Awareness with humour
“Is Sunday a holiday for your helmet?” The youngster on the motorbike nods a sheepish smile at traffic policeman R Adiseshan who is speaking through a loudspeaker. The cop immediately shifts attention to a couple on a bike who has their child seated on the fuel tank. “Sir, parents always do not want their child to grow up, but he seems to have crossed the age,” Adiseshan tells the couple. Found often at the traffic signal near the Chennai police commissioner’s office, Adiseshan attempts to create traffic awareness among motorists through his jovial commentary, all the while enthralling others waiting at the traffic signal with his gift of the gab. Had he not joined the police force, he has all the requisite qualifications to become a radio jockey.
Unparliamentary conduct
After a three-year gap, Tangedco began wage revision talks with trade unions and proposed a 5% hike for employees who come under the Industrial Dispute Act. There were heated arguments among functionaries of different trade unions. At one stage, a senior functionary of a union affiliated with a prominent political party began hurling abusive words against other union leaders who were demanding a better pay hike for employees. Even top bureaucrats present at the venue did not intervene. A section of trade unions expects the next meeting to be held in a proper manner and take action against those who misbehave.
Cadre not pleased!
The second-rung leaders and cadre of the VCK party were lamenting their disappointment over Thol Thirumavalavan wanting to please the state government rather than protesting for the welfare of the suppressed class. They said that after the DMK assumed power, he didn’t help any VCK members get any government appointments, such as government advocates in various courts. They added that the VCK leader is going soft on the state government’s lethargic attitude in taking action against atrocities against Dalits. The members said that the state SC/ST commission members have not yet visited Vengaivasal in the Pudukkottai district where human faeces was mixed in the overhead water tank meant for Dalit residents, adding that Thirumavalavan has failed to draw the attention of the state government in the matter.
Igniting curious minds
The Illam Thedi Kalvi stalls at the book fair and exhibition at the Island Grounds in Chennai was a huge attraction as kids made a beeline to try out the puzzles and activities set up by the volunteers. This went to show that education should be fun and engaging, and when done in the right way it will grab the attention of kids. The teaching and learning materials on display at the expo are used across government schools. Volunteers who were part of the programme were also filled with enthusiasm and engaged hundreds of kids daily.
Behind the scenes
The tussle between Edappadi K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam in AIADMK is widely known, but there is an unspoken version about EPS not changing the district secretary of Theni who belongs to OPS faction. SPM Syed Khan, a senior party person, has been holding the post for more than 10 years. However, organising secretary STK Jakkaiyan is acting as the district secretary for EPS and organised recent events of the party including MGR birth anniversary locally.
(Contributions by Jeyalakshmi Ramanujam, S Kumaresan, Subashini Vijayakumar, Nirupama Viswanathan & S Guruvanmikanathan; Compiled by Affan Abdul Kadar)