INDIA NEWS

By Kavitha Muralidharan Thoothukudi: In an unprecedented turn of events, at least 11 protesters were killed on May 22 in Thoothukudi after police opened fire at the protest rally demanding the closure of the Sterlite unit in the town. The protest by the people of Thoothukudi against Sterlite, which they have claimed is polluting the town and resulted in a higher incidence of cancer, had reached its 100th day on May 22. This is the first time the Tamil Nadu government has responded to the protests. Activists allege that three rounds of firing at different places by the police were only an attempt to “dilute the protests”. “There was an even bigger protest on March 24 in Tuticorin against Sterlite. But it was peaceful,” says Henry Tiphagne, […]

Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran urges them to unite on the ‘tragic’ Remembrance Day Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran has called upon Tamils to set aside their differences and participate in the ‘Remembrance Day’ event, remembering those who were killed in Sri Lanka’s civil war, to be held in Mullivaikkal on Friday. Located on the eastern tip of Mullaitivu district in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province, this tiny village bears the scar of the brutal finish to the island’s three-decade-long-civil war that left scores of Tamil survivors with rather disturbing memories. The UN estimated nearly 40,000 deaths during the final phase. On May 18, 2009, the Sri Lankan armed forces declared an end to the bloodshed after killing LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in the […]

The National Health Protection Scheme with a benefit cover of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year was approved by the Cabinet after being proposed during the budget session. This is slated to bring a positive difference in the lives of 10 crore families. Click here to know more  At the Krishi Unnati Mela, Prime Minister reaffirms commitment to double farmer incomes by 2022 Laying the foundation stone for 25 Krishi Vigyan Kendras, the Prime Minister distributed Krishi Karman Awards and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Krishi Protsahan Puraskar. He also appreciated the efforts of farmers and congratulated them for their achievements. Click here to know more  Union Cabinet approves the North East Industrial Development Scheme to boost development in the Northeast With a financial outlay of […]

Nine retired officers flew to the island nation they served as a part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force Thirty years ago, as part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF), they found themselves in the thick of action over the conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). In February, a team of nine retired officers from the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force, some with their wives, returned to the island nation. The officers, all from 37th course of the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla, had been posted in the island over 1987-89, when the IPKF was tasked with maintaining peace there. “The main purpose of the visit was to relive our memories of that time,” […]

Congress underlines growing Chinese presence in the region. The Congress on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of exercising a personalised foreign policy which eroded India’s international credibility. Party president Rahul Gandhi, in his speech at the Congress plenary session, underlined the growing Chinese presence in India’s neighbourhood and made a specific mention of the Doklam plateau near Bhutan where China has built military infrastructure. For third alternative “China is present everywhere. China is in Doklam, in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Myanmar,” said Mr. Gandhi, highlighting the growing expansion of the Chinese sphere in the Asia-Pacific,, and called for a third alternative apart from the American and the Chinese models in the global order. Mr. Gandhi’s comments came at the end of the two-day […]

‘Legislation gives sweeping powers to Navy and is detrimental to Indian fishers’ MDMK general secretary Vaiko has urged the Centre to immediately lodge its protest with the Sri Lankan government over the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Amendment) Bill, saying it would be detrimental to the traditional fishing rights of Indians. He has also called on the Central government to ensure that the island nation withdrew the ‘controversial’ provisions of the Bill. Speaking to reporters here on Friday, Mr. Vaiko said the proposed law, which had the approval of the Sri Lankan government’s Cabinet, would give more powers to the Sri Lankan Navy personnel to arrest Indian fishermen and seize trawlers and fishing nets. Above all, the Sri Lankan officials would impose hefty fines and harsher […]

(Lanka-e-News – 21.Dec.2017, 11.35PM)   The sale of the valuable land of the Amy headquarters for a paltry sum of Rs. 125 million dollars by the deposed most corrupt  Rajapakses based on their sudden decision has necessitated the army headquarters to be housed in 15 separate rented buildings . Owing to this a sum of Rs. 5 billion ! has to be spent annually as rent , president Maithripala Sirisena who is also the defense minister revealed to the cabinet. This colossal payment annually for the buildings rented is a huge unnecessary burden on the treasury as a  result of improper planning . Besides , this has  compromised national security  the president lamented. The cabinet decided to appoint a special presidential commission to investigate the  reckless […]

Moments after a special CBI court exonerated all 19 accused, including former telecom minister A Raja and DMK leader Kanimozhi, in the Rs 30,000 crore 2G scam case, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy,who loves publicity and who made a private complainant and filed a criminal complaint against A Raja and others in the Supreme Court in the case, the multi-crore 2G spectrum allocation scam, on Thursday said the government must immediately file an appeal against the acquittal of all accused in the nearly decade old case. Swamy took to Twitter to air his thoughts on the judgment. “Government must prove its bonafides by filing an immediate appeal in High Court,” he tweeted. If not this verdict will prove that he is the joker of Indian politicians. Swamy loves publicity and will always make issues to create attention, […]

By Manekshaw Leader of the Tamil Socialist Democratic Party Annamalai Varatharaja Perumal has come forward to join the Tamil National Alliance and has pointed out that it was the need of the hour for all Tamil political parties to come together and fulfil the political aspirations of people in the North and the East. Illankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) which is popularly known as the Federal Party being the premier political organ in the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Varatharaja Perumal was enthusiastically involved in the political activities of the ITAK when he was young. He had even been arrested more than once when the Tamil militant activities were taking shape in the early seventies. Later in the early eighties Varatharaja Perumal joined the Eelam People’s […]

Sri Lankan police arrested 19 people after a clash between “majority Buddhist extremists”  and minority Muslim communities in which four people were injured, a spokesman said on Saturday. Tension has been growing between the two communities this year, with some hardline Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of forcing people to convert to Islam and vandalising Buddhist archaeological sites. Some Buddhists nationalists have also protested against the presence in Sri Lanka of Muslim asylum seekers from mostly Buddhist Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority. Police said the late Friday violence in the southern coastal town of Ginthota was triggered by rumours and fake messages on social media. “This was a clash between a small fraction of extremists in the both ethnic groups,” police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said and one […]

The Constitutional Operations Committee’s Interim Report submitted to Parliament has been prepared to construct a federal system, said Mawbima Janatha Party Leader Governor Hemakumara Nanayakkara. He said that the country needs one government and the federal system will create local governments. Therefore, it is sufficient to decentralize the administration instead of devolving it Mr. Nanayakkara said. Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council  Mr.C.V. Vigneshwaran spoke of a right, but  Mr. Hemakumara Nanayakkara   says any citizen  can live anywhere in the country. However, the interim report has been based on  national unity The devolution of power can raise issues among communities, he adds. Ashika Brahmana