District Collectors and other government officials will now have to be careful before categorising a locality within their jurisdiction to have been “dominated” by people belonging to a particular caste, since the Madras High Court Bench in Madurai has expressed its displeasure over such categorisations. Passing interim orders in a case filed and argued in person by Puthiya Tamilagam founder K. Krishnasamy, who had challenged a prohibitory order issued by Tuticorin Collector following the death of one of his partymen, Justices S. Tamilvanan and V.S. Ravi wondered how the Collector M. Ravi Kumar could have termed Srivaikundam as a “Thevar dominated area” in the order. After observing that responsible government officials should not use such terminologies in their orders, the judges said that they were happy that Additional Advocate General K. Chellapandian had clarified that there was no ill-intention behind such remarks and that the aim of the district administration was to maintain peace and tranquillity in the locality.
MDMK general secretary Vaiko has become a regular visitor to the Madras High Court Bench in Madurai ever since he filed a PIL plea against the proposed Neutrino Observatory at Pottipuram in Theni district last month. During his recent visit for arguing the case in person, Mr. Vaiko sat in the first row of the lawyers’ gallery wearing black robes and neck band. Then, a few lawyers in the court hall began murmuring that it was not right on the part of a person, who wants to argue the case on his own without engaging a lawyer, to wear the black robes even if he happened to be a law graduate. On the other hand, a few others supported the politician stating that he was arguing a case in public interest and, therefore, entitled to wear the robes. But, minutes before his case came up for hearing, Mr. Vaiko promptly removed the robes and argued the case for about two hours without a single intervention by Assistant Solicitor General G.R. Swaminathan.
Well ahead of the 2016 Assembly elections, the PMK nominated former Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss as its chief ministerial candidate on February 15. A week later, Dr. Anbumani told reporters that the PMK would reach out to like-minded parties for electoral alliance with a rider that the parties would have to accept the leadership of the PMK. The move has caught other non-Dravidian parties by surprise. A senior leader of the Tamil Manila Congress says that the direction politics would take in Tamil Nadu would be determined by the outcome of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s appeal in the disproportionate assets case.
“We expect the verdict by April. Before that comes out, it is hard to even respond to feelers,” said the leader, a former MLA. The Congress and the Left too share the view, with leaders stating that it might be too early to commit. “The problem with one party unilaterally announcing a CM candidate is that ally options would become restricted. In Tamil Nadu, we already have too many CM candidates and one would be forced to look for smaller partners to accept such a stiff stipulation,” said a Congress MLA. However, PMK leaders are hopeful. “The Lok Sabha elections showed what an alternative alliance with a strong face (Narendra Modi) could achieve. This experience will help us get partners,” said a leader, asserting that Dr. Anbumani will become the consensus CM candidate of such a third front.
The Syndicate meeting on Monday at the Tamil Nadu Open University is likely to bring amendments to the University’s statutes regarding the appointment of Registrar. The Syndicate adopted a resolution in January to follow the University Grants Commission norms. This will pave way for an academic to take up the post of the Registrar. Significantly, the Higher Education Department had, in January, issued a G.O. to the university directing it to recover the excess salary paid to an official who was holding the post twice as in-charge Registrar. The local fund audit found the discrepancy in salary and had urged the government to take suitable action. The Order, however, ratified his qualification.
(Mohammed Imranullah S,Sruthisagar Yamunanand R. Sujatha )
