‘Cop’ing up with mamool
Ahead of Chief Minister MK Stalin’s inauguration of the CM’s breakfast scheme at Adhimoolam Corporation Primary School in Madurai on Thursday, police personnel had occupied the school premises citing security reasons. Some of them, wanting to make the most out of the event, soon started collecting money from the school teachers to buy water bottles and meet their ‘other expenses’. A few who called themselves journalists, too, latched onto the opportunity and demanded money from the teachers. Not wanting to put their school’s greatest event or their job in jeopardy, the teachers paid the mamool from their own pockets. It’s an unwritten law to lend money to the media and police when they demand, they told TNIE.
Take it easy, V-C
During a recent visit to Madurai Kamaraj University, K Ponmudy, the higher education minister, made it clear that the State government follows a two-language system. Addressing the gathering, he said Tamil was enough for one to survive in the State, but knowing an international language like English would come handy in other States and abroad. The minister went on to say that learning Hindi, Sanskrit or any other language was, however, not required. He then gave a sly look to the MKU Vice-Chancellor J Kumar and said, in a lighter vein, “Now, the V-C would be anxious how the chancellor would react to this.”
Art of keeping them on toes
In a recent event held by the education department in Chennai, three State ministers were invited. Since PK Sekar Babu was running late and the organisers could not begin the award distribution until he arrived, Anbil Mahesh asked Dindigul Leoni, chairman of Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation, if he could stretch his speech and cover up the delay. Being a famous orator, Leoni comfortably went on for another 20 minutes, and then, made the revelation to the audience — the ‘secret’ behind his unusually long speech.
E-waste is gold!
Villagers of Tenkasi and Tirunelveli districts have been protesting against illegal burning of electronic waste at open places, that are being brought from Kerala, for the past few years. Despite repeated complaints, the menace has continued unabated. A top cop tells TNIE that unless some honest police personnel are posted at the Puliyarai checkpost, e-waste from across the border will continue to be smuggled in. The checkpost is like a honeycomb, and cops fight with each other to get posted there. “They collect up to Rs 2,000 from each waste-laden truck from Kerala, and a share goes to their bosses. Two such personnel have invested a huge amount in gold and land,” he adds.
(Contributed by Jeyalakshmi Ramanujam, KV Navya and Thinakaran Rajamani. Compiled by Maneesh T)