ChennaiPlus

Saturday, Nov.18, 2006

· l P M Manmohan Singh said India had taken great care not to provide Sri Lanka with lethal weapons that could be used against the island’s Tamils. He said this in a letter to MDMK leader Vaiko.

· l British PM Tony Blair admits that the Iraq invasion by US and UK was a disaster.
A UN climate change meet in Nairobi ends without clinching any major dead.

Sunday, Nov.19, 2006

· l External Affairs Minister Pranab Kumar Mukhirjee said India will discuss civilian nuclear cooperation with China during the four-day visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao beginning tomorrow.

· l His visit to India is the first by a Chinese President in 10 years; the last was by Jiang Zemin in 1996.

· l President Abdul Kalam presents the Indira Gandhi prize for peace disarmament and development for 2005 to Afgan President Hamid Karzai. Wangeri M. Mathai, president of the economic, social and cultural center of the African Union, is selected for the same prize for 2006.

· l The first India-SouthAfrica ODI at the Wanderers, Johannesberg, is abandoned due to rain without a ball being bowled.

Monday, Nov.20, 2006

· l Chinese President Hu Jintav arrives in Delhi for a four-day visit. He leads a 40-member high-level delegation.

· l British PM Tony Blair, now visiting Pakistan, rules out his country’s intervention in resolving the Kashmir dispute.

· l The unbroken 1st wkt. stand between Chris Gayle (87) and Dareen Ganga (59), helps West Indies reach 151 in reply to Pakistan’s 357 in the Multan test.

Tuesday, Nov.21, 2006

· l India and China sign 13 agreements on a wide range of subjects at the end of talks between PM Manmohan Singh and Chinese President Hu Jinato in Delhi. They agree to cooperate in nuclear energy and hope that an early settlement of the boundary issue will advance their basic interests. Hu and Singh say they are satisfied with the growth momentum of their relationship.

· l PM GP Koirala and Maoist leader Prachanda sign a peace agreement in Kathmandu ending an insurgency that claimed 13,000 lives in Nepal.Four die in violence as the crippling nationwide blockade continues for the second day demanding reconstitution of the Election Commission in Bangladesh.

· l Brian Lara’s 196 n.o. takes West Indies to 509 for 5 in their Multan test against host Pakistan.

Wednesday, Nov.22, 2006

· l The University of Madras will introduce campus recruitment for students of all its departments from this year.

India (91) loses its ODI match against South Africa (249 for Kallis 119 not out) at Durban.

Thursday, Nov.23, 2006

· l TN CM M. Karunanidhi threatens to pull out of the Nov.29 talks on Mullaiperiyar dam issues with his Kerala counterpart V.S. Achuthanamdam if Kerala continued its provocative activities.

Vehicular traffic to Kerala from TN blocked by protestors.

· l 140 people die in car bomb blasts with the Shia stronghold of Sadr in Baghdad.

· l Pak - West Indies second cricket test in Multan ends in a draw.

· lExternal Affairs Minister Pranab Kumar Mukherjee said that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India and the issue is not debatable. Chinese envoy in India had earlier laid claim on the Indian state.

· lChina decides to sell AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) to Pakistan after talks between Chinese and Pakistani Presidents, Hu Jintao and Musharaff, in Islamabad. They also agree to boost their nuclear cooperation.

· lBCCI sends chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar to South Africa in the wake of Indian cricket team’s rout in the second ODI in Durban.

The city police organised a police-public interactive meeting on Thyagaraya Nagar School premises, T.Nagar, on Nov.17.

Senior police officers participated. The purpose of the “Police Image Project” was to redefine the role played by the police with respect to the needs of society. It was a joint meeting of the police and the people.

Mr.Bhaskaran, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Asst. Commissioner of Police, Mr.Shamsuddin, businessman Mr.Shyam, police inspectors, headmaster of Ramakrishna School, headmaster of T.Nagar High School and senior citizens of the city also spoke.

Some ventilated their grievances and asked about the redress while some others asked about the elementary procedures of filing a complaint and similar issues. Police officials suggested ways and means to tackle problems faced by the people.

With its cover open, the engine of this bus on route No.18K emits severe heat which passengers sitting and standing near it find it hard to bear. It is no exception; many MTC buses are in the same condition.

Will the concerned authorities look into this matter?

The pedestrian footpath on College Road opposite DPI is broken; leaving a foot-deep hole that can cause accidents.

Tangerine Restaurant and Ilango’s Artspace presents Seemab Zaheera’s ‘Zodiac paintings’ on its premises at Alwarpet from Nov 20 to 26.

Ilango’s Artspace was established in 2004 to offer studio space for those who aspire to draw and paint. Tangerine Restaurant’s proprietors Arun Rao and Manjula Rao, who are art lovers, engaged themselves in promoting artworks of Ilango’s students. This is their fourth year of promotion.

Seemab Zaheera, a disciple of A.V. Ilango since 2002, displays here visual art works titled “zodiac paintings”consisting of all 12-zodiac signs Aries, Virgo, Cancer etc. This presentation draws its inspiration from Linda Goodman’s “Love signs”, a book on zodiac signs. Her maiden show was in September 2005. For details, Contact: Tangerine, 5, Murrays Road, Alwarpet. Ph: 24355834 / 42110888.

Indian craft expo, an exposition of Indian art and craft, is being held at Sri Sankara Hall, Alwarpet, from November 23 to December 3. Mayor Mr. M.Subramaniam inaugurated the expo on November 23.
The exhibition basically consists of Handicraft items.

Some of them are blue art pottery from Khurja (U.P), hand-made paintings, Banjara hand made with mirror work bags, purses, Torans, Kashmiri hand dress materials, Rajasthani hand-madelac bangles with stones, Kora mat, Orissa palm leaf engraving, Patachitra painting, Dhokra collections, rudrakshas, Bengal Terracotta, pots Diva, 45 types of special digestives and eatable churans from different regions. There are many bronze statues and copper metal works also.

Dhokra collections, rudrakshas, Bengal Terracotta, pots Diva, 45 types of special digestives and eatable churans from different regions. There are many bronze statues and copper metal works also.

For further details contact 9380684265.

TamilNadu govt celebrated the 39th National Library Week at Connemara Library, Egmore, from Nov 14 to 22.

Finance Minister Mr.K.Anbazhagan, School Education Minister Mr.Thangam Thennarasu and Public Library Director Mr.R.Palaniswamy were among those who attended the inaugural function.

Debates, speeches, poetic discussions, elocution, medical camps, drawing competitions, etc marked the week.

Local Administration Minister Mr.M.K.Stalin on Nov.22, valedictory day of the weeklong celebration opened the renovated Connemara Library.

Information and Tourism Minister Mr.Parithi Ilamvazhuthi gave away prizes to winners in competitions conducted in connection with the week.

Mr.Thangam Thennarasu, School Education Minister, spoke.

To mark the second anniversary of the tsunami, Save the Children hosted an Advocacy Seminar on ‘Child and Community based Advocacy in Response to Natural Disasters’. The event hosted a presentation by Mr.David Cohen, Co-Director of the Advocacy Institute, Co-Chair of the Advocacy Institute Board, and one of its two founders, based in Washington.

Save the Children has organizing an art exhibition of paintings drawn by children affected by the disaster, on 20 November. Mr.Cohen addressed NGOs, INGOs, government officials, partners of Save the Children and the media at T.Nagar.

Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan and Kalakendra conducted a music and dance programme 2006 on November 23 on its premises at Mylapre.

Mr.S.S.Barnala, Governor, lighted the kuthuvillaku and spoke about the glorious tradition of Indian music and dance with particular reference to Bharathanatiyam and Carnatic Sangeeth.

Mr.T.K. Paramewaran, Director, Bhavan’s Chennai Kendra, made the introductory remarks. Mr.N. Sugalchand Jain, Vice-Chairman, welcomed the gathering.

Mr.L.Sabaratnam, Vice-Chairman, proposed the vote of thanks followed by saxophone recital by Lavanya and Subbalakshmi and cultural programme by Shri Satya Sai Group.

The pit dug near a manhole on the road opposite Hotel Ashoka, Egmore, for some work was left unfilled, posing a risk to road users.

Dr. M. Abel, a well-known figure in educational and intellectual circles, has written a book, “Remade in India Political modernisation in the Indian context”. Current political happenings with respect to governance of the country are widely discussed in this well-planned book.

ICFAI University Press released the book on November 18. Mr. R. Velu, Union Minister of State for Railways, released the book and Mrs. Savithri Devanesan, director, Roof for the Roofless, received the first copy.

Prof. Abel is an educationalist of good standing and public recognition with a Ph.D. Degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr.M.S released his previous book, “Glimpses of the Indian Nationalist Movement,”
Swaminathan and received by the Prince of Arcot in April 2005. Madras Book Club, Center for Contemporary Studies and ICFAI University Press, organized the function.

Dr. Abel hails from Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh. He completed his graduation in B.A economics in Andhra Christian college, Guntoor in 1948 and M.A. in Madras Christian College. He got a lecturer job in the same college in 1950. He was a Fulbright and Smith-Mundt and Danforth Foundation scholar. He was nominated by the PHI BETA KAPPA (California chapter) as the best foreign student and awarded a scholarship in 1960. On his return from USA, he joined MCC in 1961. He became the principal in 1978. He was invited by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to hold the post of Sri Krishnadevaraya University in Ananthapur in 1981. He continued in the post still 1987. He was a special officer with AP State Council for Higher Education. He was chairman of the moral education committee, All India Association of Christian Education. He guided six research scholars for Ph.D. and 15 for M.Phil. He was Director General of National Institute of Research and Social Education.
As an author, he has published many scholarly books catering to the intellectual appetite of the elite groups. His books “An Analytical Study of Political and Administration Aspects” was published in micro film edition in the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1963. East Asia Christian Conference, Bangkok, published his book “Religion, state and ideologies in East Asia” in 1965.

Dr. Abel has widely traveled in India and abroad. He visited Universities of Cambridge, Birmingham, New Castle, Durham and Christian College London. He addressed the General Synod of the Church of Scotland in the immediate presence of Queen Elizabeth-II. He delivered highly informative and useful endowment lectures for promotion of quality education, academic excellence, human dignity and decorum.

He was educational consultant in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar People’s Educational Trust, Hyderabad in 1994. He was Founder Chairman, Institute of Public Policy and Management Studies in 1991. He has three and half decades of experience as professor of history and political science. His served as member secretary of the ICSSR Review Committee (1972-73) under the chairmanship of Dr. Malcolm Adiseshiah.

The books authored by Prof. Abel include: ‘Glimpse of Indian National Movement,’ ‘Handbook of College Administration’, ‘My country, My people’, ‘An intelligent citizen’s handbook on Government and Politics of India.’

He is leading a peaceful retired life at Tambaram in the company of his daughters.
Dr. Abel is an institution by himself and a legendary personality in the horizon of higher education.

National Folklore Support Center, in its series of presentations, screened a film, “Maraynduvarum Marabugal”, by Indu Jayanthi Varma at the Indian School of Folklore, Nungambakkam, on Nov 23.

Maraynduvarum Marbugal is a research documentary on the original traditions of Bharatanatayam. Tapasya, a research and documentation institute, documented this film by the India Foundation for the Arts, Bangalore. Tapasya has captured the contribution of several artistes from families that have nurtured the art of Bharathanatyam through centuries.

The artistic heritage of the Tanjore quartet, the Dhanam paramparai, the Kondi paramparai of Tiruvarur and the Pudukottai traditions are explored from senior artistes in these families.

Ms. Indu Jayanthi Varma was trained in classical Bharathanatyam from the age of six, under Padma Bhusan Mrs. Kamala Laxman. She is the founder director of Tapasya Kala sampradaya based at Adyar. She is the research coordinator for “Maraynduvarum Marabugal”.
For details contact: Tapasya Kala Sampradaya, No.5 (Old no.2), 8th Cross Street, Shashtri Nagar, Adyar. Ph: 42019497.