The Hindu : Reporter's Diary

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 02, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

Reporter's Diary

The nationwide campaign that Government organised for issuing birth certificates to all children below nine years was a success in Tiruchi district.

The ignorance of the people, especially those in rural areas, of the importance of birth certificates, prompted the Government to launch the campaign. Special camps were held in panchayats, panchayat unions, municipalities and Corporations for identifying the children in this age group, and issue them the birth certificates.

Special teams were pressed into service to collect details from all hospitals and primary health centres on the birth of children in the last nine years. The children were placed in three categories — those below three years, those aged between three and five and those aged between five to nine — to felicitate the smooth distribution of the certificates.

According to the Collector, K. Manivasan, a total of 4,12,834 children below nine years were identified. The certificates were distributed to 3,22,572 children so far, and efforts were on to cover the rest, he added.

* * *

The recent death of the noted economist and former Principal of the St. Joseph's College, Rev. M. Sebastian, has created a void in the academic circle of Tiruchi.

Dr. Sebastian was the founder president of the Economists of Tamil Nadu and Editor of Peninsular Economists. He authored three books, and published many research papers on rural economy in relation to agricultural technology in the State. After retirement, he served as Director, Department of Sociology, Loyola College, Chennai. He was instrumental in organising the 57th annual conference of the All India Economic Association in 1973. He also wrote many articles for the Tamil encyclopaedia prepared by the Tamil University, Thanjavur, and was a member of the Board of Studies and Examinations of many universities all over the country. Rev. Sebastian was the recipient of the `Rashtriya Ratan Award' given to an outstanding economist.

* * *

The poster and photo exhibition organised in Tiruchi recently by the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), affiliated to the CPI(ML), helped the people, especially the youth, learn more about various struggles launched by the working class world over to protect its rights. The exhibition on the topic, `History of capitalism and struggle of workers,' was held in connection with the AICCTU's State-level workshop. Over 100 posters depicting the role played by workers in the country's freedom struggle, the details of French, Russian and Chinese Revolutions, Cuba's achievements in different fields in the face of the challenges posed by the capitalist countries were displayed at the exhibition. The posters explaining some of the struggles launched by the AICCTU for protecting the workers' rights in the State were the cynosure of all eyes.

K. G. Desikan, district in-charge of the AICCTU, said the posters were prepared by members of the education committee of the CPI(ML) based in Chennai. The AICCTU planned to hold similar exhibitions in other districts.

* * *

The ordeal of passengers travelling between Tiruchi and Namakkal will come to an end soon. The road stretch is getting back to shape sparing the commuters of a painful journey.

Lorries transporting sand quarried from various sites on the Cauvery riverbed had turned the State Highway into a cross-country driveway over the years. The Highways Department simply contributed to the cause of destruction by scarcely undertaking any maintenance work worth the name for several months. Decadence had set in to the extent that the travellers avoided the Musiri, Thottiam route and preferred to take the circuitous Kulithalai route. Even the crew of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation buses plying the sector had lodged complaints with their higher ups about the condition of the road.

But the Highways Department has now consigned those miseries to the bitter past by improving the whole stretch between Musiri and Namakkal, except in some patches where the restoration work is under way. The ban on sand quarrying has come in handy and the commuters are now able to undertake the journey with lesser hassles.

* * *

Pappu Periyanayagam, Professor of English, J.J.College of Engineering and Technology, Ammapet, Tiruchi, has penned a book called `Effective Study Methods.'

Palany Arangasamy, Professor of English, Periyar Maniammai College of Engineering and Technology, Vallam, who reviewed the book, described it as a treasure trove for the student and teaching community.

Dr. Pappu Periyanayagam has focussed on the art of reading, facing competitive examinations and improving learning skills.

The book was released by the Chairman of the J.J. College of Engineering, P. Selvaraj, at a function held in Tiruchi city recently and the first copy was received by the Deputy Commissioner of Commercial Taxes, R. Venkatachalapathy.

* * *

God's creations never go waste. On Sunday a section of farmers dumped paddy into the Bay of Bengal near the Danish Fort at Tranquebar, demanding relaxation of procurement norms. The demonstration was organised by the Nagapattinam District Farmers' Welfare Protection Association, to highlight the difficulties faced by farmers in measuring the harvested paddy at direct procurement centres opened by the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC), under the decentralised procurement system.

As they moved away, fisherwomen thronged the place with small dragnets and scooped out the grains that were washed ashore. On seeing this, a farmer questioned a lady for what purpose they were collecting the grains that were rejected by the TNCSC. "We will use it to feed our poultry," she replied.

The astonished farmer was heard saying to his friend that why this idea had not struck the minds of the TNCSC officials who were rejecting the paddy, citing the Food Corporation of India norms. "They can purchase the paddy at a rate of Rs. 550 a quintal and convert it into poultry or cattle feed, which is sold in the open market at Rs. 750 a quintal," he pointed out.

* * *

(Contributions from Syed

Muthahar, L. Renganathan and

M. Balaganessin in Tiruchi, and

V. Venkatasubramaninan

in Nagapattinam)

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