Utthaiah
Madikeri: Virajpet MLA and CM's legal adviser, AS Ponnanna, unveiled a plaque naming a stretch of road from Virajpet town women's society to Betoli anganwadi after former minister and educationist Pattada C Utthaiah . The initiative was undertaken by the Pattada family to honour their MLA visited Pattada Ainmane, the ancestral house, and interacted with the family members. He highlighted the significant contributions of the Pattada family and the late Utthaiah to society. He emphasised that Ainmane holds significant importance in Kodava culture, serving as a traditional venue for family gatherings and MLA mentioned his allocation of funds for developing Ainmanes in the constituency since his election, encouraging residents to utilise these resources for cultural preservation and family chief Poovanna expressed satisfaction that their family's wish to name the road after their distinguished elder, Pattada C Uthaiah, was born in 1891 in Betoli village, completed his schooling in Kodagu and obtained a BA degree from Madras University. He pursued teaching at Madikeri Central High School and obtained a degree from Madras Teachers' College under British administration. His notable achievement includes establishing Virajpet's first high school in 1922. Post-retirement as DPO in 1948, he joined Congress, served as Virajpet municipality vice-president, and headed the Kodagu Teachers' Cooperative Society. He was elected as MLA in 1952 and served as education minister for four years until his death in family person Dhanu Utthaiah and other Pattada family elders and members attended.
The Print
01-05-2025
- The Print
How rapper Vedan's arrest in back-to-back cases has sparked debate on caste & suppression in Kerala
The 30-year-old rapper Hirandas Murali, famous by his stage name Vedan (hunter), was arrested Monday with eight others after police allegedly seized 6 grams of ganja from his apartment in Tripunithura near Kochi. Though he was released on bail, the Dalit rapper was arrested again the same day, this time by Kodanad forest range officials for allegedly wearing a chain with a suspected tiger's tooth. The artist was booked under non-bailable charges under multiple sections of the Wildlife Protection Act. With the video for this song—filmed in red and blue tones symbolising the ideologies of Karl Marx and B.R. Ambedkar—began the rise of an artist in Kerala determined to use his voice to speak about caste and politics. Thiruvananthapuram: 'I am not Paanan, Parayan or Pulayan, and you are no lord. Even if you are, I don't give a f**k,' rapped Vedan in his debut album Voice of the Voiceless, released in June 2020. Dressed in a black shirt, the young artist delivered his colourful verses, taking aim at entrenched casteism and amplifying the voices of communities relegated to the lowest rungs of the social hierarchy—including the three he named. He was out again Wednesday evening thanks to bail granted by a court in Ernakulam. But his arrests in quick succession sparked a controversy in the state with many alleging he was being targeted for his caste and politics. 'There is a legal side to it. Considering the amount of ganja was small, it was a bailable offense. So the police informed the forest department too soon. When we look at the events and media reporting (on it), it seems they wanted him arrested,' Dr O.K. Santhosh, a Dalit writer and the Assistant Professor of Malayalam at the Madras University, told ThePrint. ThePrint reached Kodanad forest department officials via calls. This report will be updated if and when a response is received. Santhosh said that how Vedan is being treated in the media shows disrespect to an artist whose performance in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram drew audiences beyond capacity. Vedan's performance in Thiruvananthapuram's Nishagandhi auditorium Thursday as part of Cooperative Expo-2025 raised serious safety concerns as the venue got overcrowded, leading to a ruckus. 'I do see caste in this issue,' Santhosh said. 'In Kerala, only tribals, Dalits, and minorities face police atrocities. People who have committed even bigger mistakes are still out in public.' Vedan's arrest also reminded people of the 2012 case against Malayalam superstar Mohanlal who was found in possession of four ivory tusks and ivory artefacts during a raid by income tax officials. In September 2024, the Kerala High Court stayed trial proceedings against the actor for six months, while Mohanlal's counsel argued that the possessions were legal. The case remains sub-judice. The police action against Vedan was also called out by other prominent people including state-based writer Sunil P Ilayidom, former Metropolitan of the Niranam Diocese of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church Dr Geevarghese Mar Coorilos, singer Shahabaz Aman and actor Lali PM. 'In this country, not only people, but even animals and their body parts are subjected to caste. I stand in solidarity with Vedan's politics of 'blackness' and against drugs. Let his revolution against 'white gods' continue,' Geevarghese Mar Coorilos wrote on his Facebook page. Amid the controversy, Vedan released a new album, Mauna Loa, Wednesday and it had garnered nearly 7 lakh views by Thursday afternoon. Kerala Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran said the events that led to Vedan's arrest and the subsequent incidents were unfortunate. In a statement issued Wednesday night, the minister said he had sought explanations from Kodanad forest department officials for interacting with the media and violating the code of conduct. 'Vedan is an artiste with much hope as a politically aware young artiste. So, he has to rectify the doings that led to the arrest. The forest department will support him for that. There are some legal issues with the case. Let it take its course. I wish Vedan a strong comeback,' Sasseendran said in a media statement. Also read: Kerala Left is becoming indistinguishable from Right—turncoats, ideological erosion, hypocrisy Shadow of past controversies Vedan hails from the Thrissur district. His first album Voice of voiceless in June 2020 featured his own neighbourhood named Swapnabhoomi, a locality near the Thrissur Railway station and which houses many Dalit families. In an interview with a Malayalam YouTube channel, The Cue, Vedan had said the album faced many budgetary constraints and was shot at just Rs 10,000. 'The visuals show the area where I grew up, and I see it daily. Even now, the place is used to dump the waste collected from the district. In the song, I wanted to portray the people I am talking about,' he said in the interview. After the song's success, the artist went on to create his next album, Bhoomi njan vaazhunnidam (the earth that I live on), the same year. While the first album talked about social inequality due to casteism, the latter one touched issues including the 2020 civil war in Syria, the Israel-Palestine crisis, and issues in India which he described as a 'place in darkness'. In 2024, the artist collaborated with composer Sushin Shyam as a lyricist of the song 'Kuthanthram' for the popular movie Manjummel Boys. The latest case has also brought his past controversies back into the limelight. In 2021, multiple women raised allegations of sexual misconduct against the rapper through social media. No formal complaint was filed. Following the allegations, Vedan issued a public apology on social media. Recently, the artiste sparked debate for reacting to the controversy related to the Malayalam movie Empuraan during a stage performance. 'It is an era where even making a film could invite an Enforcement Directorate raid. Hope you are aware of what people around you are talking about. You are college-going youth—grow into politically aware individuals,' the rapper told his audiences during a performance in Kochi. This happened soon after Empuraan director Prithiviraj Sukumaran and producer Antony Perumbavoor received income tax notices, and the ED conducted raids on the office premises of movie's producer Gokulam Gopalan. The Mohanlal movie received backlash from rightwing groups for the portrayal of the 2002 Gujarat riots. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also read: There's no questioning 'Captain' Vijayan in Kerala—not even his oversized role in LDF's defeat
