TN This Week: City Corp Evicts Fishers Following Court Order, State Intervenes After Protests

After a long legal battle for control over the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Edappadi K Palaniswami tasted a major victory on Thursday. The Election Commission of India accepted the amended bylaws of the AIADMK and his election as party general secretary.

The sweltering heat has gripped Tamil Nadu and the state's peak power demand crossed 19,000 megawatts, the highest in recorded history. On Thursday, the maximum power consumption was 42.37 crore units for the first time.

Nearly a week after a massive fire broke out in the hilly forest terrain in Coimbatore outskirts on April 11, the forest department brought the fire under control through its sustained efforts.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) held rallies across Tamil Nadu on Sunday. The Coimbatore city police on Monday booked RSS functionaries for violations during the route march. Although permission was granted only for the route march, the RSS functionaries organised a performance of martial arts.

A second-year B Tech Chemical Engineering student of IIT-Madras was found dead in his hostel room on Friday. The suspected suicide marks the fourth such case at the institute.

NewsClick brings you a round-up of the happenings in the past week in Tamil Nadu.

ON ASSEMBLY SESSION

The main opposition AIADMK on Tuesday demanded in the Tamil Nadu Assembly that the speeches of Leader of Opposition K Palaniswami be telecast live. Speaker M Appavu said the matter could be discussed after taking into consideration the technical aspects.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution moved by Chief Minister M K Stalin, urging the Union government to amend the Constitution to extend statutory protection, rights, and concessions, including reservations, to members of Scheduled Castes who have converted to Christianity.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has backed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin’s ‘time limit for Governors to act on Bills’ pitch and suggested a meeting of chief ministers of non-BJP ruled States to decide the course of action.

DMK RESPONDS LEGALLY ON ‘DMK FILES’

The DMK has issued a legal notice to BJP state chief K Annamalai demanding an apology and a compensation of 500 crores for 'defaming' chief minister M K Stalin, his family members and party leaders in the “DMK Files”, an alleged assets and graft list of DMK leaders.

Additionally, Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin sued Annamalai for the “infringement of privacy” of his children. He slapped a legal notice seeking damages of Rs 50 crore.

Moreover, DMK parliamentary party leader TR Baalu on Thursday sent a defamation notice to Annamalai demanding an “unconditional public apology” for the allegations made against him. He insisted that the ‘DMK Files’ video be removed from social media and websites. The minister also claimed Rs 100 crore for the damages.

PROTESTS & MOVEMENTS

PROTEST AGAINST EVICTION

On April 12, the Greater Chennai Corporation removed 55 fish stalls from Loop Road after the high court's direction to ensure that the shops do not encroach on the road. Hundreds of fishermen, with black flags tied on the boats in Nochikuppam, staged a protest for six consecutive days, till Wednesday, against the Court order.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly called special attention to the issue and the government informed on Wednesday that the fishers’ livelihood would be safeguarded.

AGAINST CASTE ‘HONOUR’ KILLINGS

On behalf of the Tamil Nadu Abolition of Untouchability Front, a protest demonstration was held across Tamil Nadu demanding a separate law to prevent caste-related killings in the name of honour.

AGAINST PROPOSED FACTORIES ACT

The CITU held protests in district headquarters on different days this week, opposing the draft Factories Act proposed by the DMK government. The union alleged that flexible work hours would benefit the industrialists and workers would be exploited. Read more

Amid the stiff opposition from the political parties, including allies of the ruling DMK, the State government passed a Bill to amend the Factories Act, 1948 on Friday. It inserted a provision to empower the government to exempt any factory or group of factories from certain provisions dealing with the working hours of workers and wages.

TASMAC STAFF

The staff of TASMAC outlets in Thanjore held a protest on Wednesday against the ‘Karur gang’, a group of middlemen, who allegedly threatened the staff to overcharge for bottles and raise a daily commission. Read more

ANGANWADI WORKERS

The Anganwadi workers and helpers in Tamil Nadu held a statewide protest seeking urgent attention from the state government towards their long pending demands including recognition as government employees with time scale pay, filling vacancies, assured pension and a hike in the lump sum provided on retirement. Read more

MSME POSTPONE STRIKE

Tamil Nadu Small and Tiny Industries Association (TANSTIA) and Federation of Coimbatore Industrial Association (FOCIA) on Wednesday decided to postpone their protest against high fixed electricity charges for Micro, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (MSMEs). Minister for Rural Industries, Cottage Industries, and Small Industries T M Anbarasan and Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji discussed the demands with TANSIA and spoke to the relevant authorities.