Armstrong murder
K Armstrong, the state president of BSP, who wielded considerable influence in north Chennai, was brutally murdered on July 5. While government ruled out political or casteist motives, his murder triggered heated debates on the failure of Dravidian parties to address atrocities faced by Dalits
Balancing the books
Global Investors Meet and Chief Minister M K Stalin’s foreign visits lured investments to TN but the state struggled to control its growing debt burden, compounded by inadequate revenue share allocation by centre, delay in funds for projects & increasing expenditure on welfare schemes
Cyclone Fengal steals the thunder
One of the slowest and most capricious systems to hit TN during the NE monsoon, Cyclone Fengal spared Chennai. However, it brought heavy rainfall to other northern districts after making landfall on Nov 30, setting new records in Pondy and Krishnagiri
Dravidian Model
The term Dravidian Model – first used in the title of a book and popularised by CM Stalin – became the DMK’s catchphrase, as the party turned 75 in 2024, used to tout every government initiative while the same phrase became a cudgel the opposition wielded to taunt the party over its “misgovernance”
Encounters of the ‘third degree’
At least six persons were killed in “encounters” by TN police in 2024, as the state government faced the heat over an alleged deterioration of law and order. Instances of suspects being shot below their knees or fracturing their limbs while trying to “escape from” or “attack” the police also shot up
Fishers land in island nation jails
The number of TN fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly crossing the IMBL rose to 530 (as of December 24, 2024). Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote many letters to the centre, urging swift release of fishermen
Gukesh king of kings
Nearly 25 years after the state produced India’s first world chess champion, TN created history once again with 18-year-old D Gukesh becoming the youngest-ever world chess champion. His victory further cemented the place of TN, and especially Chennai, as the chess capital of India
Hooch tragedy, a rude awakening
Sixty-eight people, most of them Dalits, died after drinking illegally brewed methanol-laced hooch in Kallakurichi district in July. The government was criticised for its failure to curb the menace and bid to initially downplay the tragedy
IAF event: 5 deaths
The spectacle of Indian Air Force’s airshow at Marina Beach on a sultry Sunday on October 6 was overshadowed by the death of five people due to heat stroke and dehydration. The government received flak for poor crowd management at an event, held here after 21 years, that saw a gathering of 15 lakh people
Jaffer Sadiq dubbed smuggling kingpin
A Jaffer Sadiq, a functionary of the ruling DMK’s NRI wing, was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau in February, for allegedly smuggling out `2,000-cr worth pseudoephedrine, used to make methamphetamine. With the NCB calling him a “kingpin” of an international drug trafficking network and the arrest coming ahead of Lok Sabha elections, the DMK swiftly expelled him and said it was not aware of the crimes
Kavaraipettai: 12 train coaches derail
Nondescript Kavaraipettai station in Tiruvallur district witnessed the collision of Mysore-Bagmati Express with a goods train in a loop line on October 11. The crash miraculously had no casualties despite derailment of 12 coaches
Landslide in T’malai buries 7
A major landslide in Tiruvannamalai hills, triggered by heavy rainfall, resulted in death of seven people, including five kids, on December 1. The hills that house Arunachaleswarar temple, had not witnessed a landslide of such high magnitude in many years
Manjolai tea estates come to a boil
Operation at Manjolai tea estates in Tirunelveli district wound down as Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation sought to exit before its 99-year lease ends in 2028. Workers’ resistance, citing loss of jobs, went in vain as courts & government decided in favour of closure
Nayanthara: All equal before law
Nayanthara raised a storm by writing an open letter to Dhanush, who produced Naanum Rowdy Dhan. She was upset over him suing her for using BTS footage of the movie in a documentary. While Dhanush’s fans criticised her for publicly raising the legal matter, many others voiced support in her favour
Out of jail, after 471 days
DMK strongman of Kongu region V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by ED in a money-laundering case, was released on bail in September following a long legal battle. After his release, he was controversially sworn in again as minister
Protest at Samsung
The 38-day-long protest by at least two-thirds of the workforce in the Samsung manufacturing plant in Sriperumbudur received worldwide attention. Besides increased pay and better working conditions, the key demand was for the company and labour department to recognise the CITU-backed workers’ union. While the government was initially ambivalent amidst concerns that such incidents may make TN a less attractive destination for investments, pressure from coalition partners led the government to attempt to bring the strike to an end in October
Quality of higher education suffers
Quality of education, particularly in state-run universities, became a major concern in 2024 due to fund crunch and as many as six universities functioning without V-Cs due to the ongoing tussle between the Governor-Chancellor and TN government
R Ashwin brings down the curtain
The 39-year-old renowned spinner from Tamil Nadu known for his cricketing brain and impressive records announced his retirement from international cricket in December. Ashwin remains the only player in Test history to have claimed more than five Test hundreds to go along with 500 wickets to his name. Part of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning team, he also bowled the iconic final over in 2013 Champions Trophy
Tungsten: GoI gets tongue-lashing
Tungsten became a flashpoint in TN politics with all parties uniting against the ruling BJP at centre for auctioning the right to mine the mineral from areas of ecological and archaeological significance, in Madurai district
Udhayam as expected
Udhayanidhi Stalin, the DMK scion and debutant MLA, who was inducted into the cabinet in December 2022, was elevated as Deputy Chief Minister in September. The move was expected after the DMK’s sweep of the state’s seats in the Lok Sabha elections
Vijay varaaru
Vijay, whose films are among the biggest crowd pullers in TN, plunged into politics by launching the TVK and announcing his retirement from films after his 69th movie. He put forth an impressive show of strength and charisma at the party’s first conference in October
Waste land?
Waste disposal in an illicit and clandestine manner by some enterprises from Kerala in border districts of TN led to a public outcry in December. TNIE played a key role in bringing the issue to light, leading to governments of both states and the NGT swinging into action
X factor for 2026 Thiruma?
The VCK, which marked 25 years of entering electoral politics in 2024, seems to be emerging as the X factor for the 2026 Assembly elections with both the opposition AIADMK and newly-launched TVK keen on wooing the party. Despite certain elements in his party voicing criticisms against the DMK, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan has reiterated that he would continue in DMK-led bloc
YouTube yabber
Many YouTubers ran into trouble with the law. The list includes ‘Savukku’ Shankar, who was bitterly critical of DMK, Mahavishnu, who advocated unbridled nonsense as spirituality to school kids, and Irfan, who posted controversial videos during his wife’s pregnancy and delivery
Zen energy for Modi
Continuing his tradition of going on a spiritual tour after the end of Lok Sabha poll campaigns, Prime Minister Narendra Modi meditated for 45 hours inside the hall at Vivekananda Rock off the coast of Kanniyakumari from May 30 till June 1. His visit put the spotlight on the southern tip of India