Boy with massive tumour growing from his neck

A nine-year-old boy with a massive tumor was whisked from a dangerous neighborhood in Mexico in an armored vehicle by U.S. federal agents and taken across the border for treatment in New Mexico, his family said.

The boy and his parents were snatched on Thursday from the gang-infested neighborhood in Ciudad Juarez — one of the deadliest cities in the world — after members of a New Mexico Baptist church saw him near an orphanage and sought help.

The parents of the child, identified by officials only as Jose to protect his family, said the tumor on his shoulder and neck has grown so large that it affects his eyesight and could move into his heart.

With no money for medical care, the family sought treatment in Juarez and El Paso, but did not receive any help removing the tumor, which has afflicted Jose since birth.

Si Budagher, pastor of First Baptist Church of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, said the church members spotted the boy while doing missionary work and felt compelled to do something to help him.

Church members only recently resumed missionary work in the border city after suspending visits there due to the deadly violence between competing drug cartels. The violence has claimed thousands of lives.

Denise Gutierrez, a victim assistance coordinator for Homeland Security Investigations, said she felt compelled to help as soon as she saw photos of Jose.

Gutierrez said the boy and his parents were granted a 45-day humanitarian visa for treatment in New Mexico, and a coalition of U.S. federal agencies began working to get them into the United States.

The U.S. Border Patrol helped the family enter the country.

Budagher said the church has set up a fund for private donations and is helping with the cost of the family's stay in the U.S. The church is also seeking help from doctors to examine Jose.

It's still unclear, however, what treatment is needed or if he'll need to return for follow-up visits.

The likely places of agitation tomorrow in Chennai

1. Narayanappa Street, Chennai-1.

2. Madhavaram Taluk Office,

3. Tondiarpet (Zone 4 office)

4. Washermenpet (Zone 5 office)

5. Ambattur Taluk Office,

6. Avadi Municipality Office,

7. Poonamallee Taluk Office,

8. SRO – Perambur,

9. Purasai-Perambur Taluk Office,

10. A.E.Slum clearance board, Vyasarpadi,

11. Alandur Taluk Office,

12. Tambaram Taluk Office,

13. Sozhinganallur Taluk Office,

14. Panagal Building,

15. Thiruvanmiyur RTO Office,

16. K.K.Nagar Taluk Office,

17. Kodambakkam (Zone 10 office)

18. Fort–Tondiarpet Taluk Office,

19. Taylors Road Junction, EVR Salai,(Zone 8 office),

20. Egmore-Nungambakkam Taluk Office,

21. RTO Anderson Road, Ayanavaram,

22. In front of Ezhilagam,

23. In front of DMS office,

24. Mylapore-Triplicane Taluk Office.

The traffic is likely to be congested in the above areas after 10.30 am.

Tamil genocide and potential future Indian President

It is hard to deny that the Sri Lanka Government recieved the Indian Government's assistance during the last stages of the war. The DMK and Congress have earned a dubious reputation in Tamil Nadu particularly after the self proclaimed victory over LTTE by the Sri Lankan Government. Today, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee is at the mercy of the Tamil people to get to one of the most respected position in any country. If we were to request an impartial investigation into the alleged war crimes of Sri Lanka, the Indian Government must also be included in the list as the Indian Government also bears blood in its hand. Its a shame that leaders with dubious reputation are allowed to contest for the highest position of the country and the concern is that the sanctity of the President's post would be lost. The Tamil society which claims to have a high self-respect and concern for its kith and kin must ensure that only clean politicians are allowed to contest in any election at any level. One can never forget the Tamil genocide in Sri Lanka and at the same time, people who were in responsible position during that stage must be punished by the people. Although Mr. Mukherjee is hopeful to get support from his Tamil counterpart, it will be a National shame if they extend their support, for the sins of the Union Government is unpardonable.

The Silent and Telling Emergency in India - by S. P. Udayakumar

The Silent and Telling Emergency in IndiaS. P. Udayakumar Anti-Nuclear Activist 

Idinthakarai

June 26, 2012

 

Today is the 37the anniversary of the infamous emergency that Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed on the people of India. While some people were quite happy that the bureaucrats came to offices on time, shopkeepers kept price lists outside their shops, trains were punctual and so forth, many people were worried and concerned about the curtailment of our freedoms and entitlements. As a 15-year-old boy, I was worried about my father’s safety (as he was active in the DMK party), the complete absence of freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, and most importantly, freedom from fear. People were afraid to speak their minds out, the newspapers were full of blank spaces because of censorship, and the society was enveloped by a thin layer of fear and suspicion. That was not the India I had grown up to love and cherish. Never did I imagine even in my wildest nightmares that I would find myself in a similar but silent emergency after some 37 years of liberty and freedom.

 

Today is the 100^th day of my and Pushparayan’s self-exile here at Idinthakarai. On March 18, 2012 at 4:45 PM the Personal Assistant (General) of the Tirunelveli Collector called me and asked me and Fr. F. Jayakumar, the Parish Priest of Idinthakarai, to go and meet the Collector in his office the next morning at 10 am. The Collector, Dr. R. Selvaraj, himself called me later that night and the next day morning asking us to go and meet him. A warning bell rang in my mind and I told my friends that we were all going to be arrested. My intuition proved to be right; some 200 of our friends from Koodankulam, Koottapuli, Chettikulam and Erode were arrested. Rayan and I and 13 others embarked on an indefinite hunger strike demanding our friends’ immediate and unconditional release.

 

The Superintendent of Police, Mr. Vijayendra Bidari, called me on my mobile on March 19^th evening and asked me to surrender. With him still on the phone, I asked the thousands of people who had gathered there for their permission to surrender and they all shouted down the idea. I asked the SP to send enough vehicles and two officers with the arrest warrants so that we all would get arrested en masse. He did not like that idea and hung up by saying, “This is the last time I speak to you.” We used to speak to each other quite often as I got his oral permission for all our rallies, campaigns and public meetings.

 

Ever since March 18^th, Rayan and I never left this small coastal village (except two short visits to the nearby Kuthenkuzhi village by sea). Thousands of people including women and children from all the neighboring villages were keeping a constant round-the-clock vigil to protect us from police action. The Tamil Nadu government imposed 144 prohibitory orders in our area and blocked our access to food, water, electricity and other essentials such as baby food, vegetables and fruits. Young mothers were forced to feed their babies sugar water; pregnant women could not go to hospital; and men could not leave or enter the village. We were surrounded by a massive deployment of police personnel from all over Tamil Nadu and paramilitary forces. We rightly called the situation another ‘Mullivaikal.’ Indeed, it was!

 

Pushparayan, Jesuraj and I are not afraid of police arrest or incarceration; we just do not want the struggle to be folded up by the Tamil Nadu police, the Government of India and its intelligence agencies. This is the reason why we have decided not to venture out of Idinthakarai. This self-exile has not been easy or smooth-going. But the singular achievement of our self-exile is keeping the struggle alive and active with several hunger strikes, public meetings, campaigns, planning meetings and other assorted activities.

 

So far, more than 300 false cases have been filed against us, the leaders of the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), and the struggling people of southern Tamil Nadu. Up until December 31, 2011 some 170 FIRs were filed against us. A friend tabulated these cases and had this to say: “Just between September and December 2011, …109 FIRs (First Investigation Report) have been filed against 55,795 people and an undisclosed number of "others." At least 21 sections of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) have been used, include Section 121 (Waging War against the Government of India) against 3600 people, and Section 124A (Sedition) against 3200 people. The Koodankulam police station has the dubious distinction, perhaps, of being the station where the largest number of "sedition" and "waging war" cases have been filed in the shortest time in the history of colonial and independent India.” Here is a partial list of cases that were filed against us just in October and November of 2011:

 

Cr. No. 299/11     D.O. 13.10.11

Sec. 121, 143, 188, 153(A), 341, 506(1), 505(1)(b) & 7(1)(a) CLA Act R/W 120(b)

S P. Udayakumar and 19 others (including 4 women)

 

Cr. No. 301/11     D.O. 14.10.11

Sec. 143, 147, 188 R/W 34

S. P. Udayakumar and 13 others (including one woman) as well as 2,000 people

 

Cr. No. 303/11     D.O. 14.10.11

Sec. 147, 148, 341, 294(b), 353, 506(ii) IPC R/W 34.

S. P. Udayakumar and 13 others (including one woman) as well as 1,000 people.

 

Cr. No. 304/11     D.O. 14.10.11

Sec. 147, 148, 452, 121, 506(I) IPC R/W 34 IPC

S. P. Udayakaumr and 2 others as well as 15 supporters.

 

Cr. No. 305/11     D.O. 14.10.11

Sec. 147, 148, 452, 121, 506(I) IPC R/W 34 IPC

S. P. Udayakumar and two others as well as many people.

 

Cr. No. 306/11     D.O. 14.10.11

Sec. 147, 148, 452, 121, 506(I) IPC R/W 34 IPC.

Allwyn and four others as well as many people.

 

Cr. No. 307/11     D.O. 14.10.11

Sec. 147, 148, 452, 121, 506(II) IPC R/W 34 IPC.

S. P. Udayakumar and three others as well as many.

 

Cr. No. 315/11     D.O. 15.10.11

Sec. 109, 121, 124 (A), 125, 143, 153(A), 341, 353, 505(1)(b), 506(i) IPC & Sec 3 of PDDL Act & 7(1)(a) CLA Act. R/W 120 IPC.

S. P. Udayakumar and 16 others (including 6 priests, 2 doctors, 2 women)

 

Cr. No. 316/11     D.O. 16.10.11

Sec. 147, 188, 353, 341 R/W 34 IPC.

S. P. Udayakumar and 13 others.

 

Cr. No. 372/11     D.O. 21.11.11

Sec. 121, 124A, 143, 153(A), 447, 505(1)(b) & 7(1)(a) CLA Act, 120(B).

S. P. Udayakumar and 14 others as well as 3,000 people.

 

Cr. No. 373/11     D.O. 21.11.11

Sec. 143, 188, 147, 124(A), 153(A)

S. P. Udayakumar and 19 others as well as 450 people.

 

As you can see, some of the above cases carry the charges of ‘sedition’ and ‘waging war against the Indian State’. But what is interesting is the fact that the Prime Minister of India, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the Tirunelveli District Collector, the Tirunelveli Superintendent of Police (SP) and many other officials have been meeting with us on a regular basis as the diary below establishes. The question here is if we are guilty of ‘sedition’ and of ‘waging war against the Indian State’ and so forth, don’t these officials become co-conspirators in our crimes and stand accused of abetting us, the dangerous criminals? Shouldn’t the same charges be brought against them also?

September 15, 2011

Tamil Nadu Ministers Mr. Chellapandian, Mr. Chenthur Pandian, Mr. Shanmuganathan, Mr. Nainar Nagendran, MLA, and Mr. Rajendran, MLA came along with the District Collector, Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Superintendent of Police (SP), Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) and a few other officials to Radhapuram to meet with the Struggle Committee members.

 

September 21, 2011

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu met with us in her office and passed a cabinet resolution the next day asking the central government to halt all the work until the fears and concerns of the local people were allayed. The Catholic Bishops of Kottar and Thoothukudi and the CSI Bishops of Tirunelvei and Thoothukudi and several other prominent citizens were with us. The CM talked to us for some 45 minutes.

 

October 7, 2011

A large delegation of the Struggle Committee members, the Catholic Bishops of Kottar and Thoothukudi and the CSI Bishops of Tirunelvei and Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu politicians, MPs and Tamil Nadu ministers met with the Prime Minister of India under the leadership of Tamil Nadu Finance Minister, Mr. O. Panneerselvam. Minister of State Mr. V. Narayanaswamy, Dr. Sreekumar Banerjee, the head of the Department of Atomic Energy, Dr. S. K. Jain, the head of the NPCIL, Mr. Shivsankar Menon, National Security Advisor, were also with us during the meeting.

 

October 10, 2011

Some of the Struggle Committee members had talks with the RDO and Additional Deputy SP (ADSP) from 12:30 to 3:00 PM; we insisted on their honoring the Tamil Nadu Cabinet resolution and stopping work at the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP).

 

October 20, 2011

Some of the Struggle Committee members met with Kerala Minister Mr. P. J. Joseph, Chief Minister Mr. Oomen Chandi, and the opposition leader Mr. V.S. Achuthanandan in their homes and/or offices.

 

November 1, 2011

Some of the Struggle Committee members were at the Collector’s office talking to the Collector from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm.

 

November 7, 2011

Some members of the Struggle Committee spent several hours talking to the Collector in his office.

 

November 8, 2011

M. Pushparayan and Mi. Pa. Jesuraj met with the Central Government’s Expert Group and held talks at the Collector’s office; the Collector and the SP also participated in the meeting.

 

November 16, 2011

Some of the Struggle Committee members met the SP in his office at 3:00 pm; then we met with the District Revenue Officer (DRO) and the Collector’s Personal Assistance (General) at the Collector Office.

 

November 18, 2011

In the second meeting of the team, M. Pushparayan and Mi. Pa. Jesuraj met with the Central Government’s Expert Group and held talks at the Collector’s office; the Collector and the SP also participated in the meeting.

 

November 30, 2011

Some of the Struggle Committee members went to the Collector’s office and met with the PA(G) at 5:00 pm; waited for the Collector who came only at 6:30 pm. Complained to him about more people entering the KKNPP, Dinamalar’s criminal activities, and the Tamil Nadu government’s slapping severe cases on us. He promised to look into all these issues and to send the RDO and the Deputy SP (DSP) to the KKNPP premises.

 

December 13, 2011

S. Sivasubramanian, Mi. Pa. Jesuraj, Muhilan and S. P. Udayakumar went to see the Collector at 5 PM. We had a long discussion with the Collector, the Planning Officer, RDO, ASP, one other official, and the PA(G) about the inflow of workers and vehicles into the KKNPP.

 

December 15, 2011

In the third meeting of the team, M. Pushparayan and Mi. Pa. Jesuraj met with the Central Government’s Expert Group and held talks at the Collector’s office; the Collector and the SP also participated in the meeting.

 

January 3, 2012

Some Struggle Committee members met the PA(G) at 5:30 pm as the Collector wasn’t there in his office. We gave him a memo for the Chief Minister.

 

January 6, 2012

Met with the ASP, ADSP and Inspectors of Koodankulam and Radhapuram police stations and discussed the people’s siege issue at length. The officials agreed to go and check the presence of workers at the KKNPP tomorrow.

 

January 12, 2012

Mi. Pa. Jesuraj, Muhilan and S. P. Udayakumar gave a memorandum to the BSNL officer at Radhapuram and the Tahsildar of Radhapuram. Then some of the Struggle Committee members went to Cheranmahadevi to meet the Sub-Collector, Ms. Rohini Ramdas Bidari at her office.

 

January 20, 2012

S. Sivasubramanian, Mi. Pa. Jesuraj, Muhilan and S. P. Udayakumar went to Tirunelveli to meet the SP and handed over a complaint about the Dinamalar newspaper. Then met with the PA(G) of Collector about the same issue. Later met with the Collector in his office and discussed about the Jan 31^st meeting.

 

January 31, 2012

The fourth meeting with the Central government’s Expert Group did not take place. As our car entered the compound and approached the main office, a small group of some 15 men (both Congress and Hindu Munnani thugs) came rushing towards our car and pelted stones and attacked the vehicle. We drove out of the Collector office compound and refused to participate in the talks. Talked to the press and left the scene. Police escort came and took us to the Muntradaippu police station; The SP also came and met us there. In the meantime, some 10,000 people had gathered in front of the KKNPP front gate. We rushed to Koodankulam and talked to the people for almost an hour and asked them to disperse peacefully. The DIG, SP, RDO and several hundred policemen were there at Koodankulam. Took some people to meet the DIG at the Koodankulam police station and had a dialogue with him. Took the injured women to Radhapuram govt. hospital for treatment and they were all admitted as in-patients.

 

February 18, 2012

People laid a siege in front of the KKNPP from 12 pm till 9 pm. The Tamil Nadu government’s expert panel visited the KKNPP site at around 5:30 pm. They were there for hardly an hour. We held talks with the DIG and the Collector at the Koodankulam police station with two demands: reducing the work force at KKNPP to 20 and the Tamil Nadu panel should come to our villages to meet with the people.

 

February 19, 2012

Some of the Struggle Committee members went to the Collectorate in the afternoon.  We had a long meeting with the team, Dr. Iniyan, Dr. M.R. Sreenivasan, Mr. Vijayaraghavan and Dr. Arivu Oli. The Collector, SP, DRO, RDO and PA(G) were also there.

 

February 29, 2012

We met the AIADMK MP Mr. Manoj Pandian as we were waiting to meet with the Chief Minister and talked to him about the struggle. M. Pushparayan, S. Sivasubramanian, Dr. R. Ramesh and S. P. Udayakumar met with the CM. She stood up, smiled and received us. I gave her some of my books. I spoke for some 15 minutes which she listened to very carefully and attentively. When I paused, she said, “Have you finished?” Then Dr. Ramesh spoke for 5 minutes and gave some of his reports. She said, “I’ll go through them carefully.” We thanked her and left.

 

More than 300 cases including ‘sedition’ and ‘waging war against the State’ charges and life in self exile in a remote coastal village without any mobility, family, access to health care, and other essentials of life make me remember the ‘Emergency’ and MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act) days. Yes, there is a silent emergency prevailing in India today. The State that accuses us of waging war against it is indeed waging a war against its own people. Also we have to ask what is seditious today in India. The Manmohan Singh government has scores of ministers who are accused of serious corruption and fraudulence charges but it is the common people like us who struggle for the safety and betterment of our people stand accused of sedition.

 

The Manmohan Singh government, the most controversial government independent India has ever had, has tried all kinds of dirty tricks to put down our struggle and the movement. They have been accusing us of receiving foreign money, acting at the behest of foreign powers, conspiring with the Catholic Church, conniving with opposition parties and so on. They have damaged my school, destroyed the poor little children’s library books, vandalized the children’s water taps, intimidated the family members, and indulged in all kinds of inhuman, devious and criminal behavior. The Indian government and the Department of Atomic Energy have refused to give any information to the public and are speaking half-truths, non-truths and complete nonsense just to mislead the country and enhance their own self interests.

 

Having exhausted all options to end opposition to the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant, the Government of India now plans to take a peek into all our minds and remove any fears with the help of psychiatrists from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore. The government is getting sicker and sillier. Besides the prevailing ‘silent emergency,’ there is also a telling emergency in the country, viz. we are stuck with a government that works for foreign governments, foreign corporations, foreign interests, and cannot for a second accept the simple fact that ‘Ordinary Indians’ can think through policy issues, take a stand on them, and stand up for their rights. We have got an emergency situation indeed.

 

S. P. Udayakumar is the Coordinator of People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) and the opinions expressed here are his own. For contact,spudayakumar@gmail.com.

Indian rupee symbol promotes Hindi. Should Tamils follow ?

Indian rupee symbol promotes Hindi. Should Tamils follow ?

The Indian Government accepted the symbol to represent the Rupee symbol. The credit goes to Mr. D Uday Kumar, an Indian citizen of Tamil origin who designed this symbol. It is said that the symbol is a combination of the Devnagari script and the Latin letter ‘R’. During the 2010 Union budget, the Finance Minister of India Mr. Pranab Mukherjee said that the proposed Indian Rupee sign would reflect and capture the Indian ethos and culture. This symbol was short listed from around 3331 responses. Guideline number 5 of the contest stated that “submitted symbols were required to be in the Indian National Language Script or a visual representation". Apparently this violates the Constitution of India as it does not specify any script as a ‘National language script’.

While the need of a currency symbol for a country like India to stand out in the global market is appreciated. What irks is that the symbol does not represent or capture the complete Indian ethos and culture. It has apparently ignored the South India particularly the Tamil culture which is often referred to as the ‘last surviving classical civilization’. It has on the other hand promoted the Devnagari script and the symbol in my opinion, fails to represent the diversity of India.

It may not be possible to make both ends meet however, it could have been possible to select an old or perhaps the oldest living Indian language which is Tamil. It appears that the Union Government has taken the states into confidence without approaching the state government for its comment while introducing the new rupee symbol which is unacceptable in a federal set up. Recognizing a language or civilization based on its antiquity in my opinion would only enhance India’s image. Indian Government’s various initiatives to thrust Hindi on Tamil Nadu could actually lead to a loss of a treasure. Today Hindi in Tamil Nadu could be seen in the form of an anglicised version for instance :‘Jiyo life bindaas’. On one hand, there is a civilization that is trying to preserve its identity, culture, language and tradition and on the other hand, we have not just Government but also people trying to promote Hindi in the pretext of ‘National language’.

I think, the Tamils of Tamil Nadu must learn from the Mauritius Tamils where Tamil numbering is used in the currency. It is time to revive our own language and learn the missed lessons and encourage the use of Tamil where ever possible within Tamil Nadu and Puducherry including the currency notes. If the Government intends to use a language as a medium of expression to reach out to the common mass, then I would want to see it in my mother tongue when I am in my home state, Tamil Nadu. Perhaps it would be a nice idea to use ௹ symbol in Tamil Nadu to represent the Indian rupee as my concerns are that the next generation could mistake it for a non-existing Tamil letter from the 10th century!

I welcome your comments.

Vignesh Raj

United Kingdom

e-mail: vickey_24@yahoo.com

Conjoined twin sisters set to get separated by surgery.

Madhya Pradesh: They were born into a poor family in Betul in Madhya Pradesh. Their father, a farmer with barely two acres of land and their mother, abandoned them immediately in the hospital where they were born, unable to figure out how to treat their twin daughters, who were joined at the chest.

The girls were named by the doctors who run the hospital in Betul located 200 kilometres from Bhopal. For the last 11 months, the ward where they lie in a single bed in Padhar Hospital has been home for Aradhana and Stuti. The babies have been looked after by the nurses and doctors here. Later this month, they will go through a major operation that will hopefully separate them, and allow them to really enter the world.

This historic operation is about to take place tomorrow while millions of people pray for a successful surgery.

Serious safety concerns. Anti- Nuclear activists demand to halt Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project

Anti- Nuclear activists demand to halt Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project. In a letter they sent to the Atomic Regulatory Board , anti-nuke activists demanded to stop the Koodankulam power project immediately for safety concerns.

The letter states...

From,

The People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) Idinthakarai & P.O - 627 104 Tirunelveli District Tamil Nadu koodankulam@yahoo.com

To,

The Chairman Atomic Energy Regulatory Board

Niyamak Bhavan

Anushaktinagar

Mumbai 400 094

Dear Sir: Greetings!

We, the members of the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy and people of southern districts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, write to demand immediate halt of the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) at Koodankulam in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, and a thorough scrutiny of the following issues before AERB (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board) gives a green signal to the commissioning of the Koodankulam project.

The KKNPP reactors from Russia are being set up without sharing the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Site Evaluation Study and Safety Analysis Report with the people, people’s representatives or the press. After a 23-year-long struggle, we obtained a copy of the outdated, incomplete and erroneous EIA only a few months back. No public hearing has been conducted for the first two reactors either.

The KKNPP project has been imposed on an uninformed and unwilling population throwing all democratic precepts and values of our country to the wind. The Central Information Commissioner (CIC) has ordered “to provide an attested photocopy of the Safety Analysis Report and Site Evaluation Report after severing any proprietary details of designs provided by the suppliers to the appellant before 25 May, 2012.”

But the NPCIL refuses to share these two public safety reports by arguing that the Safety Analysis Report (SAR) “is a ‘third party document’ and therefore, without the prior consent of the third party, the same cannot be shared with anyone.” Obviously, the NPCIL is more interested in the safety of the Russian company and the Russian benefactors but not in the safety of the people of India. NPCIL has informed the CIC in their recent letter dated May 18, 2012 that “the ‘Site Evaluation Report’ for Reactor I & II at Koodankulam could be made available to the Appellant.

Accordingly, a copy of the said ‘Site Evaluation Report’ has been sent to the Appellant.” On May 17, 2012 we received a letter and a bunch of 12 lose papers without any head or tail as the ‘Site Evaluation Report.’ When we questioned the validity and integrity of this so called SER, Dr. S. K. Jain, the chief of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL), claimed that it was the executive summary and not the whole report.

The KKNPP and the NPCIL officials have not conducted any mock drills and evacuation drills in the 30 km or even the 16 km radius of the project.

On June 9, 2012, the Tirunelveli district administration and the NPCIL officials conducted a haphazard safety drill in a remote hamlet called Nakkaneri of hardly 300 people and claimed that the mock drill was a great success. If we organize fire drills in all the schools and movie theatres all over the country, should we not conduct nuclear safety drills in all villages and towns in the project area?

More than 1.5 million people live within the 30 km radius of the KKNPP which far exceeds the AERB stipulations. It is quite impossible to evacuate this many people quickly and efficiently in case of a nuclear disaster at KKNPP. According to AERB instructions of 1998, the Koodankulam project requires two sources of water from the reservoirs of Pechiparai and Upper Kodayar in Kanyakumari district to ensure adequate supply in the event of a loss-of-coolant accident. Since water from Pechiparai and Kodyar is ruled out, four desalination units, each producing 106,000 litres of water an hour, are provided for the first two units of KKNPP. The desalination plants that are close to each other and vulnerable to accidents and terror attacks cannot be the reliable sources of fresh water.

However, the Site Evaluation Report clarifies that Pechiparai dam water will be taken for the KKNPP reactors. There are so many conflicting and contradictory reports about the fresh water needs of KKNPP and its fulfillment. The issue of liability for the Russian plants has also not been settled yet. Defying the Indian nuclear liability law, Russia insists that the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA), secretly signed in 2008 by the Indian and Russian governments, precedes the liability law and that Article 13 of the IGA clearly establishes that NPCIL is solely responsible for all claims of damage.

If the Russian reactors are the best in the world, as claimed by Russians, why do they refuse to offer any liability? Most importantly, the VVER reactor under commissioning at Koodankulam nuclear power project differs from the one featured in the inter-governmental agreement between Russia and India. According to documents published in 2006, there was no weld on the beltline (middle portion) of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV).

NowAERB says that there are two welds on the beltline of the RPV installed at KKNPP. This is a breach of the contract by the supplier in Russia. NPCIL officers who have known this are guilty of installing an unsafe machine with high risk of RPV failure leading to offsite radiological contamination besides causing financial loss to the company in case of premature retirement of the reactors.

By consenting to its erection, AERB has also reneged on its responsibilities. If the reactor is hot-commissioned, it will be virtually impossible to subject the vessel to a detailed inspection. This will lead to destruction of evidences of the crimes.

From a safety perspective, the IAEA-mandated study of pressurized thermal shock (PTS) has to be done before commissioning the reactors at Kudankulam.

The people of Tamil Nadu and Kerala are deeply concerned about our safety and wellbeing as the KKNPP reactors pose grave and serious threats. The actual siting of the reactors, the quality of construction and the pipe work and the overall integrity of the KKNPP structures have been called into question by the very workers and contractors who work there in Koodankulam.

Our own Expert Team has identified several serious safety issues with regards to the geology, hydrology, oceanography and seismology issues of the KKNPP project such as Karst, geysers and sub-volcanic intrusions in our locality; slumps in our sea and possible tsunamis; recurrent huge earthquakes in the Indian Ocean and so forth.

Our Expert Team’s findings and our long struggle against the KKNPP are completely ignored by the concerned authorities and the governments ignoring our safety and wellbeing completely. In the light of the above situation, we would very much like to request you to intervene in the KKNPP matter, halt its commissioning immediately and order a thorough enquiry into all of the above issues.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon, we send you our best regards and all peaceful wishes.

Cordially,

S.P.Udayakuamr, Ph.D.

M. Pushparayan

M. P. Jesuraj

Fr. F. Jayakumar

Coordinator

Why Tamils simply cannot accept Hindi imposition?

We have now completed 65 years of Independence. A cartoon which claims it depicts the Anti- Hindi agitation has shaken the whole country and the Tamil community world over.

It may well be that Hindi is spoken by over 40% of the Indians but that is not a good reason for a democratic government to impose the language in any form (directly or indirectly) in a region like Tamil Nadu which has existed thousands of years with Tamil as the language.

Had the Tamils not agitated in 1965 against the imposition of Hindi, India might have lost English today.

The problem with Tamils and Tamil Nadu is not with the language Hindi, but with its imposition. The myth of Hindi is the National language is still prevailing in many parts of the country. Today, Hindi imposition in Tamil Nadu continues in many forms.

I remember a time when I could see ‘Paasi paruppu’ written in English or Tamil. Today, I could see it as ‘Moong Daal’. What has Moong daal and Toor daal got to do in a place where it is not understood by over 98%?

If I were to go by the 2001 statistics, Hindi is spoken by around 0.30% of the people in Tamil Nadu. Perhaps the most disgusting and ridiculous factor is trying to satisfy the 0.30% of the population in the name of ‘National language’.

I remember seeing a notice board in TN airport which says ‘We feel happy when you speak Hindi. Think, speak and write in Rajbhasha Hindi’.

My question is the necessity to promote Hindi in TN when the Union Government has clearly specified in its department of official languages states “In exercise of the powers conferred by section 8, read with sub-section(4) of section 3 of the Official Languages Act, 1963 (19 of 1963), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules, namely

1. Short title, extent and commencement -

(i) These rules may be called the Official Languages (Use for Official Purposes of the Union) Rules, 1976.

(ii) They shall extend to the whole of India, except the State of Tamilnadu.

(iii) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

My concern is not just ignoring the passion and love of the Tamils for their mother tongue and their Tamil identity but also mocking at them.

India is a beautiful country with diverse ethnicity and cultures. In my opinion, it is not hard to accept them as they are. Promoting Hindi and other languages in a region where it shouldn’t be particularly in Tamil Nadu could have adverse consequences.

I wish to reiterate that India has no National language and Tamil is the only official language of Tamil Nadu.The imposition of Hindi in Tamil Nadu is already sorted as the rule clearly exempts Tamil Nadu.

It is up to the leaders of Tamil Nadu to ensure that the rule is fully implemented in the state. I welcome readers point of view. Please feel free to e-mail your comments to me in either Tamil or English.

Long live classical Divine Tamil!

- Raj Vignesh (United Kingdom)

email: vickey_24@yahoo.com

The American reggae band ‘Big Mountain’ boycotts Sri Lanka musical tour. Upholds justice.

The American reggae band ‘Big Mountain’ have refused an invitation to perform at a reggae festival in Sri Lanka, citing concerns over “systemic violence” towards “indigenous populations” in the country.

The band stated that whilst they were keen to spread their message of peace, a performance in the country at such a time would serve to “gloss over or legitimate” their concerns of violence that transpired during the war in the country.

In a statement published on their Facebook site yesterday, the group said: "We are declining this invitation, however, due to our concern with the violence that has transpired there as of late and that has been described as part of Sri Lanka’s “civil war.”

"Whilst we would be honored to help convey a message of peace and reconciliation, we also feel that to play a concert of this type, at this moment in time, would help to gloss over or legitimate conditions of systemic violence that have transpired in that region and towards indigenous populations in particular."

See the full statement released by lead vocalist Joaquin Quino McWhinney below.

The name of our band, Big Mountain, derives from a struggle that pitted two Native American communities against one another in a struggle over a sacred piece of land. That struggle was being manipulated by a large and powerful mining corporation in search of profit and at the expense of all native peoples of the region. Troubled by that manipulation and inspired by the struggles of our own Native American ancestors to resist the oppression of European colonizers and wealthy corporations, we recorded a song of the same name and that contained the chorus of “on top of Big Mountain, there is no room for Babylon.”

By that, we meant that there is another way, a de-colonial ethic, a way to live that is not entangled within the perpetual war, violence, exploitation, and environmental degradation that was introduced in the western hemisphere by European colonizers. We were recently invited to perform songs like Big Mountain at a reggae festival in Sri Lanka.

We were encouraged by this invitation as it provided yet another opportunity for us to share our de-colonial message with our brothers and sisters in humanity.

We are declining this invitation, however, due to our concern with the violence that has transpired there as of late and that has been described as part of Sri Lanka’s “civil war.” Whilst we would be honored to help convey a message of peace and reconciliation, we also feel that to play a concert of this type, at this moment in time, would help to gloss over or legitimate conditions of systemic violence that have transpired in that region and towards indigenous populations in particular.

Joaquin Quino McWhinney Lead Vocalist for Big Mountain

Facebook Link - Big Mountain

https://www.facebook.com/rebelinkgroup

Sonia silently flies to the US and will be back in a week

Reports released from New Delhi has confirmed that Congress President Sonia Gandhi flew out to the US on Tuesday night. Sonia will be back in the country next week on Tuesday in time for the announcement of the Presidential polls.

However the purpose of her visit is unknown. Sonia had gone to the US in August 2011 for a medical treatment. It is widely rumoured that Sonia is suffering from cancer and she visits US for periodical treatment.

Cash rich Anand receives Rs 2 crore gift cheque from Jayalalitha

Another feather has been added to the crown of Vishwananthan Anand as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has honoured Anand with whopping 2 crore rupees gift and also a recommendation for Bharat Ratna.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Wednesday presented a cheque for Rs 2 crore to Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand for winning the World Chess Championship crown for the fifth time.

The Chief Minister had earlier sent a letter to Anand saying that he had brought laurels both to Tamil Nadu and India and announced a reward of Rs 2 crore.

Thanking Ms. Jayalalithaa for the cash reward, Anand also backed the idea of corporate support for chess, saying it will help the sport. Ms. Jayalalithaa had recently said that Anand deserves Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award as asked the centre to consider giving Bharat Ratna to Anand.

Anand defeated challenger Boris Gelfand of Israel in a tense rapid chess tie-breaker to win the World Championship crown for the fourth time in a row in Moscow on May 30. The state government has brought out a booklet in honour of Anand, called as Vishy Anand, detailing his achievements from 1986 to 2012. The information material, published by Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT), termed him as the “Pride of Chennai -- The Greatest Chess Player”, and praised him for bringing an “Anand Wave” to inspire more Indians take to the game.

However some activists of Tamil Nadu have questioned why only Anand is honoured by the Chief Minister while Ilavazhagi, world carrom champion has been ignored throughout. Ilavazhagi is still not recognised by the government properly. She is just managing to run her livelihood with a job in a college.

It is to be noted that Anand lives in sheer luxury and mostly he spends his time in Spain. Now this 2 crore gift cheque is just an incentive to cash rich Anand.

Tamil Eelam makes history. Wins first international football match

Tamil Eelam won its first international football match at VIVA 2012 World Cup against Raetia this morning, with an outstanding hat-trick by Menan Nagulendran (59', 67', 71') and a fourth goal by Rosh Sri (79'). Tamil Eelam fans in the stadium went wild with celebrations as the goals just kept on coming. Speaking after the match, Menan dedicated his hat-trick - the first goal to the Maaveerar of the Eelam Tamil nation, the second goal to the victims of genocide and oppression in the North-East and the final goal to all the fans.

The Tamileelam F.A (TEFA) social media sites were reported to have almose ground to a halt shortly after the final match results were announced, as the sites became overwhelmed with congratulatory messages from fans who had woken up early, or stayed up through out the night to read the live commentary on TEFA's Facebook and Twitter sites.

Disabling the Aishwarya Dhanush next film for the job.

After winning accolades and some brickbats for her maiden directorial venture 3, Aishwarya R Dhanush, dasughter of Super Star Rajnikanth is all set to kickstart her next venture soon.

Says Aishwarya, 'am working on the script. Hope to start by end of this year.'

I want to put 100 percent as writer and director to ensure that the film turns out to be better than my previous one.

I don’t let the director in me overshadow the writer in me and vice versa, when I start directing the film, she says.

3 was recently screened at the International Indian Film Festival in New York.

Tamil girl holds banner to the visiting Indian Prime Minister in Myanmar. Asks for justice.

Tamil girl holds banner to the visiting Indian Prime Minister in Myanmar. Asks for justice.

Saratha Muthuraamalingam who is a Tamil descendant in Burma decided to hold a banner on the route of visiting Indian Prime Minister in Burma . On behalf of Burma (Myanmar) Tamils , Saratha appealed to the Indian Prime Minister that ,

1. Separate Tamil Eelam is the only solution for the ailing Tamils in the island ,

2. War criminals of Sri Lanka must be punished .

3. Rajiv Assasination convicts Perarivaalan, Murugan, Santhan, Nalini who have already undergone 20 years of imprisonment must be released. These people are not directly connected with Rajiv's murder These were the appeals from the Tamils of Burma the message stated.

Of course world Tamils are also wishing the same.