TN This Week: Ennore Fishers Protest Against Erection of More Transmission Towers

The intensity of the Southwest monsoon rains reduced this week, and a temperature of over 100ºF was recorded in several parts of Tamil Nadu.

People from the dalit community on Wednesday entered the local Mariamman temple at Chellankuppam village in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvannamalai district for the first time in more than half a century.

The Madras high court, on Friday, directed the police authorities in Erode district to ensure that a widowed woman and her son are permitted to participate in a local temple festival. The court held that it is unfortunate that the archaic beliefs against widows are still prevailing in the state.

The Supreme Court stayed a Madras High Court order that declared as “null and void” the 2019 election of expelled AIADMK member P Ravindhranath from the Theni parliamentary constituency. Ravindhranath was the lone successful party candidate in 2019 when the DMK and its allies swept the elections.

With the GI tag added for three more commodities — Chedi Butta saree, Matti banana and Jaderi Namakatti, Tamil Nadu topped the list of states with a maximum of 58 articles with the tag.

Manufacturers and weavers jointly held a hunger strike on July 31 in Arni, Tiruvannamalai, seeking intervention from the Union and state governments to put an end to the acute crisis in the handloom industry. Read more

PMK chief Ramadoss met party workers at the Madurai jail on Saturday and vowed to continue fighting. The workers were arrested during a protest last week against land acquisition for the Neyveli Lignite Corporation. Read more

As many as 25 organisations, including Left and progressive organisations and trade unions, launched a platform – Movement for Employment with Social Security or MESS – in Chennai on Tuesday. Read more

NewsClick brings you a round-up of the happenings of the last week in Tamil Nadu.

DON’T ERECT TOWERS, SAY FISHERS

Scores of fishermen held a demonstration against the erection of transmission towers by Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation (Tantransco) inside the Ennore Creek backwaters area of the Kosasthalaiyar River in Chennai, on Thursday.

The protesting fishers condemned the State Coastal Zone Management Authority’s failure to mark fishing zones and fish breeding areas on coastal zone management plans.

They demanded jobs saying that the fish catch has dwindled with the construction of the power transmission tower and people do not buy the fish from Ennore stating that it was toxic.

CM WRITES TO PM ON CAUVERY DISPUTE

Chief Minister M K Stalin urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to advise Karnataka to release water due for Tamil Nadu as per the schedule, clear the shortfall of June and July months, and to save the Kuruvai crops.

Stalin stated that Karnataka was not honouring the order of the Supreme Court, which fixed the monthly share of water to be delivered to Tamil Nadu and was not adhering to the directions of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).

Despite the reduced flow of river Cauvery, people in the coastal delta districts of Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai and Karaikal turned up along the river banks to celebrate Aadi Perukku festival.

PARAMEDICS HOLD PROTEST

The members of the Para Medical Laboratory Technicians’ Welfare Association staged a demonstration demanding to fill the posts of para medical laboratory technicians on a permanent basis through the Medical Recruitment Board exam.

Tamil Nadu Medical Staff Federation, members of which have completed the two-year (DMLT) training course, also participated in the demonstration held in Chennai on Friday.