Carlsen satisfied with Chennai Venue

Magnus Carlsen, the World No.1 chess player and Viswanathan Anand’s challenger for the World championship match in November this year, charmed the young chess players, college girls and the media with his calm and composed manner in a function held at the MOP Vaishnav College for women in Chennai.

On a three-day visit to the city to inspect the venue of the championship, Hotel Hyatt Regency, and to get a feel of the city, Carlsen patiently played simultaneous chess with 20 children for nearly two-and-a-half hours, answered questions without getting perturbed. The 22-year-old Norwegian seemed pleased with the arrangements made at the hotel for the championship match. He said that, he’s satisfied with the playing venue.

The reception for Carlsen was in keeping with his popularity in this part of the world. As he entered the College, the girls squealed “Carlsen” even as he waved his hand. In his short address, the Norwegian said, he’s happy to be here. He added that, he is looking forward to the match.

On taking on Anand, Carlsen said, “he is a great player. Although he might be low on confidence in the last few tournaments, he’ll be in a different form on his home turf. He is one of world’s greatest players. He’ll be eager to show his best. “We have always been on good terms. I think I’ve learnt a lot from him and his games. You know how great a player he is by interacting with him.”

On his chances in the World championship match, Carlsen sounded extremely confident. “I think as long as I am in top shape, I have a good chance to win. In every tournament, I back myself to win. This will be no different. Anand will up his game than in recent times.”

On home support Carlsen said “I think it’s not any more advantageous than in any other sport. It’s a psychological advantage.”

Carlsen refused to comment on the illness cause (according to the clause, a player can take a two-day break if he falls ill. This clause was included on the insistence of the Carlsen’s camp).

Carlsen attended a party hosted by the Norwegian Embassy on Monday evening. He is likely to meet J. Jayalalithaa, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

Carlsen’s camp might then venture out on the streets of Chennai to get a feel of the city. “Probably go to the beach,” said Espen Agdestein, Carlsen’s Manager.

Carlsen’s major tournament before the World championship will be the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, USA in September.

Madras Day; flashback - I; The Fight for Madras

From The Hindu

Chennai or Madras originates from Fort St. George, built on land that was leased by the East India Company on August 22, 1639 — now celebrated as Madras Day. On this occasion, we step back from neighbourhoods and streets, and take a look at the city as a whole — its past, present and future

About 70 years ago, Chennai or Madras as it was earlier known faced anxious moments when Telugu-speaking citizens demanded the city as theirs and wanted it to be the capital of their future state. The demand in itself was not problematic, but the solutions proposed to solve the dispute between Tamil and Telugu-speaking citizens over the future of the city were. 

The city came close to being split into two along River Cooum – the northern part assigned to Andhra and the southern to Tamil Nadu. However, a combination of factors settled the issue in Tamil Nadu’s favour. This not only saved the traumatic partition, but also avoided two other equally vexatious possibilities: declare Madras as a plebiscite or a centrally administered province. As the city celebrates its past, it would be worthwhile to recall how the city survived its testing moments and retained its cosmopolitan nature.

Madras was a presidency town – the largest colonial city in south India with Telugus, Tamils, Kannadigas and Malayalees all living here. As the struggle for independence intensified, the formation of States on linguistic principles became imminent. Telugus were among the first to raise the demand for the need of a separate province. As early as 1912, Telugu leaders and newspapers started to complain that the ‘progress of Dravidians overshadowed’ that of the Andhras (Telugu speaking) and the creation of a separate province would ‘cure this handicap.’   However, they did not step up the demand immediately, but wanted to do so only after independence. Until then, they decided to keep the issue alive. In the initial years, the status of Madras city was not a central issue. The situation changed in the 1940s. An intriguing tale in November, 1941 brought the city of Madras to centre stage.

Mr.  T. Prakasam, the Congress leader, who later became the first Chief Minister of Andhra told the Mahasabha conference in Vishakapatanam that the cabinet of the Madras Province had met a few months ago to discuss the formation of Andhra province. They invited Lord Erskine, the Governor, to attend the meeting as a matter of goodwill. Erskine suggested that both provinces — Andhra and Madras — be located in the city. Everyone including the Tamil Ministers agreed to this idea, Prakasam claimed.  Prakasam then alleged that an ‘evil genius in the cabinet’ poisoned Erskine’s mind later and made him write a letter to the Secretary of State against the move. Prakasam refused to divulge the name of the ‘evil genius’ but told the gathering that Erskine cautioned the British government that ‘blood would flow in the streets of Madras’ if Andhra was formed. 

Remarks by Mr. O.P. Ramaswamy Reddiar, the premier of Madras province in September, 1947 complicated matters. He told a group of press persons that if Andhra claimed Madras then Tamils would claim Nellore, Chittor and Tirupati in return. Positions hardened and Telugu leaders demanded that the government settle the future of the city first. For their part, Tamil writers and leaders aggressively opposed Andhra’s claim over Madras. Notable writer Mr. Kalki Krishnamuthi remarked that the Tamils and Telugus had turned ‘strange brothers’ and the city had greater contact with Tamilians than with Telugus.  Rajaji dismissed the claim over Madras as untenable and citied population figures in support.

A solution was in sight in 1949. The Indian National Congress set a three-member committee comprising Nehru, Patel and Pattabi Sitaramiah to look into linguistic provinces. The committee report — known as the JVP report — recommended the formation of Andhra province but concluded that Madras would not be part of it. With Nehru and Patel involved, many thought the JVP report would be accepted. On the contrary, the fight over Madras escalated.

While the JVP’s position pleased Tamil leaders, the Telugus agitated. Mr. Sitaramiah, who was a signatory to the report tried to clarify that though the JVP report said Madras could not be part of Andhra, it did not specify that it should be part of the Tamil province. The city should be a centrally administered area, he demanded.  Matters came to a flash point in 1952 when Mr. Potti Sreeramulu, a Gandhian who was fasting for an Andhra province and the inclusion of Madras, died.  Sreeramulu, was born in Madras.

He quit his well-paying job in the Railways in 1930 to join Gandhi in his Sabarmati ashram. Later, after independence, he took up social work. On October 19, 1952, Sreeramulu decided to indefinitely fast in support of the Andhra issue. His fast neither altered the position of the national Congress or the Madras government.  After 51 days, Sreeramulu died. His death sparked violent protests across Telugu-speaking areas of the Presidency. Nehru appealed for calm and assured people that the issue would be settled soon.

Following this, in January 1953, the government appointed Justice Wanchoo to look into the formation of the Andhra province. The Wanchoo committee identified boundaries of the new State, but concluded that Madras could be the temporary capital for three to five years. If that was not possible, until a permanent city was found, Guntur or Vishakapttanam could the temporary capital, the committee suggested.

This was not acceptable to Rajaji and other Tamil leaders.  Finally, in December 1953, Nehru announced that Madras would not be the temporary capital. In October 1954, the Andhra province was formed with Kurnool as its temporary capital.

Mr. V. Kaleeswara Ro, the vice-president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress committee was practical. He told other Telugu leaders that they should now work ‘increasingly with the Karnataka brethren for the disintegration of Hyderabad State’ and combine the Telugu-speaking areas with Andhra. This way, Andhra could get the twin city of Hyderabad and Secunderabad as its permanent capital. He was right. After two years, a larger Andhra Pradesh with Hyderabad as its capital emerged.  Madras remained with Tamil Nadu.

Sales at farm-fresh outlets in Chennai cross Rs. 1 - crore mark

Within a span of three weeks, the retail sales at the 29 farm-fresh vegetable outlets in the city crossed the Rs.1 crore-mark. The outlets were inaugurated by the Chief Minister on June 20 to supply vegetables to the public at prices less than market rates. This was followed by the Tamil Nadu Co-operative Marketing Federation signing a pact with the National Spot Exchange Ltd., to procure onion, ginger and potato through online method.

Twenty-three outlets are run by Triplicane Urban Co-operative Society and six by Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation. The daily sales in these outlets have increased from Rs.2 lakh to Rs.7.5 lakh, while the quantity of vegetable sold have doubled from 10,250 kg to 27,000 kg per day. According to the sources, it was on July 3 the sales volume crossed the Rs.50-lakh mark with quantity touching 180 tonne.

On July 10, 2013, the sales volume was Rs.1.03 crore and the quantity was 386 tonne. The average daily sales at Kamadenu and Park Town outlets is about Rs.1 lakh each, while in other outlets it is over Rs.40,000. Meanwhile, the State government has released a revolving fund of Rs.10 lakh to 23 outlets for procuring vegetables from 10 agricultural co-operative societies in Krishnagiri, Dindigul and the Nilgiris. The societies in turn will pay the farmers directly.

Following complaints from the public about cramped space, the Food and Civil Supplies Department has started installing rain-sheds in Kamadenu Supermarket, Park Town, Madipakkam and East Tambaram and shifted the outlets in Adyar and Triplicane to a bigger space.

During an inspection in the outlets, the Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Mr. R. Kamaraj, was told that the consumers were able to save up to 40 per cent of their bill at farm-fresh vegetable outlets. Since April 17, co-operative stores and Amudham retail outlets had sold 25,700 quintals of rice at a subsidised rate of Rs.20 per kg.

Inter-State athletics meet at Chennai

The four-day inter-State athletics meet held at the newly-renovated Nehru Stadium in Chennai had a lot riding on the athletes. The inter-State championship will be the “final selection trials” for the Asian meet to be held in Pune in July this year. The top three will receive a berth at the event. Defending champion Kerala is most likely to clinch the overall team (men and women) title, while there is going to be a tough fight for second place between host Tamil Nadu and Haryana. This is the ninth time an inter-State meet is being held in Chennai.

Team Championship:-

Place	Men	Women	Overall
I	Tamil Nadu – 79 points	Kerala – 112.5 points	Kerala – 172.5 points
II	Haryana – 63.5 points	Tamil Nadu – 68.5 points	Tamil Nadu – 147.5 points

Best Athletes:-

Men:

Renjith Maheshwary (Tamil Nadu) – Triple Jump

 The 27-year-old rewrote his own record (16.73m) set four years back. With the jump (16.98m), Renjith also qualified for the World Championship to be held in Moscow with the ‘B’ standard mark for the worlds being 16.85m

Women:

Sudha Singh (Uttar Pradesh) – 3000m steeplechase

She also qualified for the World Championship to be held in Moscow.

Renjith Maheshwary (Tamil Nadu) – Triple Jump The 27-year-old rewrote his own record (16.73m) set four years back. With the jump (16.98m), Renjith also qualified for the World Championship to be held in Moscow with the ‘B’ standard mark for the worlds being 16.85m

Chennai - power guzzler

            Chennai is a power guzzler. Annually, it consumes about 13,000 million units of electrical energy, more than Bangalore which is of a comparable size. The city hosts less than 10% of the State’s population but takes away about 18% of its electrical energy. In a business-as-usual scenario, Chennai’s electricity consumption is going to almost double by 2020 and that is not good news. The city is pampered. Compared to other towns, Chennai suffers just two hours of power cut. Given the city’s growth, increase in consumption is inevitable, but in a few sectors, developments have not been responsible: commercial and residential buildings, in particular, need serious rethinking.

The Eighteenth Electrical Power Survey (ministry of power) pointed out that consumption in Chennai’s commercial sector increased from 563 million units in 1999 to 1,950 million units in 2010. This is set to grow further and touch 3,300 million units by 2020. The increase is mainly attributed to the growing numbers of malls and commercial centres. But how long can Chennai make unfair demands on the rest of the State?

As the city’s economy shifts towards the service sector, increasing demand for office space will have to be met. But there is a choice in terms of how we build. When the rest of the State is struggling to service small-scale industries and irrigation activities, providing unhindered power to airconditioned, upmarket malls may cause an outrage. These leisure places should be made to compulsorily harvest power from their own solar roof-tops. The idea of a mall as an excessively airconditioned retail box is also flawed. Building more open and well-ventilated bazaars could be more sustainable and even socially desirable.

Some may argue Bangalore has a better climate and residents there do not have to use fans and lights as much as people in Chennai do. Hence the city consumes less power. That is partly true, but the fact remains that many apartments in Chennai are among the poorly-designed. They hardy make use of daylight. Ventilation and energy efficiency are not criteria for consideration. As a result, lights often burn for long hours, and without fans, it is impossible to stay indoors.

 This increase is not proportionate to the increase in population, it is rather on the higher side. In other words, per capita consumption within the city is going to increase. By 2020, the domestic sector in Chennai would consume about 6,500 million units — an almost 50 per cent increase from the current levels. To add to the woes, the city loses as much as 15 per cent of electricity in transmission. We can ask the State government to improve infrastructure, reduce transmission loss and explore alternate forms of energy. Consumers also have equal responsibility. A great deal could be achieved through sensible building practices and regulating consumption. Simple measures such as well-designed sunshades, cool roofs and wise choice of materials have a lot of potential to reduce the energy burden. Domestic appliances, in particular, must be carefully chosen for their energy rating. The current power crisis is an opportunity to reflect and change course.

Related Links:-

Southern districts gets more solar power plants

FIDE approves Chennai as venue

The Presidential Board of FIDE, the world chess body, has approved the staging of the World chess championship in India. Reigning champion India’s Viswanathan Anand will play challenger Norway’s Magnus Carlsen from November 6 to 26 in Chennai.

An agreement to this effect was signed by FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and Secretary of the All India Chess Federation Bharat Singh Chauhan in Baku (Azerbaijan). With this the speculation about whether the championship will be held in India ends. The Baku meeting in effect ratified the Memorandum of Understanding that FIDE had arrived earlier with the AICF and the Tamil Nadu Chess Association.

India had stuck to the rules of the FIDE while accepting the generous offer from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa to sponsor the competition. The government has offered Rs. 29 crore for this event, including the winner’s purse of Rs. 14 crore. The focus now would be to finalise an appropriate centre in Chennai for conducting this important contest.

There's no national language in India

From the e-mail I received:-

Why Chennai can't and won't speak Hindi

Recently, I’ve been barraged on facebook with status messages from my friends who when to Chennai for their summer internships. To summarize all the status messages in one line, people weren’t exactly happy with Chennaites not being able to speak in Hindi. To all those people, let me ask you a simple question –why should they?

People who can speak only Hindi expect that everyone else in India should speak Hindi and this is based on the assumption that Hindi is the national language of India and it should stand true to its name by being spoken across the country. Allow me to correct such beliefs by quoting that as per the constitution of India, Hindi is not the national language. In fact, India doesn’t have a national language and it doesn’t need one. This fact acknowledged by Gujarat High Court as well. So it would be prudent to lower the expectations which were supported by a myth rather than a fact.

Now to the most important question. Why won’t Chennai learn Hindi? There is a two edged answer to this.

One – Love of Tamil. Do you know that Tamil is the only classical language (amongst the eight in the world) still to be in practice? Being more than 2300 years old, the language has stood its time and is currently spoken by more than 8 crore people across the world. It even has official status in three countries other than India.  Sanskrit, India’s oldest language and mother of Hindi couldn’t do that. Why? Because People just love the Tamil language. Fortunately or unfortunately, the language is very close to the people than you can imagine. And this reflects in being supportive any to Tamil community outside the country irrespective of what is right or wrong. Read the article by an American Professor why he thinks that Tamil deserves the classical language status. (Tamil as Classical Language)

Two – Fear. The more you love something, the more you’ll be afraid that you’ll lose it one day. And you’ll do everything at your power to protect what you love dearly. That’s what people in actual power in 1960s did by opposing point blank to the proposal of making Hindi as the national language based on the fear that nationalizing Hindi will slowly erode Tamil. A fair and a justified fear.

There are several points that I can put forward to enforce my side of the argument.

If you travel to Tokyo/Beijing, do you expect people to speak in Hindi? Obviously not Hindi when you can’t expect them to know English either! Will you complain that English is a global language and they should have known it? On the same note, why should you expect someone in Tamil Nadu to do so? Because, it is a part of India? The greatest strength of India is its diversity in languages and sustainable cultural diversity. Don’t try to nullify that strength by expecting the entire nation to speak in a single language.

If you are moving to a land that doesn’t speak the language you do, the onus is on you to learn the new language and not the other way around. When I moved to Hyderabad, I knew neither Telugu nor Hindi, but I managed to learn a bit of both. And even in Mumbai, I managed to survive with the half cooked Hindi I knew. Most importantly, you should have sorry-i-don’t-know-please-help-me attitude and not something like god-you-dont-know-hindi. The latter will get you nowhere.

And finally it comes to personal choice. Nobody in this country stops anyone from learning Hindi. It’s just people don’t choose to.

The above arguments are not only for Tamil. It stands true for other regional languages such as Telugu (another language that I’m very fond of), Kannada, and Bengali which are much older than Hindi and boasts of richer literature. These regional languages have stood their time too and I would watch with glee when they make it to the classical status as well. It's sad that Indian government has done nothing to further the growth of the regional languages across the country. And the state governments take it upon themselves to protect the language and their actions sometimes come as being fanatic (sometimes they really are!).

I do agree that not knowing Hindi does add to the communication problem when people from different region interact. But I would prefer the solution in the form of English rather than Hindi. My rational is that English is already the language of the world and it has reached almost every part of the world. So why can’t English be the unified language in India? Why Hindi when it’s penetration in India is less successful than English? Think and think hard!

And remember both our national anthem and national song are in Bengali!

Akhilesh Singh Yadav meets Jayalalithaa

Raising speculation about the formation of a third front for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Singh Yadav made a surprise call on his Tamil Nadu counterpart and senior political leader J. Jayalalithaa at Chennai on April 22, 2013 (Monday).

The sudden meeting at the TN Secretariat here that was finalised only April 21, 2013 (Sunday) night gains importance in the light of Jayalalithaa’s open criticism of the BJP for not helping Tamil Nadu’s cause in getting its due share of water from the BJP-governed Karnataka and her allegation that the Centre stifled the Opposition-ruled states.

The SP leader held discussions with the AIADMK supremo at Fort St George for 23 minutes. Despite his promise in the morning that he would brief the media on their meeting, Yadav did not utter a word after the meeting. Jayalalithaa, who left within a few minutes, also did not speak to the media.

Sources said they had discussed the Centre’s “adamant” and “non-friendly” attitude towards non-Congress Chief Ministers. This could, perhaps, bring them under one umbrella in the run-up to the general polls.

Sources said Yadav had conveyed his keenness to meet Jayalalithaa ahead of his scheduled participation at a function organised by Pattali Makkal Katchi in Mamallapuram, near to Chennai.

Related links:

TN ahead for 2014 elections

The great ally bazaar-Indian Politics

Chennai will host the World Chess Championship

Reigning world chess champion Viswanathan Anand will defend his title against challenger Magnus Carlsen of Norway in November in Chennai. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa informed the Assembly (April 08, 2013) that the World Championship for 2013 would be held in Anand’s hometown between November 6 and 26 and the government would allot Rs. 29 crore for the event.

Making a suo motu statement, Ms. Jayalalithaa said when the World Chess Federation president Kirsan Illyumzhinov met her in 2011, he requested her to hold the World Chess Championship in Chennai. She agreed to do so at a cost of Rs. 20 crore.

She said that, it failed to materialise as Russia made the highest bidding for the championship. Since Tamil Nadu came forward to organise the event in 2012, the World Chess Federation agreed to hold it in Chennai without bidding.

Earlier Tamil Nadu government banned Asian Athletics Meet (Scheduled to be held at Chennai) citing the reason Sri Lankan players participation will hurt the Tamil People sentiments. More recently Tamil Nadu government banned Lankan players participations in IPL matches that will happen in Chennai. Gone is Asian Athletics, coming is World Chess Championship.

Related Links:

IPL matches with Lankan players must not be played in TN

Jayalalithaa's letter to PM on IPL matches in Chennai

IPL withdraws Sri Lankan players from Chennai

Chennai Metro Rail - status

Chennai Metro rail completed its first tunnel between two stations – Washermenpet and Mannadi. It took five and a half months to bore the 1.3 km tunnel, which is part of the Washermenpet-Airport corridor along Anna Salai. The tunnel stretches under 750 buildings as it is one of those few stretches where tunnel is not under a main road. Tunnelling began on October 1, 2012 from Washermenpet. The machine, which worked at an average speed of 12 m per day, touched a speed of 54.6 m in one of the days, fixing 39 concrete rings. So far 958 rings,which act as the roof and the walls, have been fixed along the stretch. Metro rail will now lay tracks and install other facilities.

Tunnelling is underway to build a parallel tunnel along the same stretch to lay a second line. The second tunnel has reached 205 metres.

Two parallel tunnels – one 360 m and another 368 m – have been bored from Nehru Park to Egmore on the Central-Thirumangalam underground stretch of the Central-Koyambedu-St Thomas Mount corridor. A machine has started boring from May Day Park to DMS on Anna Salai. But the tunnel has reached just 102 m. Metro is gearing up to setup a boring machine to construct a second parallel tunnel on the stretch.

Work is in progress to make a tunnel from Shenoy Nagar to Thirumangalam where metro track will emerge from underground and become an elevated corridor from there to St Thomas Mount. Pace of tunneling varies from one location to another. Though boring began in July last year at Nehru Park, the machines are yet to reach Egmore. Underground stations are also taking shape at many locations along Anna Salai and Poonamallee High Road.

Tracks are being laid between Koyembedu and St Thomas Mount on the elevated stretch where viaducts have been completed. Around 7.5 km tracks have been laid so far.

IPL withdraws Sri Lankan players from Chennai matches

            The Indian Premier League (IPL) General Council decided that Sri Lankan players will not play in IPL matches to be held in Chennai. Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying that “the participation of Sri Lankan players in the IPL tournament, with many games to be played in Chennai, will aggravate an already surcharged atmosphere and further offend the sentiments of the people.”

Chennai is scheduled to host 10 matches, including a qualifier and an eliminator after the league phase. The Chief Minister’s letter prompted the IPL Governing Council to convene an emergency meeting where it was decided that Sri Lankan players and officials will not take part in the matches to be played in Chennai. It was a rather quick response to a strongly worded letter from the Chief Minister. The letter said that, The BCCI may be advised by the Government of India to prevail upon the IPL organisers not to allow Sri Lankan players, officials, umpires and support staff to take part in the tournament in Tamil Nadu. The Government of Tamil Nadu will permit IPL matches to be held in Tamil Nadu only if the organisers provide and undertaking that no Sri Lankan players, umpires, officials or support staff would participate in these matches.

This would be the second instance of the IPL saying no to players from a neighbouring nation, although, this time, they have been barred from taking part only in one city. Pakistan players have not been picked by any of the franchisees since 2009. Azhar Mahmood is the only Pakistani to have made it — to Kings XI Punjab — because he holds a British passport.

Recently, the Asian Athletics Championship, scheduled to be held in July in Chennai, was shifted. The State government cited pro-Sri Lankan Tamil sentiments among the people as the reason.

Online comments on the Lankan players to be out of Chennai in IPL:-

Why the North Indian media channels are shrieking in horror and wringing our hands in dismay at the decision of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to ban the stylish Lankan cricketers from playing in Chennai? ‘Well, Chennai isn’t India, how can she take a decision impacting the country’s foreign policy, traditionally considered the exclusive preserve of New Delhi?’ Jayalalithaa has decidedly taken her cue from New Delhi’s propensity to lasso sports into politics. Just as 26/11 and Kargil angered and shocked us at the duplicity of the Pakistani state, so has the killing of Tamilians in Lanka shocked their brethren in Tamil Nadu. The Lankan military bombed indiscriminately and relentlessly the civilian population of North and East Lanka in the months before the LTTE was decisively defeated and decimated. Thus, free from the fear of retaliation, the Lankan soldiers killed in cold blood, secure in the knowledge that they enjoyed impunity.

It is a humanitarian act. In fact, the Centre should have ensured that no Sri Lankan player participated in IPL. The move is not against the players or sports. It is an announcement to the international community that Tamil Nadu is sensitive to the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils.

The Shiv Sena ensured that Pakistani players were left out of IPL in 2008 (and still no Pakistani players is in IPL); Telangana agitation succeeded in shifting the venue out of Hyderabad in 2009. But when Tamil Nadu insists, the whole Indian ‘uncivilised’ media cries to a large extent, that Tamil Nadu is dangerous to Federal of India. Politics and sports should not be mixed up. But they forget the same mix up when India cancelled friendly match of Hockey with Pakistan earlier this month.

 Related links:-

Jaya's letter to PM on IPL matches to ban Sri Lankan Players from Chennai matches

Jaya's letter to PM on IPL matches in Chennai

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has written to the Prime Minister stating categorically that the Sri Lankan cricketers in the Indian Premier League will not be allowed to play matches in her state.

Here's the full text of her letter to the PM:

"I am writing to you on a matter of urgency and importance connected with the Sri Lankan Tamils issue. The recent continuous agitations in Tamil Nadu during the debate in the UNHRC have revealed the great angst and anguish amongst the people of Tamil Nadu with regard to this highly emotive issue. In this surcharged atmosphere the IPL cricket tournament is scheduled to be held at various locations including Chennai from 3rd April, 2013 onwards and will go on for over a month till the 26th May, 2013. I understand that almost all the participating teams have in their ranks Sri Lankan cricketers as their team members.

You are aware that the civil strife in Sri Lanka is a lamentable saga of an ethnic pogrom launched by the Sri Lankan Government, using Sri Lankan Army against Tamils, which resulted in the commission of genocide against a defenceless civilian Tamil population and the decimation of thousands of innocent women and children.

These human rights violations have been extensively documented in the international media and internationally condemned.

These painful events of genocide of innocent Sri Lankan Tamils have had a deep impact amongst the people of Tamil Nadu, who have been severely shocked, pained and angered by these barbaric acts.

Recently, against the background of increasing and credible evidence of continuing atrocities against Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil Nadu witnessed mass agitations, hunger strikes, self immolations and the large scale spontaneous involvement of many sections of Society, including the student community, protesting against the Sri Lankan action against the Tamils.

I have also been regularly writing to you protesting against the repeated and unprovoked attacks by the Sri Lankan Navy on innocent Tamil Nadu fishermen on the high seas, which have caused the deaths of and injuries to scores of Tamil Nadu fisherfolk. Understandably, their sentiments, too, have been hurt by these brutal and hostile acts of the Sri Lankan Navy.

All political parties in Tamil Nadu have repeatedly voiced their grave concern regarding these issues. The atmosphere is, therefore, already surcharged with a groundswell of popular public opinion against the Sri Lankan Government.

In such a hostile and tense environment, we apprehend that the participation of Sri Lankan players in the IPL tournament, with many games to be played in Chennai, will aggravate an already surcharged atmosphere and further offend the sentiments of the people.

In view of the popular antipathy and anger in Tamil Nadu against the actions of the Government of Sri Lanka, the Government of Tamil Nadu is of the view that IPL matches involving Sri Lankan players, umpires and other officials should not be played in Tamil Nadu.

The BCCI may be advised by the Government of India to prevail upon the IPL organizers not to allow Sri Lankan players, officials, umpires and support staff to take part in the tournament in Tamil Nadu. The Government of Tamil Nadu will permit IPL matches to be held in Tamil Nadu, only if the organizers provide an undertaking that no Sri Lankan players, umpires, officials or support staff would participate in these matches.

I would be grateful for a line in reply in this matter."

Related links:-

Can't host Asian Athletics Meet in Chennai as Sri Lanka participates - Jayalalithaa

IPL matches with Lankan players must not be in Chennai - Jayalalithaa

IPL matches with Lankan players must not be played in TN: Jayalalithaa

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding that no Sri Lankan player should play the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in her state. Raking up the alleged war crimes committed by Sri Lankan armed forces against Tamils in the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Jayalalithaa said that there was a lot of anger in the state against what happened in the island nation.

In her letter, Jayalalithaa said, "In view of the popular antipathy and anger in Tamil Nadu against the actions of the Government of Sri Lanka, the Government of Tamil Nadu is of the view that IPL matches involving Sri Lankan players, umpires and other officials should not be played in Tamil Nadu. The Government of Tamil Nadu will permit IPL matches to be held in Tamil Nadu, only if the organizers provide an undertaking that no Sri Lankan players, umpires, officials or support staff would participate in these matches".

Earlier in February, Jayalalithaa had cancelled the Asian Athletics meet saying Sri Lankan players would not be allowed in Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK supremo had also asked the Central government to move amendments to the US-backed resolution on Sri Lanka over war crimes against ethnic Tamils. "Don't just support the US-backed resolution on Lankan Tamils issue at UNHRC, but strengthen it through suitable amendments," Jayalalithaa had written in a letter to PM Manmohan. India finally voted against Sri Lanka at the United Nation Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva.

Jayalalithaa said the Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) may be advised by the central government to prevail upon the IPL to not allow any Sri Lankans to take part in the tournament in Tamil Nadu.

Referring to the human rights violations by the Sri Lankan government against the Tamils and the continued attacks on Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, she said: "All political parties in Tamil Nadu have repeatedly voiced their grave concern regarding these issues. The atmosphere is, therefore, already surcharged with a groundswell of popular public opinion against the Sri Lankan government."

She said the state government apprehended that the participation of Sri Lankans in the IPL tournament, with many games to be played in Chennai, would aggravate an already surcharged atmosphere and further offend the sentiments of the people.

Meanwhile, the participation of Sri Lankan players in the sixth season of the IPL remains doubtful, according to reports on Tuesday. Chennai Super Kings, who have Nuwan Kulasekara and Akila Dhananjaya in their squad, are waiting for the government and the BCCI decision before making a final call on their players' participation.

Sri Lankan Minister of Sports Mahindananda Aluthgamage said there was no need to communicate with the Tamil Nadu government over the issue and that Sri Lanka is coordinating with the BCCI and the Indian government. He said that, we have asked the BCCI and the Indian government to ensure security for players. If the Indian government doesn't provide security, players will be asked not play in Tamil Nadu. Former Sri Lankan spinner Muralitharan said, "If IPL asks us not to play, we will not play. Cannot comment as no one from IPL has contacted yet".

List of Sri Lankan players contracted to the eight IPL teams:

Sun Risers – Hyderabad (owned by SUN TV Maran – grandson of Karunanidhi)

Kumara Sangakkara (Captain)

Thisera Perera

Kolkata Knight Riders:

Sachithra Senanayake

Chennai Super Kings:

Akila Dananjaya

Nuwan Kulasekara

Delhi Daredevils:

Mahela Jayawardene

Jeevan Mendis

Mumbai Indians:

Lasith Malinga

Pune Warriors:

Angelo Mathews

Ajantha Mendis

Rajasthan Royals:

Kusal Perera

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

Tilekaratne Dilshan

Muttiah Muralitharan

Related links:

Can't host Asian Athletics Meet in Chennai as Lankan Players participation - Jayalalithaa

Full letter to PM by Jaya on IPL matches in Chennai

DMK’s pull out a drama: Jayalalithaa

Slamming DMK president M. Karunanidhi for announcing his party’s withdrawal from the UPA over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa described it as a “drama” and indicated it was an action which came too late in the day. His announcement that the party was withdrawing its support to the Centre over the Lankan Tamils issue was a late decision, she said while also referring to a Tamil saying.

 She said that, when the war in Sri Lanka was at its peak in 2009, he embarked on a “three-hour fast drama,” but neither pulled out his party nominees from the government nor withdrew support to it. On his assurance that the hostilities had ceased, people had come out of bunkers only to fall victims to shelling and Mr. Karunanidhi was “responsible” for their killing, the AIADMK supremo alleged.

“Sri Lankan Tamils would have been saved if he had withdrawn his support to Central government then. Karunanidhi did not do it. This is a very big betrayal of Tamils,” she alleged.

The “second betrayal” came when DMK did not insist the Centre to implement a Tamil Nadu Assembly resolution in 2011 that called for economic sanctions to be imposed on Sri Lanka till Tamils in the island nation were ensured status on par with the majority Sinhalese.

She said that at the previous UNHRC session, India was responsible for “weakening” a “fairly strong” US-sponsored resolution and Mr. Karunanidhi had “not opened his mouth.” “While he squandered all the opportunities to strongly voice against the Centre, he has announced quitting UPA today, which amounts to washing his hands off responsibility,” she said.

On his demand for a resolution in Parliament incorporating two amendments sought by him to the US backed initiative against Sri Lanka in UNHRC, she said it won’t help the cause in the present situation as a motion in the UN rights body alone would enable taking strong action against Colombo.

“People are tired of the countless dramas by Karunanidhi. While the revived TESO had failed to find any support among people and students, he seems to aim at minimising the blame by enacting the latest drama. His aspirations would not come true and people will teach him a right lesson for his drama,” she said.

DMK quits from UPA-II

UPA-DMK govt crisis - Political Analyst chat