Lights, camera, action
It's that season again when a collector steps in, camera crew in tow, not to fix anything but to yell at people for a taste of power. This episode stars the Tiruvallur collector, who turned a school inspection into a full-blown reality show, schooling teachers like they were students. Of course, it was all captured on camera. After all, what's governance without a little public shaming? The real show-stopper? In this season of yell before verifying, the collector, misled by the BDO, lashed out at an Irular headman in Vempedu village, humiliating the community. His mortal sin? Building a house with the help of the NGO. Turns out, the word, sorry was omitted from the 'misuse of power' dictionary. Meanwhile, on Instagram, the collector is seen praising an artist accused of harassment, right before delivering sermons to school teachers on discipline. Maybe the allegation escaped his notice; he was probably too busy rehearsing his next on-camera outburst to perfection.
-Rajalakshmi Sampath
Icarus of DMK
Once the DMK's poster boy, senior leader K Ponmudy has been conspicuously cropped out of the party banners during the two-day DMK central district executive meet at Kalaignar Arivalayam. Instead, M R K Panneerselvam wielded a wide grin on every banner. Ponmudy's home turf and stronghold in Villuppuram has slipped right out of his fingers. The red carpet has been rolled out to Panneerselvam, with the crown of zonal-in-charge falling right onto his head recently. Since Ponmudy's fall from grace over his controversial remarks on religion and women, the omission seems no accident. Party insiders say Chief Minister M K Stalin's cold shoulder has gone public, and Ponmudy's supporters are feeling the chill.
-Krithika Srinivasan
Zero compassion clause
Evictions are usually carried out with some unspoken rules to soften the blow, especially to children. Their belongings are all packed away beforehand, and officials ensure that no children witness their houses fall. However, at Anakaputhur, the evictions wreaked havoc on the financial and mental stability of the families. Under the orders of the high court, houses were bulldozed like a pack of cards. Children, who did not have time to pick up their toys or books, watched on as their houses turned to dust. Residents are furious, their life savings have been demolished, they are being packed away to apartments in Kancheepuram and are clueless as to how to restart their lives. Some of them vowed never to vote for the DMK again. The irony? One of the evicted settlements here is, or rather was, called 'Stalin Nagar'.
-Nirupama Viswanathan
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