Latest news with #Rajamani
The Hindu
9 hours ago
- The Hindu
Saraswathi Rajamani: the woman who dared
A couple of years ago, if you had entered Peter's Colony in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, you would have encountered a remarkable woman with many stories to tell and reminisce about — stories of bravery, history, and the independence struggle India went through. This is the story of Saraswathi Rajamani — India's youngest female spy, who got recruited in her teens! It was approximately the 1940s when a young Rajamani, born to an affluent family in Myanmar, heard about donations being opened to support the Indian National Army. Already in awe of Subhash Chandra Bose's fiery speeches and avid patriotism, the young girl instantly gave up all her jewellery for the same. The same caught the eyes of Jawaharlal Nehru and Bose, who assumed it was a mistake due to the large amount of wealth that was donated. Upon investigating, they stumbled upon a young, passionate, yet brave young woman who stood her ground when asked to take back her donations. The INA journey It was not much later that she got recruited by Bose into the INA as one of the first female and youngest spies India had at that time. Disguised as a young boy named 'Mani', Rajamani pursued various dangerous missions and gathered intelligence from British camps. A popular anecdote known about her was how she had rescued her fellow colleague from the British camp by disguising herself as a dancer and hiding in a tree. She, along with her colleagues, dressed in male attire and did espionage on British officers and military camps. During her work, one day, one of her colleagues, Durgamall Gorkha, was caught by the British while praying. On this, Neera Arya (popularly known as the first female INA spy) and Rajamani dressed up as dancers and made the British officers and soldiers in the prison unconscious by feeding them intoxicants. They then freed Durgamall Gorkha from prison. During this time, a soldier regained consciousness and shot at them. The bullet fired by him hit Saraswati Rajamani's leg, which gave her a limp. They saved their lives by hiding in a tree in the forest for three days. Thereafter, Saraswati Rajamani was appointed lieutenant, while Neera Arya was appointed captain in the Rani Jhansi Regiment of Azad Hind Fauj. Fading names These stories of bravery, however, faded with time. Post-independence, these eminent personalities soon found themselves living in various corners of India, leading dilapidated lifestyles, with some receiving government support while others refused or were not recognised as time passed by. While talking about freedom fighters, we tend to move towards eminent male figures, and women who fought against not just the British but also the patriarchal system they brought across the seas seem to be slowly disappearing from our books and minds. A similar fate awaited Rajamani as well; with time, she was forgotten and was soon living purely on the freedom fighter's pension in a corner of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. It was much later that the Tamil Nadu government recognised and allotted her better accommodation facilities in the city, where she lived until she passed away in 2018 at the age of 91. In today's world, despite having the world at our fingertips, we often fail to acknowledge history and the figures who have played a huge role in creating a better society for us to live in. Saraswathi Rajamani's story serves as a reminder of many names that were forgotten over time and failed to be recognised for their bravery.
The Hindu
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Tamil Nadu Sand Lorry Owners Association announces indefinite strike from May 23
Pressing the state government to fulfill three demands, including to open the sand quarries again and government to own the crusher units, the Tamil Nadu Sand Lorry Owners Association announces an indefinite strike from May 23. Association president Sella Rajamani said that following the Enforcement Directorate raids at sand quarries and registered cases, sand quarries have not been functioning for the past 18 months, which has affected thousands of sand lorry owners, lorry drivers, and over 30 lakh construction workers. Due to this, lorry owners are unable to pay the instalment for loans borrowed from banks. 'So the government should operate sand quarries immediately,' Mr. Rajamani said. Due to the unavailability of sand for construction, M-Sand is being utilised instead. Taking advantage of this situation, owners of crusher units have allegedly raised the prices of both M-Sand and P-Sand. Despite the government announcing a reduction of ₹1,000 per unit for M-Sand, P-Sand, and jelly stones starting April 24, the crusher unit owners have not lowered their prices. Furthermore, over 70% of these materials are reportedly being sent to Karnataka, where higher prices are charged, resulting in an estimated loss of ₹25,000 crore per year to the government. To address this issue, Mr. Rajamani suggested that the State Government should take control of all crusher units and offer materials through an online booking system. Mr. Rajamani also called for changes to be made to the Motor Vehicles Act to curb accidents in the State, alongside strict enforcement of passing load limits to prevent overloading of lorries. 'The association has taken these demands to the government, but they were not met. Hence, we'll be going on strike from May 23 across the state,' he added.
The Hindu
04-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Sand lorry owners to launch Indefinite strike from May 23
The Tamil Nadu Sand Owners Federation and the Tamil Nadu Sand Lorry Owners Federation have jointly announced a Statewide indefinite strike from May 23, demanding the reopening of closed sand quarries, regulation of M-sand prices, and withdrawal of a recent government order extending quarry licences for up to 30 years. The decision was made during a consultative meeting held here on Sunday. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Sella Rajamani, State president of Tamil Nadu Sand Lorry Owners Federation, said the government's failure to address their long-standing demands had forced the unions to opt for protest. 'We are left with no choice. Though there was an announcement that M-sand prices would be reduced, no steps have been taken so far. The government must regulate M-sand sales and resume sand quarry operations immediately,' Mr. Rajamani said. 'We strongly oppose the new G.O. granting 30-year quarry licences, and we will not remain silent until it is withdrawn,' he added. The federations warned that the strike, involving a halt in lorry operations across Tamil Nadu, would severely affect the construction sector and could result in an estimated loss of ₹10 crore in daily revenue for the State government. Further, the strike would affect over 55,000 workers and lorry owners across Tamil Nadu, Mr. Rajamani said.
