Latest news with #Tamil-origin
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
V-P election: More South vs South appears centring fight between Tamil, Andhra prides
NEW DELHI: Though BJP-led NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan has an edge as the strength of the electoral college works in his favour, the Opposition's pick—retired Justice B Sudershan Reddy—has added more regional nuance to the Vice Presidential candidature, turning it into a "South versus South" contest. Interestingly, both the Congress-led INDIA bloc and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance are currently more electorally focused on South India than on the North. By turning the contest into one with stronger regional undertones, the Opposition's choice—despite being unlikely to win—has created a dilemma for one of NDA's key allies- the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Justice Reddy hails from Andhra Pradesh and it remains to be seen whether the TDP will choose to align with 'Tamil-Pride' or 'Andhra Pride'. In South India, the electoral strength of regional parties often hinges on how well they navigate local political and caste-based equations. "Nobody can predict what the outcome of this VP election might be," remarked Reddy, the INDIA bloc's nominee for the Vice Presidential post—hinting that regional factors may play a hidden but significant role in the voting outcome. After extensive deliberations and with an eye on turning the tables, the INDIA bloc strategically selected retired Justice B Sudershan Reddy to inject more regional dynamics into the race. As the BJP fielded a Tamil-origin OBC face—CP Radhakrishnan for the Vice Presidential post, it has politically cornered the INDIA bloc ally, DMK, ahead of the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly election. In a similarly shrewd counter-move, the Opposition picked Justice Reddy, who originally hails from undivided Andhra Pradesh to create a political dilemma for TDP. "This move certainly creates a dilemma for the N Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party, a key BJP ally at the Centre. The question now is—will they lean towards Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu?" commented Dr RK Verma, a veteran political analyst.
Pink Villa
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
War 2 vs Coolie 5 Days India Box Office Comparison: Rajinikanth's film maintains lead with Rs 30 crore margin over Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR movie
War 2 and Coolie are the two latest big-budget tentpole movies that are clashing at the box office. While both movies witnessed massive drops on their first Monday, Coolie has maintained a good lead. Coolie leads the clash with a margin of Rs 30 crore Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, grossed over Rs 257 crore in 5 days of its theatrical run at the Indian box office, against War 2's Rs 209 crore gross. The Tamil-origin movie maintained a good lead of Rs 30 crore over the Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR movie. However, both movies dropped heavily on the first Monday. While the Rajinikanth starrer crime thriller could add Rs 12 crore to the tally, the spy action drama grossed only Rs 9 crore. Both Coolie and War 2 need to show better trends in the second weekend and make the most of it. Day Wise India Gross Box Office Comparison between Coolie and War 2 Are As Under Day Coolie War 2 Thursday Rs 75.50 crore Rs 59 crore Friday Rs 63.25 crore Rs 67 crore Saturday Rs 47 crore Rs 38 crore Sunday Rs 41.50 crore Rs 36 crore Monday Rs 12 crore Rs 9 crore Total Rs 239.25 crore gross in 5 days Rs 209 crore gross in 5 days Coolie and War 2 target wrap their theatrical runs under Rs 300 crore mark If the trend continues to drop like this, Coolie and War 2 will end their entire theatrical run under Rs 300 crore gross in India. Looking at the current trends, War 2 is likely to bridge the gap and end up doing around Rs 275 crore by the end of the theatrical run. Coolie, on the other hand, is expected to finish its box office journey in the vicinity of Rs 285 crore to Rs 300 crore, depending on how it performs in the coming days. War 2 and Coolie in cinemas War 2 and Coolie are now playing in cinemas. You can book your tickets from the online ticket-booking websites or grab them from the counter itself. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates. Disclaimer: The box office figures are compiled from various sources and our research. The figures can be approximate, and Pinkvilla does not make any claims about the authenticity of the data. However, they are adequately indicative of the box-office performance of the films in question.
New Indian Express
29-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
'He is my hero': In this pocket of Paris, slain LTTE chief Prabhakaran still holds sway
In some ways, the atmosphere here reminded me of Jackson Heights in New York city, a place I know intimately from over a decade of living there. Much like in the Queens borough of the city, people from South Asia come to this neighborhood in Paris to shop for groceries that are staples in Indian and Sri Lankan kitchens. The shelves are stocked with everything from curry leaves and dosa batter to jasmine garlands and incense sticks. My host in Paris mentioned that he often goes to the area for his haircut, a small but telling detail that echoes Jackson Heights, where many opt for the cheapest and most familiar barber in the city. Having witnessed and studied conflict areas for over two-decades now, I was cautious about how I framed my questions during this visit. Fortunately, I found a few ideal interlocutors. For instance, one was a Tamil-origin student from Mumbai, pursuing his Master's degree while working part-time. He offered not just linguistic help but cultural context, helping me navigate the food, the street conversations, and the layered silences of this unique diaspora pocket. Diasporas have long memories. Unlike those living in conflict zones who must make daily compromises with the reality of power, diasporic communities can afford to preserve unyielding narratives. Removed from the immediate pressures of the post-war reconciliation process, many Tamils abroad continue to see Prabhakaran not through the prism of terrorism or militarism, but as a symbol. This veneration plays out most visibly during Tamil national remembrance days like Maaveerar Naal (Great Heroes' Day), held on November 27, the day Prabhakaran's birthday is also commemorated. In cities like Toronto, London, and Paris, these events draw thousands, with children dressed in Tiger uniforms and speeches calling for Eelam (a separate Tamil homeland). Is this freedom of expression or the glorification of violence? Are these posters an innocent homage to a fallen leader or a provocation that risks reopening wounds? The French government, like many European states, has a complicated relationship with diaspora politics. On the one hand, France prides itself on its republican values namely liberté, égalité, fraternité and its secular tolerance of diverse cultural expressions. On the other hand, it is also a country increasingly uneasy with displays of identity that challenge its unitary conception of citizenship. In 2006, France banned the LTTE as a terrorist organization, aligning with the EU designation. Tamil political activism in France, from peaceful demonstrations to lobbying for war crimes investigations, has largely been tolerated. At times, French officials have even offered quiet sympathy for the Tamil cause, especially in the aftermath of the brutal final months of the war in 2009, during which the Sri Lankan army was accused of shelling no-fire zones and killing civilians en masse. Another interlocutor from Tamil Nadu whom I met informed me that one need to see the imagery here in a particular context. There is a deeper issue, however, that is not legal but moral. For many Tamil families of Sri Lanka in Paris, these posters are a form of justice denied. The UN has acknowledged credible allegations of war crimes committed by both the Sri Lankan military and the LTTE. But progress toward accountability has been glacial. Successive Sri Lankan governments have promised and then shelved mechanisms for truth and reconciliation. As I wrapped up my nearly three-hour walk through the neighborhood, I paused at the metro station and gathered the courage to ask a direct question to a young passerby who seemed to have Tamil roots from Sri Lanka. When I inquired about the Prabhakaran posters, he responded simply, 'He is my hero and this is what I know.' His tone was firm yet cautious, and he appeared unwilling to elaborate further. That brief exchange reflected the silence that so often surrounds deeply polarizing memories. In the heart of Paris, beneath the image of a slain LTTE supremo and the man widely believed to have masterminded the assassination of a former Indian Prime Minister, the struggle for Tamil identity, and the complex, unresolved legacies of South Asia's violent past, quietly endures. (The author has worked for 25 years as a practitioner, researcher and analyst on conflict areas and violent extremism issues.)
Mint
03-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Indian-origin entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan buys private island to build new nation for techies
Indian-origin tech entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan has purchased a private island near Singapore to build what he calls a 'Network State'- a decentralised, digital-first society for techies, creators, and founders. Srinivasan, a former CTO of Coinbase and co-founder of multiple Silicon Valley ventures, envisions a future where online communities with shared values evolve into globally recognised nations. His project, which once sounded like a futuristic thought experiment, is now unfolding on a real island with real people, and it's creating quite the buzz, TechCrunch reported. The island is home to 'The Network School', a three-month residential programme that merges entrepreneurship, emerging tech, and personal transformation. Participants, handpicked for their ambition and unconventional thinking, wake up to gym sessions and spend the day attending workshops on artificial intelligence, blockchain, and startup innovation. 'We got an island. That's right. Through the power of Bitcoin, we now have a beautiful island near Singapore where we're building the Network School,' Srinivasan posted on X. Srinivasan's long-term goal? To build a borderless, crowd-funded nation for digital nomads and tech-savvy changemakers — a concept he outlined in his 2022 book The Network State. According to him, the idea is to create self-improving communities that first exist online, then claim physical territory, and eventually negotiate global recognition. One participant, content creator Nick Peterson, shared a virtual tour of the island and described it as 'an oasis for gym rats and startup founders.' He added, 'I've been living in this real-life experiment called the Network School, where we are kind of testing what creating a new nation would feel like.' Srinivasan says the school is designed to foster 'win-and-help-win' societies focused on truth, health, and wealth. The island curriculum is deeply rooted in his broader mission to rethink governance in the digital age. Born to Tamil-origin physician parents in New York, Balaji Srinivasan holds multiple degrees in Electrical and Chemical Engineering from Stanford University. Over the past two decades, he has co-founded and backed several high-profile tech ventures — including Counsyl, and Teleport — and invested early in Bitcoin, Ethereum, OpenSea, and Alchemy. The 44-year-old is one of Silicon Valley's more provocative thinkers, often stirring debate with his critiques of traditional institutions and his push for decentralised systems. Critics have likened his 'network nation' idea to modern-day techno-utopianism, or even digital-age colonialism — but Srinivasan remains undeterred. In 2024, he launched the first Network School on this Southeast Asian island, with future campuses planned for Dubai, Tokyo, and Miami. 'We're looking for remote workers, digital creators, personal trainers, developers — people who want to earn crypto, build things, burn calories, and have fun,' he said in a recruitment post.
India Gazette
14-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
DMK's Elangovan criticises demolition of Madrasi Camp in Delhi, demands affected to be rehabilitated
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 14 (ANI): DMK Spokesperson TKS Elangovan on Friday criticised the demolition of the Madrasi Camp in Delhi and demanded that the affected residents, most of them Tamilians, be properly rehabilitated. Speaking to ANI, DMK Spokesperson TKS Elangovan said, 'Our interest is to protect the affected people, particularly the Tamil people who have been affected. The residents should be given an alternative.' Earlier on Friday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, expressing deep concern over the humanitarian crisis following the demolition of Madrasi Camp in South East Delhi's Jangpura on June 1. The demolition displaced 370 Tamil-origin families who had been living in the area for decades. In his letter, Stalin urged immediate steps to alleviate the distress faced by these families, many of whom have contributed significantly to Delhi's economy and society. In his letter, Stalin urged immediate steps to mitigate the distress faced by these families, many of whom have lived and worked in Delhi for decades. 'I wish to draw your urgent attention to the humanitarian crisis precipitated by the demolition of Jangpura's Madrasi Camp on 1st June 2025. This has rendered 370 Tamil-origin families, who for decades have contributed significantly to Delhi's economy, homeless and destitute. As per the Hon'ble Delhi High Court's orders, a joint survey certified 189 families as eligible for EWS flats. The Hon'ble High Court had also directed the Government agencies (DDA and DUSIB) to complete all essential services like water, electricity, sanitation, internal roads, drainage and street lighting in Pockets G-7 and G-8, Narela, where the alternative accommodation has been provided. The Court further mandated the Delhi Government to ensure immediate admissions for displaced children in nearby Government and MCD schools, establish Primary Healthcare Centres and Fair-Price Shops, and arrange requisite DTC and Metro transport links in accordance with the 2016 policy,' Stalin wrote. Stalin further expressed concern over the plight of 189 EWS families allotted flats in Narela, which remain uninhabitable due to incomplete essential services. Stalin noted that 181 other families remain homeless without alternative accommodation. 'Regrettably, although 189 families have been formally allotted EWS flats in Narela, the units remain unfit for occupation owing to incomplete provision of essential services. These sites lie nearly 20 kilometres from many beneficiaries' places of work, yet no dedicated transport services have been provided. Moreover, educational arrangements for over 150 Tamil-medium children have not been implemented in accordance with the Court's directives. In the absence of these amenities, household earners-particularly women-remain unemployed and students face imminent disruption to their studies, compounding the dislocation distress of this vulnerable community. The remaining 181 families have not been provided any alternative accommodation and have been left homeless,' he wrote. The Tamil Nadu CM further demanded government attention over the situation, saying, 'I strongly urge your Government to act immediately to relieve the hardship of the displaced families by completing and handing over the 189 EWS flats in full shape to the entitled families, fast-tracking community infrastructure, and providing dedicated transport services.' The demolition at Madrasi Camp was carried out on June 1 as authorities acted on court orders to clear encroachments along the Barapulla drain. The operation was carried out to resolve the flooding issues caused by the narrowed drain, which obstructs water flow during heavy rains. Out of the 370 encroachments demolished, 189 residents were deemed eligible for resettlement and allocated flats in Narela, while 181 were ineligible. (ANI)
