Since former actor C Joseph Vijay became CM, police events appear to have discovered a new soundtrack, and it is not exactly from the police band. During departmental functions, personnel and battalions are performing songs from Vijay’s films, giving the event the feel of a school annual day. Nothing wrong with adding some zing, of course, but the cinematic treatment seems to be stealing the show. The pomp and choreography sometimes threaten to overshadow the discipline expected at those events. At this rate, the department might even ask Vijay to play a guest role in the dance performance.
Gautham Selvarajan
An ‘unofficial’ elevation
At Tiruchy International Airport on Friday night, Minister N Anand arrived to a welcome, only to discover that the party members had also brought along a promotion. A few TVK workers who were waiting outside the airport greeted the party’s general secretary as “deputy CM”. As soon as Anand heard his ‘unofficial’ elevation, he applied the brakes, telling them not to call him that, thinking this might cause commotion. The second rung of leadership was already being lined up after the party chief.
Vivanesh Parthiban
Two minutes for grievance
At the monthly farmers’ grievance redressal meeting in Tiruvannamalai, two minutes is sacrosanct. Each farmer gets 120 seconds to air his/her grievances. The bell rings even if he is mid-sentence, followed by an official calling out the next name. There is no pause, or response. As the meeting wears on, it turns less into a grievance redressal exercise and more into a race to call every name on the list. Officials eventually stop even offering the customary “Will look into it”. One farmer summed it up aptly: “It is like kurangu kaathil sangoothara maari” — blowing a conch into a monkey’s ear.
Nimisha S Pradeep
