TN This Week:Vattaikaran Tribe Demands Restoration of ST Status

The Tamil Nadu Vattaikaran Tribal People’s Association (TNVTPA), affiliated to Tamil Nadu Tribal People’s Association (TNTPA), demanded the restoration of the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status of 1954 on February 7.

The police denied permission to the All India Kisan Sabha’s (AIKS) call to burn copies of the Union Budget and hold protests over the reduced the allocated to rural development on February 11.

The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchiorganised screening of the controversial BBC documentary India: The Modi Question dubbed in Tamil in Chennai on February 5.

A stampede for collecting tokens for free veshties and sarees offered by a businessman in Vaniyambadi resulted in the death of four women on February 4.

Chief minister MK Stalin urged the Union government on February 7 to provide an additional chance to Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) aspirants who have exhausted their attempts during the pandemic.

A paper published by a researcher at Ashoka University’s Centre for Economic Data and Analysis (CEDA) revealed that of the 1.6 million women workers across India, 0.68 million (43%) are working in Tamil Nadu factories alone.

Prices of raw materials, which had decreased by 20%, have once again spiralled to previous rates, causing distress to MSMEs.

Although residents of Parandur and other villages are protesting the plan of constructing of a greenfield airport, the deadline for tender has been extended by the Tamil Nadu government to rope in more contractors.

A carcass of a dog was found inside an overhead water tank supplying drinking water to the residents of Pudukkottai panchayat, near Sivakasi, in Virudhunagar district on February 6. The incident comes two months after human faeces was found in a drinking water tank in Pudukottai.

Around 129 students from a Panchayat Union school in Anthiyur, Erode district, were hospitalised for nausea and stomach ache after eating the school meal on February 3.

A 47-year-old man died of asphyxiation while cleaning a septic tank of an apartment in Karapakkam, Chennai, on February 8.

Newsclick brings you a round-up of the happenings across Tamil Nadu this week

VETTAIKARAN TRIBE DEMANDS ST STATUS

The TNVTPA, affiliated to TNTPA, held a large demonstration in Chennai on February 7 demanding the restoration of the ST status of 1954. It is currently is categorised as a denotified community.

FARMERS DENIED PERMISSION CONDEMNING UNION BUDGET

The police denied permission to the IAKS to burn copies of the Union Budget and hold protests on February 11. The allocation for rural employment, which was Rs1,53,525.41 crore in the Revised Estimates (RE) of 2022-23 has been drastically cut to Rs1,01,474.51 crore in the Budget Estimates (BE). Besides, allocation for MGNREGA has been cut from Rs89,000 crores in the 2022-23 RE to merely Rs60,000 crore in the 2023-24 BE, according to AIKS.

Condemning the budget’s insensitivity towards the differently-abled people, the Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers held protests in several parts of the state on February 7. The Centre has reduced the budget allocated for the differently abled by Rs 90 crore compared to last year.

HEALTHVOLUNTEERS THRONG CHENNAI

Tamil Nadu’s Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam health scheme volunteers held a large rally and demonstration in Chennai on February 8 demanding regularisationof their jobs and increase in pay. Read more

LOCAL WORKERS PROTEST EMPLOYING OUTISDERS

Members from construction unions staged a protest in Thanjavur on February 9 claiming that the ‘invasion’ of north Indian labourers has left them unemployed and demanded to give priority to local workers.

PERMIT FOR BEEF SHOPS

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front protested at the Puliambatti Municipal office, in Erode, on February 9 demanding permit for beef shops. The municipality has refused permission to run beef shops, which have been doing business for the last 50 years.

RELIEF FOR CROP DAMAGE

Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on February 6 announced a relief package, for farmers of the delta and other districts affected by the recent unseasonal rain. Those who suffered a crop loss of 33% or more would be granted a compensation of Rs 20,000 per hectare.

Stalin had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 5 requesting relaxation in procurement norms.

ERODE (EAST) BY-POLL

The final list of candidates for the Erode (East) Assembly by-poll was announced on February 10. A total of 77 candidates are in the fray for the February 27 by-election.

The Election Commission of India has approved the ‘two leaves’ symbol of the AIADMK in what seemed to be a mild victory for the Edappadi K Palaniswami faction.

Meanwhile, the AIADMK splinter group led by expelled leader O Panneerselvam opted out of the contest and decided to campaign for the two leaves symbol.

VICTORIA GOWRI TAKES OATH

Amidst protests from a section of advocates of the Madras High Court and the hearing of petition against lawyer L. Victoria Gowri’s appointment in the Supreme Court, she took oath as an additional judge of the court on February 7.

The appointment was opposed on grounds of her close association with the BJP and expressing strong opinions on religious minorities.

On February 9, Trinamool Congress MP Jawhar Sircar asked the government in the Rajya Sabha if the appointment was an “appropriate one”.