The Chief Minister also invited industrialists from the UAE to invest in food processing, hospitality, food parks, and real estate sectors in Tamil Nadu….reports Asian Lite News
The multibillion-dollar Lulu group of Keralite NRI businessman M.A. Yusuf Ali will be investing Rs 3,500 crore in Tamil Nadu. This was announced by the group chairman and Managing Director M.A. Yusuf Ali while attending the investors’ meet of Tamil Nadu in Dubai.
The meet was organised by the Tamil Nadu state government on Saturday. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin, who is on a four-day tour of the Middle East to scout investments, was present at the meet.
The Lulu group will build two shopping malls and an export-oriented food processing unit.
The group, according to a statement from the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s office will ink the Memorandum of Understanding on Monday in Abu Dhabi. The Lulu group Chairman M.A. Yusuf Ali in a statement said that the group would commence construction of the malls soon and will provide employment to 5,000 people in the two malls.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in his speech said that ever since he assumed office as the Chief Minister, the state has signed 124 MoU’s attracting an investment of 8 billion dollars creating employment opportunities for 20,000 people.
He said that the target of a trillion economy by 2030 is achievable and that the state has chalked out several programmes and activities, including developing infrastructure, upskilling the workforce to improve productivity, and taking up measures to attract investments in new sectors like electric vehicles, technical textiles, and other sectors.
The Chief Minister also invited industrialists from the UAE to invest in food processing, hospitality, food parks, and real estate sectors in Tamil Nadu.
He also appealed to the investors from Dubai to invest in a massive furniture park that was coming up at Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu.
M.K. Stalin told investors that the state is well-posed for good growth and that the state has a positive GDP growth rate of 5.8 per cent when compared to negative growth in many other economies. He also said the mission of the Tamil Nadu government was to attract massive investments in manufacturing and service sectors and develop the state into a massive investment hub.
A total of 16 refugees, including children, have landed in the state after being rescued by the Indian Coast Guard and Tamil Nadu Marine Police….reports Asian Lite News
The elite ‘Q’ branch of the Tamil Nadu Police have increased security across the coastal areas of the state following the possibility of a huge refugee influx from Sri Lanka in view of the internal crisis in the island nation.
A total of 16 refugees, including children, have landed in the state after being rescued by the Indian Coast Guard and Tamil Nadu Marine Police.
The refugees were produced before a magistrate court which sentenced three adults from the first batch of six Sri Lankan refugees for 15 days of judicial custody. The first batch of Sri Lankan refugees included R. Gajendran (24), his wife Mary Clary (23), their four-month-old son, Nishanth, Duri (28), and her children, Esther (9) and Moses (6).
The court allowed Nishanth and Moses to stay with their mothers while Esther (9) was handed over to her grandmother who is in the Sri Lankan refugee camp at Vellore.
The second group of 10 refugees who reached the shores of India on Tuesday late night were identified as Sivarethnam (30), his wife Mery Yalini (27), their children, Reshalini (8) and Sindhuja (5), Seythu Mohammed (45), his wife Sivasankankathi (33), and their children, Samila (17), Mujini (15), Mohammed (13) and Bhoomika(8).
All of them are from Vavuniya district of Sri Lanka and the state government has decided to keep them at the Mandapam refugee camp at Rameswaram.
Jacintha Lazarus, Commissioner for Rehabilitation and Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils while speaking to IANS said, “We have asked the authorities to keep such people at Rameswaram camp and to conduct inquiries at the camp itself.”
It may be recalled that during the Civil war in Sri Lanka more than 1,00,000 people reached India and, especially in Tamil Nadu. They are lodged in 107 refugee camps across the state.
The Tamil Nadu Police along with the Indian Coast Guard have beefed up the security at the coastal line to prevent the huge refugee influx and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin has already written to the Government of India regarding the possible crisis.
The state government has also issued special advisories to Tamil Nadu fishermen to immediately inform the authorities if they spot any illegal movement in the sea.
A judicial magistrate court in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, remanded ten Bangladeshi nationals for illegal stay in India…reports Asian Lite News
The Bangladesh nationals who were working in a knitwear unit in Tiruppur were arrested on Monday during a routine vehicle check-up by the Veerapandi police sub-inspector R. Prasad.
On questioning, the Bangladesh citizens gave contradictory statements and upon verification of their documents, it was found that they were staying illegally in Tiruppur without any documents.
Police Sub Inspector, Prasad told IANS, “It was a routine vehicle check up on the road in the evening on Monday and we found these ten guest workers in a pick-up vehicle. On questioning, they were responding in a contradictory manner and during further interrogation, they revealed that they were from Bangladesh and had no passport, visa, or other documents. We arrested them and produced them before a Judicial magistrate court. All ten are remanded to judicial custody.”
Police said that they entered India illegally through West Bengal a few months ago and reached Tiruppur for work. The Bangladeshi nationals who hail from various parts of that country were staying in a lodge at Chinnakkarai in Tiruppur.
The arrested are A. Mohammed Najrul Islam, A. Arif Molla, K. Mohammed Almin, A. Mohammed Humain Kabir, A. Mohammed Ashraful Alam, A. Shariful Islam, B. Mohammed Shahi Mia, I. Saiful, N. Mohammed Alamin, and A. Abu Naeem. Police said that all are in their twenties.
The arrested were charged under sections, 3(2)(C), 14(A)(6) of the Foreigners Act 1946. The arrested are lodged in the Puzhal jail, Chennai.
The 21-year-old Tamil Nadu youth is fighting for the Georgian National Legion paramilitary unit comprising of volunteers….reports Asian Lite News
A 21-year-old from Tamil Nadu, who was rejected twice by the Indian Army, is now fighting in the Ukrainian Army against the invading Russian troops.
Intelligence reports received by the Union government have revealed that the Tamil youth, Sainikhesh Ravichandran of Thudaliyur in Coimbatore is a student of Aerospace engineering at Kharkiv National University in Ukraine.
Sources in the Tamil Nadu Police told IANS that a group of Central intelligence bureau officers had visited the residence of Sanikesh a couple of days ago and collected all the details regarding him and as to why he had joined the Ukrainian military.
Ukraine soldiers Pic credits Twitter @DefenceU
His parents, according to police officers, had informed the intelligence sleuths that he had a passion for military and armed training and showed his room plastered full of photographs of Indian military and officers.
Sainiikesh, had according to the police officers, enquired with the US consulate in Chennai to join in the US military but as he knew that it was not possible he had returned home.
The family members, however, said that he was actively pursuing his five year aerospace engineering course and had informed them a few days before the war broke out that he had got employment in a video game developing company.
However, the family came to know that he had joined the Ukraine forces only when the intelligence sleuths visited them. His father Ravichandran when contacted told IANS, “I am terribly upset and I have requested the Government of India to bring my son back to India. He had contacted home a few days ago and said that he was safe and he was not listening to our requests to come back.”
The 21-year-old Tamil Nadu youth is fighting for the Georgian National Legion paramilitary unit comprising of volunteers.
The DMK-led alliance on Tuesday swept the urban local body elections in Tamil Nadu with 75 per cent of the results declared….reports Asian Lite News
A BJP candidate, who contested the urban local body polls from Bhavanisagar town panchayat in Tamil Nadu’s Erode district, got only one vote.
A visibly upset Narendran told media persons that even his own family did not cast their votes for him.
“I was literally cheated. My friends, family members, and party cadres did not cast their votes for me even after giving promises that they would vote for me.”
The Urban local body polls have thrown interesting results, such as a mother and daughter duo winning in Salem Municipal corporation. Poonkodi Sekar won from ward 41 as a DMK candidate while her daughter, Kanimozhi won from ward 54 in the DMK ticket.
Sisters, A. Pushpa and S. Krishnaveni, contested from Ward 2 and ward 4 of Kumarapalayam municipality as DMK candidates and both won.
P. Murugan and wife M. Sumathi contested polls from ward 9 and ward 6 respectively of Mangadu municipality on an MDMK ticket and both won. Murugan is a councilor for the past four terms from the same ward.
In Kamuthi panchayath in Ramanathapuram district, a political party won for the first time against independent candidates backed by powerful caste and social groups.
This election also, the DMK did not field a single candidate in Kamuthi panchayat. However, BJP’s Kamuthi. J. Sathya won from ward 14.
Of the 15 wards in Kamuthi panchayat, 14 seats were won by Independents.
DMK sweeps urban polls
The DMK-led alliance on Tuesday swept the urban local body elections in Tamil Nadu with 75 per cent of the results declared.
The urban polls were held in the state after a gap of 11 years and the win of the DMK is considered as a stamp of approval for the nine-month-old M.K. Stalin government in the state.
The dismal performance of the AIADMK was reflected with the party losing its bastions and the DMK winning several seats in western Tamil Nadu including Coimbatore, Erode and Salem. In Edappadi, the home constituency of former Chief Minister K. Palaniswami too, the AIADMK candidate lost the polls to the DMK.
Palaniswami’s own ward no 23 in Salem Municipal Corporation was also wrested by the DMK leading to a major loss of face for the former Chief Minister who is also the Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu.
According to the State Election Commission till the late afternoon, the DMK alliance won 494 seats in corporations, 2,021 in municipalities, and 4,619 seats in town panchayats.
The AIADMK, on the other hand won only 81 wards in corporations, 511 in municipalities, and 1,188 seats in town panchayats.
The BJP, which contested alone, won 255 wards – 7 in corporations, 113 seats in municipalities, and 135 seats in town panchayats.
Five candidates supported by Vijay Makkal Iyyakam, the fans association of superstar Vijay, won in corporation wards, including 3 in Chennai.
Transgender candidate, R. Ganga of the DMK, won from the Vellore Municipal corporation by a margin of 15 votes. This is the first time a transgender candidate has won from the DMK in urban local body polls.
Three candidates, including an AIADMK candidate, got only zero votes in Karambukudi panchayat in Pudukottai district even though all three had votes in the same constituency.
Tamil Eelam will become a reality in not too far future, which aims to realise accountability of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide committed by Sri Lanka against Tamil minority, said Rudrakumaran Visvanathan, the ‘Prime Minister’ of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE).
Here are some excerpts of the interview:
The Chinese are having a major presence in Sri Lanka and it seems that the Sri Lankan government is under a debt trap by China. Your comments?
A. As you mentioned, Sri Lanka is under a major debt trap by China. In fact, in 2019, former Vice President of the United States Mike Pence gave an important speech regarding China’s debt trap, and he cited Sri Lanka as the case study. China has the Hambantota Harbour on a 99-year lease. Since the lease agreement is sealed, we do not know the contents of the agreement. It is feared that China will use it for military purposes. There is a clause prohibiting Hambantota for military purposes, but in reality, if China decides to use it for military purposes, tiny Sri Lanka will not be able to resist. Also, China has established a strong presence through its financing of the ‘Port City’ in the capital itself and has control over the Eastern Terminal of the Colombo Port. In essence, southern Sri Lanka is rapidly becoming a Chinese colony. China has also set its sights on the Tamil areas. In this regard, we the Tamils have taken a position that any Chinese presence in the Tamil areas should only be done with the consent of the Tamils. This is consistent with Tamil sovereignty and the Tamil right to self-determination. We are also concerned about the environmental impact of any Chinese investments.
Rudrakumaran Visvanathan, the ‘Prime Minister’ of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam
Velupillai Prabhakaran was killed on May 18, 2009 by the Sri Lankan armed forces. Has the Tamil nationalist movement lost its steam after this incident?
No. In fact, following the 2009 Mullivaikkal genocide, the movement for an independent and sovereign state of Tamil Eelam, with the motto “Never Again”, has evolved further among Eelam Tamils and Tamils across the globe. Moreover, the second, third, and fourth generation of the Eelam Tamil diaspora, with their tech-savvy political activism, has sharpened the Eelam Tamil nationalist movement. By taking up the struggle through non-violent and political means we have entered a new and even stronger phase of the freedom movement while building on the foundation of the past.
What do you expect from a country like India in the struggle for Tamil Eelam?
The geopolitical map of the Indian Ocean is being rapidly redrawn. Geostrategic, geopolitical, and geo-economic dynamics are dictating intra-regional relations in South Asia and have recently extended to the Indian Ocean. China, which is determined to replace the current world order to one based on its own rules, is expanding its strategic influence in the littoral states of the Indian Ocean. As a result, democratic virtues in these countries are in great peril.
Needless to say, the above constitutes a threat not only to peace in the Indian Ocean, but also the national interests of India. Sri Lanka, an island strategically located in the Indian Ocean, is giving a duplicitous perception that it is neutral between India and China. However, the facts and history have proven otherwise. Also, the fact remains that Sri Lanka’s relationship with China is that of a vassal state, that can be used as a springboard to harm Indian interests.
In the Freedom Charter promulgated by the TGTE in 2013, with the participation of more than 100,000 people, we have explicitly stated that we will maintain close relations with all democratic nations. In the freedom charter under the foreign policy, we also said that we are expressing solidarity with the people of India and Tamil Eelam and would like to have a special relationship with India. Our foreign policy is premised on “principled realism.”
Asst Secretary Lu underscores human rights are central to US foreign policy in Sri Lanka during his meeting with @TNAmediaoffice@GTFonline on #lka's reconciliation. The US joins Sri Lankan Tamil people in search for lasting peace & full voice in deciding their country’s future. pic.twitter.com/mExTyekyrW
Currently, the Sri Lankan government is engaged in structural genocide against Eelam Tamils, seeking to destroy them as a nation. India should take measures to ensure the viability of the Eelam Tamil Nation in the island of Sri Lanka both for larger reasons of principle and morality as also in its own national interests. In fact, India has a legal obligation to do so. In the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord, India recognized the North-Eastern part of Sri Lanka as a historical habitation of Tamil people. Presently, the Sri Lankan government is changing the demography through colonization and land-grab under the context of archaeological excavation. Thus, India should first ensure that Sri Lanka stop this immediately. Sri Lanka is in economic distress and India gave an unconditional USD 500 million dollars. We applaud India’s generosity. However, we think India missed an opportunity. India should have tied that aid to getting a pledge from the Sri Lankan government to not violate the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord, specifically the clause pertaining to the Tamil homeland.
Is the goal of Tamil Eelam in near sight or is it a distant dream. What are the activities you are carrying out in this regard?
What happened in Mullivaikkal was an act of genocide. The Eelam Tamils with the help of international civil society are in the process of establishing that fact. In fact, the Tamil Nadu legislature has already passed a resolution to that effect and the Canadian parliament has also unanimously passed a resolution calling for the international investigation of genocide. Once this fact is established, we are legally entitled to have an independent state, as remedial justice to ensure non-recurrence. In fact, in 1971 India helped to establish Bangladesh under the premise of remedial justice.
We are also campaigning to demand that the Tamil national political question should be resolved through a referendum. In this context, I would also like to point out that the Tamil Nadu legislature also passed a resolution for a referendum on the Tamil national question. This demand is gaining currency in international civil society too. This is not just a political question; it is a fundamental question of human rights. We have no doubt that, not too far in the future, Tamil Eelam will become a reality – and indeed the TGTE is in the process of building an independent proto-state amidst the diaspora.
What is the current status of the accountability process and the upcoming Human rights council session in March?
The current HRC mandate expires in September, thus we do not expect any dramatic changes in the March session. However, I must also tell you that the current international mechanisms, including HRC are controlled by the states and states act according to their own interests and not necessarily based on justice. Thus, we have launched a campaign called ‘Victims Driven International Justice’ utilizing the forums in the countries where the diaspora live, based on the principle of universal jurisdiction. We are also working on creating exceptions to the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act in many countries that would enable victims to sue the Sri Lankan state itself for international crimes.
The international civil society has already created a situation whereby not a single Sri Lankan political leader or military leader and their families can openly leave Sri Lanka and go to a foreign country for even a visit. They can only leave in the dark and with the fear of being picked up and prosecuted by the judicial mechanisms in many countries.
What about the proposed new constitution by the present Sri Lankan government?
The Tamils never participated in the 1972 and 1978 Constitutions. Those were imposed on the Tamils. Similarly, if this initiative for a new constitution becomes a reality it will also be imposed on Tamils because the Sri Lankan state, its institutions, and its polity are in the clutches of religious fundamentalism similar to Myanmar and Iran and will never allow any kind of power-sharing with the Tamils or with the Muslims. Racism is entrenched in Sri Lanka and permeates all institutions. Thus, our position is that Tamils can only live with physical security and dignity outside the existing current state structure of Sri Lanka.
There are several rumours of LTTE regrouping and Tamil Nadu police have recently arrested a former LTTE intelligence operative, Satkunam alias Sabesan on charges of smuggling drugs from Pakistan to Sri Lanka and rerouting the money to Tamil Nadu. Your comments?
The LTTE silenced its guns in May 2009. All the countries’ intelligence agencies know that the LTTE is not engaged in any kind of military activity since 2009. If they don’t know this, these intelligence agencies should be revamped.
Arguendo, the allegations mentioned by you are true. It does not mean that the LTTE has regrouped. It is quite possible, one or two individuals might make the claim, but that is not tantamount to the resumption of military struggle. I represented an asylum seeker from Bangladesh who was a member of the BNP and the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in the US held that unless the leadership condoned the terrorist activity it cannot be attributed to the organization. There is no evidence of any violence or subversive activity to justify the ban on the LTTE, as a political organisation.
The LTTE bogeyman has been created by these governments to destroy the Tamil nationalist movement, which is today entirely non-violent and based on principles of peaceful resistance. It is very unfortunate that even civilized governments are misusing legal measures in their countries to serve the political purpose. These actions are not only violations of fundamental human rights, but they are also corrupting their own legal systems.
A supporter of Gotabaya Rajapaksa cheers along the street in Colombo Sri Lanka.
It is reported that huge money of the LTTE is left unused in some bank accounts in India including a nationalized bank in Fort branch, Mumbai. Is this true?
I have no idea. I wish it is true and I can have access to that money!
You are the PM of TGTE. There are reports that this is not a monolithic organization or rather a government like the Tibetan Government in Exile and that there are fissures. Please explain if there is any truth in this.
We do not claim that the TGTE is a government in exile. The TGTE is a transnational government, not a ‘transitional’ government. It is a new concept, it is based on democracy, transparency, and transnationalism. We held elections in 12 countries amidst the Tamil diaspora. It is based on the principle that the people are the nation even in the temporary absence of their own geographical territory. As one political science professor said that this is the Eelam Tamil movement’s contribution to political science.
Do you feel that the present Indian government will support your cause as the Chinese are inching towards establishing their proxy government in Sri Lanka?
It is important to advocate that the security of India is dependent on the rights and security of Eelam Tamils. If India fails to wake up to this reality, there will be another TIBET in the south for India and in the Indian Ocean region. Another important point is that Sri Lanka is no longer a democratic country and is currently under the control of a corrupt, authoritarian, militaristic reign of the Rajapakse family whose survival is ultimately determined by the Chinese support all the way from Colombo to the Security Council of United Nations. This is the crucial difference between India and China over their reach with the power in Colombo and the only critical element is Tamil Eelam that can keep the Sinhala ruling elites and the Chinese under check. This is what we want India to acknowledge and review its national and geostrategic priorities.
Rudrakumaran currently lives in New York and is a US citizen and has represented LTTE in several mediatory talks with the Sri Lankan Government.
He also questioned as to how students could spend on his/her coaching for two to three years for qualifying in NEET…reports Asian Lite News
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said in the Assembly on Tuesday that NEET was discriminatory towards poor students and termed the examination as “knowledge untouchability of the 21st Century.”
“The fact that those who cannot pay for coaching cannot enter medical education and the fact that only those who can pay for coaching for two to three years alone could enter is in itself knowledge untouchability of the 21st Century,” he said.
He also questioned as to how students could spend on his/her coaching for two to three years for qualifying in NEET. “How can students from the poor and downtrodden background manage? That is the question we keep repeating,” he said.
“Like how restricting entry to dark people is apartheid, not preparing the question paper from the syllabus of the State Board of School Education is discrimination too,” Stalin contended.
The Bill was adopted in September only after a committee headed by the Chief Secretary made recommendations based on the Justice A.K. Rajan Committee’s report, he said. Opinions of about a lakh people were considered before the report was submitted to the government, he said.
“NEET did not fall from the skies. It is a test with many defects that sidelines the poor and the downtrodden, and so, we are opposing it. The question is whether we need NEET, which has sent many students to the graveyard and many to prisons,” Stalin said.
Before moving the Bill in the House, Stalin said he hoped that the Governor would respect the sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu and would forward the Bill adopted in the House to the President without any delay.
Recalling former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai’s observations in the House on March 30, 1967, against the post of Governorship, Stalin said: “I really hope that the Governor does not create such a situation.”
Contending that it was the “Constitutional duty of the Governor” to forward the Bill adopted by the House on September 30, 2021 for Presidential assent, he said: “I hope that the Governor will do that duty properly, at least henceforth. That is the duty of the Governor towards the Legislature.”
Contending that NEET was not a system established by the Constitution and not made a part of the Constitution, Stalin pointed out that the Medical Council of India (MCI) mandated the creation of NEET and pointed out that the examination was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on July 18, 2013.
Charging that NEET was only benefitting private training institutes, Stalin said several lakhs were being collected from students for these exams. “NEET is an impediment to the education of economically weaker students. It becomes a barrier between them and their dreams of becoming doctors,” he said.
The Chief Minister called upon the diaspora not to abandon Tamil Nadu and to be rooted in Tamil culture and legacy…reports Asian Lite News
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday called for unity among the global Tamil diaspora and urged them to overlook all the divisions among them. He said the Tamil diaspora should consider the Tamil Nadu government as their own government.
Stalin was addressing the Tamil diaspora during the World Tamil Diaspora Day celebrations organised by the Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils and Rehabilitation Department on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister invited the diaspora to visit Tamil Nadu with their children and show them the rich Tamil cultural heritage that has been in existence for the past 3,000 years.
“Many of you may not have voting right in Tamil Nadu, but you have the right to call this government your own government. This was why I had made several announcements in September last year for the welfare of the Tamil diaspora,” the Chief Minister said in his address.
Stalin called upon the diaspora not to abandon Tamil Nadu and to be rooted in Tamil culture and legacy.
He also called upon the diaspora not to have divisions with other Tamil people and to live united as brothers and sisters in foreign countries and to make maximum use of the situation prevailing in those countries for academic and industrial growth.
Citing the rich heritage of Keeladi and Adichannalur, Stalin said that these are glowing examples of the existence of a rich Tamil culture even 3,000 years ago. He said that people from Tamil Nadu are spread in several countries across the globe.
He said the late Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi, wanted to set up a welfare board for non-resident Tamils as early as in March 2011, but the government that had succeeded the Karunanidhi government did not pursue the issue further.
Stalin said that within five months of coming to power, he had announced the setting up of the board in the state Assembly.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister also said that the state government is implementing schemes worth Rs 317 crore for the welfare of Sri Lankan Tamils who came to Tamil Nadu.
Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had greeted everyone, especially the Indian diaspora on Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, “Greetings to everyone, especially the Indian diaspora on Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas. Our diaspora has distinguished itself all over the world and has excelled in different spheres. At the same time, they have remained connected to their roots. We are proud of their accomplishments.”
Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan
On January 9, the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas is observed to strengthen the engagement of the Indian community overseas with the India government and reconnect them with their roots. It is celebrated to mark the contribution of the Indians living abroad in the development of the land of their ancestors.
Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan will address a virtual youth Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas conference on ‘the role of Indian diaspora’ with regard to innovation and new technologies.
January 9 was chosen as the day to celebrate this occasion since, in 1915, Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest Pravasi, had returned to India from South Africa, on this day, and led the country’s Freedom Struggle which changed the lives of Indians forever.
Started in 2003, these conventions provide a platform to the Indian community overseas to engage with the government and the people from the land of their ancestors, for mutually beneficial activities. These conventions are also very useful in networking among the overseas Indian community residing in various parts of the world and enable them to share their experiences in various fields.
Thennarasu said that the members would act as brand ambassadors of Tamil Nadu’s industrial ecosystem and they would be given the mandate to open sub-chapters in their respective countries of residences…reports Asian Lite News.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is in the process of roping in Tamil diaspora abroad to achieve the state’s trillion-dollar goal by 2030, a pet project of the Chief Minister.
The Tamil Nadu government has already roped in the services of several non-resident Tamils for this project.
US-based entrepreneur R. Rangaswami, who is Founder and Chairman of Indiaspora which is a network of global Indian origin leaders, has already been roped in for executing the project. A panel of Tamil diaspora including Sunder Pichai of Google, Indira Nooyi, the former Chairperson of Pepsico, and several other technocrats and management experts will be used for developing the economic investment in the state.
Tamil Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu will be the Chairperson of the 12 member panel, and the Vice Chairman of the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission, and the state Industries Secretary are the ex-officio members. The Managing Director and CEO of Guidance will also be an ex-officio member.
The others in the 12 member panel are Dr Bala Swaminathan, of the Bala family foundation, Ganesh Radhakrishnan, CEO, Wharfedale Technologies Inc, US, Saravanan M. Sinapan, President, DHRRA, Malaysia, Suresh Sambandam, CEO, KISSFLOW (Founder, Dream Tamil Nadu), M. Arumugam, CEO, Broadline Computer Systems Private Ltd, Tamil Nadu, Elenchezhian Loganathan, CEO, Yaal Exports, Tamil Nadu and Rm Arun, President, SICCI, Tamil Nadu.
Thennarasu said that the members would act as brand ambassadors of Tamil Nadu’s industrial ecosystem and they would be given the mandate to open sub-chapters in their respective countries of residences.
The panel will help the Tamil Nadu government to conduct an annual investment and cultural conclave and the panel members will help the Chief Minister and Industries Minister to conduct physical and virtual meetings with the diaspora in their respective countries.
The panel will connect with the Tamil diaspora and create an online platform for regular interactions.
Big investment push
In July, this year, Tamil Nadu received investment commitments to the tune of Rs 28,508 crore from 49 companies across various segments that will create 83,482 jobs in the state. In an event, organised by the industries department and ‘Guidance Tamil Nadu,’ Stalin laid the foundation stone for nine projects, entailing investments of Rs 4,250 crore that will generate 21,630 jobs.
An official release said 35 Memorandums of Understanding were signed in the presence of the chief minister, with a cumulative investment of Rs 17,141 crore, which would create 55,054 jobs.
General Electric (GE) has proposed to establish a Centre of Excellence to enhance production of aircraft and aeronautical components for industries in the aerospace and defence sector, using advanced manufacturing technologies. While there was no mention of the investment details, the release said an MoU was signed by top executives of GE and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (TIDCO) on Tuesday in the presence of the chief minister.
As per the MoU, the total investments proposed (Rs 28,508 crore) are spread across electronics, auto-components, industrial parks, information technology, manufacturing, food processing, footwear and pharmaceuticals. Guidance Tamil Nadu said it entered into an MoU with American Tamil Entrepreneurs Association to promote start-ups in innovation, research and development in Tamil Nadu. The digital accelerator programme sanctions grants to start-up projects engaged in innovation, Research and Development. The government has sanctioned Rs five crore for this programme.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat was going to the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, to give a lecture…reports Asian Lite News.
India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife, and 11 others were killed when their IAF Mi-17 helicopter crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris district on Wednesday, the IAF announced.
“With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident,” the Indian Air Force said in a tweet.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in a series of tweets, said: “Deeply anguished by the sudden demise of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other Armed Forces personnel in an extremely unfortunate helicopter accident today in Tamil Nadu.
Gen Bipin Rawat was an outstanding soldier. A true patriot, he greatly contributed to modernising our armed forces and security apparatus. His insights and perspectives on strategic matters were exceptional. His passing away has saddened me deeply. Om Shanti. pic.twitter.com/YOuQvFT7Et
“His untimely death is an irreparable loss to our Armed Forces and the country”.
“General Rawat had served the country with exceptional courage and diligence. As the first Chief of Defence Staff he had prepared plans for jointness of our Armed Forces,” he said.
The CDS was going to the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, to give a lecture.
The chopper, with a total of 14 persons on board, took off from the Sulur air base near Coimbatore and was on its way to Coonoor. When the chopper was a few minutes away from landing, it, as per eyewitnesses, hit a tree, crashed, and caught fire, resulting in several casualties.
