Off the cuff
Wild expectations
In a recent conversation with a forest staff, the frustration was palpable. With human-wildlife conflict ramping up, he had a bone to pick with the lack of support from the revenue and police departments. “Our job is to manage wildlife, not the public,” he said, rolling his eyes at the chaos during elephant drives. “It’s turned into a circus-people treat it as a photo op for their social media. Meanwhile, we’re just trying to keep everyone safe.” The real issue? The revenue department gets the heads-up on wildlife movements but doesn’t bother to share until it’s too late. And the police? They could at least be on crowd control. After three years without a break, a little help wouldn’t go amiss.
-Jevin
Trumping the court? No way
A Chennai-based NRI businessman, under investigation for money laundering, recently asked a local court for permission to travel abroad. Among his multiple reasons for this request was the chance to attend Donald Trump’s swearing-in ceremony in the US. The hitch? The invitation was still ‘pending’—’conditions apply,’ he claimed, as if it were a casual invite to a social gathering. Sadly for him (possibly Trump’s guest list), the court wasn’t convinced. While it did acknowledge the right to travel abroad as an ‘indefeasible human right,’ it swiftly dismissed the request. Whether Trump was aware of this eager would-be guest remains unclear. For now, the businessman’s only ‘swearing-in’ will take place in a courtroom—not a presidential one.
-Siddharth Prabhakar
Road to nowhere
In Vedasandur, the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, R. Sakkarapani, inaugurated the bhoomi pooja for the widening of the Dindigul-Karur-Guziliamparai stretch. The first phase—4.5 kilometres at a cost of `17.66 crores—is expected to be completed by May 2025. But no sooner had the Minister’s speech ended than the local MLA, S Gandhirajan, found himself in an unexpected bind. While reading out the names of local functionaries, a DMK cadre stormed the stage, accusing the MLA of deliberately omitting a name from the list. Shocked, the MLA tried to pacify the cadre, only to be forced into a very public correction. The scene was awkward, to say the least. When questioned, local DMK leaders dismissed the row as a ‘squabble’ and claimed the cadre was drunk. Ah, politics!
-Saravanan MP
Ghosting the public
In Coimbatore, trying to reach top officials feels like chasing shadows. The district collector, once known for responding to all queries, now restricts communication to WhatsApp messages via the PRO. The newly appointed city police commissioner and police superintendent have adopted the same approach, with little to no direct interaction. Sources claim this move is aimed at avoiding unwanted controversies after some uncomfortable incidents. But the real issue? Journalists and the public alike are left in the dark, unable to contact these officials. It’s a worrying trend that raises concerns about accountability and the eroding transparency in local governance.
-R Kirubakaran
Compiled by Dinesh Jefferson E