Latest news with #Senthil
Time of India
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Israeli film fest postponed; ‘nothing political about it'
Chennai: Owing to protests over Israel's attack on Palestine, the Israeli Film Festival organized by the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation (ICAF), which was scheduled to be held from May 29 to 31 at the Tagore Film Centre in RA Puram, has been postponed indefinitely. Organizers say cultural centres have been hesitant, as human rights activists and writers have been expressing concerns over having such an event during a time of war. Writers' groups, politicians, and activists called the move politically insensitive and requested state govt to cancel the fest. Sasikanth Senthil, MP and member of Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers' Artists' Association (TNPWAA) posted a poster of the festival announcement on his X handle and said, "As someone who deeply believes in the power of art to build bridges, I rarely call for cultural cancellations. But there are moments in history when silence or neutrality risks being complicit." He says this event could be perceived as a "tacit endorsement or at the very least, indifference to the suffering of a besieged population". "This is not a rejection of art," says Senthil, but a call to "be mindful of context, timing, and the moral message we send as a society". "This festival has nothing to do with politics; it's all about films," says Emanadar Thangaraj, ICAF's director of administration. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Keventer One: Offices built for you Keventer ONE Undo "The Israel and Palestine war has nothing to do with India. Why should that stop us from consuming the art they make? We've been organizing such events for the past 20 years, and the purpose of such events has been to expose film lovers to films around the world. I don't understand why people are making this political. " TNPWAA state president Madhukoor Ramalingam, says the association believes films are the most important medium of communication to address the masses on important topics and issues. "One of the ways we can condemn what Israel is doing is by not promoting art that comes from a place that bombs innocents." A source close to ICAF says that although external factors pushed for the festival to be postponed, "internal politics has escalated the issue". Despite resistance, ICAF is still planning to hold the festival wherever possible. "We will organize this at a centre that will allow screenings to take place. No change of plans," says Thangaraj.
The Hindu
26-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
DPH doctors to boycott communication, orders from DD of Health services of Madurai
The Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association (TNGDA), in their general body meeting held here on Monday, has unanimously decided to boycott any form of communication and refusal to comply with the orders of Deputy Director (DD) of Health Services, Madurai. As the doctors of Primary Health Centre, Urban Primary Health Centre, Community Health Centre, and others flagged the issue of ill-treatment by the DD of Madurai and registered a complaint with the Department of Public Health (DPH), and an inquiry was initiated by the department based on the complaints. K. Senthil, president of TNGDA, said that following the complaint, Senthil Kumar, Joint Director of Communicable Diseases in the DPH, was directed to conduct an inquiry into the matter. 'He also held an inquiry on May 24, 2025. While doctors informed him about their grievances and the ill-treatment faced by them at the hands of DD, the matter has been taken to the government,' he added. 'He could not sense the seriousness of the issue when it was represented to him earlier by the doctors,' Dr. Senthil added. 'Only when the videos of him spewing bad comments and using unparliamentary words, were published on media and social media platforms, did I understand the grievance of doctors,' he noted. Till a satisfactory disciplinary action was initiated against the DD of Madurai, the doctors decided to boycott all forms of communication with him. 'It was decided that doctors would not attend any meetings conducted by him, exit from all official what's app groups, blocking his contact number on mobile phones, complying with orders only when issued through circulars from the district administration, doctors would apply their casual leave, compensatory leave, privileged leave, weekly off, holidays through Block/Zonal Medical Officers (BMO), BMOs would communicate their leaves to District Health Office through mails,' Dr. Senthil said. It was also ensured the public that the health service given to them would not be affected at any cost, he added.
