HC orders reinstatement of nurse made scapegoat

K.Kaushik@timesgroup.com

Madurai:03.02.2020

Madras high court has directed the state government to reinstate a staff nurse who was terminated from service following a maternal death at a primary health centre (PHC) in Tirunelveli, saying she was made a scape goat without conducting a proper inquiry.

Petitioner T Blessie moved the HC Madurai bench in 2011 seeking to quash the termination order passed by the director of medical and rural health services dated July 23 that year and reinstate her. Her counsel stated that on April 24, 2009, a woman named Kannuthai delivered a baby girl at the Ukkirankottai PHC where the nurse was employed on contract. However, the woman developed a complication following which duty doctor Padma shifted her to the Tirunelveli medical college hospital where she died after two hours.

The petitioner was subsequently transferred to three PHCs within 27 months. On June 10, 2011, Tirunelveli deputy director of health services instructed her to sign a prewritten paper without allowing her to read it. Counsel submitted that on July 23 the termination order was passed on the charge that it was dereliction of duty on her part which resulted in the maternal death. When the nurse had discharged the duties on the instructions of the duty doctor, she alone had been punished, which was a discrimination. He stated that the order was passed without providing an opportunity to the petitioner to explain. The government advocate submitted that based on the representation given by the mother of the deceased woman, an inquiry was conducted and departmental proceedings initiated against Blessie, Padma and block medical officer Dr Sivagami Ebinezer.

The deputy director on completion of oral inquiry held the petitioner responsible for the death as she had not written the details on the case sheet, administered methergine injection before separation of placenta against protocol, did not administer an injection (syntocinon) and had not given proper treatment during the referral. On perusal of the submissions, Justice J Nisha Banu observed that the authorities concerned have straightaway passed the termination order without issuing charge-memo and without conducting any departmental inquiry in violation of Article 311(2) of the Constitution.

MKU, Harvard to work on genomic research

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Madurai:03.02.2020

By next month, Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) will be finalizing a pact with Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology and Harvard University to carry out genomic research on fossils recovered from sites like Keezhadi.

Talks have been underway to ink an MoU between the two universities since September 2019.

Speaking to TOI, professor K Balakrishnan, HOD of Immunology at MKU, who is to lead the research team said that the process of inking an MoU with Harvard University is still only in the pipeline.

“Everything will be finalized soon. The Tamil Nadu government has agreed to provide fossils from various archaeological sites including Keezhadi for DNA extraction and subsequent research. However, we are yet to reach an understanding with Harvard University,” he said.

The research work is to be carried out under the guidance of R Pitchappan, a scientist in the field of immunology, infectious diseases and human genomics. MKU is hoping for a majority of the research work to be done at the research facility and laboratory that it is currently being established in Madurai.

Last year, the university authorities had said that initial research in Madurai will be done by experts in different departments like immunology, sociology and history from MKU and archaeological experts from across India and abroad. Later, research was to be done by experts at Harvard University in the United States with advanced research facilities. The final research findings will then be published via the Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology.

Big Temple consecration: Spl trains to run from Feb 4

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Thanjavur:03.02.2020

Anticipating huge rush during the consecration of Brihadeeswarar Temple on February 5, Trichy Railway Division will operate four special passenger trains to Thanjavur for three days from February 4.

The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) will operate several special buses to the city from all districts February 3 onwards. Chief secretary of the state and state-level officials have inspected the arrangements at the temple.

Four passenger trains will be operated for three days to facilitate the devotees.

The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, Kumbakonam division is operating special buses to Thanjavur to clear the extra rush from several districts across the state including Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Kancheepuram, Thiruvannamalai, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Sivaganga, Ariyalur, Perambalur and Karur from February 3. A total of 1,426 services will be operated via 10 routes in the city and 1,649 services by mofussil buses in seven routes every day, managing director of TNSTC R Ponmudi said.

Earlier on Saturday evening, chief secretary of the state K Shanmugam visited the Big Temple and inspected the arrangements made by the district administration and the police to help devotees witness the consecration ceremony without any difficulties.

Meanwhile, the Trichy Corporation has deputed 160 sanitary workers and officials to assist in the sanitation and hygiene management activities during the festival. “We have hired three transport corporation buses to send the 160 employees. Five sanitary supervisors and a sanitary inspector were also sent on special duty,” an official with Trichy Corporation said. The sanitation workers who left the city on Saturday will stay at Thanjavur till February 10, to take part in sanitation works at the temple.


Chief secretary K Shanmugam inspects arrangements at Big Temple along with other officials in Thanjavur on Sunday

Expelled AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa joins BJP

D.Govardan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:03.02.2020

AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP Sasikala Pushpa joined the BJP in the presence of party national secretary P Muralidhar Rao, incharge of Tamil Nadu, and former Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan in New Delhi on Sunday.

Even though she was expelled from the party in 2016 after an altercation with DMK Rajya Sabha MP Trichy Siva, Sasikala Pushpa remains an AIADMK MP as per Parliament records. While her present term in the Upper House ends on April 2, 2020, the AIADMK can still issue a notice for disqualifying her as per provisions of anti-defection law.

“While she was expelled from the party, AIADMK did not officially inform the Rajya Sabha chairman’s office, as the party then did not want its number of MPs in Parliament to go below 50. Even after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, her status continued to remain as party MP,” said a senior AIADMK partyman, seeking anonymity. “One has to see whether she will now sit along with BJP members or continue to occupy her seat among AIADMK Rajya Sabha MPs,” he said. In August 2016, former AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa expelled Sasikala Pushpa from the party saying she had “brought disrepute” to the organization. The MP had publicly slapped DMK MP Siva at the Delhi airport. She said Siva had criticized her leader Jayalalithaa. Two days later, however, she declared in the Rajya Sabha that her leader had slapped her and sought protection for herself. “Sasikala Pushpa should have joined the BJP almost 18 months ago, but the move was held back then. While AIADMK could still issue her a notice, with hardly two months to complete her term, it would matter little in terms of political gains,” the source added.

But, BJP sees big political gains by inducting her into the party now. “Sasikala Pushpa, who was a former Mayor of Tuticorin and former secretary of AIADMK women’s wing, will strengthen BJP in the southern part of Tamil Nadu,” said Pon Radhakrishnan, welcoming her into the BJP.

“Sasikala Pushpa is an aggressive and vocal leader from Tamil Nadu, where BJP is gaining strength day by day and several leaders from other parties are joining the party. We have an ideological and political fight with the DMK and Congress in Tamil Nadu. Sasikala Pushpa joining the BJP will strengthen the party and its ability to fight the next assembly elections in Tamil Nadu,” Rao said. "Prime Minister Modiji is a global leader and I have been inspired by his leadership, as well as the leadership of Amit Shahji. BJP president Naddaji has given me this opportunity to join the BJP, which is having a great future in Tamil Nadu. In 2021, BJP will come to power in Tamil Nadu and I will work hard for the same," Sasikala Pushpa told TOI. "Schemes for women empowerment, the eradication of fishermen issue, the announcement of Kulasekarapattinam, which comes in my district, to soon become a rocket launch pad and initiatives of Pon Radhakrishanji that resulted in the flow of Rs 28,000 crore worth of investments in southern districts of Tamil Nadu have all made me join the party," she added, while declining to comment on her status as an AIADMK MP.


NEW FRIENDS: Sasikala Pushpa joins the BJP in presence of BJP general secretary P Muralidhar Rao (C) and senior BJP leader Pon Radhakrishnan in New Delhi on Sunday

Eggcellent! Coimbatore student sets record

Vishnu.Swaroop@timesgroup.com

Coimbatore:03.02.2020

Thondamuthur-based R Monisha has been drawing and painting since she was a Class V student. Apart from paper and canvas, she used to paint on any material she could lay her had on, such as glass and pottery.

Now a final year BCom student in a city college, Monisha has set a record for the ‘Maximum Portraits Drawn on Different Eggshells’. “Six months ago, I started following the India Book of Records and applied for attempting a record. They asked samples of my work and I sent them the portfolio of an eggshell portrait I made. They permitted me to attempt the record on January

30. I started at 10.30pm on the same day and made 50 eggshell portraits in one hour, 31 minutes and 59 seconds,” she told TOI.

The young artist filmed herself drawing the portraits and sent the video to the jury. “They finalised my record on Saturday. I will receive the memento this week.”

Monisha mainly sketched portraits of freedom fighters and national leaders. “My primary aim was to communicate the greatness of these personalities. So, I sketched people such as Thiruvalluvar, A P J Abdul Kalam and Bharathiar. I also sketched a few international personalities.”

Drawing on eggshells is not an easy task, she said. “It was not easy to sketch minute details as the shells are curved. I couldn’t apply pressure to shade or use an eraser as the shells would have cracked. It was a risky affair, which in a way motivated me to take it up,” she added.


BEST FACE FORWARD:

R Monisha’s creations

STORYBOARD

PICK YOUR RAJINI: Superstar actor or successful politician?

ARUN RAM  03.02.2020

When Bear Grylls went with Rajinikanth to Bandipur Tiger Reserve last week, meme factories churned out wisecracks with pictures of the superstar wrestling with tigers, leopards and lions. TOI carried a cartoon showing wild animals fleeing the forest, an elephant screaming, “Run, Rajini has entered the forest”. Some said it was the forest that had entered Rajini, and that ‘Thalaivar’ could carry the Amazon (the rainforest, not the American multinational company) in his pocket — and still have space for the Sundarbans.

‘Rajinisms’ have long been a subject of analysis by film critics, political pundits and management gurus (my favourite is that Rajini’s first decision after announcing his political party would be to recognise the Election Commission of India). As the actor gets ready to finally take the plunge into politics this year, we should prepare ourselves to see the end of this enigma. The moment Rajini becomes a successful politician — hold that punch, dear fan — he will cease to be a superstar actor.

He will have to eventually stop acting if he is serious about his second calling. MGR continued to act till he became the chief minister in 1977, but his movies since the launch of the ADMK (which later became AIADMK) in 1972 — ‘Netru Indru Naalai’ (1974), ‘Idhayakani’ (1975), ‘Indru Pol Endrum Vazhga’ (1977) and ‘Meenava Nanmban’ (1977) — were to buttress his do-gooder image for his eventual ascension to power. The 1978 period film ‘Madhuraiyai Meetta Soundharapandiyan’ was probably a delayed release. ‘Avasara Police 100’ (1990) and ‘Nallathai Naadu Kekkum’ (1991) were posthumous releases using archive footage.

For MGR, movies were vehicles of political stardom, fuelled by the Dravidian movement which had a symbiosis with cinema. He was cautious to avoid negative roles and play only the hero who, while fighting evil and injustice, respected and rescued women. He never smoked or drank on screen. In contrast, many of the roles that propelled Rajini into stardom had dark shades. If even his later roles refused to shrug them off, it is not just because the fans love them, they also added to the ‘Rajini phenomenon’ that logical analysts struggle to decipher.

But Rajini cannot play a reformed underworld king if he becomes the chief minister. A suddenly-samaritan Rajini on screen would just not be the superstar his fans worship. Even MGR couldn’t continue acting once he became the CM at the age of 60. Rajinikanth will be 70 before the 2021 assembly election.

Roger Caillois, the French intellectual who did some seminal studies on superstars, attributes stardom to toil, media promotion and luck — incidentally (my words, not his) the same ingredients make a successful politician. And the similarity looks more striking when Caillois says “small and relative differences are of decisive importance for winning or losing by a hair’s breadth” (a bad opening day can make a movie bomb at the box office, an assembly seat less can cost the CM chair) and that a superstar cannot merely be successful at some activity, he should also be richly rewarded (in terms of seats in elections, money for movies).

Now that it looks certain that Rajini will launch his party, his choice between continuing to act and remaining in politics will depend on the 2021 assembly poll results. And if he has to choose the former, he has to win the election on his debut. Let’s face it, a late entrant that he is into politics, Rajini cannot afford to lose the first time and hope to say in 2026, “Naan vanduttennnu sollu, thirumbi vanthuttenu!”

arun.ram@timesgroup.com

By 2021, the BJP will rule over Tamil Nadu — Sasikala Pushpa, BJP MEMBER POKER FACE That was fast

Man flying in from Singapore admitted to isolation ward

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Trichy:03.02.2020

A 27-year-old man who arrived at the international airport here from Singapore early on Sunday was admitted to an isolation ward in Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) on suspicion of being infected with coronavirus. However, doctors who checked him said he was suffering from common flu and not the novel coronavirus infection which has wreaked havoc in China.

A native of Kottampatti in Madurai, he is working as a driver in Singapore. “During medical examination, it came to light that he had no symptoms of coronavirus but fever and cold. He had no breathing difficulties and his condition is stable,” MGMGH dean K Vanithamani said.

The man arrived by a Scoot Air flight to attend his sister’s marriage scheduled for February 6. He underwent screening at a special desk at the airport on arrival at 12.35am.

As the man was found having high fever and cold, he was taken to MGMGH and admitted to the isolation ward around 2.50am.

He was administered paracetamol and adequate hydration liquid, Vanithamani said.

According to the government protocol, he would be under medical supervision at the isolation ward for at least two weeks. “Based on his progress, the throat swab test will be conducted in Pune. However, since he is infected with common flu, that situation may not arise”, the dean added.

The man, who is working as a driver in Singapore, came to Trichy to attend his sister’s marriage on February 6