Through my eyes...

The dismal levels to which Keralites could stoop to

2011-12-23T17:00:00.005+05:30

The following are the comments posted by Malayali bigots for a story that exposed the atrocities committed by Keralites following the Mullaiperiyar issue

This is the link to the story on The New Indian Express followed by the comments. Note that no Tamil has retaliated though many were furious about the personal attacks on the reporter terming him a "Tamil terrorist."

500 TN women workers rescued from Kerala border

COMMENTS

The person who wrote this article is clearly an agent of Vaiko who is hell bent on aggravating the issue and generating strong animosity among the peoples of Kerala and Tamilnadu..I am a Keralite and I am not against tamil nadu's right for water..But these kind of jingoistic journalism is not all suitable for indian express...We must all understand that we all belong to the Indian Union..

By Rahul
12/23/2011 12:12:00 PM

This Mr. Gokulvannan is a guy who tried to become a script writer in chennai and couldnt get in because of his bad english. Then he got a a Job in express and continued his creative writing for IE. What do you expect from him... Creative Movie stories that come up in his mind...published as IE news. Didnt expect anything else from this chap but then IE had some standards and ethics.... Alas

By jiju v john
12/22/2011 5:37:00 PM

By jiju v john
12/22/2011 5:36:00 PM

express need to investigate about the communal plot behind this rumours and study the similarity in these protests,in kerala Kerala Congressmen terrorised this issue,In tamil Nadu some known christian missionaries behind spreadind rumours.

By ramu
12/22/2011 12:01:00 PM

To all those misunderstood by this news, there is no such incident happened, here all sabarimala devotees are safe even after malayali shops were vandalized across tamilnadu, tamils running shops are still running uninterruptedly in kerala stop attacking malayalis, our tolerance doesn't mean we suffer for ever.shame on you editor you should have been little bit responsible while publishing this fake news, have you had enough cross check before publishing ? both editor and correspondent should be prosecuted for spreading hatred news between malayalees and tamils

By jaison mathew
12/20/2011 10:40:00 PM

Indian Express must appologize to the public of Kerala and TN for misleading people with false information. The Government of Kerala and TN must interfere and take action agaignst the newspaper in this in the interest of people's safety.

By Anil
12/20/2011 5:33:00 PM

Kudos to NIE. Unlike the TOI Tamilnadu Edition (which is now ruled by the Mallu Mafia ) which is hell bent on suppressing the atrocities unleashed by the Malayalis on Tamil in the border districts of Kerala, you are reporting the facts.

By Thamizhan
12/20/2011 11:57:00 AM

I am canceling my Indian express subscription with immediate effect. Such a malicious fake news.

By Aji
12/19/2011 6:53:00 PM

shame on u guyzzzzzzz...really shame on u posting such fake news...we mallus are humans..nt animals to attack the poor tamil womens..

By jobin jose
12/19/2011 2:02:00 PM

Boycott Indian express and all its subsidaries for publishing baseless fantacies. Go to hell karvarnnan

By Haseeb
12/19/2011 1:24:00 PM

did the indian express higher authorities are sleeping ??????????, why you not removing this fake news.

By Anish KS
12/19/2011 1:00:00 PM

paid news ..how much did u get IE ?

By autumn
12/19/2011 12:24:00 PM

the real question is "is there a gokul vannan ?" or is this "reporter" a figment of the twisted NIE editors imagination....and if at all, this guy is for real, then "will the real Gokul Vannan please stand up !"..cus u r going down..not that u can go any farther down than this..cus there's true reporting, bad reporting, then fifty feet of crap and then pervs like Mr. G.Vannan...

By Nabu X
12/19/2011 1:40:00 AM

this why i always disliked the indian express, be it the endosulphan row or now spreading false propaganda like this one they are always on the wrong side, i'm from kerala and my neighbour is a tamil even after the mullaperiyar row reaching new heights he nad his family are still comfortable and could speak freely in tamil, there was a time i looked down upon the literacy gimmick by fellow keralites but now i think culture and education is what separates kerala and tamilnadu

By rejoy
12/18/2011 9:08:00 PM

i was a regular reader of express, but now i lost credibility in your news as this is completely fake news. other news also must be fake like this

By Deepu
12/18/2011 8:34:00 AM

This news proofs that the cheapest publicity ,and the medea is working behind it is very poor , below average and represented for the illegal,anti-social workers is used to the public for their personnel interest..and the Govt. must take action against them..

By unni
12/17/2011 1:48:00 PM

what the hell are u doing Indian express. ashamed of u. and mr.gokul i pity u. what kind of satisfaction are you getting while making such news? I challenge you to show the proof, and can u show a single victim or witness in this case? Indian express, you should realize that you are loosing you values. shame

By deeps
12/17/2011 11:59:00 AM

This Reporter may be a Big Tamil terrorist or a utter fool. But the Editor should aware about the consequences and have to verify about this background.

By Joju
12/17/2011 4:59:00 AM

I belongs to the district of idukki ....lived in Tamilnadu for 8 years...studied in Loyola Chennai...let me tell you... I never heard such an incident and people in idukki are not as stupid as this journalist ...if the Indian express have any respect to responsible journalism please apologise...! Further for your information we had more than 5 minor earth quakes this year...the dam may be safe for 1,2,3...years..and idukki may survive if mullaperiyar breaks...who will take responsibility for the life of people who are living in the path of flood water?? THE PEOPLE LIVING THERE ARE NOT ANIMALS FOR EVERYONE’S INFORMATION ... (sorry the animals have more rights these days.. )

By S.N.Thomas
12/17/2011 1:50:00 AM

Lost the credibility of Indian Express... None of the dailys published this and no one from the area mentioned has any clue of things naratted here.. This man Gokul is either mad or a sadist... how IE can publish a totally baised, provocative lie like this.. shame on Indian Express....

By prem
12/16/2011 10:56:00 PM

THIS IS A PAID NEWS................SHAME ON YOU

By Mark Antony
12/16/2011 6:47:00 PM

This guy must be a congenital liar. I just checked his linkedin profile. He says his company (the New Indian Express) has between 5000-10000 employees. haha.. he also has written he holds an MA in History from University of Hyderabad. I doubt. I know of several people from UoH; all outstanding professionals. perhaps exceptions prove the rule.

By jac
12/16/2011 5:51:00 PM

You people do not spread falls news...you want India to be divided. Just remember one thing United we stand...Divide we fall. Journalism should not create enmity among people. If you are doing for money remember you can't eat money..

By Murali
12/16/2011 4:48:00 PM

What The New Indian Express gain from this bullshit report?

By Sayuj
12/16/2011 2:53:00 PM

Shame on you Reporter and express... really sad to see this kind of fake reports for political image...

By anees
12/16/2011 2:09:00 PM

Its a fake news!! I m a Journalist in a very reputed News Daily here in Kerala. I know this news is a fake one

By Jisha Elizabeth
12/16/2011 1:52:00 PM

Need to know what is reporter gaining from the riot, no such incidents, no news in major news papers, how come this reportr alone find this kind of fake news. He is pauring oil in to the fire, this news to be investigated and need an immediate action against the reporter who made the fake news.

By shameer
12/16/2011 1:39:00 PM

Total rubbish

By manoj
12/16/2011 11:07:00 AM

Thank God... Mr Gokul did not say that all 500 were brurally raped..!! :-)

By Nijith G
12/16/2011 10:13:00 AM

Its not done by any journalists... its by terrorists, those who can benefit from the tamil,malayali Fights... What a way to make money, please do remember one thing those who play with innocent peoples life have to pay the price... it won't take much time... It'll be so soon

By anandu V c
12/15/2011 11:52:00 PM

hey Gokul Vannan, what do u mean by journalism??? This is a fake news which is intended to promote violence between Kerala and Tamilnadu. kindly remove this FAKE news

By Adarsh
12/15/2011 11:01:00 PM

mr. gokul, what you will gain by pouring oil into fire? as far as i know 99.99% tamilians are safe in kerala! and will be safe as well!there will be some rough elements everywhere... and there may be some rare incidents... but reporting like every malayalies are attacking every tamilians means your aim is different! and i dont believe this news is true!

By Sino
12/15/2011 10:59:00 PM

for such a fake report , the newspaper and the collector(if he said so) should be sued.

By Mohammed Thaha.M
12/15/2011 10:52:00 PM

Shame on you Reporter!!! How could you cook this kind of stories!!! you people never check the credibility of the story before publishing!!!! It totally utter nonsense!!!! Dear Editors!!!! If you people get time to moderate each and every comment why do not you do the same tothis kind of 'cooked up stories' Pls ..............

By Faizal
12/15/2011 9:40:00 PM

fyi indian express team, we are filing a case against new indian express..and we are following up with all organisations to be a part of the lawsuit ..indian express a sorry on ur daily wont solve the issue..you have to pay heavy penalty .be prepared for posting fake news

By Max
12/15/2011 9:15:00 PM

pity you indian express.. how can you publish such a nonsense with out knowing the fact... this report has created a lot of chaos near the border...... you should understand the situation and publish news..... tamil sabarimala pilgrims are safe in kerala.. no one will attack them in kerala...try to do your duty in correct way...this is a request..

By allu
12/15/2011 7:20:00 PM

pathetic............

By Arun
12/15/2011 7:02:00 PM

Shame on u Indian Express... pathetic

By santhosh
12/15/2011 7:00:00 PM

I dont know whether we call this guy as a journalist.. He should apologize for such kind of fake news

By SIraj
12/15/2011 6:54:00 PM

how much you offered to publish this ''news''? any body know about the social life in kerala ? we have one thing that you doesn't, 'common sense' we never expected from indian express like this fake news. plz keep atleast a minimum....

By Dev Anand
12/15/2011 6:35:00 PM

This is completely unacceptable! Nothing of the sort happened, the newspaper should be sued!

By Akhil
12/15/2011 6:34:00 PM

This is the era where news spread faster than fire through social networks. So one should be very careful before writing any thing like this.This kind fake news can prove great problems than the loss of Dam it self. As some one mentioned here this news is what actually called terrorism. Any fire of any quantum start with small spark, please stop spreading such news and don't want such news act as spark for interstate clash. To the reporter, please remember your work ethic before you report any thing. To the editor: Please control your reporter otherwise you loose your reputation.

By Appukuttan
12/15/2011 6:22:00 PM

I used to oppose Central Minister Kapil Sibal's proposal to screen Internet content. After reading this, I have become a supporter of his proposal. The writer doesn't know the level of consequences his report has caused in Kerala and its borders.

By Suniel M
12/15/2011 5:57:00 PM

Is this journalism?? Immediately take action against this Fake news reporter

By neenu
12/15/2011 5:57:00 PM

The reporter's background should be checked. His old reports should also be scrutinized to confirm if he fabricated such anti-national reports earlier, too.

By Anil
12/15/2011 5:38:00 PM

This is the worst form of rotten journalism I've ever witnessed in my life. This reporter's ( one can only pity him for the the sort of attitude stemming from the lack of elementary understanding of his countrymen ) dumbness notwithstanding, there is no forgiving to Indian Express for posting such a fabricated piece of nonsense right at the top as the master headline of the day. I've been a reader of the Express since when I was a child, and was extremely hurt and shamed by this seemingly deliberate act of malice, which in mildest terms is unbecoming of a news house founded by great Goenka. I'd be surprise if it was not a hidden divisive agenda in action. Do you know how much harm did this one scandalous prevarication bring about ?

By Sethuraj Nair
12/15/2011 5:01:00 PM

A media's crooked idea to improve its circulation

By Jerrine Wilson
12/15/2011 4:46:00 PM

We need to know what action Indian Express took against this reporter, because of this fake news many malayalees are attacked in tamil nadu, if the paper is not taking action and not giving public apology there will be legal action filed against this news paper, for publicizing fake news which resulted in racial violence.

By shaiby koshy
12/15/2011 4:13:00 PM

Pathetic reporting from indian express. No wonder its popularity decreases day by day. Somebody should file a case against this reporter and their management for fueling racial violence.

By Bobby
12/15/2011 4:08:00 PM

Could you please rename yourself as FAKE EXPRESS You stupid low standard medias could mislead people into big disasters A word told could never be untold

By Jerrine Wilson
12/15/2011 3:49:00 PM

is it the responsibility of Indian Express's to the people of India...? you should post much credible news in Indian express.. PITY ON YOU INDIAN EXPRESS ... PITY ON YOU...

By jomet
12/15/2011 3:36:00 PM

Take action against this reporter. He must be suspended.

By Abin
12/15/2011 3:23:00 PM

Put a Crimnal case aganist the reporter . It sholud affects the crediblity of a national daily

By chandru
12/15/2011 2:23:00 PM

Gokul vanna, you are a terrorist and anti indian...shame on you.. Did you think what will be happeded after publishing this nes??

By Dileep
12/15/2011 2:22:00 PM

It is flase news...............Why you are spreading these type of false news......

By satheesh
12/15/2011 2:19:00 PM

THIS INCIDENT NEVER HAPPENED. Nothing even close to this ever happened. Shame on you Indian Express. Anyone can easily understand that this is absolutely a fake news. All the attacks happened in TN against keralites was as a retaliation on this news. This reporter shold be brought into trial and shold be punished (capital punishment for terrorism). He not only inflammated the TN brothers, but also made the inter state relationships worse. He is a threat to India. Not a joke, but i seriously doubt that he is a sponsored terrorist whose agenda is to unsettle india. If there is someone who knows law, please file a public interest petition in court immediately. This is totally unacceptable.

By Indian
12/15/2011 2:12:00 PM

I will never ever read any news reported by you people. the fake people making problems to one united nation.

By Eliase
12/15/2011 2:07:00 PM

To the Indian Express editors, kindly take action against this reporter gokulvannam,This incident that he explained here was totally fabricated and made lots of tension in the boarder. request you to take action against this reporter and stop news spreading like this.

By Nobin Michel
12/15/2011 1:29:00 PM

shame on " the new indian express"..... is this the way of journalism??? respond against these kind of cheap and fake news.... take legal action for trying to make violence between two states.... dismiss that reporter...

By john
12/15/2011 1:17:00 PM

Is this Reporter Gokul Vannan is a TERRORIST , trying to provoke people by fake news ?

By Indian
12/15/2011 1:15:00 PM

this is bloody fake reporting...... we didn't hear anything like this...

By jai
12/15/2011 12:59:00 PM

Its a National shame to Indian Express. I don't Understand what the hell they are getting from fake news. These types of news creates total imbalance in the country and its people.

By Sujan
12/15/2011 12:57:00 PM

This kind of absolute nonsense can only happen in Tamil movies.. and not even in a malayalam movie. A famous news paper like THe indian express doesn't even have an editor to review the news before publishing?? He should try script writting in tamil movie industry. Pitty u indian express team.

By Remya
12/15/2011 12:46:00 PM

Please remove this stupid news now!

By krishna
12/15/2011 12:45:00 PM

dont you feel shame to report this type of fake news? atleast you shoul have the courtesy to check the credibilty of the news before publishing........................... very bad

By Harikumar
12/15/2011 12:34:00 PM

Please initiate legal proceeding against this Gokul Vannan, and this news paper...why u r publishing this types of false news..?

By sajin
12/15/2011 12:33:00 PM

Who is this Gokul Vannan? Is he an anti Malayali? Is he mental? does he know anything about journalism? Is Indian Express management support him? Who says this news to you? Do you have any evidence about this news?

By Nelson T Joseph
12/15/2011 12:26:00 PM

its very shame..Indian Express Editorial.........

By raj
12/15/2011 12:24:00 PM

I STOPPED BUYING INDIAN EXPRESS

By Indian
12/15/2011 11:51:00 AM

Pity on you Indian express dont report baseless news

By Sebin
12/15/2011 11:44:00 AM

Publishing reports like these is same as raping the whole media industry in the country! Bloody Nonsense!

By Bala
12/15/2011 11:43:00 AM

I feel shame on the news that you published on one of the leading dailies in India. Pity on Indian Express, to give a chance for such a "Terrorist Reporter" to show his fullish regionalism through a national media. It must be monitored by Govt. of India and should take necessary steps to stop such a fake Journalism in India. Don't give a chance for any body to make media as a weapon. Please try to solve the problems don't try to make them as a revolution.

By Vimal
12/15/2011 11:25:00 AM

The reporter Gokul Vannan having psychiatric problems, please get a medical assistance also for the editor who have given the permission to publish these kind of false news.

By Pramod
12/15/2011 11:25:00 AM

feel pity about your standards in journalism..this is a totally fabricated news intended to create violence between peoples of tamilnadu and Kerala..

By rajeesh
12/15/2011 11:09:00 AM

hello mr. gokul vannan, i am going to sue you for propagating false news and fueling communal violence by publishing this false news.. wait for your notice from court.. good luck.. we have solid proof of nothing of that sort has happened.. get ready dude, for all those false news you have reported and new indian express, you will have to pay for this false propaganda..

By lekha mathew
12/15/2011 11:08:00 AM

Mr Gokul vannan and Indian express Shame On U.. It s Not Journalism, if u have health u can go for manual labor...........

By Ani
12/15/2011 10:45:00 AM

Pity on Indian Express. All the tamil women and Sabarimala Devotees are safe in kerala. They will be safe always. Because malayalees know who is who. Whats is the situation in Tamil Nadu?

By Shobin Alex
12/15/2011 10:24:00 AM

to indian express editors, kindly take action against this reporter gokulvannam, who is trying to initiate news-terrorism. these kink of reporters will destroy the meaning of journalism and a national news paer like indian express please dont avoid this

By aneesh
12/15/2011 10:12:00 AM

Hello Mr. Gokul Vannan (reporter), did you know any basics of journalism?? Did you have no shame to post fake news like these..? You are creating a fight between Malayalees & Tamilans. Please don' t do this.. What's your profit by doing these?? You get some hot news about Mullaperiyar controversy. But it destroys the mutual understanding between 2 states. This is what actually called terrorism! Please.. Please.. Please don' t do this..

By Murukesh
12/15/2011 8:19:00 AM

Basics of Journalism is being forgotten. It is up to all of us to apply moderation and get to know the scheme of things. Here from a blatant lie, what should a reader decipher. Need to interrogate this journalist and get to know the people who would have made him to cook up such stories and portray and punish them. Indian Express should also be punished for publishing such instigating report and set a lesson for others not to dare to do such things in life.

By Santhosh Balakrishnan
12/13/2011 2:14:00 PM

fake news from a national newspaper like indian xpress, shame on these irresponsible journalists,aftremath of this report resulted in attacks on malayalees and their wealth around TN.

By nabeel
12/13/2011 1:48:00 PM

Shame on express buzz!!! Dont you atleast have common sense??? No one buys this technique..... Stupid... I am a Tamilian, I know Keralites. They are not that stupid to act like this in this situation. Stop writing such gimmicks anymore

By Arumughan
12/13/2011 10:44:00 AM

Immediate action is to be taken against the culprits... Every sane Keralite denounces such atrocities. But if the news is faked, action must be taken against the reporter for purposely instigating violence. Even after the reporter has spoken to victims he does not seems to have some pictures. At least some distant shot could be taken, since he claims such lot were involved. Anyway, the claim is very very grave. Immediate enquiry in to the matter is necessary.

By Thomson
12/13/2011 2:49:00 AM

dont post false news. who is the site owner?????.

By Justin
12/13/2011 2:12:00 AM

its a fake news

By vipin
12/9/2011 9:49:00 AM

All the comments calling this news to be fake seem to posted by malayali journalists who have been cooking up Mullaiperiyar news reporting for a long time in the local and National media for a long time now. One should read Radhika Giri's The M Factor to understand the level of prejudiced reporting done by Kerala journalists.

By Muthu
12/9/2011 12:52:00 AM

Dear Gokul Varnnan,,, If u r tryin to earn ur daily bread By this, Pllsss Begging is better option,,, Dear Express,,, Pitty on U guys,, Show some Responsibility as a newspaper,,, Dis is not the way.... and U r playin with Millins of ppls Life,,, Dnt b Irresponsible like dis,, Begggin U...

By samson
12/8/2011 11:45:00 PM

I thought 'Pandi' (pig) may have the same meaning in Malayalam too! Even in Lanka, we call some one 'pandi' (pig) as an insult.

By Suresh M
12/8/2011 7:38:00 PM

It was a traffic jam. This clown can't differentiate a hold up and a hostage action. Must be seeing too many Tamil flims.

By Vivek
12/8/2011 6:22:00 PM

What a shame? this kind of third rate journalism should be banned. The citizenship of this person who is behind this news must be canceled and should thrown him away from the country He is a threat for the unity of India. SHAME ON YOU!!!!!!

By sreenadh
12/8/2011 4:57:00 PM

Shame on u Indian Express... pathetic

By Deepu
12/8/2011 4:20:00 PM

Dear Brothers and Sisters of Tamil Nadu please dont belive this..This is just to create tension and hate between two ethnic population. ABrother from Kerala..

By shibin
12/8/2011 3:34:00 PM

Absolute Nonsense. This news is just a blunder to provoke TN people.

By abraham Varghese
12/8/2011 3:17:00 PM

This reporter is mentally sick. Take him to hospital.

By Shaam
12/8/2011 3:13:00 PM

Cease Indian Express.

By Baiju NT
12/8/2011 3:13:00 PM

This news is fake ...No such incidents happened.................

By Sreekesh
12/8/2011 3:08:00 PM

Absolute Nonsense. This news is just a blunder to provoke TN people.

By abraham Varghese
12/8/2011 3:03:00 PM

I am also from that location, i checked with all activists there, its absolutely false news a responsible newspaper wont publish this news without verifying, it is irresponsible jounalism, the reporte has to be prosecuted for instigating violence across tamil Nadu

By roshy
12/8/2011 2:31:00 PM

There is absolutely no possibility of such an incident ever taking place in the said area, where people from TN and Kerala have been living together in peace for more than six decades. There is enough reason for one to believe that this is a story blown out of proportion. May be one or two incidents of eve teasing, heckling or chain snatching by vandals could have taken place, at the most. We could quite often find journalists working in vernacular media falling victims to such emotions and passions. But what is shocking is that even English journalists are also seemingly not above parochial interests or that is what one has seen here.

By Ramesh Mathew
12/8/2011 12:38:00 PM

This is a fake news which is intended to promote violence between Kerala and Tamilnadu. Proper legal actions will be taken.

By Vishnu Iyer
12/8/2011 12:01:00 PM

Those who post this comments are Terrporists i think this website is providing fake inforamtion an government need to arrest him . Iam from this area and thier is no such incidents

By vishnu
12/7/2011 11:14:00 PM

stop propagating lies to increase your circulation

By boby
12/7/2011 10:39:00 PM

This is very unbecoming of the Indian Express. You're words are going to create a lot of issues between the two states, It already has started a lot of violence in TN today. Legal proceedings will be taken against you if you do not refrain from spreading false information through news(Using the word 'allegedly' will not save you.) and create a war between the two people! SHAME ON YOU! P.S: I dont care if you put this in here or not, But you get the message and thats the only thing that matters to me.

By Adv. Joseph Alex
12/7/2011 10:27:00 PM

straight from a tamil movie set ...wow great imagination!!

By martin
12/7/2011 10:17:00 PM

What is this? This is a cooked up news. No such incident happened in Idukki.

By Dev
12/7/2011 9:07:00 PM

Do not try to spread false news.

By Midhun
12/7/2011 7:48:00 PM

These types of fake news will only blow out the issue. Atleast journalists should show some sense. Pitty you Gokul Vannan

By Girish
12/7/2011 7:03:00 PM

this news is fake dear expressbuzz this type of news will create problems.. Wat all r u people writing..

By Arun
12/7/2011 6:34:00 PM

It is unacceptable that a news paper like Indian Express adding oil in the fire during a tensed situation. I am close to this place and never heard such an issue. The reporter should be procecuted and send to jail Creating rift between people. The government should investigate the source of the news as well

By Jobin
12/7/2011 6:04:00 PM

there is no such incedent happened . its false news

By Arun Jacob
12/7/2011 5:16:00 PM

This news is creating panics by some of tamil printed media and visual medias. By Gokul.K. Chennai

By Gokul
12/7/2011 5:05:00 PM

its a fake news

By Midhun
12/7/2011 5:01:00 PM

What the Hell? Great reporting!

By Annyan
12/7/2011 4:47:00 PM

Please check the credibility of the report before posting.

By Vishnu
12/7/2011 4:31:00 PM

This news needs to be investigated. I am from that area and we never heard such an incident. And no workers are returning by their own, they travel in vehicles arranged by the estate owners. From both sides the vehiles were stopeed. I request the management to investigate this news item.

No admission for Dalit kids in this Govt school in Kurayur

2011-12-10T10:44:00.001+05:30

Madurai: In what reminds one of 20th century apartheid set up, children of Dalit families in Kurayur near Kalligudi in Madurai district have been barred from admissions to the Government Middle School in the village by the dominant Hindu Caste.

The Dalit children have been forced to study at a missionary-run government-aided school on the border of the village, which has poor facilities.

Located five km from the Kalligudi police station in the Thirumangalam taluk, Kurayur has witnessed caste clashes over the decades.

While most caste Hindu students study in the Government school at the heart of the village, the Dalits have been forced to admit their children at the missionary-run primary school “on their side of the village.”

According to members of the Scheduled Caste community, the set up has existed ever since the caste clashes of 1996, when a 15-year old boy from their community was murdered. Villager elders convened an informal meeting of the panchayat and came up with the present ‘apartheid’ arrangement.

When Express inspected the school records at the village, which is a reserved panchayat for SC women, on Thursday, it emerged that all 260 students were caste Hindus. School officials, who have been working there since early 1990s, said they do not recall even a single Dalit student ever studying in the school.

“After the clashes of 1996, the village elders decided that Dalits should send their children to the other school in their own interest,” a school official said.

A comparison of the facilities in the two schools provided a stark picture of the kind of oppression that the Dalits go through. While the Government school had nine teachers and fully equipped classrooms with tables, chairs, three computers and a TV, the missionary-run school on the fringes had three teachers who handle all subjects for five classes. Also, there were only two rooms to accommodate over 40 children and teachers said they had spent out of their own pockets to buy a computer for the kids.

Dalit villagers said that once the children completed class V, they were sent to a school nine km away for higher classes.

Asked if none of them raised a voice about the discrimination, a villager said while some raised a flag in the initial months since the setup came into existence, but the protests died down in course of time.

Not So Cool, This

Express News Service

Madurai: The discrimination in classrooms apart, even ice cream vendors follow a ‘two compartment’ system in the village. An ice cream vendor outside the Government school said “I have two compartments in my box in which ice creams for the Dalit children and upper caste students are segregated. I have been asked by the village elders not to mix the two stocks while selling the ice creams to children of the two communities.”

Copyright: The New Indian Express

An edited version of this story appeared in The New Indian Express on 10-12-2011

Kurayur, a wall-less Uthapuram

2011-12-10T10:35:00.004+05:30

MADURAI: "The only difference between what happened in Uthapuram and our village is that there is no wall here. All other discrimination is present," said a pensive Mariappan, pointing to the road in the village that divides the Dalit colony from that of the Caste Hindu people.

From the archaic two-tumbler system and a separate ration shop, to the lack of access to the village temple, the Dalits of Kurayur in the Thirumangalam taluk near here have been facing the brutality of caste discrimination for hundreds of years. However, while the physical wall in Uthapuram had received much attention from the district administration, much of what is happening in this outwardly quaint village has gone unnoticed.

Despite being a reserved constituency in the last two panchayat elections, dalits in the village say that they have not been able to bring in change. The discrimination starts from the food they eat, with the village having separate ration shops for the two castes.

"We have to get the rice from the one on our side of the village. There is another building inside where they get it, though the cards are mixed among the two shops," said one person, pointing to the building near the missionary-run school where only SC students study.

Then comes the dreaded two-tumbler system. When Express checked out a tea shop in the village, it came to light that the Dalits were served only in paper cups, whereas the Caste Hindus were served the beverage in the usual glasses.

"We used to have separate tumblers in the early days. But the tea shops have now changed to paper cups as they do not want to attract unwanted attention," said another person from the SC community.

Like many other villages in the district, the flashpoint in Kurayur also seems to be the place of worship. Dalits say that they have been barred from entering the Mariamman temple in the village, which is now undergoing renovation. While they were allowed to worship the Ayyanar in the village during the festival, they could do it only during days when the Caste Hindus do not visit.

"None of us nor our forefathers have even seen the deity in the village temple," says Pandi, an elderly dalit.

Also, the four tanks in the village have also been divided between the communities, with two on the Caste Hindu side and two on the Dalit side.

Not even knowledge seemed to be open to all here with the two castes having separate libraries, though the one on the Dalit colony has remained perpetually closed.

When asked if they had not protested such a setup in the village, they said that arguments invariably led to violence and they have avoided it by keeping quite.

"There has been no incidents in the last two years because we have kept to ourself. Who will come to our rescue if something happens to us?'" questioned Pandi.

(Names have been changed to protect identity)

Copyright: The New Indian Express

An edited version of this story appeared in The New Indian Express on 10-12-2011

No loan cover for Tamil Nadu crops

2011-11-11T22:13:00.000+05:30

Published in The New Indian Express on October 2, 2011

http://expressbuzz.com/states/tamilnadu/No-loan-cover-for-Tamil-Nadu-crops/319615.html

CHENNAI: While statistics point to an increase in crop coverage in the ongoing paddy season in Tamil Nadu, a glance at the crop loan scenario suggests that farmers continue to get step-motherly treatment at nationalised banks, which are not only reluctant to forward agricultural loans, but also flout Reserve Bank of India (RBI) norms in providing crop insurance.

According to information given by the State Level Bankers’ Committee (a collective of all banks in the State) to the Agriculture Department, a bulk of the total of Rs 29,100 crore given by banks as loans in 2010-2011, was listed under the category ‘Crop Loan Miscellaneous’ (CLM).

However, Deputy Director of Agriculture, Santhanagopalakrishnan says that Rs16,406 crore or 56.37 per cent of the amount under the CLM category, reflects mainly jewel loans taken by farmers. This, despite it being mandatory for banks to provide crop loans without any security for up to Rs 50,000.

According to the Regional Manager of AIC, C Anbarasu, a lion’s share of jewel loans forwarded by nationalised banks to farmers are treated as crop loans on their books, but have not been covered under the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS), mandatory under RBI norms. Data shows that in 2010-2011, less than 14 per cent of farmers in the State were covered under NAIS.

'Farmer’s jewel loan by banks is crop loan'

2011-11-11T22:11:00.001+05:30

Published in The New Indian Express on October 2, 2011

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/farmer%E2%80%99s-jewel-loan-by-banks-is-crop-loan/319606.html

CHENNAI: The National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS) was introduced in 1999-2000 to protect farmers from natural calamities and resultant crop failure. When a farmer takes a loan, it is mandatory that the bank brings him under the NAIS and adds the premium amount over and above the loan amount. In order to help the farmer pay the premium, the State government provides 50 per cent subsidy on the amount.

Data provided by the Agriculture Department and the Agriculture Insurance Corporation of India (AIC) show that while it is mandatory for banks to provide crop loans to farmers without security for up to Rs 50,000, most loans given by nationalised banks in 2010-11 to farmers are jewel loans. According to AIC regional manager C Anbarasu, these loans are treated by nationalised banks in their books as crop loans, but they are not covered under the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS), which is mandatory under RBI norms.

Proof? Sample this: In the 2010-11 fiscal, banks loaned Rs 29,100 crore to farmers. Had NAIS norms been followed, AIC would have mopped up a premium of Rs 1,500 crore. Instead, all it got was Rs 96 crore.

“This means that when claims are made by a large section of farmers every year, especially during seasons when nature is a factor, we are unable to pay the amount by ourselves and are forced to ask the State and Central governments for reimbursements,” says Anbarasu.

In fact, such reimbursements over and above the premium collection have cost both the State and the Central exchequer more than Rs 1,200 crore in the last decade, which the AIC would have paid by itself had the banks covered all loanee farmers under the scheme.

The issue was flagged at a meeting convened by the State chief secretary in November last year with the constituents of the State Level Bankers’ Committee. Senior agriculture officials claim that banks were clearly told to bring all loanee farmers under the NAIS or stop treating jewel loans as crop loans. Yet, the banks have not fallen in line.

Asked to respond to allegations about reluctance to offer proper crop loans, a top official of a nationalised bank says that it is for the RBI to decide if jewel-based loans to farmers should be treated as crop loans or not. On NAIS norms, the official claims that a lot of farmers were reluctant to take cover as paying the premium, calculated according to the threshold yield of an area, would mean reduction in the loan amount.For example, if a paddy farmer takes a loan of Rs 10,000 in the Rabi season for an acre, the premium, based on the threshold yield, would be around 2 per cent or Rs 200. However, officials at the agriculture department counter this argument, stating that 80 per cent of farmers, who were customers of cooperative banks, which loaned an amount of 2,500 crore within the Rs 29,100 crore in 2010-2011, have been brought under the NAIS and the problem was specific only to nationalised banks and that too in TN. While cooperative banks hold that the farmers are more than happy to take the cover if they are explained the benefits, commercial banks continue to deny it.

But what does all this mean to the farmer who pledges the family jewels in order to till the land? Says Anbarasu, “If the crop fails, they lose both the jewels and their cultivation owing to lack of insurance. This means that they will be unable to take further loans from formal channels. The only option: go back to the local money lender and undergo harassment.”

Mango cultivators, pulp manufacturers in lurch

2011-11-11T22:01:00.000+05:30

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai edition on November 9

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/mango-cultivators-pulp-manufacturers-in-lurch/331309.html

CHENNAI: A sharp decline in demand from the gulf countries, largely owing to the political instability after the Arab uprisings, and fluctuations in prices at the local market, have now resulted in huge loses for mango cultivators and pulp manufacturers in the State. They say that more than 60 per cent of their produce are now lying in the godowns as importers have not turned up.

As per the Season and Crop Report of 2008-2009, the latest available, mango was cultivated in 1,30,012 hectares in TN resulting in production of 6,44,626 tonnes of the fruit. The cultivation was concentrated in Krishnagiri, Dindigul, Vellore, Tiruvallur, Dharmapuri and Theni districts constituting 67 per cent of the total cropped area.

Industry sources said that this large scale cultivation also meant that a buoyant pulp processing sector developed in these districts with Krishnagiri alone having about 56 such small and medium sized units, exporting lakhs of tonnes of the product.

According Rama Gounder, a cultivator from Krishnagiri and general secretary of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, these small and medium scale units take orders from importers in Arab and European countries with a 20 to 30 per cent advance payment.

The units in turn pay a small sum as advance to the farmers, over 80,000 in number, and procure the fruit, promising full payment once they get the remaining money from the importers. However, in the 2010-2011 season, the equation was affected as importers from the gulf countries had paid the advance but failed to turn up, resulting in loses of up to 70 per cent and wastage of pulp stocked in warehouses. For example, owners of six agri-processing units in Salem and Theni districts, who spoke to Express on Tuesday, said for manufacturing of every carton of mango pulp weighing 18.6 kg, the production cost involved was around `350, which included the procurement as well as processing cost. If the pulp was based on Alphonso variety, the cost went up to `1,500 as procurement price doubled and touched `1,000. The selling price of each carton of the ordinary mango varieties was around `900 in the last season whereas it had dropped to `450 or `500 in the current season owing to plunge in demand and better crop.

One of the processors, holding more than two units in Krishnagiri, said that of the 13,000 tonnes he was supposed to export to gulf countries in the 2010-2011 season, about 8,171 tonnes was left without buyers, each kilogram which would have fetched him close to `25.

This also meant that the farmers, who produce around 6,000 kg per hectare, were not paid for the procured fruits as industries were in a credit crunch, resulting in protests by cultivators outside the Collector’s office of Krishnagiri and Theni several times in the last few months.

K Raman, who had closed down his mango pulp manufacturing unit after huge loses, said that apart from the decline in demand from the gulf countries, the failure of the crop in 2009-2010 which increased prices by over 50 per cent and rising interest rates for the loans have dealt a double blow.

A senior official in the government said that the issue was under the jurisdiction of the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority and the State could do little on its own. He said that the farmers and the manufacturers have been asked to make a written representation after which the concerned department here could write a letter to the Food and Agriculture Ministries of Centre.

Will you not?

2011-09-28T23:32:00.003+05:30

Will you not, Oh Lord, throw away those worthless gems and diamonds and dress yourself only with the flowers and leaves that I offer you with love? Is my devotion not enough to make you shine like the full moon?

Will you not, Oh Lord, breaking the shackles of untouchability, let me worship you when the pious panchama shows the deepa and when the blessed shudra chants the vedas?

Two different ways- Understanding the world view of the Advaitins

2011-08-29T14:33:00.010+05:30

While the other five branches of astika philosophy in Hinduism, Nyaya-Vaisesika and Mimamsa, Sankhya and Yoga, recognise the condition of the self (Jiva or the individual soul) as unconscious and conscious (and in turn a sort of a reality of the world around it), Advaita treads a different path.

The ultimate goal of one's life, as per the Vedantic interpretation of Sankara, is to realise the non-duality of the self and Brahman (the pure consciousness supreme being). They hold that the Paramaatman, or supreme soul, is cin maatram (pure intelligence). Both the animate and the inanimate world that we perceive around are illusory appearances (vivarta), the result of the beginingless avidya (ignorance) superimposed on Brahman. Therefore, creation in Advaitic terms is the point of time at which the Brahman came into contact with ignorance, resulting in animation as this false world.

Calling the world around us unreal basically implies that the Advaitin questions the knowledge that we derive from sense perceptions or Pratyaksha. How can what we see with our eyes become unreal could be the question that crops up in the mind of the reader. There are indeed times at which Pratyaksha misleads us to wrong conclusions. For example is the mirage of an oasis in a desert.

The reason for accumulation of karma, which leads to the samsara or the cycle of birth and death, is this false notion of a real world resulting from ignorance, which is also treated as a 'dosa' or a defect. The illusion of the world around us could be overcome by the knowing the real, which is the fact that self and the supreme soul are one and the same. This knowledge, for the Advaitin, is derived from the Sastra (Sruti and Smritis), Vedic proclamations such as tat tvam asi (That you are) and aham brahmasmi (I am Brahman), which, in unambiguous terms, declare the non-existence of plurality (neha naana asti kinchana).

The idea of Brahman, which is without form or quality, as the only reality is again reiterated, according to the Advaitin, by the scriptures with their revelations such as its existence at the beginning "without a second." Thus, even though a lump of clay gets transformed into many forms such as pots and statues, it continues to remain as the singular truth, the clay.

We shall delve deeper into the concept of reality in Advaita, which in fact has different stages to people at different levels of realisation, in the next post and make the transition to the treatment of Purushartha.

Two different ways

2011-08-19T23:46:00.011+05:30

For any Vedantic interpretation to qualify as logical, it has to clearly define its position on three important concepts: Tattva or the nature of reality, Purushartha or the goal of life, and Hita or the means by which we could attain this goal.

While all the three major Vedantic interpretations, Advaita, Visistadvaita, and Dvaita, claim that they alone provide the correct commentary to all three concepts as portrayed in the Srutis and the Smritis, they vary to a large extent among themselves. A close look at the three different treatises provides a fascinating insight into how open the foundation texts of the Hindu religion really is to accommodate such differences. Also, it is to be noted that the socio-economic and cultural environment that prevailed during the times of the philosophers who articulated the three systems of Vedanta had a great bearing on their thought process itself.

While Sankara (788 CE - 820 CE), perhaps the greatest logician this country has produced, had the colossal task of constructing an accommodative philosophical discourse that would arrest the decline of Hinduism and pose a challenge to the now popular Buddhism, Ramanuja's (1017–1137) ordeal was to get rid of the plague of mindless renounciation that had, by his time, become widespread owing to the success of Advaita. For this he relied heavily on the theological values of the Alwars and provided a philosophical face to the Bhakthi movement in South India.

Madhvacharya on the other hand had to deal with the decline of religious values altogether. His radical, and in some cases controversial, concepts was the result of a determination to take back the society to the original roots of the religion.

In the series of posts titled "Two different ways" that would follow this one, I would like to elaborate on how the different philosophical treatises deal with the concepts of Tattva, Purusharta and Hita. I am leaving out the Dvaita school as my reading into this particular interpretation is minimum and might be prone to errors.

Suppression will eventually lead to fresh revolt

2011-08-03T20:17:00.009+05:30

It is indeed a cruel joke on the Tamils of Sri Lanka, who share an umbilical-chord relationship with the Tamil people around the world, and especially those from Tamil Nadu, that their hardship and suffering at the hands of a despot, who by the virtue of belonging to the majority community in the island nation that has rabidly denied its minorities their rights, has been ignored to a great extent by political parties, as well as the media, in India.

While even lack of interest (or vested interest?) could be forgiven, what has hurt many Tamils in this country is the insensitivity that the Central government is showing towards the emotions of over six-and-a-half crore of its own citizens.

At a time when a State government elected by a majority of the voters has passed a resolution in the Assembly seeking economic sanctions on the Rajapaksha regime, the invitation to parliamentarians from Sri Lanka, led by its speaker and elder brother of the President Chamal Rajapaksha, as guests to the Indian parliament, was unwarranted. Indeed, the red carpet welcome accorded to that delegation, which belongs to a regime that has made a mockery of democracy in its country, was highly provocative, forcing members across political parties from Tamil Nadu in the house to raise slogans and boycott the visiting delegation.

Such moves of bad taste shows that the Congress party has learnt nothing from the drubbing in the recent Assembly elections and is well on its way to becoming a dispensable political force in the State.

What has also been ignored by the UPA government is the recent report by a UN team on the war crimes committed by the SL government during the concluding part of what is now referred as "Eelam War- IV."

The report has held the Rajapaksha regime accountable for the death of over 40000 Tamils during the end of the war. The carnage was the result of deliberate shelling on hospitals and No Fire zones where civilians flocked seeking help and security. Infact, the SL government has been accused by some for using the GPS coordinates of hospitals provided by the humanitarian agencies to locate make-shift hospitals and shell them.

Charging both the SL government and the fascist LTTE equally responsible for the genocide, the report sought an independent investigation with international monitoring to bring the guilty to trial.

While nations across the world condemned the SL government following the release of the report, and a devastating documentary with video evidence of executions of Tamil tigers by Channel 4, India's response has been disappointing. Worse, the outgoing Foreign Secretary of India even accepted a farewell by the SL government which, media accounts say, praised her for the special relationship.

Blaming the long shadow of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination as the reason for India's apathy is a stupid ploy. This country cannot turn blind to atrocities in its own backyard while condemning those that occur in faraway places like Syria and Yemen.

Also, results of the recently-held local body elections in the island nation should serve as a strong reminder that continued suppression would eventually lead to a fresh revolt.

While many "friends" of the Rajapaksha regime here have chosen to dismiss the results of the recent local body elections, in which the Tamil National Alliance dominated the North and East of the country, as an usual outcome, they have failed to realise that it was the result of a dangerous stew of disappointment and a heightened sense of desperation that is brewing beneath owing to the failure of the ruling dispensation in keeping up its promises.

It is not something new that the parties like the SLFP, dominated by Sinhala-Buddhist chauvinists who have for long decimated any chance of a reconciliation between the different ethnic groups, are backtracking on their assurances. This has happened too often in the history of the war-ravaged country for the minorities there to be fooled one more time.

India would do well to exert force on the SL government to expedite the process of a meaningful devolution that has been the demand of the minority communities since independence. A failure on this front could very well lead to an armed uprising again, undermining India's own security in the neighborhood.