The Hindu : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 01, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Briefly

`Naagar' idol for Bangalore

By Our Staff Reporter

KANCHEEPURAM MARCH 31. A 15-foot tall monolithic idol of the seven-hooded `Naagar' (Serpent God) was sent today from here to Bangalore for installing it at the Subrahmanya Kshethra temple there. Kanchi acharyas Jayendra Saraswati and Vijayendra Saraswati performed pooja before being loaded in a truck this morning. Vijayendra Saraswati performed milk abhishekam.

The idol, a seven-hooded serpent rested in a spiral posture and weighing 30 tonnes was sculpted by S.M. Ganapathi Sthapathi of Kancheepuram from a single black granite stone brought from Sankarapuram quarry near Chengalpattu. The idol is said to be the tallest in the world.

Centenary fete celebrated

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI MARCH 31. The birth centenary of the late K. Chandrasekaran, advocate, and former vice- president of the Music Academy and Kalakshetra, was celebrated here last week.

A former Judge of the Supreme Court, S. Mohan, who released a commemoration volume, said Chandrasekaran, an illustrious son of the late V. Krishnaswami Iyer (founder of the Madras Sanskrit College, the Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute and the Venkataramana Ayurveda College), had contacts with Rajaji and former Chief Justice, P.V. Rajamannar. He had edited Indian Law reports and reported important judgments, after studying them deeply, bringing out the salient legal points.

Danseuse Padma Subrahmanyam spoke about Chandrasekaran's intimate knowledge of Bharathanatyam. Mrs. Y.G. Parthasarathy, sanskrit scholar K.T. Pandurangi, Tamil writer, R. Venkataraman, and Chandrasekaran's grand daughter, Daya Balu, paid tributes.

Agriculture official found dead

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE MARCH 31. The Joint Director of Agriculture, Singaravelu, was found dead this morning in the guesthouse situated above his office at the Thadagam Road-Marudamalai Road junction here. He was to retire from service today.

According to the police, the employees on the ground floor office of the department went to the guesthouse to find out why he had not reported for duty this morning.

After finding no response in spite of knocking at the door, they informed the Saibaba Colony police. The door was broken open and Singaravelu's body was found lying near the toilet.

Temporary stoppage extended

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI MARCH 31. Temporary stoppages provided for the following trains at the respective stations will be extended up to May 31, 2004. Train no 2679/2680 Chennai Central- Coimbatore- Chennai Central Inter-city Expresses will stop at Arakkonam, train no 6089 Chennai Central-Jolarpettai Yelagiri Express at Melpatti, train no 6022 Bangalore City- Chennai Central week-end Express at Perambur and train no 7243/7244 Chennai Central - Kakinada-Chennai Expresses at Gummudipundi.

Hindu Munnani activists held

By Our Staff Reporter

ERODE MARCH 31. The Erode town police arrested 14 Hindu Munnani volunteers this afternoon when they attempted to enter a playground and cook Pongal.

The volunteers said the three-and-a-half-acre Churh of South India (CSI) playground, located in the heart of the town, belonged to the Government. But the CSI authorities were conducting prayer meetings.

The volunteers said Hindus too have the right to perform pooja. So they planned to cook Pongal inside the ground to mark the Mariamman festival. Meanwhile, the CSI authorities are claiming that the land belonged to them.

267 kg ganja seized

By Our Staff Reporter

ERODE MARCH 31. The police this morning seized 267 kg of ganja from a house here and arrested a woman.

The ganja was kept in eight gunny bags. The police said Santhy (34) was allegedly buying ganja from Andhra Pradesh and northern States and selling it from her rented house.

Attention Tamil Nadu desk Please ignore the earlier story on "Woman commits suicide..." and replace it with the following revised one. Thanks, Regards - AVR

27 students taken il

By Our Staff Reporter

Thanjavur MARCH 31. Twentyseven students and a teacher of a school at Munnar in Kerala were admitted to the Rajah Mirasudhar Government Hospital here on Tuesday as they started vomiting allegedly due to food poisoning.

The students, from fifth to eighth standard, were on a tour to Vailankanni. They arrived at Thanjavur on Tuesday morning. They visited Saraswathi Mahal Library and Art gallery.

After treatment they were discharged today at 11 a.m.

30 child workers rescued

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE MARCH 31. As many as 30 child workers were rescued from different parts of the city during raids conducted jointly by the Kovai Child Labour Abolition Support Society (Kovai CLASS) and the Revenue Department.

Raids were conducted at brick kilns at Kanuvai, Chinna Thadagam, Periya Thadagam and 24 Veerapandi areas and child workers were rescued.

Parents of these children were migrants from other districts working in these kilns. Action had been initiated against the employers and efforts taken to enrol the rescued children in the special centres run by the Kovai CLASS, says an official release.

Road roko over woman's suicide By Our Special Correspondent

CUDDALORE, MARCH 31. The suicide by a 32-year-old woman of Nanja Mugathu Vazhkkai at Killai near Chidambaram, after her alleged interrogation in a police station yesterday, created tension in the village.

About 300 villagers, majority of them women, gathered in front of the Chidambaram government hospital, where the post-mortem was done, and alleged that ill treatment meted out by the police had driven Santhi to commit suicide.

They staged a road roko, urging the authorities to take action against the policemen. The police resorted to a mild lathicharge to disperse them.

By that time, the Sub-Collector, Rajendra Ratnu, and the Tahsildar, Rajasundaram, reached the spot to pacify the agitated people. They assured the people that suitable action would be taken within three days, after which, the people dispersed.

It is said the personnel of the enforcement wing had gone to Santhi's house on Tuesday, looking for her husband, Shanmugham (35), who was said to be involved in illicit arrack trade. Since he was not found, the personnel took Santhi to the police station.

The villagers went to the police station and told the policemen that Shanmugham had given up the trade about a year ago and was now employed in a brick kiln at Neyveli. The police asked them to bring Shanmugham, which they did.

`Surrender firearms'

By Our Special Correspondent

PUDUKOTTAI MARCH 31 . The District Collector, Hiteshkumar Makwana, has directed those who posses licensed firearms such as revolver, pistol and rifle to surrender them to the nearest police station in view of the Lok Sabha poll schedules for May 10. Anyone, who failed to comply with the directive, would face action under the Indian Arms Act, 1962, a release from the Collector said here yesterday.

17,179 candidates for SSLC exam

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGAPATTINAM MARCH 31 1. The Collector, M. Veera Shanmugha Moni, has extended best wishes to 17179 students who will be taking the SSLC and Matriculation examinations in the district from tomorrow.

While 6588 students from 63 schools would take the SSSLC examinations in 26 centres in the Nagapattinam Education District, 9656 from 68 schools would take the examinations in 25 centres in the Mayiladuthurai Education District. Similarly, 201 students from eight schools would appear for the matriculation examinations in the Nagapattinam Education District and 734 pupils from 29 school would appear in the Mayiladuthurai Education District.

Flying squads had been formed to check copying in the examinations. While six teams would be on rounds in the Nagapattinam Education District, nine teams will be monitoring the students in the Mayiladuthurai Education District, according to an official release.

Mettur level

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI MARCH 31 1. The level in the Mettur reservoir stood at 24.47 feet today. The inflow was 47 cusecs and discharge nil.

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