Latest news with #Pongal
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Minister Muthusamy refutes allegations over distribution of free dhotis and saris for Pongal
Minister for Housing, Prohibition and Excise, S. Muthusamy, on Thursday (August 7, 2025) asserted that the DMK government is distributing better-quality free dhotis and sarees for the Pongal festival compared to the previous government. Addressing the media at the Collectorate after inaugurating an exhibition organised to mark National Handloom Day, the Minister refuted allegations made by AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who claimed that free dhotis and sarees were not being distributed properly. 'Compared to the previous government, the current government is providing better-quality free dhotis and sarees in an organised manner,' Mr. Muthusamy said. When asked about Mr. Palaniswami's statement that the AIADMK would distribute free silk sarees for Deepavali if voted to power, the Minister responded, 'Why didn't they distribute silk sarees during their 10-year rule?' He further stated that when Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced a financial assistance of ₹1,000 under the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai scheme, Mr. Palaniswami dismissed it as a temporary, publicity-driven initiative. 'However, 1.15 crore women are continuously receiving the assistance, and applications from eligible women were accepted through the Ungaludan Stalin special camps being held across the State,' Mr. Muthusamy said. He added that these camps were organised to resolve long-pending grievances and emphasised that the DMK government is performing far better than the previous administration. Regarding the Athikadavu–Avinashi project, the Minister said that out of 1,045 water bodies, water is yet to reach 219 due to minor issues in some of the 86 feeder lines. While the main pipeline is functioning without problems, a few damaged feeder lines are resulting in soil sedimentation—especially since water is drawn only for 70 days a year, leaving the pipelines idle for the remaining days. 'The contractor, Larsen and Toubro, has been instructed to resolve these issues immediately,' he said. District Collector S. Kandasamy, MLA V.C. Chandhirakumar, Mayor S. Nagarathinam, and other officials were present at the event.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Carry over stock of saris and dhotis for Pongal distribution likely to reduce job for weavers
Weavers who make saris and dhotis for free distribution through the Public Distribution System outlets during Pongal are likely to see lesser order this year, which will affect their livelihood. Close to 60,000 looms benefit from the State government's free saree and dhoti scheme in the State. The demand of saris and dhotis for the scheme is estimated to be 1.77 crore each for distribution during Pongal 2026. However, the weavers supplied till December 2024 only 1.5 crore saris and almost an equal amount of dhotis. They have stock of 23.2 lakh saris and 19.6 lakh dhotis. The registered cooperative societies have a stock of 8.18 lakh saris and 13.3 lakh dhotis. According to an order issues by the government in April this year, the weavers should give 1.46 crore saris and 1.44 crore dhotis as there is a total carry over stock (from last year) of 31.54 lakh saris and 33.12 lakh dhotis. One of the weavers in Erode said it was learnt that the carry over stock may be higher and the officials are yet to arrive at a final number. 'We fear that if the stock is higher, the orders for distribution for Pongal 2026 may come down. This will have a cascading effect, right from yarn suppliers to women who get temporary jobs for folding the saris and dhotis. There are nearly 2,000 women who are employed in that work,' he said. Further, the government should take an actual count of the saris and dhotis required for Pongal distribution and place orders accordingly. The goods supplied by the weavers should be distributed to the beneficiaries without fail. 'The free saree and dhoti scheme is a major employment generator in the rural weaving clusters. The government should implement the scheme in such a way that it does not affect or reduce work for the weavers,' he said.
Mint
7 days ago
- General
- Mint
Finding connection and focus in the dots and lines of a ‘rangoli'
Rangoli (kolam or muggu) patterns show highly conserved geometric shapes to those observed in nature. The fact that they may have metaphysical relevance is an interesting idea and needs to be thoroughly understood. These studies could unearth possible correlations that drive the forms and shapes observed in nature.' And beyond connection with others and nature, muggu (chukkalu, chikku or sikku design) can also work as a foundation for self-awareness and help in reconnecting with our core. For instance, Sumathy Ramalingam says, 'Chikku (aka Sikku or interlaced kolam) has a few schools of thought. Some think those knots are representative of life's problems and they do not want to make it (giving way to encouraging the problems further). Another school of thought is that even though they are as knotty as spaghetti, we can make sense out of it. They apply this approach to life. Whatever problems life throws at you, like criss-crosses, knots, spaghetti and what not, eventually all will make sense, only if you see the best in it and make the best out of it.' That is, by viewing them as challenges and untangling them or handling the curve balls flung at you. This idea of relating kolam or muggu to challenges in life is a nugget of life's philosophy, which first builds a connection with the self. In the past, muggu also encouraged collective co-creation. Dr Ramalakshmi says, while women generally worked on a muggu alone, or with a relative or two, daily for festivals or special occasions they came together to create collective kolams. Each woman's smaller individual designs, like pieces of a puzzle, later became part of larger designs in such collective kolam-making. They learnt the art as girls from older and other women in their community. And they practised it every day singularly till it became a part of their life's fabric. It was one of the many ways women and girls could connect, unleash their emotions, feel happy and evolve socially. It made them share woes and joys and connect with like-minded people. It was almost like forming art-based tribes. Talking about community muggu-making based on her experience, Varalakshmi Vedula (fondly called Lakshmi aunty), reminisced how she and her siblings, cousins and friends would make large muggu during Sankranthi (aka Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan) and other festivals like Pongal or Onam outside their houses or in the streets. This togetherness encouraged socializing in women and children of a particular area. To keep this ancestral collectivism alive, Sumathy Ramalingam continues making kolam thousands of kilometres away from her place of birth—Madras (as she likes calling Chennai), which is known for community and solo kolam-making during festivals. Ramalingam relocated to the US more than seventeen years ago, but she continued this practice for her peace of mind. She says, 'I find thirty minutes every morning before I leave for work to do the kolam (on her wood-like flooring). It is a habit now.' Ramalingam now reworks this energy of muggu's collective co-creation to build online and offline workshops for Indian urban and NRI groups. She develops hands-on frameworks that focus on emotional and technical skill-building that teach traditional chikku or sikku (knot), pulli (dot), suzhi, neli, izhai, kambi and other kolams. 'We also have an online community building around the practice, both in the US and in India,' she says. She is also a regular participant in online events like the Spirit of Margazhi Utsav, a series that aims to spread the spirit of Margazhi, the Tamil month (mid-December to mid-January every year) and its festivity. The period ('Margazhi Masam') is known the world over for its kolam and performing art competitions. MATHEMATICAL BUT CAN BE MEDITATIVE FOR CONCENTRATION This art form as a habit can be meditative and improve your concentration. More so when our digital and contemporary lives are full of multitasking acts, and we need moments of stillness to ground us. Textile designer Sapna Vedula finds strength in the rice powder. 'Doing it with rice powder makes me feel good and happy. I love the slippery feeling and whiteness. It calms me down. In fact, the days I don't make a muggu, I feel low. It helps me build concentration too,' she says. Marcia Ascher in her paper notes how kolam is a demonstration of dexterity, mental discipline and ability to concentrate. But can you do muggu if you have these skills—or is it the other way around? Well, it could be both—just like you practise yoga when you are flexible, or you become flexible as you keep doing yoga. One just needs to start, and concentration improves. Sumathy Ramalingam, Dr Ramalakshmi, Sapna Vedula and Varalakshmi Vedula agree. Sumathy Ramalingam termed muggu as 'mind yoga' that is 'energizing'. She says, 'It gets me going for the next twenty-four hours. It is like a puzzle, I crack codes. Our minds are generally drawn towards cracking them. Once you are hooked on to the challenge, you enjoy the process. It is like driving a car, we work with the pressure of various shoes to change speed, and they change how we use the accelerator. Once you know the trick, it becomes a reflex, and you love driving.' While Dr Ramalakshmi calls muggu meditative. She believes muggu can slow you down like how meditation does. She says, 'In yoga and pranayama, we concentrate on breathing and thoughts. Muggu is similar. You need to focus and connect the dots and lines with concentration. Or you will go off with the design. It makes me focus. Helps me release my stress.' For Sumathy Ramalingam, her focused 'meditative flow' comes naturally as she learned the art while growing up, from the elders in her family. She noted that it may require some work to reach that point for someone new to the practice. Her suggestion is to first practise simple muggu on paper, then to graduate to complex, layered shapes. 'The technique is something everyone can learn, but developing it as a skill and then working it as art takes time.' Her advice to beginners is to let go and believe in balance. 'The trick is in getting the curves tight enough so that they are spilling and loose enough to let go. That delicate balance to get going, the right amount of pressure—I find that fascinating. I always think of such parallels in life. That's really the trick to the whole thing.' Once you figure out this setting with your body, the art becomes flow. Excerpted with permission from The Art of Decluttering - Ancient Practices for Modern Living by Bhawana Pingali, published by Penguin Random House India.
The Hindu
31-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Powerloom weavers want original production order of 1.77 crore dhotis and sarees restored
Expressing shock and concern over the drastic reduction in the production order for free dhotis and sarees meant for distribution during the Pongal festival in 2026, the Tamil Nadu Federation of Powerloom Associations has urged the State government to reconsider the decision and restore the original production scale of 1.77 crore dhotis and sarees, to be produced entirely through powerlooms, as done the previous year. B. Kandavel, joint coordinator of the federation, said the government had announced in April 2025 that 1.46 crore sarees and 1.44 crore dhotis would be produced this year, excluding old stock. However, the latest production order has drastically reduced the numbers to 1.28 crore dhotis and 1.06 crore sarees, triggering widespread unrest among weavers. Last year, orders were issued for producing 1.77 crore dhotis and sarees through powerloom cooperatives. Weavers were expecting a similar scale this year as well. The reduced allocation now threatens to result in the loss of two months of work for thousands of powerloom workers, particularly in Erode, Tiruchengode, Tiruppur, and Coimbatore. Mr. Kandavel noted that the government had initially stated that over 65,000 powerlooms across 240 cooperative societies would be engaged in the project. In contrast, the latest order allocates only 13,423 looms for saree production and 12,882 for dhoti production, leaving many societies without sufficient work and unable to operate their looms. Adding to their concerns is the government's decision to reintroduce handloom and pedal loom production for part of this year's distribution. A total of 3.66 lakh sarees and 12.6 lakh dhotis have been allocated to traditional methods. 'This move has come as a surprise, given that last year's entire production was completed exclusively via powerlooms,' he said. The joint coordinator said the reduction in orders would severely impact the income and livelihood of weavers, especially in regions where powerloom weaving is the primary occupation. 'We are now urging the government to reconsider the decision and restore the original production scale of 1.77 crore dhotis and sarees, fully through powerlooms as done in the previous year,' he stressed. He also appealed for the dhoti and saree quotas under the senior citizen pension scheme, which include 26 lakh sarees and 9 lakh dhotis, to be fairly distributed among all powerloom cooperative societies to ensure continued employment. Mr. Kandavel said their concerns have been submitted to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, the Minister for Handlooms, and the Chief Secretary through emails, seeking a positive response.
Hindustan Times
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Goa mulls law to legalise traditional bullfight, CM says it's a taming sport
Panaji: Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant said the government will consider a law to legalise the traditional buffalo fight (Dhirio or Guerra) as 'it does not involve a fight between two bulls, but is rather a taming sport.' NGO People for Animals, filed a petition in 1996 against the government's failure to act against bullfights. (Representative photo) Speaking during a calling attention motion raised by Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) legislator Jit Arolkar, Sawant said, 'Jallikattu is a traditional Tamil sport often described as a bull taming event held during the Pongal festival held usually in January. It involves releasing a bull into the crowd and participants attempt to grab its hump and hold on for as long as possible. It is not a fight between two bulls.' The Government of India in 1960 enacted the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which said inciting 'any animal to fight… solely with a view to providing entertainment' would amount to 'treating animals cruelly.' A year later, Goa became part of the Indian Union, and the law came into force in the region. Also Read: Clash of cultures and rights in Goa's underground bullfighting pits As bullfights reportedly continued in Goa, NGO People for Animals, filed a petition in 1996 against the government's failure to act against bullfights. The Bombay High Court at Goa reiterated, '…inciting any animal to fight any other animal with a view to providing entertainment or organising, using or acting in the management of any place for animal fighting… is clearly prohibited by Section 11 of the said Act.' Arolkar argued that Dhirio has been a part of Goa's cultural and traditional fabric for decades, often associated with village feasts and community gatherings. 'The practice dates back to the Harappan civilisation with evidence uncovered suggesting that such fights were held for sport and entertainment,' Arolkar said. Also Read: Assam revives traditional bull fights nine years after SC ban Sawant said, 'I understand the sentiments of the members of this House that it is a traditional event along the coastal belt. Animal lovers went to court and it got banned. Keeping in mind the sentiments, and examining the issue legally, we will see what can be possible.' He added that there were six cases of illegal bullfighting registered so far in the state. Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Venzy Viegas had moved a private members' bill in 2023 to legalise the practice, a bill that has been pending for vetting with the law department since then.
