AIIMS doctor examine Mrs. Dayalu Karunanidhi

A four-member AIIMS team constituted on the directions of Supreme Court examined DMK chief M. Karunanidhi’s wife Dayalu Ammal in Chennai to ascertain whether she was medically fit to depose before the special CBI court in Delhi as a witness in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case. The team of doctors from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi examined the 82-year old Ammal for about two hours at her Gopalapuram residence in Chennai.

Hearing a plea by Ms. Ammal’s daughter Selvi seeking a direction to exempt her mother from appearing before the trial court as prosecution witness on medical ground, the Supreme Court on July 10 directed the AIIMS Director to constitute a medical board to examine her to assess her condition.

Ms. Selvi had contended that Ms. Dayalu had been diagnosed with cognitive and behavioural abnormalities in June 2012 and that she was progressively and gradually losing recognition of even her near and dear ones.

Earlier, the special CBI court had on May 31 dismissed Ms. Ammal’s exemption plea, saying she is an “important witness” as she was a director in Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd in which an alleged bribe amount of Rs 200 crore was received.

Mr. Karunanidhi’s daugther and DMK Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi is one of the accused in the case.

2013 Election Tracker Survey: Tamil Nadu

Political battles in the southern states have traditionally been between the Congress and regional parties except in Tamil Nadu where the grand old party of India has been reduced to one of the also-rans. According to a CSDS-CNN-IBN survey in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka the ruling parties in the respective states are sitting pretty. But the survey reveals that in Andhra Pradesh the Congress, which had swept the state in 2009, is facing a tough time over Telangana and the rise of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress.

Tamil Nadu voters are behind the government of AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa and rate it better than the previous M Karunanidhi regime. The

Karunanidhi-led DMK's decision to withdraw from Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is also viewed as a political drama. The satisfaction with Jayalalithaa administration is down from 70 per cent in 2011 to 65 per cent in 2013 and dissatisfaction up from 16 per cent two years ago to 28 per cent at present.

While the vote shares of the AIADMK, Congress and BJP has increased, the DMK has slipped further. But only the AIADMK is able to benefit from the increase in vote share and is likely to win 16-20 in July 2013 seats compared to only nine in 2009. In spite of a three percentage increase in vote share to 18 per cent from 15, the Congress's tally is likely to fall between 1-5 seats from eight.

The DMK, too, will see a drop in the number of seats. The party will end up with 8-12 MPs from 18 in the current Lok Sabha. The other smaller parties are likely to bag 2-14 seats.

Detail Analysis on Tamil Nadu Survey

In Pictures:-

See Also:-

2013 Election Tracker Survey: State Scan - "Gujarat"

2013 Election Tracker Survey: State Scan - "Uttar Pradesh"

2013 Election Tracker Survey: State Scan - "Madhya Pradesh"

2013 Election Tracker Survey: State Scan - "Maharashtra"

2013 Election Tracker Survey: State Scan - "Andhra Pradesh"

2013 Election Tracker Survey: State Scan - "Tamil Nadu"

2013 Election Tracker Survey: State Scan - "Bihar"

2013 Election Tracker Survey: State Scan - "West Bengal"

2013 Election Tracker Survey: Nitish prefer for PM in non-Cong,non-BJP

2013 Election Tracker Survey: UPA-II more corrupt

2013 Election Tracker Survey (in General)

Jayalalithaa vs Karunanidhi over English in government schools

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's plans of introducing English in government schools is facing opposition from her political rival, DMK chief M Karunanidhi. He said, learning in the native language alone will nurture self-learning and a non-native language will obstruct it.

Experts agree with the DMK chief, but they also point out that with little foundation in English, rural students are unable to cope in college where most subjects are taught in English. Merlia Shaukath Tanseer, Manager, Teach for India, a non-profit organisation says that, it will be interesting to see how many politicians send their children to Tamil medium or Hindi medium schools, or for that matter to government run public schools.  

Statistics also prove that more and more poor people are opting out of government schools in favour of private schools because they feel learning English gives their children a better chance.

Like Shashikala, a resident of a slum in Chennai, who has got all her three children admitted to a private school. She is spending Rs. 60,000 a year on their fees because she hopes that an English medium school will give her little ones a better future. "My name is Sathish. I'm studying fifth standard. I want to be a doctor," her son Sanjay proudly says in English.

According to annual status of education report, admissions in private schools are up 15 per cent in Class II, while the government schools see a decline in the enrolment rate.

Tamil Nadu produces more than a lakh engineering graduates every year, but recruiters say 80 per cent of them are unemployable for lack of competence in English. They say Amma's move, if implemented well, could make Tamil Nadu the capital for quality personnel. "Once you leave school, it's not the percentage of marks that matter, it's about how well you can articulate and go about your job. If we can make them speak better, we will be the number one state," said Joshua Madan Samuel, COO, Covenant.

The DMK's anti-Hindi agitation in the 60s stopped a generation of youth from learning Hindi. With no national language, English has emerged as a passport for success. Is the DMK now pushing for more damage for narrow political gain?

 There is one more fun from Mr. Karunanidhi, his daughter Kanimozhi (2G fame) was a student at Presentation convent church Park one of the famous English convents in Chennai. This guy, because of his anti-Hindi movement has spoiled the generation between 1970-1990. Now these people who are in their working age will suffer if they travel to anywhere in North India. Similar is his standard with English, I myself has seen Tamil medium students from villages struggling to cope up in engineering colleges despite being brilliant. I think this is a good and first move from Jayalalithaa. I would be glad if Hindi is also introduced in government schools.

Tamil Nadu - ahead for 2014 elections: where DMK & AIADMK stands?

TAMIL NADU

AIADMK and DMK

Congress Isolated

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Jayalalithaa may go with Modi;

Congress will be routed alone

“Theirs is a hand that can only betray”, said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa in the State Assembly recently, attacking the Congress for slashing Tamil Nadu’s kerosene quota. Dumped by DMK over the issue of Sri Lankan Tamils, Congress is unlikely to win over Jayalalithaa who, after her crushing victory overt he DMK in the 2011 Assembly elections, is well positioned to win a majority of the State’s 39 Lok Sabha seats in the General Elections.

   

       The odds are loaded against the Congress. It may claim anywhere up to 10% of the vote share in the state, but this remains a claim, since it has not contested any poll without alliance partners since it lost power back in 1967.

          There may, however, be a ray of hope for Congress. Sources say DMK, which is the leading partner in the current Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) in the state, would not want to burn all bridges and lose out on the entire Congress vote bank however depleted that may be. DMK is on a weak wicket. Even if the Congress vote share is small, it maybe crucial in several constituencies for DMK and could have a bearing on the final alliance arithmetic.

          BJP and Narendra Modi are working out to reach Jayalalithaa. One regional leader who is not averse to Modi’s rise in national politics. She, in fact, attended Modi’s swearing-in as Chief Minister of Gujarat each time in 2002, 2007 and 2012. The two leaders share apersonal warmth and mutual admiration.

          However, Jayalalithaa does not want to risk a pre-poll tie-up with BJP for fear of losing the minority votes. Post-poll, though if there is one ally that Modi and BJP can be reasonably sure of winning over to NDA, it is the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.

DMK: Current LS Seats: 18

Going solo quite likely They would like to win against AIADMK and be part of any government at the Centre. Going with the Congress might not yield a more effective number, but it might ensure less of a division of opposition votes

Alliance with Congress: Possible AIADMK, not Congress, is its main rival in Tamil Nadu

Alliance with BJP: Possible but unlikely Only 6% of the electorate in Tamil Nadu is Muslim. DMK has been in ND before UPA but the overt warmth between Narendra Modi and Jayalalithaa is likely to keep them away

State: Tamil Nadu

AIADMK: Current LS Seats: 09

Going solo Highly possible Given a chance, Jayalalithaa would like to sweep the state on her own, raising her tally from the current nine out of 39 seats, and then set for Delhi as the ‘queenmaker’. Her party may very well become the third largest in Parliament.

Alliance with Congress: Improbable Jayalalithaa wouldn’t want to be affected by anti-incumbency against UPA and the government’s stand on the Lankan Tamils issue.

Alliance with BJP: Possible and likely She doesn’t need them electorally but may tie up with them post-poll

State: Tamil Nadu

Related links:-

Article on Jayalalithaa

2014 General Elections: Political parties positions

The great ally bazaar - Indian politics

On March 19, soon after DMK withdrew support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar sent a brief message via a set of emissaries to his friends in the Opposition: "I want to become prime minister for at least six months." The message was conveyed to Nitin Gadkari and Narendra Modi in BJP, to Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik, AIADMK chief J. Jayalalithaa and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee. Pawar also discussed the matter with Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav when the latter called on him for breakfast on March 20 at his 6, Janpath home in New Delhi.

It had not taken long for UPA's instability to fan ambition. NCP has only nine MPs in the Lok Sabha. That hasn't dissuaded the ailing Pawar from giving the top job a long shot. He needs the support of 263 additional MPs to become prime minister. Put together, all the parties he reached out to, beginning on March 19, add up to around 180 MPs.

The task for the Congress to remain in majority until the next General Elections scheduled for April-May 2014 is a lot easier. After the withdrawal of DMK, UPA is 38 seats short of a majority in the Lok Sabha. It can make up the numbers with the outside support of SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which have 22 and 21 MPs respectively. However, the mercurial Mulayam has wasted no time in serving notice to the Congress. For now, the SP chief says he is not withdrawing support but insists elections will be held early, probably in November 2013. His fickleness has forced the Congress, which has 203 seats of its own, to seek insurance. The ally bazaar is open for business.

The desperate search for allies is not restricted to the remaining term of the current Lok Sabha alone. The fact is that the best-stitched coalition will form a government in the next Lok Sabha. BJP knows it cannot form a government without an expanded NDA; it still remembers its lesson from the debacle of 2009. When shorn of allies, it won just 116 seats. However, the deeply polarising figure of Narendra Modi stands between BJP and an expanded NDA.

The Congress may be running out of allies in 2013, but if BJP were to name Modi its prime ministerial candidate, the Congress will call on 'secular' parties to join UPA to defeat him. In Modi, the Congress sees opportunity. Of course, hardly any potential ally of either of the two national parties is in any hurry to commit to a pre-poll alliance. A pre-poll alliance requires seat adjustment. For now, smaller parties which have a strong presence in a particular state want to maximise their own numbers in order to be in a better bargaining position for a post-poll alliance.

That also includes newcomers like B.S. Yeddyurappa in Karnataka, the former BJP chief minister who has now formed his own party and is set to challenge his former party in both the Assembly elections in May and the Lok Sabha elections later. There is also the tantalising prospect, for smaller parties, of a Third Front government- should both Congress and BJP fail to muster up impressive tallies. That is what will ultimately force Pawar, Mulayam and their many compatriots in other non-national parties to keep the ally bazaar open for operation until after the next General Elections.

Here's the look at important political parties which are important in deciding who to sit in Delhi?

  

SAMAJWADI PARTY: Current LS Seats: 22

Going solo most likely 54 out of the 80 Uttar Pradesh seats have a decisive Muslim population and Mulayam Singh Yadav’s eyes are firmly set onbeing PM. If he gets more than 30 seas, he becomes kingmaker. If he gets more than 40 seats, he becomes king. If he gets less than 30, he is not significant

Alliance with Congress: Possible but unlikely 19% Muslim vote in UP will go to Congress and SP. But Mulayam will be concerned about dual anti-incumbency; Of his own state government and for UPA

Alliance with BJP: Unlikely Any pre-poll or post-poll alliance will destroy the respective support bases of both SP and BJP, whether or not the latter is led by Narendra Modi.

State: Uttar Pradesh

  

TRINAMOOL CONGRESS: Current LS Seats: 19

Going solo Highly Possible West Bengal may again vote for TMC to keep CPI (M) out. Banerjee will be a ‘queenmaker’ if she gets more than 20 seats. If TMC wins 30 sears, she will decide who forms the government.

Alliance with Congress: Possible but unlikely Muslims, who form 25% of the voters in West Bengal, will approve of the alliance. Only problem is that she has burnt bridges for the moment.

Alliance with BJP led by Modi: Unlikely She cannot afford to alienate Muslims, decisive in 24 of the 42 LS seats.

Alliance with BJP without Modi: Likely Only possible post-poll. Pre-poll alliance will backfire, and is not needed.

State: West Bengal

  

BAHUJAN SAMAJ PARTY: Current LS Seats: 21

Going solo very likely 60 out of the 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh have a decisive Muslim-Dalit combination, which is Mayawati’s core constituency. She has targeted 40seats in UP and is in a serious contest in 40 seats outside the state as well.

Alliance with Congress: Only possible post-poll Mayawati doesn’t ant to confuse her core constituency of 22% Dalits in UP. If Congress needs supports; she’ll oblige but not before her CBI cases are rested.

Alliance with BJP: Unlikely unless it supports her bid to be PM she has a winning chance in UP only if she gets support of Brahmins and Muslims. She will be happy to take BJP support if she gets chance to be PM

State: Uttar Pradesh

DMK: Current LS Seats: 18

Going solo quite likely They would like to win against AIADMK and be part of any government at the Centre. Going with the Congress might not yield a more effective number, but it might ensure less of a division of opposition votes

Alliance with Congress: Possible AIADMK, not Congress, is its main rival in Tamil Nadu

Alliance with BJP: Possible but unlikely Only 6% of the electorate in Tamil Nadu is Muslim. DMK has been in ND before UPA but the overt warmth between Narendra Modi and Jayalalithaa is likely to keep them away

State: Tamil Nadu

AIADMK: Current LS Seats: 09

Going solo Highly possible Given a chance, Jayalalithaa would like to sweep the state on her own, raising her tally from the current nine out of 39 seats, and then set for Delhi as the ‘queenmaker’. Her party may very well become the third largest in Parliament.

Alliance with Congress: Improbable Jayalalithaa wouldn’t want to be affected by anti-incumbency against UPA and the government’s stand on the Lankan Tamils issue.

Alliance with BJP: Possible and likely She doesn’t need them electorally but may tie up with them post-poll

State: Tamil Nadu

JANATA DAL (UNITED): Current LS Seats: 20

Going solo possible but unlikely Though Nitish would like to win 20-odd seats from Bihar and become PM candidate, it is unlikely that he can without BJP support.

Alliance with Congress: Improbable and unlikely JD(U) contests the elections against Lal Yadav and the Congress in Bihar. It cannot sup with the enemy.

Alliance with BJP plus Modi: Improbable In a state where 17% of the electorate is Muslim. JD(U) has carved a niche in this vote bank even after being in alliance with BJP. It needs to retain this especially if Nitish wants to be projected a s a potential PM

Alliance with BJP without Modi: Likely Either pre-poll or post-poll tie-up is fine. JD(U)’s combined vote bank with BJP has a lead over RJD and the Congress

State: Bihar

   

YSR COngress: Current LS Seats: 02

Going solo Quite likely It would do well in 25 seas in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema, but may struggle in 17 Telangana seats

Alliance with Congress: Possible Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is contesting the elections against the Congress in Andhra Pradesh, and the Reddy vote bank feels betrayed by the ruling party. Post-poll, if he decides to tie up with the Congress, it will be only due to CBI pressure.

Alliance with BJP: Possible Approximately 10% of the electorate is Muslim, but not in the region where YSR Congress is the frontrunner. Even Christian voters who don’t support BJP are in aminority

State: Andhra Pradesh

  

BIJU JANATA DAL: Current LS Seats: 14

Going solo very likely The party would like to win against the Congress and be part of a non-Congress government at the Centre.

Alliance with Congress: Unlikely Congress is BJD’s chief rival in Odisha

Alliance with BJP: Quite Possible As only2% of the electorate is Muslim in Odisha. BJD has no obligation to be secular, so Modi’s leadership doesn’t matter. A pre-poll or post-poll tie-up delivers a combined vote bank with a huge lead over Congress

State: Odisha

UN readies for vote on Sri Lanka: five-point cheatsheet

The United Nations is gearing up for a vote on Sri Lanka this week that will hold it accountable for alleged war crimes against its ethnic Tamil population during the final phases of the bloody civilian war against the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The US, which is sponsoring the motion against Colombo, has circulated a draft of the resolution.

Here's ready reckoner on the resolution:

(01) What the resolution says:

Moved by the US, the draft resolution against Sri Lanka, in gist, calls for an independent investigation that will be monitored by the UN Human Rights Commissioner.

(02) US resolution toned down:

The revised draft circulated by the US is being viewed as a watered down version of the initial one - the resolution was first submitted on March 12 but was re-introduced with changes on March 18. The current draft does not mandate an international probe into alleged war crimes and human rights violations during Sri Lanka's lengthy civil war with Tamil rebels.

(03) DMK's demand:

The Karunanidhi-led party wants India to press for stronger language in the resolution that would call for an independent, international probe against Sri Lanka for alleged war crimes against Lankan Tamils. The party also wants the world "genocide" to be part of the text of the resolution. But the government hasn't acquiesced to the DMK's demands, leading the latter to pull out of the government today.

(04) Will India push for changes to the draft:

Sources say that for its amendments to be accepted, India would need the support of 24 out of 47 member countries, which is unlikely. Government sources also say that New Delhi will not agree for the word "genocide" to be incorporated in the resolution.

(05) India's contribution to draft?

From "urges" to "encourages" and "unfettered access" to "extending invitations" for Special rapporteurs - these are some of the several areas that suggest a softening of language in the revised resolution. Sources say that the toning down of the draft could not have been possible without New Delhi's approval.

Related links:-

Why India needs to vote for UN resolution on Sri Lanka?

About UNHRC

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

DMK quits UPA-II? Who said what

The DMK has pulled out of the Congress-led UPA government. The party said its decision is based on the Centre's refusal to take a strong stand again.

BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy

“All parties, which are with the UPA, are not willing to move forward with it.”

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath

“No matter what the DMK decides, there is no threat to the UPA government. Let the BJP say what they what.”

CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat

"Need to throw this Congress-led UPA out of office. But what is the alternative? The BJP? The economic policies of the BJP and the Congress are no different."

DMK MP A Raja

"The survival of the UPA will be effected. This is making the UPA unstable."

JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar

"The Congress party will sort out the issue. They will look into the demands of the Tamils. But if there's an early election, we're ready."

DMK MP Kanimozhi

“DMK had no choice. We expected the government to support this resolution and take it forward but unfortunately it did not happen.”

Finance Minister P Chidambaram

"The government is absolutely stable and enjoys a majority in the Lok Sabha."

BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

"This government is on ventilator support.”

Congress President Sonia Gandhi

“I have nothing to say.”

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK Chief J. Jayalalithaa

“It as a “drama” and indicated it was an action which came too late in the day”

DMK quits from UPA-II