வாழ்க நீ தினத்தந்தி!

Published : 01 Nov 2017 09:19 IST

உயர்ந்த குறிக்கோளுடனும் நூற்றுக்கணக்கான நாளிதழ்கள் உதயமான நிலம் தமிழ் மண். அவற்றில் அரை நூற்றாண்டைக் கடந்து இப்போதும் அதே மிடுக்கோடு வெளிவந்துகொண்டிருக்கும் தமிழ் நாளிதழ்கள் ஏழு மட்டுமே. ‘தினமணி’ (1934), ‘விடுதலை’ (1935), ‘ஜனசக்தி’ (1937), ‘முரசொலி’ (1942), ‘தினத்தந்தி (1942), ‘தினமலர்’ (1951), ‘தீக்கதிர்’ (1963). இவற்றில் விற்பனையில் மட்டுமல்லாமல், வாசகர் எண்ணிக்கையிலும் தொடர்ந்து முதலிடத்தில் இருப்பது ‘தினத்தந்தி’. பேருந்துகள் செல்லாத மலைக் கிராமங்களிலும் ‘தினத்தந்தி’ புழங்க மிக முக்கியமான காரணம், அதன் எளிய தமிழும் அசாதாரணமான விநியோக வலைப்பின்னலும்!

சி.பா. ஆதித்தனாரால் 01.011.1942-ல் மதுரையில் தொடங்கப்பட்ட நாளிதழ் ‘தினத்தந்தி’. அன்றைக்கெல்லாம் தமிழ் பேசும் மக்களில் படித்தவர்கள் எண்ணிக்கை இன்றைய சூழலோடு எல்லாம் ஒப்பிடவே முடியாதது. உலகப் போர்க் காலம். பத்திரிகைக் காகிதத்துக்குக்கூட கடுமையான தட்டுப்பாடு. மிகுந்த இக்கட்டுகளுக்கு இடையிலேயே பத்திரிகையை நடத்தத் தொடங்கினார் ஆதித்தனார். வெளிநாடு சென்று திரும்பிய பாரிஸ்டர்கள் பத்திரிகையைத் தொடங்குவது அந்நாட்களில் புதுமை அல்ல; ஆனால், மெத்தப் படித்த மேல்தட்டு மக்களுக்கான பத்திரிகையாக அல்லாமல், வெகுமக்களுக்கான பத்திரிகையைக் கனவு கண்டவர் ஆதித்தனார். சாமானிய மக்களின் மீது நம்பிக்கை வைத்தவர். அவரால் பத்திரிகையாளர்களாக உருவாக்கப்பட்டவர்களில் பெரும்பான்மையானோர் கீழ்நிலைச் சமூகங்களைச் சேர்ந்தவர்கள், எளிய குடும்பங்களிலிருந்து வந்தவர்கள், பெரிய படிப்புகள் படிக்காதவர்கள் என்பது நினைவுகூர வேண்டியது. தமிழ் இதழியல் சூழலில் தீர்க்கமாகப் பெரும் மாற்றத்தை உண்டாக்கியது தினத்தந்தி.

மதுரையில் 1942-ல் எளிமையாக நடந்த பத்திரிகை தொடக்க விழாவில், “இங்கிலாந்து, அமெரிக்கா போன்ற நாடுகளில் எல்லாம் வட்டாரத் தலைநகரங்களிலிருந்து வெற்றிகரமாகப் பத்திரிகைகளை நடத்துகிறார்கள். 100 மைல் சுற்றளவு என்றால், சுடச்சுடச் செய்திகளைச் சேகரித்து ரயில், பஸ்கள் வாயிலாக உடனுக்குடன் அனுப்ப முடியும். எனவே, ஒவ்வொரு மாவட்டத் தலைநகரத்திலும் பத்திரிகையைத் தொடங்கி செய்திகளை விரைவாகத் தர வேண்டும் என்பது என் ஆசை” என்று குறிப்பிட்டார் ஆதித்தனார். அதைப் பெருமளவில் இன்று சாதித்துவிட்டனர் அவருடைய வழித்தோன்றல்களான அவருடைய மகன் சிவந்தி ஆதித்தனும் பேரன் பாலசுப்பிரமணியன் ஆதித்தனும்.

ஆதித்தனார், “தமிழர் நலன், தமிழர் உரிமையே என் முதன்மை நோக்கம்” என்றவர். பொன் விழா கொண்டாடியபோது, ‘தினத்தந்தி’ யின் பெயருக்குக் கீழ் ‘வெல்க தமிழ்’ முழக்கத்தை இணைத்தார் சிவந்தி ஆதித்தன். ‘தினந்தந்தி’ பவள விழா கொண்டாடும் சூழலில், தமிழர் உரிமை பற்றி இன்னும் அழுத்தமாகப் பேச வேண்டிய அரசியல், சமூகத் தேவை தமிழகத்தில் உருவாகியிருக்கிறது. அண்ணா சொன்னதுபோல, “தமிழர்களுடைய உரிமைகளைப் பாதுகாக்கும் வாளாகவும், கேடயமாகவும் தினத்தந்தி என்றும் திகழ வேண்டும்!” தன்னுடைய லட்சியப் பாதையில் ‘தினத்தந்தி’ இன்றுபோல் என்றும் வெற்றிநடை போட 140 ஆண்டு பாரம்பரியப் பெருமை தரும் உரிமையுடன் மனதார வாழ்த்துகிறது ‘தி இந்து’!

Cartoonist arrested for caricaturing Tamil Nadu CM, officials

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

PublishedNov 6, 2017, 1:27 am IST

The cartoon was posted on his Facebook page, a day after the tragedy which shook the conscience of the state.

Tamil Nadu cartoonist G Bala was arrested in Chennai and taken to Tirunelveli. (Photo: Facebook)

Chennai: A Chennai-based cartoonist G. Balakrishnan, 36, alias Bala, was on Sunday arrested by the Tirunelveli police for a cartoon critiquing the state government over the death of a family, who self-immolated at the Tirunelveli collector’s office on October 23 alleging inaction by authorities over their usury complaint.

All four of the family, including two children, died in the incident. The cartoon in contention depicts the Nellai Collector, Chief Minister and the Superintendent of Police naked and covering their private parts with wads of cash while closing their eyes to a child burning in front of them.

The cartoon was posted on his Facebook page, a day after the tragedy which shook the conscience of the state.

Tirunelveli district Collector Sandeep Nanduri filed a complaint with the district crime branch towards the end of October. An FIR was registered on November 1 by the Tirunelveli police who reached the city on Sunday to arrest Bala.

Several plainclothes policemen barged into Bala’s residence in Peripanchery near Kovur in Chennai and secured him even as his family members confronted and questioned their identity. Police also secured hard drives from his computer.

Bala’s arrest condemned

Police said that Bala was booked under sections 501 (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory) of the IPC and Section 67 (punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the IT Act.

Bala’s arrest was condemned by civilians and politicians alike. The cartoon has now gone viral with people sharing it on social media while questioning whether they would also be held for sharing it.

Chennai hotelier held for Rs 2 crore fake DD

A Selvaraj| TNN | Nov 5, 2017, 05:59 IST


CHENNAI: The central crime branch (CCB) of the city police on Saturday arrested Ahmed, 45, director of Aasife Biriyani Pvt Ltd, a leading chain of briyani outlets, for giving a fake demand draft (DD) of Rs 2 crore to a businessman. "Police took him into custody from a hideout in Tuticorin and brought him to Chennai for questioning," say sources. During interrogation, Ahmed confessed to have given the fake DD to businessman R Kothandaraman of Kodambakkam, from whom he had borrowed money.

Kothandaraman had presented the DD to ICICI bank, and bank officials found it to be fake."Kothandaraman later lodged a complaint against Ahmed, his first wife Ramzan Begum and second wife Nandhini," police sources said. The complaint was forwarded to the forgery wing of the CCB.

According to police, Kothandaraman had given Rs 5.70 crore to Ahmed for expanding his business. When Kothandaraman demanded the money back, Ahmed took a DD for Rs 200 from the bank and changed the figure to Rs 2 crore and gave it to Kothandaraman. Ahmed went into hiding after sensing that police were searching him. However, based on a tip, the special team rushed to Tuticorin and took him into custody. He was brought to Chennai by road and will be produced before a magistrate court on Sunday .

Investigations revealed that the restaurant owner had leased out hotels to many franchisees and collected money from them as royalty for using the brand name. He also supplied biriyani to the restaurants from his centralised kitchen on Butt Road in Alandur.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that Kothandaraman was introduced to Ahmed through his second wife Nandhini. They earlier gave him a cheque which bounced as there was insufficient funds in their bank account. When he approached Ahmed, Nandhini threatened him saying that they would eliminate him by engaging hooligans. Based on Kothandaraman's complaint, Kodambakkam police have registered an attempt to murder case against Nandhini and Ahmed, police said.

In four months, five express trains to skip Central

By Express News Service  |   Published: 05th November 2017 02:18 AM  |  

CHENNAI: In a bid to decongest Chennai Central, five long-distance trains will be diverted via Perambur by March next year. The move comes in the wake of Southern Railway planning to develop Tondiarpet as fourth rail terminal of Chennai City. The five trains operated to Bihar, West Bengal and Assam from Karnataka and Kerala will now skip Chennai Central thus reducing travel time by 90 minutes in both the routes, according to railway sources.

The move will also help reduce the average passenger handling capacity of Chennai Central by 3,000 to 4,000 a day. The five trains that are being diverted are 22641/22642 Thiruvananthapuram - Shalimar -Thiruvananthapuram bi weekly express; 22643/22644 Ernakulam - Patna -Ernakulam bi weekly express; 15227/15228 Yesvantpur-Muzaffarapur-Yesvantpur Weekly Express; 12509/12510Bengaluru Cantonment - Guwahati - Bengaluru Cantonment Tri weeklyExpress and 12515/12516 Thiruvananthapuram - Guwahati -Thiruvananthapuram Weekly Express.

“The trains from Thiruvananthapuram, Bengaluru and Yesvantpur will be operated upto Perambur. From there, the trains will be diverted to Nayudupeta line via Basin Bridge. Similarly, trains from northern states will be diverted to Perambur,” the sources added.

The move will help railways to serve passengers of originating and terminating trains better and can improve maintenance also. Besides, the platforms can be utilised for operating new trains from Chennai, said an official.

During morning hours, trains operated by Southern Railway and serving the own region (Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Mangaluru) have been given priority while allotting platforms. Trains bound for Howrah and other high demand section should be taken out from Chennai Central, the official added.

K Manikandan, a former member of Chennai Division Rail Users Consultative Committee,  welcomed the move and urged railways to provide shelters at Perambur station. “The station should be provided with proper chairs and shelters, before diverting the trains,” he added.

Number crunching
About 65,000 tickets are being sold at Chennai Central, including suburban services, a day
Earnings of Chennai Central stands at D40 lakh a day
About 110 train services operate from Chennai Central a day
Diversion of five trains will reduce the average passenger handling capacity of Chennai Central by 3,000 to 4,000 a day

Okha- Rameswaram Express to skip Erode
Chennai: South Central Railway has announced that Okha - Rameswaram weekly express will skip Erode and operate via Namakkal and Karur. Effective from March 6, 2018, Train no: 16734, Okha - Rameswaram Weekly express will go to Rameswaram via Katpadi, Salem,Namakkal, Karur, Dindigul, Madurai, Manamadurai and Paramakudi. Similarly, on its return journey the train will be operated via Madurai, Karur, Namakkal and Salem, without touching Erode, according to a railway press release

SC to talk to Kerala girl to decide if her inter-faith marriage was 'love-jihad' or by free consent

DH News Service, New Delhi, Oct 31 2017, 0:29 IST

The court modified its previous order of August 16. It had then said that the court would talk to her after the NIA probe was over.

The Supreme Court on Monday directed production of a 24-year-old Hindu girl from Kerala before it on November 27. Her inter-faith marriage to a Muslim man was annulled by the state High Court describing it to be a case of "Love-Jihad".

A three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said the court will go by language of law and not impulse or pulse of society. "This court shall speak to her not in camera but in open court," the bench said.

Hearing a plea by her husband Shafin Jahan against the HC's order, the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said the court preferred to interact with the Hindu girl, who has been staying in the custody of her parents after the HC's order.

The court said, "We will examine if she is able to give her free consent and express her choice."

The court modified its previous order of August 16. It had then said that the court would talk to her after the NIA probe was over.

When her father,  Asokan K M, represented by senior advocate Shyam Divan, contended that his daughter was  indoctrinated, converted and married to a man, facing two criminal cases, the bench asked, "Is there a law which bars a girl from falling in love with a criminal and marrying him? Yes, you can detain the criminal."

Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, appearing for the NIA, contended that there was a well-oiled machinery working on conversion of vulnerable girls. The choice of such girls, even though   major, should not be treated as absolute, he contended.

NIA plea

He urged the court to go through a status report filed by the NIA before deciding to allow Akhila, renamed as Hadiya, to go with her husband from the custody of her father.

Divan submitted that it is for the Constitutional court to protect "composite culture and plural society of the country" as organisations like Popular Front of India have been preaching extremism. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the husband, opposed the plea. He said the girl was on  record that she wanted to go with her husband.

Rain gods show mercy, Chennai witnesses sunny morning

PTI | Nov 5, 2017, 11:22 IST

Sun came out in Chennai and neighbouring districts, raising hopes of stagnant water receding.

CHENNAI: Sun shone bright in the capital city and its neighbouring districts on Sunday morning, bringing respite to citizens facing the monsoon fury for the past few days.

However, problems of water stagnation continued in some parts of the city and its suburbs such as Pallikaranai.

Sun came out in Chennai and neighbouring districts, raising hopes of stagnant water receding.

Special rescue and relief teams have been formed even as dams and reservoirs were being monitored to prevent anti-social elements from creating problems, the government had said in a statement on Saturday

Blue Whale Challenge: West Bengal teenager comes to Chennai to commit suicide, rescued

Siddharth Prabhakar| TNN | Nov 5, 2017, 12:16 IST

The boy, hailing from an affluent family, told the RPF that he was going to commit suicide as part of the Blue Whale Challenge.

CHENNAI: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Chennai Central station on Saturday evening rescued a 17-year-old boy who had boarded a train from West Bengal as instructed by the admins of the Blue Whale Challenge game. The boy, hailing from an affluent family, told the RPF that he was going to commit suicide as part of the Blue Whale Challenge.

The RPF in Chennai got a tip off from Delhi about the teenager who had travelled from Siliguri to Kolkata, where he boarded the Howrah-Chennai Coromandel Express on Friday.

Photos and other details of the teenager were sent on WhatsApp to top RPF officials in Chennai. But it was not known which train he had boarded.

A special team under the leadership of RPF inspector Mohan was formed to check all trains coming from Northeast.

On Saturday evening, Mohan and his men found the teenager loitering at the station after the Coromandel Express arrived here. At first he tried to evade. However, later he confessed that he was instructed to go to Chennai by the Blue Whale game admins. He is a first year BA student.

"His notebooks have descriptions on different ways of committing suicide, like hanging, jumping off a train and stabbing oneself. He told us that he would be given further instructions after coming to Chennai by the admins. The teenager seemed to be in a confused state of mind," Mohan told TOI.

The RPF said his parents had been informed and they would flying down to Chennai on Sunday. His father is a school principal.

After counselling by Child Welfare Committee (CWC) officials, he will be allowed to go with his parents.