Rajini can’t be reluctant any longer. Mind it!

STORYBOARD

Rajini can’t be reluctant any longer. Mind it!

ARUN RAM

07.09.2020

Mid-March, Rajinikanth gave a clarion call for an uprising against the political parties in Tamil Nadu to usher in a new regime and a fresh political order. “Closer to the assembly election,” said the master of ‘punch dialogues’ a few days later, “there will come a tsunami.” What came instead was the novel coronavirus. Rajini hasn’t spoken much since then.

In the past couple of days, television channels have been trying to create a buzz that he would finally take the political plunge in November, but having borne the repeated onslaughts of anti-climaxes, even Rajini fans appear not to be holding their breath. If Rajini is waiting for the virus to go away, he may well not get to launch his political party before the 2021 assembly elections. And that may be the last climax in Style Mannan’s story of great expectations.

This is not the first time this column has analysed Rajini, the reluctant politician. I have a feeling this will not be the last. Rajini’s latest call for a tsunami creates but a feeble déjà vu of the wave he created with his “Godwon’t-be-able-to-save-Tamil Nadu” statement against J Jayalalithaa in 1996. He then missed the tide – and the boat. Poked and prodded by a clutch of well-wishers and vested interests, Rajini reluctantly made some silent plans, but didn’t have the courage to spell them out as long as DMK leader M Karunanidhi and AIADMK prima donna J Jayalalithaa were alive. A curious combination of reverence and revulsion kept him in limbo.

During the run-up to the 2004 elections, he compounded his followers’ confusion, saying he would vote for the BJP, but wouldn’t ask his fans to vote for any particular party. It was an avoidable statement, one which not only exposed his indecisive self, but also his tendency to yield to pressure from the right wing which has been constantly wooing him. Once the last two main actors vacated the Tamil Nadu political stage, Rajini, again prodded by players in the saffron shadow, dusted his script. On new year’s eve of 2017, Rajini assembled his fans in Chennai to revive their hopes. “Naan arasiyalukku varuvadhu urudhi,” he said to rapturous applause, “idhu kaalaththin kattayam.” Those words found their way to a million hearts and some Tshirts. And then, the Superstar went into hibernation again.

Politicians and patriarchs have kept Rajini in prolonged political ambiguity. Now, a pathogen is doing that to him. Pushing 70, he wouldn’t be at his peak to rally his supporters after the new powers take over Fort St George in May 2021. I am not writing Rajini off as a prospective politician. Probably he is the only one today in Tamil Nadu with the calibre to make a sudden entry and trigger a political disruption. But that has to happen latest by this year-end. Prolonging a suspense beyond a point, as scriptwriters would tell you, is dangerous. Superstars draw adrenalin from cheering fans and when they deliver a flop, they can live with weeping fans, but not with yawning ones.

His dilemma is understandable: he wants to present himself as a credible alternative, but is unsure of his potential to take on seasoned politicians who gleefully play the mudslinging game. He need not — and should not — get his hands dirty, but he should be willing to take a few dirt balls before he can attempt to show a cleaner way to conduct political battles. Time is running out. If he is still unclear of the consequences or unable to face them, it’s better he bows out before the real show begins.

arun.ram@timesgroup.com

Talking ill of the party headed by the Prime Minister is talking ill of the PM himself — H Raja, BJP NATIONAL SECRETARY (REACTING TO AIADMK MINISTERS’ REMARK AGAINST THE BJP)

POKER FACE Same with the chief minister

BJP leader’s nomination to BU syndicate sparks row

BJP leader’s nomination to BU syndicate sparks row

Vishnu.Swaroop@timesgroup.com

Coimbatore: 07.09.2020

The nomination of professor P Kanagasabapathi, who was appointed the state BJP vice-president two months ago, to the Bharathiar University syndicate for the second consecutive term has raised concerns in academic circles. His term as syndicate member had ended in August.

Academicians and representatives of teachers’ association said while the nomination was not legally questionable, it raised ethical concerns. They said governor Banwarilal Purohit, who nominated Kanagasabapathi to the post, should have taken cognisance of the fact that the professor was now a political representative and nominated another academician instead.

A communication from the university registrar on Saturday said Purohit, who is also chancellor of the varsity, has nominated Kanagasabapathi and a representative of a private college as syndicate members and they would serve a term of three years from September 4.

Academicians said while there wasn’t any rule that politicians can’t be university syndicate members, Kanagasabapathi’s nomination could have been avoided.

Danger unlocked: crowds throng markets, weddings

Danger unlocked: crowds throng markets, weddings

Covid Safety Precautions Ignored All Over State

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

07.09.2020

As the total lockdowns on Sundays were lifted after more than a month, people flocked meat shops and gathered for wedding ceremonies across the state on Sunday.

While there was brazen violation of social distancing norms and hundreds of people came out on the roads, many without even wearing masks in places like Madurai, there was mixed response to norms in other parts of the state. Though Sunday lockdowns were imposed in most part of the state only in August, for Madurai the weekly lockdown was imposed way back in June itself to control the Covid spread. So when the lockdown was lifted for Sunday, there were a slew of wedding ceremonies organised where people congregated in large numbers.

The very reason for deciding to conduct a wedding on a Sunday, is to ensure a large number of people participate, said Ganeshan, whose niece had got married with about 200 people attending the wedding in Madurai.

Thangaraj, who conducted his daughter’s wedding in Madurai, said he took great effort to keep the number of guests below the stipulated 50. He said that he had ensured guests kept moving without spending a lot of time in the wedding hall or the dining hall.

Many such marriages took place across Madurai, where a large number of people turned up for the functions, and many of them were seen without masks. “Wearing a mask while going to a wedding spoils my look so I carried my mask in my bag, to wear if somebody questioned me,” said K Jothi of Chinthamani. Officials said that the monitoring of marriage halls would be tightened in the coming weeks. Police had a tough time in Salem since scores of people on cars and two wheelers started coming towards Yercaud. They were stopped at the foothills and sent away. “Only Yercaud residents can travel to and from the hill town without an e-pass. But many from Salem had planned for a trip to Yercaud since it was a Sunday and there was no lockdown. We turned them down saying they need e-pass,” said a police officer.

In Coimbatore, there was a mixed response with some shops ensuring social distancing while others ignoring. However, except for meat and fish stalls, which had long queues, all other commercial establishments were closed in the city. Even shopping malls received very few footfalls despite the fact they were opened only few days back.

In Trichy, normalcy was restored to almost the pre-Covid levels with markets witnessing heavy crowd. Even though proactive measures such as ensuring strict social distancing norms were in place during the intense lockdown, such disease preventive measures completely vanished on Sunday. Trichy city corporation as on Sunday penalised only 40 people for not wearing masks, disproportionate to the violation committed.

INVITING TROUBLE: People gather in large numbers at meat and fish stalls at a market in Coimbatore on Sunday, without maintaining social distancing norms

Test positivity rate in city dips again to 7.8%

Test positivity rate in city dips again to 7.8%

There Could Be Another Spike In Covid Cases, Warns Corpn

Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com

Chennai:07.09.2020

The city’s Covid-19 test positivity rate (TPR), which is the number of positive cases for every 100 tests, was down to 7.8% on September 5, after reaching a high of 10.7% on August 22. This has been achieved despite constant daily testing of 13,000 by Greater Chennai Corporation. TPR is an indicator of the spread of the infection across the city.

The last time Chennai’s TPR was in the 7% range was on August 10, a few days before the city’s e-pass restrictions were relaxed, leading to an influx of people from other districts in the state and causing the spike. After regularly notching up more than 1200 cases every day, Chennai’s Covid-19 numbers are back to three figures for the past three days. The number of active cases as on September 5 was also down to 11,400, which was last seen on August 16.

However, GCC officials are anticipating an increase in the number of cases, though they are targeting a TPR of five percent.

GCC commissioner G Prakash said the strategy of aggressive testing, door-to-door surveys and home quarantine monitoring system would continue. “Added to this, there would be special focus on workplaces like construction sites, old age homes and vendors. These are the new focus areas,” he said.

There could be no shortcuts, as such detailed processes will have to be followed to keep the infection under control, Prakash added.

Data shows that the active cases in Ambattur and Adyar, which were recording a higher number of cases in the last three weeks, has come down drastically. For instance, Ambattur has shown a decrease of 600 active cases since August 17, while in Adyar, it is around 200 cases.

However, as witnessed on Sunday, the first time in many months without a total lockdown, the usage of masks and physical distancing went for a toss at playgrounds and markets. Infectious diseases expert Dr S Subramanian said that the government should rope in youngsters to create awareness about herd usage of masks and social distancing. “They should be involved in these activities like what happened during the 2015 floods,” he said.

The vast majority in this age group were bored now as educational institutions are closed and they need to be pulled in for peer counselling on use of masks. “If you give them ownership, it would bring in a lot of difference,” Subramanian said.

On 1st unlocked Sunday, public places packed

RULES DON’T APPLY

On 1st unlocked Sunday, public places packed

Social Distancing And Wearing Of Masks A Casualty As Residents Visit Markets, Recreation Spots In City, On Outskirts

Srikkanth.D@timesgroup.com

07.09.2020

The city’s meat, fish and vegetable markets, where ensuring physical distancing was tough even earlier, were packed on the first lockdown-free Sunday. The additions were playgrounds and beaches.

Somasundaram ground in T Nagar and the Gopalapuram ground were mainly filled with young people, almost all of them without masks in spite of warnings from the corporation and police. Pictures of crowded playgrounds shocked users of social media, particularly Twitter.

Many said they had missed physical activity for a long time. “Sunday cricket used to be our only physical activity. Due to lockdown, we missed it a lot. As norms have been relaxed, we played match at an unused plot in our neighbourhood,” said S Vignesh, a college student from Adambakkam.

Places of worship like temples and churches were also full. At St Patrick’s church near Alandur, Sunday service was attended enthusiastically. Separate entry and exit ways were created and people were let in only after their temperatures were checked. Around 100 people were allowed into the prayer hall at a time, with only two people permitted to sit on a bench meant for 10.

Traffic was like a normal Sunday in most parts, but in a few areas such as Loop Road near the Marina, it was slow moving. “We have been appealing to the public not to be complacent and follow physical distancing and wear masks like all these days. We are aware of the challenges and we hope to streamline them in the coming days,” said a corporation official.

At the Marina, the crowd began to swell in the evening and soon became uncontrollable, forcing police to deploy more personnel. “We were stopping them from venturing into the sea. We used a public address system so that out messages were audible,” said a senior officer.

Only a few of the beach-goers were seen wearing masks, while others removed it saying they had come to get some fresh air. Most were seen pleading with police to let them get wet in the water, as they had remained indoors for more than six months.

On the other hand, traffic policemen said, a majority of the motorists whom they saw had their masks on. “Being a Sunday, there was no traffic pile-up on any of the major roads including arterial stretches like Anna Salai, Nungambakkam High Road and Poonamallee High Road. Most roads had two policemen posted at all signals,” said a senior traffic police officer.

MAKING THE MOST OF IT: From the backwaters in Muttukadu (top) to the playing fields in T Nagar to St Patrick’s Church in Alandur — all were crowded with visitors

City Covid count below 1,000 for fourth day

City Covid count below 1,000 for fourth day

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.09.2020

Covid cases recorded a marginal drop in Tamil Nadu on Sunday even as the state added 5,783 more infections to its overall tally. The number of people discharged (5,820) on the day was little higher than new cases, leaving 51,458 active cases undergoing treatment across the state. The total number of cases in Tamil Nadu stood at 4, 63, 480.

In a positive sign, Chennai continued to record less than 1,000 cases for the fourth consecutive day with 955 people, accounting for 16% of the fresh cases in the state, followed by Coimbatore which reported 538 new cases.

Cases were mostly from the urban parts of Coimbatore, with the civic body identifying 93 out of the 5,000-odd streets to have high concentration of Covid incidence. “We are working on increasing manpower to conduct door-to-door surveillance and to increase the number of fever camps being organized in the city,” said Coimbatore collector K Rajamani.

After days of sharp rise for the past few days, Cuddalore saw a drop in number of fresh cases to 388. So were Tirupur and Salem which recorded 153 and 122 cases respectively, much lower than the number of fresh cases these districts saw in the days that went by. In fact Salem was one of the very few districts witnessing a very high fluctuation in the number of fresh cases declared. On September 2, the district reported 403 fresh cases and the very next day cases dropped by 50% to 214. For the next few days, the cases hovered in the range of 200 and on Saturday it reported 250 cases before it plummeted to 122 on Sunday. “Till last week, the numbers were high as we have been tracing contacts of people who tested positive earlier. Now we have traced almost all the contacts and hence numbers have come down,” said R Sadeesh, Salem corporation commissioner.

However, northern districts like Chengalpet, Tiruvannamalai and Tiruvallur saw more cases than Saturday. The death toll too rose to 88 compared to Saturday, of which Chennai alone accounted for 17 deaths, while Coimbatore and Cuddalore reported five each.

The southern districts added 806 new Covid-19 cases to the region on Sunday, which took active cases in the region to 7,626. Tirunelveli reported the highest number of single-day cases at 132, while three other districts including Madurai saw over 100 new cases.

Though, Thanjavur topped the charts with a total of 150 new cases, in central zone, it was Nagapattinam which has emerged as cause for concern.

There is a steady spike in fresh positive cases in the coastal district in recent days. A total of 136 positive cases were reported on Sunday. Clearing backlogs of pending test results was the reason for the spike in the district, health officials said.

Central zone had the lowest number of fresh cases being reported from a district in Tamil Nadu with Perambalur logging just17 new cases.

Inter-district buses from today, services to be skeletal for now

Inter-district buses from today, services to be skeletal for now

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 07.09.2020

With the state government relaxing norms, inter-district buses will start operating from Monday.

While the State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) is expected to run 400 buses, the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) will operate 1,500 services.

TNSTC has a fleet strength of 3,000 buses and SETC has1,100 buses. A senior SETC official said 300 buses will be operated from Chennai to other districts. The remaining 100 will be run on the Madurai-Salem, Coimbatore-Tirunelveli routes among others.

Each SETC bus has a seating capacity of 43 but only 26 seats will be available for passengers in order to maintain social distancing. A TNSTC official said the buses will ferry 30 passengers against the seating capacity of 55.

Buses have been cleaned and disinfected. Passengers with valid tickets will be allowed inside terminals after checking their body temperature and they will be asked to sanitise their hands before boarding a bus. Masks are compulsory throughout the trip.

An official said only skeletal services will resume as MTC services in Chennai have not received patronage. He said more buses will be run if the patronage goes up.

PREPPING UP: A man cleans an SETC bus at the K