During the Republic Day celebrations in Chennai on Friday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin handed over the Kottai Ameer Communal Harmony Award, 2024 to Alt News’ co-founder Mohammed Zubair. Governor R.N. Ravi was among the dignitaries present during the celebrations.
Mr. Zubair, a native of Denkanikottai of Krishnagiri district, through his Alt News portal has been analysing the veracity of the news coming out on social media and “his work helps to prevent the occurrence of violence in society likely to be caused by fake news,” the citation read and went on to recall that in March 2023, there was a rapid spread on social media that migrant workers were being attacked in Tamil Nadu.
“After verifying the authenticity of the video footage, he published on his website ‘Alt News’ website that the footage in the video posted on social media was not actually taken place in Tamil Nadu and thus stopped the spread of rumours against Tamil Nadu and acted to prevent violence caused by caste, religion, race and language in Tamil Nadu,” it said.
Mr. Stalin handed over the Chief Minister’s Special Award to U. Aayi Ammal alias Pooranam from Madurai district, who donated her 1.52 acre of land for the upgradation of Madurai East Panchayat Union Middle School as High School at Y. Kodikulam. She had donated her land in memory of her daughter Janani.
The CM also distributed the Anna Medal for Gallantry, 2024 to fisherman Yasaar Arafat of Kayalpattinam in Thoothukudi district, D. Daniel Selvasingh of Thadiveeran Koil in Tirunelveli and Tahsildar S. Sivakumar of Srivaikundam in Thoothukudi district. Mr. Arafat led over a dozen fishermen from Singithurai to rescue about 250 people from Thanneerpandal village who were stranded in the unprecedented floods during December 17 and 18 last year.
While Master Selvasingh distributed milk and bread packets and medicines to the people living in streets submerged in the floods caused by Thamirabarani river on December 17 and 18 last year, Tahsildar Mr. Sivakumar led a rescue operation with limited human resources available at that time and “saved thousands of villagers, lives and cattle from the flood” in Srivaikuntam.
S. Balamurugan of Chinnapillukurichi village in Salem district received the C. Narayanasamy Naidu award for highest productivity in rice. The award carries a cash prize of ₹5 lakh and a medal worth ₹5,000.
IPS officer and Villupuram Superintendent of Police G. Shashank Sai, Deputy Superintendent of Police B. Kasiviswanathan of Central Intelligence Unit (CIU), South in Chennai, Inspector of Police K.M. Muniyasamy of Prohibition Enforcement Wing in Avadi Police Commissionerate, A. Pandian of CIU, Madurai Zone and head constable J. Ranganathan of Ranipet Police Station received the Gandhi Adigal Police Medals from the CM. The medal honours police personnel’s outstanding service in curtailing illicit liquor and carries a lump sum of ₹40,000.
C3 S.S. Colony Police Station in Madurai city, Namakkal Police Station and Palayamkottai Police Station in Tirunelveli city secured the first three prizes respectively for the Chief Minister’s trophies for the best police stations. Inspectors P. Boominathan, K. Sankara Pandian and S. Vasivam received the trophies for these police stations respectively from the Chief Minister.
