சமரன்: கழக மே நாள் சூளுரை

சமரன்: கழக மே நாள் சூளுரை

Sainsbury's and Asda plot 'epic' merger with a 31% market share.

Major shake-up in UK grocery retailing as Sainsbury's and Asda plot 'epic' merger Shock move would create the UK's largest supermarket chain with a 31% market share.

By Associated Press

April 28, 2018     

UK supermarket chain Sainsbury's has confirmed it is in advanced discussions about a £10 billion merger with competitor Asda.

The combination would create Britain's largest supermarket chain, with a joint market share of 31% and 2,800 stores, moving the merged company ahead of market leader Tesco. J Sainsbury plc, the chain's corporate name, released no other information on Saturday and said it would make an announcement before the London stock market opens on Monday.

The move underscores the intense competition in Britain's grocery market as discounters like Asda take market share from traditional chains such as Sainsbury's and Tesco.

Kantar Worldpanel, a retail research firm, puts Tesco's market share at 27.6 percent, followed by Sainsbury's at 15.8 percent and Asda at 15.6 percent.

Asda, which is owned by the world's largest retailer, Walmart, has been in a bitter battle for customers with the fast-growing German discounters Aldi and Lidl .

Richard Lim, from economics research consultancy Retail Economics, told the BBC the merger would be a "game changer in the UK grocery market of epic proportions".

The proposed deal could run into problems vis-a-vis UK competition rules and the Lib Dem leader and former business secretary Vince Cable called for an immediate investigation by the Competition and Markets 

Authority.

He warned that the potential merger threatened "the creation of even more concentrated local monopolies".

Sainsbury's however could feel emboldened that the consolidation of the two major supermarkets will be approved given the precedent of the Tesco merger with Booker - the UK's largest food wholesaler - that was waved through by the Competition and Markets Authority in 2017.

The merger was first reported Saturday by Sky News.

2018 கழக மே நாள் நடவடிக்கைகள்

2018 கழக மே நாள் நாமக்கல்

2018 மே நாளையொட்டி நாமக்கலில் ஊர்வலமும் ஆர்ப்பாட்டமும் நடைபெறவுள்ளது.
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நாமக்கல்:

மே நாள் செவ்வாய்க் கிழமை மாலை 4.00 மணியளவில் ஊர்வலம், தோழர் பூபதி தலைமையில் பெருமாம்பாளையம் பஸ் ஸ்டாப்பில் இருந்து ஆரம்பமாகும்.

ஊர்வலத்தைத் தொடர்ந்து, பொதுக்கூட்டம் மாலை 6.00 மணியளவில் நாமக்கல், முத்துக்காப்பட்டி, கொல்லம் பட்டறை அருகில் தோழர் சதாசிவம் தலைமையில் நடைபெறவுள்ளது.
இப் பொதுக்கூட்டத்தில் தோழர்கள்,மணி,சோமு,ஆறுமுகம்,முத்து ஆகியோர் உரையாற்ற தோழர் அன்பு நன்றியுரை வழங்குவார்.


மக்கள் கலை மன்ற கலை நிகழ்ச்சிகள் இடம்பெறுமெனவும் கழகப் பிரசுரத்தில் அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

2018 கழக மே நாள் தர்மபுரி.

2018 மே நாளையொட்டி தர்மபுரியில் ஊர்வலமும் ஆர்ப்பாட்டமும் நடைபெறவுள்ளது.
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தர்மபுரி:

மே நாள் செவ்வாய்க்கிழமை மாலை 4.00 மணிக்கு தர்மபுரி வேல் பால் டிப்போ அருகாமையில் ஊர்வலம் ஆரம்பமாகி BSNL அலுவலகம் அருகில் ஆர்ப்பாட்டம் இடம்பெறும். ஆர்ப்பாட்ட உரையை ம.ஜ.இ.க.மாநில அமைப்பாளர் தோழர் ஞானம் ஆற்றுவார் என கழகப் பிரசுரத்தில் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.
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2018 கழக மே நாள் செங்கல்பட்டு.

2018 மே நாளையொட்டி செங்கல்பட்டில் ஊர்வலமும் பொதுக்கூட்டமும் நடைபெறவுள்ளது.
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செங்கல்பட்டு

செங்கல்பட்டு ஊர்வலம் ராட்டினக் கிணறு அருகில் மாலை 4.00 மணிக்கு ஆரம்பமாகும்.பொதுக்கூட்டம் மாலை 6 மணிக்கு பழைய பேரூந்து நிலையம் அருகில் இடம்பெறுமென கழகப் பிரசுரத்தில் அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

பொதுக்கூட்டத்தில் தோழர்கள் ஸ்டாலின்,டேவிட் செல்லப்பா,சேல் முருகன்,வெண்ணிலா,சுரேஸ், அன்பு,வேலு ஆகியோர் உரையாற்றுவதோடு,மக்கள் கலைமன்ற கலை நிகழ்ச்சியும் இடம்பெறும் எனத் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

හොරණ කර්මාන්ත ශාලාවක අනතුරකින් 5ක් මරුට

හොරණ කර්මාන්ත ශාලාවක අනතුරකින් 5ක් මරුට
(බිමල් ශ්‍යාමන් ජයසිංහ)

හොරණ බැල්ලපිටිය සපත්තු කර්මාන්තශාලවක රසායනික ද්‍රව්‍ය අඩංගු වළකට වැටී  එහි සේවකයින් පස් දෙනකු මේ වන විට මිය ගොස් ඇතැයි පොලීසිය පවසයි.

තවත් පුද්ගලයින් කිහිප දෙනකු අසාධ්‍ය තත්ත්වයෙන්  හොරණ මුලීක රෝහලට  ඇතුළු කර ඇති අතර  පුද්ගලයින් 12 දෙනකු හුස්ම ගැනීමේ අපහසුතාවයෙන් රෝහල්ගත කර ඇතැයි හොරණ මුලික රෝහලේ වෛද්‍ය අධිකාරී තමර කළුබෝවිල මහතා පැවසීය.

அமோனியா வாயு கசிவால் ஐவர் பலி; முகாமையாளர் கைது
Editorial / 2018 ஏப்ரல் 19 வியாழக்கிழமை, பி.ப. 05:54 Comments - 0 Views - 195


ஐந்து பேர் உயிரிழந்து பலர் பாதிக்கப்படுவதற்கு காரணமாக அமைந்த ஹொரண பிரதேசத்தில் உள்ள இறப்பர் தொழிற்சாலையின் முகாமையாளர், ஹொரண பொலிஸாரால் கைது செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளார்.

குறித்த தொழிற்சாலையில் உள்ள அமோனியா தாங்கியை சுத்தம் செய்ய முயன்ற ஒருவர் அதற்குள் தவறி விழுந்ததாகவும், அவரை காப்பாற்ற முயன்ற பிரதேசவாசிகள் உள்ளிட்ட தொழிற்சாலை ஊழியர்கள் சுயநினைவிழந்த நிலையில் வைத்தியசாலையில் அனுமதிக்கப்பட்டதாக பொலிஸஸார் தெரிவிக்கின்றனர்.

வைத்தியசாலையில் அனுமதிக்கப்பட்ட பின்னர் தொழிற்சாலையின் ஊழியர் ஒருவரும் பிரதேசவாசிகள் நான்கு பேரும் உயிரிழந்தனர்.

அமோனியா நச்சு வாயுவை சுவாசித்தமையாலேயே இந்த உயிரிழப்பு நேர்ந்துள்ளதாக தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. 

பாதிக்கப்பட்ட சுமார் 16 பேர் ஹொரண வைத்தியசாலையில் தொடர்ந்து சிகிச்சைப் பெற்று வருவதாக தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

Asia
Four rescuers among five killed by ammonia in Sri Lanka rubber factory
19 Apr 2018 07:16PM

COLOMBO: At least five people were killed in Sri Lanka on Thursday after a worker at a rubber factory fell into a tank of ammonia and co-workers and residents tried to save him, police said.

The worker who fell into the ammonia tank died, along with four of those who tried to save him in the accident in the town of Horana, 50 km from the capital, Colombo.

Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said 10 people were treated in hospital for exposure to ammonia, which is used in the production of rubber. He declined to identify the factory where the accident happened.

An official at the state-run hospital in Horana confirmed the death toll.

"Workers from a next-door garment factory were also affected by the gas and they are being brought to hospital," said the hospital official, who declined to be identified.

"They are still being brought in."

Television showed rescue officers wearing breathing apparatus, taking injured out of the factory and searching the ammonia tank for any other casualties.

(Reporting by Dinuka Liyanawatta and Ranga Sirilal; Writing by Shihar Aneez; Editing by Robert Birsel)

மார்க்சிய அறிவகம்: ̒கம்யூனிஸ்ட்டை அறிமுகம் செய்தல் ’

மார்க்சிய அறிவகம்: ̒கம்யூனிஸ்ட்டை அறிமுகம் செய்தல் ’:  ̒கம்யூனிஸ்ட்டை அறிமுகம் செய்தல் ’  அக்டோபர் 4, 1938 --------------------------------                                               ...

மைத்திரி லண்டன் பயணம்-மோடியைச் சந்திப்பார்!

மைத்திரி லண்டன் பயணம்-மோடியைச் சந்திப்பார்!
15 Apr, 2018 | 1:10 PM

COLOMBO (News 1st) – பொது நலவாய அரச தலைவர்களின் மாநாட்டில் கலந்து கொள்வதற்காக ஜனாதிபதி மைத்திரிபால சிறிசேன இன்று பிரித்தானியாவுக்கு பயணமானார்.

இந்த மாநாடு நாளை முதல் எதிர்வரும் 20 ஆந் திகதி வரை லண்டனில் நடைபெறவுள்ளது.

பொதுவான எதிர்காலத்தை நோக்கி எனும் தொனிப்பொருளில் இந்த மாநாடு நடைபெறவுள்ளமை குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

மாநாட்டில் கலந்து கொள்ளவுள்ள ஜனாதிபதி, சர்வதேச நாடுகளின் தலைவர்கள் சிலரையும் சந்திக்கவுள்ளார்.

மேலும் பிரித்தானியாவில் வாழும் இலங்கை பிரஜைகளையும் ஜனாதிபதி சந்திக்கவுள்ளார்.

எதிர்வரும் 22 ஆம் திகதி வரை ஜனாதிபதி பிரித்தானியாவில் தங்கியிருப்பார் எனவும் வௌிவிவகார அமைச்சு தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

ஜனாதிபதி மைத்திரிபால சிறிசேனவிற்கும் இந்திய பிரதமர் நரேந்திர மோடிக்கும் இடையிலான சந்திப்பு ஒன்று நடைபெறுவதற்கான வாய்ப்புகள் காணப்படுவதாக இந்திய ஊடகங்கள் செய்தி வெளியிட்டுள்ளன.

ඉන්දියාවේ 8 හැවිරිදි දැරිවියක් සමූහ දූෂණයට ලක්කර ඝාතනය කෙරේ

ඉන්දියාවේ 8 හැවිරිදි දැරිවියක් සමූහ දූෂණයට ලක්කර ඝාතනය කෙරේ
By Chathuranga Rajapaksha

15 Apr, 2018 | 10:40 PM

කාශ්මීරයේ 8 හැවිරිදි දැරිවියක් සමූහ දූෂණයකට ලක්කර ඝාතනය කර තිබේ.

හිමාලය ප්‍රදේශයේ එඩේර පවුලක හැදී වැඩුණු 8 හැවිරිදි පුංචි අසීෆා අතුරුදන් වුණේ පසුගිය ජනවාරි මාසයේදී ය.

ඇගේ සිරුර දින කිහිපයකට පසු හමුවුණේ, කතුවා නගරය අසල කෑලෑවක තිබියදී ය.

නමුත් මේ දිනවල ඇගේ ඝාතනය වැඩි කතා බහට ලක්වන පුවතක් බවට පත්වුණේ, සිද්ධිය සම්බන්ධයෙන් සැකපිට හින්දු භක්තික පුරුෂයන් 8 දෙනෙකු අත්අඩංගුවට ගැනිමට එරෙහිව දක්ෂිණාංශික හින්දු කණ්ඩායම් විරෝධය පල කිරීම හේතුවෙනි.

අත්අඩංගුවට ගෙන සිටින පිරිස අතර විශ්‍රාමික රාජ්‍ය නිලධාරියෙක්, පොලිස් නිලධාරීන් හතර දෙනෙක් සහ බාලවයස්කරුවෙකු ද සිටින බව ඉන්දීය වාර්තාවල සඳහන් ය.

ඉන්දීය වාර්තාවල දැක්වෙන්නේ, පුංචි අසීෆා දින ගණනාවක් දූෂණ කර, වධ දී අවසානයේ මරා දමා ඇති බව ය.

මේ අමානුෂික ඝාතනය සම්බන්ධයෙන් අදහස් දක්වමින් සුපිරි නළු කමල් හසන් පවසන්නේ, දැරිය මෙලෙස ඝාතනයට ලක්වීම ඉන්දියානුවෙක් ලෙස පිළිකුලෙන් යුතු ව හෙළා දකින බව ය.

ඉන්දීය ක්‍රිකට් කණ්ඩායමේ නායක විරාත් කෝලි සෙල්ෆි වීඩියෝවක් අන්තර්ජාලයට මුදා හරිමින් ජනතාවගෙන් විමසන්නේ තමන්ගේ පවුලේ අයෙකුට මෙවන් ඉරණමක් අත් වුවහොත් නිශ්ශබ්දව බලා සිටිනවා ද යන්නයි.

මෙවන් සමාජයක ජීවත් වීම ලැජ්ජාවක් බව ද ඔහු එම වීඩියෝවේදී කියා සිටියේය.

Mao Tse-Tung: Introducing The Communist

மார்க்சிய அறிவகம்: INTRODUCING THE COMMUNIST- Mao Tse-tung

மார்க்சிய அறிவகம்: INTRODUCING THE COMMUNIST- Mao Tse-tung: Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung INTRODUCING THE COMMUNIST October 4, 1939 The Central Committee has long planned to publish an inter...

மாமனிதர் பல்கலைவாணர் நாவண்ணன் நினைவு

U.S., Britain, France launch air strikes in Syria

U.S., Britain, France launch air strikes in Syria

WORLD NEWSAPRIL 13, 2018 / 11:03 AM / UPDATED 16 MINUTES AGO
Steve Holland, Phil Stewart

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S., British and French forces pounded Syria with air strikes early on Saturday in response to a poison gas attack that killed dozens of people last week, in the biggest intervention by Western powers against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced the military action from the White House late on Friday. As he spoke, explosions rocked Damascus. British Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron said the UK and France had joined in the attack.

Trump said he was prepared to sustain the response until Assad’s government stopped its use of chemical weapons.

The strikes were the biggest intervention by Western powers against Assad in the country’s seven-year-old civil war and pitted the United States and its allies against Russia, which itself intervened in the war in 2015 to back Assad.

“A short time ago, I ordered the United States Armed Forces to launch precision strikes on targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad,” Trump said in a televised address from the White House.

Speaking of Assad and his suspected role in last week’s chemical weapons attack, Trump said, “These are not the actions of a man. They are crimes of a monster instead.”

A U.S. official told Reuters the strikes were aimed at multiple targets and involved Tomahawk cruise missiles.

At least six loud explosions were heard in Damascus in the early hours of Saturday and smoke was seen rising over the Syrian capital, a Reuters witness said. A second witness said the Barzah district of Damascus had been hit in the strikes. Barzah is the location of a major Syrian scientific research centre.

At a Pentagon briefing, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford said the targets included a Syrian research facility and a chemical weapons storage facility.

A second U.S. official said targets were being carefully selected with the aim of damaging Assad’s ability to conduct further gas attacks, while avoiding the risk of spreading poisonous fallout in civilian areas.

“The purpose of our actions tonight is to establish a strong deterrent against the production, spread and use of chemical weapons,” Trump said.

The U.S. president, who has tried to build good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, had sharply critical words for both Russia and Iran, which have backed Assad’s government.

“To Iran and to Russia, I ask, what kind of a nation wants to be associated with the mass murder of innocent men, women and children?” Trump said.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said she had authorized British armed forces “to conduct coordinated and targeted strikes to degrade the Syrian regime’s chemical weapons capability.” She described it as a “limited and targeted strike” aimed at minimizing civilian casualties.

The military action is not about intervening in Syria’s civil war or changing its government, she said.

It was not immediately clear how extensive the strikes were. U.S. officials had earlier said that Trump had pressed for a more aggressive U.S. strike against Syria than his military chiefs had recommended.

U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Matt and other military leaders had warned that the larger the attack, the greater the risk of a confrontation with Russia, two U.S. officials said.

Trump made clear in his eight-minute television address that he is wary of a deeper entanglement in Syria, where about 2,000 U.S. troops have been deployed to fight Islamic State.

“America does not seek an indefinite presence in Syria,” he said.

The air strikes, however, risk dragging the United States further into Syria’s civil war, particularly if Russia, Iran and Ass opt to retaliate.

Reporting by Steve Holland, Tim Ahmann, Eric Beech, Lesley Wroughton in Washington D.C.; Additional reporting by Samia Nakhoul and Tom Perry in Beirut, Michael Holden and Guy Faulconbridge in London, and Jean-Baptiste Vey, Geert de Clerq and Matthias Blamont in Paris; Writing by Yara Bayoumy and Warren Strobel; Editing by Clive McKeef

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

சமரன்: 'திரும்பு மோடி` கழக கருப்புக் கொடி ஆர்ப்பாட்டக் கா...

சமரன்: 'திரும்பு மோடி` கழக கருப்புக் கொடி ஆர்ப்பாட்டக் கா...

காவேரி-மோடி எதிர்ப்பு ஆர்ப்பாட்டம்

சென்னை விமானநிலைய உச்சியில் ஆர்ப்பாட்டக்காரர்கள்

As Protesters Plan Black Flags, PM Modi Will Hover Over Chennai In Chopper

As Protesters Plan Black Flags, PM Modi Will Hover Over Chennai In Chopper

The East Coast road would be completely shut an hour ahead of PM Modi's visit to keep protesters at bay.

Tamil Nadu | Written by J Sam Daniel Stalin | Updated: April 11, 2018 23:59 IST

CHENNAI:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Tamil Nadu visit on Thursday would be without any public road drive as some opposition parties and Tamil outfits plan to show black flags to protest against the centre for not constituting the Cauvery Management Board despite the Supreme Court order.

On arrival at the Chennai airport in an Indian Air Force plane, the PM would hop into a chopper and land right at the ongoing Defence Expo venue near Mahabalipuram. PM Modi's drive here would only be inside the premises. 

Defence Expo 2018

The East Coast road would be completely shut an hour ahead of PM Modi's visit to keep protesters at bay.

On his return to Chennai to participate in another event, the Prime Minister would again avoid a drive from the Chennai airport, and would land at the helipad constructed inside the IIT Madras campus to attend the function in the adjoining Adyar Cancer Institute. 

Authorities have razed a wall between the two campuses to enable PM Modi's car drives to the venue without having to come to the main road where protesters could gather. 

The PM would once again fly within the city from the IIT campus to the airport, a distance of 10 kilometres.

Slamming the prime minister, MDMK chief Vaiko said, "Can't you go by road instead of a helicopter?"

Film director P Barathiraja, who had spearheaded the massive protest on Tuesday against Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in Chennai, confirmed the black flag protest against the prime minister. 

"We would assemble at airport at 9 am and show black flags. The PM should go back. He has done injustice to Tamil Nadu," he said.

The DMK, which was the first to announce a black flag protest against the Prime Minister, would assemble near the airport as well. 

For weeks now, Tamil Nadu state has seen protests and bandhs by political parties, pro-Tamil outfits, voluntary organisations and the film fraternity over the delay in setting up the Cauvery Management Board, an independent regulatory body that will implement sharing of the Cauvery waters between Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Puducherry and Kerala.

On February 16, the Supreme Court had set the decades-long water-sharing dispute to rest, asking the centre to implement a scheme for sharing water within six weeks. As the deadline expired, the centre moved court seeking more time, citing the Karnataka assembly polls on May 12.

Earlier this week, the court asked the centre to inform it by May 3 how it planned to implement the water sharing formula in line with the court's verdict delivered in February.

Source: NDTV News

PM Narendra Modi next only to Nehru, Indira to get black flag welcome in Tamil Nadu

PM Narendra Modi next only to Nehru, Indira to get black flag welcome in Tamil Nadu

By S Kumaresan  |  Express News Service  |   Published: 11th April 2018 05:08 AM  | 

Last Updated: 11th April 2018 06:21 AM  |   A+A A-   | 

CHENNAI: Almost the entire Opposition, is ready to wave black flags to the PM Narendra Modi when he comes to Chennai on Thursday.

This could be the third time the DMK is waving black flags to the country’s top political leader, only after Jawaharlal Nehru - during the anti-Hindi agitations in 1950s - and to Indira Gandhi - soon after the Emergency years.

The DMK had resorted to waving of black flags to top national politicians in those days as a tool to gain the national media’s attention.

The first PM welcomed by DMK’s black flags was Nehru in 1953. It was the Dravidian party’s response to Nehru’s remark that the anti-Hindi agitations were “non-sense” protests.

The DMK was then a young political party and was aggressively carrying out protests against Hindi imposition by the then Congress government.

An executive committee meeting of DMK party on July 13,  1953, resolved that the party would block trains to protest Nehru’s “derogatory” remarks against the anti-Hindi protests and wave black flags to Nehru when he next visits Tamil Nadu.

Many DMK leaders and cadre were arrested and jailed when they blocked trains on July 15, 1953. Former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who blocked a train at Dalmiapuram in Tiruchy district, was among them.

When Nehru visited Tamil Nadu a few months later, there were only very less number of DMK cadre outside the prisons and they managed to wave black flags to Nehru and get arrested.

File Photo ENB

The next was in October 1977 when Indira Gandhi, who had by then lost power after the Emergency years, was visiting Tamil Nadu. DMK wanted to wave black flags to her for the atrocities she allegedly committed during the Emergency years.

Pazha Nedumaran, the then general secretary of the Congress party, remembers vividly how it ended up ugly when a group of DMK cadre surrounded and even managed to assault Indira Gandhi when she was in Madurai.

“Indira Gandhi was to attend the meeting at Race Course grounds. She was moving in an open car, along with a few leaders, including me. She was waving at crowds. A large crowd of DMK cadre, who were holding black flags, razed down a welcome arch. When we reached South Main street, they (DMK men) surrounded and attacked her. Indira Gandhi suffered injuries despite efforts by people like me to protect her,” says Pazha Nedumaran.

Note: Source  Express News Service, Photos ENB

Modi visit to Chennai Black flag get ready

போராட்டக்களமாக மாறிய அண்ணா சாலை | Protest is not against cricket; Protes...

Muhammad Ali on the Vietnam War-Draft

ஐபிஎல் 2018 : சென்னை

தமிழகம் எங்கும் காவிரி ஆணையம் அமைக்கக் கோரி, விவசாய இயக்கம் கொழுந்து விட்டு எரியும் சூழலில், ஐபிஎல் 2018 திட்டமிட்டபடி  சென்னையில் நடைபெறும் என அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

தமிழகத்துக்கு துரோகம் இழைத்த மோடி அரசையும், அதன் தமிழக எடுபிடி எடப்பாடி நிர்வாகத்தையும் எதிர்த்துப் போராடும் மக்கள் இவ் விழாவை நடத்தக்கூடாது எனக் கோரி வருகின்றனர். ENB Tenn

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ஐபிஎல் 2018 : சென்னையில் நடைபெறும் கிரிக்கெட் போட்டிக்கான டிக்கெட் விலை அறிவிப்பு
By Saro - March 30, 2018

11 வது ஐபிஎல் 20 ஓவர் கிரிக்கெட் போட்டி ஏப்ரல் 7 ம் தேதி முதல் மே 27 ம் தேதி வரை நடைபெற உள்ளது.ஐபிஎல் தொடக்க நாளான ஏப்ரல் 7 ம் தேதி சென்னை சூப்பர் கிங்ஸ் அணி நடப்பு சாம்பியனான மும்பை இந்தியன்ஸ் உடன் விளையாட உள்ளது.இந்த ஆட்டம் மும்பையில் நடைபெற உள்ளது.

சென்னை சூப்பர் கிங்ஸ் அணி உள்ளூரில் 7  ஆட்டங்களில் விளையாட உள்ளது.முதல் ஆட்டம் ஏப்ரல் 10 ம் தேதி கொல்கத்தா நைட் ரைடர்ஸ் உடன் நடைபெற உள்ளது.இந்த ஆட்டம் சென்னை சேப்பாக்கத்தில் நடைபெற உள்ளது

இந்நிலையில் சென்னையில் நடைபெறும் போட்டிக்கான டிக்கெட் விலை வெளியாகி உள்ளது.குறைந்தபட்ச டிக்கெட் கட்டணமாக ரூ.1,300 நிர்ணயம் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. அதிகபட்ச டிக்கெட் விலை ரூ.6,500 (பெவிலியன் டெரஸ்) ஆகும். மேலும் ரூ.1,500, ரூ.2,500, ரூ.4,500, ரூ.5 ஆயிரம் ஆகிய விலைகளிலும் டிக்கெட் விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகிறது.

இந்த டிக்கெட்டுகளை ஆன்லைனிலும்,ஸ்டேடியத்தில் உள்ள டிக்கெட் கவுண்டர்களிலும் பெறலாம்.

Father of girl raped by BJP MLA beaten by UP cops, dead!

Father of girl allegedly raped by BJP MLA beaten by UP cops, dead

The father of the girl who had been taken into police custody for protesting outside Yogi Adityanath's residence died early this morning

In the latest development, the girl's father, who had been taken into police custody for protesting outside Adityanath's residence, died early this morning.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath

An 18-year-old woman on Sunday tried to immolate herself near Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence, after alleging that she had been raped by a legislator of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The immolation bid took place outside the Golf Club gate of the chief minister's residence. The woman alleged that she was raped in June last year by Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the MLA of Unnao district's Bangermau constituency, around 90 km from Lucknow. She also accused the Unnao police of not taking any action and registering a case on her complaint, Vijay Sen Singh, in-charge of the Gautampalli police station, said.

In the latest development, the girl's father, who had been taken into police custody for protesting outside Adityanath's residence, died early this morning.

UPDATES

1. Father of alleged rape victim dies in police custody: Father of the woman who said that she was raped by a BJP MLA and his accomplices, passed away, allegedly in police custody, after he was arrested on Sunday.

He was admitted to hospital last night by Police after he complained of abdominal pain & vomiting. He passed away in early morning hours: Dr Atul, District hospital, Unnao on father of rape victim. The victim along with her family had attempted suicide outside CM residence, y'day pic.twitter.com/UqBoSI6EfI

2. 'Man died of vomiting and abdominal pain': "The man was admitted to the hospital last night after he complained of abdominal pain and vomiting. He passed away in the early morning hours," Dr Atul, District hospital of Unnao said about the father of the alleged rape victim.

3. "Arrest the rapist or I'll kill myself": The girl told mediapersons, "that the BJP MLA should be arrested, and until he is not, I am not going back home… I will take my life otherwise… I was threatened that if I tell anyone my family members will be killed and thrown away.

4. Girl's father was beaten by BJP MLA's brother: The 18-year-old girl claimed that her father sustained multiple injuries after he was beaten up by the BJP MLA's brother and some of his accomplices a few days ago.

5. Magisterial inquiry to be conducted: If lapse found on the side of police, action will be taken.The incident happened while the man was in judicial custody, said DIG.

6. UP police had beaten the girl's father: Two police officers and four constables suspended and 4 accused of beating the rape victim's father arrested: Pushpanjali Devi, SP of Unnao.

7. Girl asked for protection, but in vain: Samajwadi Party leader Juhi Singh accused Yogi Adityanath's government of inaction which led to Mr Singh's death.

"The girl kept requesting for security for the family. But nothing was done. Insensitivity is rampant in this state. This is murder," she said.

8. BJP MLA denies allegations: Sengar denied the allegations, saying it was a conspiracy to malign his image. "It is a conspiracy hatched by my political opponents to tarnish my image and damage my reputation... I have no problems with any probe. Let a probe be conducted, and the guilty be given the stringent punishment. If I am found guilty in the probe, I am ready to face the punishment," the BJP MLA said.

9. No case registered yet: The woman was made to appear before Rajiv Krishan, the Additional Director-General of Police, Lucknow, who ordered a probe, the inspector said. However, no case had been registered yet, Vijay Sen Singh added.

Macron's rail reforms and French union strikes

Macron's rail reforms and French union strikes

Reuters Staff WORLD NEWSAPRIL 8, 2018 / 6:24 PM / A DAY AGO

PARIS (Reuters) - France’s rail workers on Sunday launched the second wave of rolling strikes over government plans to reform the debt-ridden national state-owned railway company SNCF before its monopoly on domestic passenger rail expires.

Though the reforms were not on French President Emmanuel Macron’s ‘to do’ list when he ran for election last May, the politically charged showdown with trade unions they triggered may come to define his presidency.

Why is Macron doing this?

The SNCF reform plans fit in with the 40-year-old former banker’s pledge to modernize the economy.

Macron is pro-business, pro-liberalization and intent on tackling the deeply entrenched vested interests he believes choke growth - all of which help to explain why he chose to tackle an unwieldy, costly monopoly.

The SNCF’s monopoly on domestic passenger rail begins to expire during Macron’s 2017-2022 term.

Competitive tendering starts EU-wide in 2019, although the government and local authorities can invoke get-out clauses that will delay effective free-tender competition until 2033, or maybe even later.

A safer, more reliable and perhaps cheaper train network would be popular with its 4.5 million daily users, many of whom complain it has been neglected at the expense of decades of investment in the high-speed TGV train network.

How is Macron going about it?

Action so far has been swift and resolute. Macron’s prime minister aims to have the reform in place by summer and has said direct government decrees could be used to deliver the plan’s essential elements if met with opposition from labor unions.

Any remaining points would follow the usual path of debate and approval in parliament, where Macron’s party had a sizeable majority. A parliamentary committee is already discussing some details of the reform and a draft on a broad framework could be put to a preliminary vote as soon as April 17.

The proposed use of direct decrees has angered unions, prompting the transport minister to signal that the government will largely avoid them.

The French government used direct decrees to push through Macron’s labor market reforms in 2017, which also sparked protests and gave rise to accusations that it was skirting parliament and undermining democracy.

In parallel to any legislative changes, the SNCF’s state-appointed chairman Guillaume Pepy is negotiating internally with the unions to settle more granular aspects of company organization.

Why all the fuss about legal structure?

Under the reform plans, the SNCF’s legal corporate status would change from a state enterprise (known as an EPIC) to what is known in many other countries as a limited or joint-stock company.

To make the SNCF more competitive, the government believes it should be a legal entity in its own right, with more independent management.

It is also under pressure to shake-up the SNCF’s structure after EU court rulings against the EPIC structure of La Poste, that led the French post office to become a limited company while remaining state-owned.

Opponents fear that creating a limited company is the first step towards privatization and point to former state telecoms monopoly France Telecom as an example.

The government insists the SNCF will remain fully state-owned.

What else would change?

The existing 150,000 rail workers will hold on to their generous employment rights but new recruits will not be given the job-for-life guarantees and automatic annual pay increases that SNCF employees have enjoyed for decades.

Early retirement rights are also likely to vanish but as part of a separate overhaul of the French pensions system.

One of the tasks facing SNCF Chairman Pepy as he conducts his parallel negotiations is to ensure operational cost savings of around 30 percent to bring the rail operator into line with its competitors before these start vying for business on French tracks.

What is driving union anger?

Trade unions say their special employment status is not the cause of the SNCF’s financial difficulties but blame high spending on the TGV for the SNCF’s 46 billion euros ($56.5 billion) of debt.

The CGT union, the most powerful rail union, objects to the entire shake-up of the SNCF. It rejects the end of the monopoly and the liberalization programed under the EU’s so-called Fourth Package rail deregulation rules, agreed in 2016.

The more reform-minded CFDT union is angry about the government’s haste and its refusal to commit now to a write-off of the SNCF’s debt, which is increasing by 3 billion euros a year.

The minimum, the CFDT says, is that work conditions be dealt with in a new collective bargaining round which should conclude before anything happens to hiring status. But this could take longer than a year, according to some union officials.

What do the French make of it?

Most polls so far show that as many as three in four people back reform of the railways. They also show that a majority, albeit a slim one, see the rail strikes as unjustified.

But Macron cannot afford to be perceived as riding roughshod over the unions. Opinions can change quickly: Two polls last week showed more than half felt the government should modify its reform plans to meet the demands of their opponents.

Macron will want to keep public opinion on his side. The last time a French president and his government squared off against rail unions was in 1995, at a time of a wider protests against social welfare reforms.

Widespread public anger led to the rail reform being pulled and ultimately the government’s downfall. ($1 = 0.8143 euros)

Reporting By Brian Love; Editing by Richard Lough and Raissa Kasolowsky
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

காஸ்மீர் இளைஞர்கள் கல் எறிந்தால் `இந்திய ஜனநாயகம்` என்ன செய்யும்?

Only alternative to pellet is not to throw stones

'More than 200 youth were injured and majority of them have sustained pellet injuries in the recent protests at the encounter sites in South Kashmir. As per hospital records, 41 youth were hit by pellets in their eyes'

Only alternative to pellet guns is for youth not to throw stones: ADG CRPF

“Public cooperation and trust is the only thing we need to bring the situation to normal. People, especially youth should understand that stone pelting is illegal and invites trouble,” he said.

ABID BASHIR
Srinagar, Publish Date: Apr 9 2018 11:49PM | Updated Date: Apr 9 2018 11:49PM

File Photo V S K Kaumudi

Only alternative to pellet guns is for youth not to throw stones:  ADG CRPF

The best alternative to the use of pellet shotguns is for people of Kashmir to realize that it is risky to protest and attack government forces with stones, a top Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer said on Monday.

“Stone pelting at the encounter sites would obviously result in loss of life and use of pellet guns,” additional director general (ADG) of CRPF for J&K zone, V S K Kaumudi told reporters on the sidelines of  CRPF’s Valour Day function at the Regional Training Centre Humhama.

Talking about the recent incident of stone pelting at Hiller in Anantnag district in which two CRPF men were killed, the officer said that the stone pelting does not do any good. “If you (youth) have something to say, the social media can also be used to vent anger,” he said adding that the stone pelting was not a new issue in Kashmir.  “Its pattern keeps changing. It’s like here today and there tomorrow. The CRPF has been dealing with the stone pelting effectively and we will continue to do so.”

Kaumudi, however, said all CRPF men deployed on the ground for law and order duty have their pellet guns fitted with deflectors. “The main aim of deflectors is to fire pellets in lower direction to ensure no loss of life,” said Kaumudi.

Asked about the total number of pellet guns allotted to CRPF men in Kashmir, the officer evaded the query. “There are 61 battalions of CRPF deployed in J&K and all men were trained in various capacities,” he said.  “I am sure that all battalions are fulfilling their responsibility in a very professional manner”.

Kaumudi, who took over as the ADG CRPF (J&K zone) in February, said there was need for public cooperation. Youth, he said, should desist from targeting forces with the stones.

“Public cooperation and trust is the only thing we need to bring the situation to normal. People, especially youth should understand that stone pelting is illegal and invites trouble,” he said.
He said that the youth must focus on their future and education. “I am sure that the parents want quality education for their children,” he said. “Youth must realize that they can also study outside J&K. They should search for better opportunities and benefit from it, instead of resorting to violence,” he said.

More than 200 youth were injured and majority of them have sustained pellet injuries in the recent protests at the encounter sites in South Kashmir. As per hospital records, 41 youth were hit by pellets in their eyes.

Trump’s Trade War – or “De-Globalization”?

Trump’s Trade War – or “De-Globalization”?
By Peter Koenig
Global Research, March 13, 2018

President Trump’s bold ‘protectionist’ move of introducing import duties of 25% and 10% for steel and aluminum, respectively – and possibly more to come – may be more than just ‘populism’ and fulfilling a campaign promise. And why is the term ‘populism’ always used with a derogative slant? As if it was way below the intellect of those who deride it as addressing the thoughtless and primitive behavior by the people? Aren’t politicians supposed to work for the people? Educate them with the truth instead of ridiculing them; giving them real news instead of ‘fake news’ – and giving them jobs and decent livelihood? – Is that addressing “populism”?

President Trump, or whoever directs him, may have noticed the steady decline of the American economy into a hollow war and service machine, with rising unemployment at the tune of more than 20% (though the fake statistics pretend otherwise, putting git below 5%); a country gradually choking on junk consumption, anti-Russia propaganda and a rapidly deterioration physical infrastructure and civil society.

This unexpected protectionist decision may also be a genuine move against globalization – which, as we know, is controlled by neoliberal economics and has in fact nothing to do with real economics. It is sheer criminalizing of economics. It has done enormous harm to the 99.9 % and benefitted only the 0.1% (or less). “Make America Great Again” is supposed to address this fallacy. Bring production and jobs back, primarily for the domestic market and second only, for international trade, for trade that doesn’t harm the local economy. This is a recipe which would also suit many European countries – Greece is a case in point, but Spain, Italy, Ireland and even France would fall into the same category. “Local production for local markets” is indeed the model that helped rescuing the US from the depression of the 30’s and Europe, in particular Germany, after WWII.

The so-called Free Trade Agreements (FTA) and multi country Trade Agreements like, NAFTA, TTIP, and TPP – the former being renegotiated and the latter two suspended – are quite different from “local production for local markets”. They all, without fault, favor US corporations’ maximizing profit objective, but not the United States local economy. Insofar Trump is right, when he says that all these trade deals have been bad for his countries. They were and are a bonanza for US corporations, but indeed bad for the US national economy, because they are incentives for more and more outsourcing of production and services into low labor cost countries.

By granting corporations tax breaks and incentives to invest at home rather than in low-wage countries, and by levying import duties, President Trump is taking a decisive step – maybe willy-nilly – to rehabilitate a faltering US economy. Will it work? It might. It’s too early to say. Economy is no precise science, but rather the result of the dynamic interaction between different at times unpredictable elements. True economics are certainly not based on a set of blueprints; they are not black and white, as neoliberal theories would like us to believe. Real economics do not fit today’s most popular teachings of ‘modelling’ – a complex linear approach of algorithm which produces desired results for propagating neoliberal ideas – that depart from reality by a long shot. The fact of reestablishing trust in local labor, may have power way beyond that of capital investments.

Trump capitalizes on this momentum and, simultaneously, may set a signal for the rest of the world to follow – and for the end of globalization. Interestingly, he said at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos in January this year, that all the American partner countries should think, “Make my country great again”. Isn’t this a slap in the face of globalization?

Of course, there will be noises of ‘retaliation’ by Europe, China, Japan – so what? – Steps of retaliation may actually trigger a political rethinking of globalized WTO propagated trade. It may reveal who are the winners and losers. It may have taken 30 years to realize that the winners are an ever-smaller corporate elite, while the bedrock of national economies, local labor, is the big loser. That is precisely the direction into which the neofascist West is moving – towards selling the national economy out to corporate profits. The people are understandably unhappy.

Today’s economists are in shock, whenever somebody dares questioning the mainstream globalized economic models, depicting a linear right or wrong vision of the world. Remember George Bush – “you are either for us or against us”; the phrase that set the eternal war on terror in motion; the war that brought death to millions, intimidation to hundreds of millions and billions of profits to the war industry.

Yet, we were and are still indoctrinated with the neoliberal norm, which consists of open-border trade, limitless cross-border transfer of capital – but very restricted transfer of labor. And worst of all, today and for the last 100 years, is our (western) dollar-based monetary system (born from the Federal Reserve Act of 1913) that shapes and manipulates the western boom – bust economy. Logic would rather dictate a reverse monetary system, where a nation’s economic output is the basis for its monetary system, not the other way around.

This monetary anomality has been driven to extremes with the US-dollar’s offspring, the euro, which has zero connection with the European economy, let alone with the economy of each member country. The western monetary system on which international trade is based is a fraud, a mere house of cards, a Ponzi scheme, the collapse of which is inevitable.

The Donald is a largely unpredictable character. As a war monger, he screams “fire and fury” at North Korea, threatening to wipe out the entire country; yet is willing to sit down to negotiate with Kim Jong-un – under certain conditions – debating whose Red Button is bigger, Kim’s or the Donald’s. At the same time, driven by Netanyahu, the same Donald has only slander and insults left for Iran, threatening the country with annihilating war and imposing more sanctions, knowing quite well that Europe, mainly France and Germany, has established billion euros worth of trade relations since the lifting of the original sanctions after the signing of the ‘nuclear deal’ in July 2015.

So, let’s not get this wrong. Trump is no panacea for the good of the world. By a very long shot. He is a loose cannon, shooting from the hips, he may have hit the target by declaring unilateral import tariffs on steel and aluminum. This may be just the beginning, a trial balloon so to speak, for more protection measures to follow. His neocolonial trained chief economic adviser, Gary Cohn, can’t see the logic and quit. Trump is unmoved and stays the course. He knows these tariffs won’t affect consumer prices at home, but they may be a boost for the US rust-belt – reviving investments, including the local car industry, a key economic indicator, creating thousands of much needed jobs and reestablishing labor’s trust in Washington’s leadership – to “Make America Great Again.”

**************************
Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. He is also a former World Bank staff and worked extensively around the world in the fields of environment and water resources. He lectures at universities in the US, Europe and South America. He writes regularly for Global Research; ICH; RT; Sputnik; PressTV; The 21st Century; TeleSUR; The Vineyard of The Saker Blog; and other internet sites. He is the author of Implosion – An Economic Thriller about War, Environmental Destruction and Corporate Greed – fiction based on facts and on 30 years of World Bank experience around the globe. He is also a co-author of The World Order and Revolution! – Essays from the Resistance.

The original source of this article is Global Research
Copyright © Peter Koenig, Global Research, 2018

US CHINA TRADE WAR AND AUSTRALIA

What could a US-China trade war do?

What could a US-China trade war do?

Gavin Jackson - FT

Last week my colleagues reported that global investors and German manufacturers have both found themselves unwilling participants in a trade dispute between China and the US, but could the UK economy also be counted among the collateral damage?

German manufacturers are worried that tariffs on Chinese exports to the US will end up reducing demand for the German-made machines that are used in Chinese production. Fewer Chinese toys, for example, bought by US consumers means fewer German toymaking machines bought by Chinese investors.

The UK does not export many capital goods to China, which is the eighth-largest destination for UK exports after Italy. In 2016, cars made up 28 per cent of UK goods exports to China, followed by oil and petroleum products (12 per cent of exports) and pharmaceuticals (6 per cent).

In terms of services trade, the UK mainly sells business services and “travel services” meaning tourism. The UK has a surplus in services trade in China, but overall it sells more goods than it does services — £13.5bn goods exports in 2016 compared with £3.3bn of services.

Fewer Chinese toys, for example, bought by US consumers means fewer German toymaking machines bought by Chinese investors.

A slowdown in the Chinese economy due to US tariffs may mean fewer tourists visit London and wealthy Chinese industrialists buy fewer Land Rovers and Aston Martins, but overall the UK’s consumer-oriented exports are less exposed than German investment goods to an interruption in transpacific trade.

However, another, more indirect, channel by which an escalation in the dispute could affect the UK is so-called trade diversion. If less Chinese production is destined for the US it may end up in Europe instead, lowering prices for consumers but making it harder for producers to compete.

That’s the concern for the steel industry in particular, but mostly the UK does not produce the same kind of industrial goods targeted by the US tariffs or the agricultural goods targeted by China. For once, the UK may enjoy a rare upside from its smaller manufacturing sector.

The Bank of England’s chief economist will be giving the David Finch public lecture at the University of Melbourne. His topic will be whether central banks have made inequality worse through monetary policy. The Bank of England published research on this topic last week and concluded that their policies had reduced wealth inequality.

The Office for National Statistics will publish its monthly update on construction output, industrial output and trade flows for February. The figures for January showed the manufacturing sector had enjoyed the longest period of expansion since 1968, but bad weather (and reversion to the mean) are likely to bring that record-breaking run to an end in the latest figures. Construction is likely to register a hit from the snow as well.

Non-manufacturing production, which includes energy and gas, is likely to see a boost as thermostats across the country were cranked up. Either way, the data are unlikely to tell us much about the long-term trend in economic growth and are likely to reflect temporary weather effects.

The deputy governor of the Bank of England will be giving the second speech down under this week by a member of the Monetary Policy Committee. Mr Broadbent will be speaking at the Reserve Bank of Australia, no details have been released about the topic.

Purchasing managers’ indices last week showed the damage the Beast from the East was likely to inflict on the UK economy. Manufacturing emerged relatively unscathed, according to the surveys, but both construction and services activity growth dropped at the fastest rate since the immediate aftermath of the Brexit vote.

BATTLE OF THE BEANS

On Wednesday, China announced it would levy 25 per cent duties on 106 products, including soyabeans, cars and chemicals if the US went ahead with its plans to raise tariffs on Chinese products. Patti Waldmeir and Tom Hancock have the details on what this means for the Iowa farmers who have found themselves at the centre of a global trade dispute.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FT

மன்னாரில் சவூதி உதவியில் ஜும்மா பள்ளிவாசல்

மன்னாரில் ஜும்மா பள்ளிவாசலுக்கு அடிக்கல்

மன்னார் காட்டாஸ்பத்திரிப் பகுதியில் ஜும்மா பள்ளிவாசல் அமைப்பதற்கான அடிக்கல் நடப்பட்டுள்ளது.

கைத்­தொ­ழில் மற்­றும் வர்த்­தக அமைச்­ச­ரும் அகில இலங்கை மக்­கள் காங்கிரசின் தேசிய தலை­வ­ரு­மான ரிசாத் பதி­யு­தீன் வாக்­கு­று­திக்கு அமைய சவூதி நாட்­டின் நிதி உத­வி­யு­டன் ஜும்மா பள்­ளிக்­கான அடிக்­கல் நடப்­பட்­டது.

காட்­டாஸ்­பத்­திரி ஜும்மா பள்ளி நிர்­வா­கத் தலை­வர் அப்­துர் ரஹீம் அவர்­க­ளின் வழி நடத்­த­லில், முன்­னாள் வட­மா­காண சபை உறுப்­பி­ன­ரும், அமைச்­சர் ரிசாத் பதி­யு­தீ­னின் பிரத்­தி­யேக செய­லா­ள­ரு­மான ரிப்­கான் பதி­யு­தீன் தலை­மை­யில் குறித்த நிகழ்வு இடம்­பெற்­றது.

நிகழ்­வில் ஒ.எச்.ஆர்.டி நிறு­வ­னத் தலை­வர் சஹாப்­தீன், மன்­னார் பிர­தேச சபை உறுப்­பி­னர்­கள், நிதி உத­விய சவூதி நாட்­டின் பிர­தி­நி­தி­கள், பள்ளி நிர்­வா­கத்­தி­னர், தேசிய இளை­ஞர் சேவை­கள் மன்­றத்­தின் வன்னி மாகாண பணிப்­பா­ளர் என்.எம்.முனவ்­பர் மற்­றும் கிராம மக்கள் என பலர் கலந்து கொண்டனர்.

உதயன் Apr 9, 2018

RAJANGANAYA: THE FARMERS’ BATTLE-CRY FOR WATER

Rajanganaya tank in better times PIx: SUSANTHA WIJEGUNASEKAR

RAJANGANAYA: THE FARMERS’ BATTLE-CRY FOR WATER
8 April, 2018

by Maneshka Borham
Feature News

Crop failures, mounting debt and the ever-present scarcity of water have made farmers in Rajanganaya naturally wary of a new drinking water project that will tap into the waters of their precious irrigation tank, fearing further erosion of a precious livelihood resource

RAJANGANAYA: In 1966, when R.K.H Munidasa arrived in rural Rajanganaya he had high hopes of becoming a land-owning farmer. Aged just 18, he was one of 249 youth who moved to the remote area in the Anuradhapura District, accepting an offer made by the government of Dudley Senanayake which was aiming to create an agri-revolution in the country while also providing employment to youth.

Eventually, though many of those who arrived in Rajanganaya packed up their bags and left, unable to cope with the harsh living conditions in the lonely and far-flung region, Munidasa toiled on, cultivating Rajanganaya block 16, clearing forests and going on to cultivate paddy on the land handed over to him by the Government.

Fifty two years later, Munidasa has all but given up. Crestfallen, he says, the hardships he faces now are far worse than those faced initially. “There were good times but paddy cultivation now is tougher than it ever was,” he says adding that the lack of water and fertilizer for paddy cultivation along with irrigation systems that have fallen into disrepair were some of the most serious difficulties faced by them. For the farmers of the Anuradhapura District, especially, for those in Rajanganaya, the past three paddy production seasons have been particularly tough. Drought and severe water and fertiliser shortages made paddy cultivation almost impossible, and the failure of the past three rice seasons has left farmers like Munidasa in dire economic straits.

Given the farmers’ constant battle for water in the dry zone region, a recent proposal to set up a drinking water project based on the Rajanganaya reservoir had the farming community in the region, up in arms, driving the issue into national spotlight a few weeks ago, after violent protests erupted over the move. Farmers like Munidasa fear that the drinking water project will drain the water from their already depleted tank that supplies water to their farms, stealing more of an increasingly precious livelihood resource. For two years, farmers in Rajanganaya have been waging a battle with nature, trying to secure water for cultivation, as the rains failed over and over, resulting in three failed paddy crops.

Over the last two years around 50 per cent of paddy farmers in Rajanganaya have opted to grow other crops, gradually moving away from paddy which is vulnerable to weather patterns and rainfall failure. Some have turned to growing banana along with various other vegetables; while some farmers have opted for soya and corn encouraged by state agriculture authorities, a fact resented by many farmers who believe, it is paddy cultivation that should be better facilitated by the authorities as it once was.

“At times we bought fertilizer for Rs. 3,000 due to the shortage, but finally those stocks ran out as well” Munidasa says, wondering how the government did not foresee the fertilizer demand in the country. “How did they fail to bring an adequate supply?” he asks.

Having somehow secured the necessary fertilizer they were driven to find their own solutions to the shortage of water. Munidasa says, a few farmers dug agri-wells and pumped water to their fields. “But that too cannot be done always, as the cost of fuel for the water pumps, hiring charges and labour costs makes it unsustainable for farmers already facing severe economic hardship,” he says.

“Those unable to do that as well left the village for menial jobs in other towns” says another paddy farmer from Block 16, P.G Wijetunge. Arriving in Rajanganaya along with Munidasa in 1966 Wijetunge says life has been tough for many families in the area in recent times. “Many farmers fell into debt by borrowing not only to cultivate but also provide food for their families, many surviving during the last three seasons merely on one meal a day,” he says. Finally, after the passing of three seasons, the farmers of Rajanganaya were able to cultivate paddy this Maha season bringing a bountiful harvest once again to the area. Even though only 50 per cent of the farmland in Rajanganaya was cultivated during the season, Munidasa says, the harvest has been favourable. “An acre yielded around 150 bushels of rice” he says explaining that usually, the yield would be around 100 bushels.

Miracle bounty

Despite the good harvest, Leslie Gamini, a farmer from Block 4 and President of the Saliyawewa Rajanganaya Farmers’ Association says, the bounty was nothing short of a miracle, because water supply was low during the whole period of cultivation. “Still, no paddy field in Rajanganaya failed,” Gamini says. During the cultivation season, the Department of Irrigation was able to provide water from the Rajanganaya tank for cultivation, once in six days only, due to the low water levels in the tank. “The water supply was not adequate, at times we got water only once in 10 days which was alright for other crops but not for paddy” Munidasa says. For paddy, a crop that requires water at least once in four days, these were tough conditions.

While rains, along with the water supply made cultivation during this Maha season a risk that paid off, farmers claim they faced more hardships due to poor water management by the authorities. Field canals that have fallen into disrepair meant, fields further away from the tank such as, block 16 – where Munidasa cultivates, and blocks 17 and 18 which are around 20km from the Rajanganaya reservoir received less water with some paddy fields being left dry completely.

“I could not cultivate three acres as they were not getting any water even though Irrigation officials were releasing water from the tank” Munidasa says while Wijetunge pointed out that water-watchers who have been entrusted to ensure all areas receive adequate water are not doing their job. “Sometimes if the stipulation is that water must be provided only three days they release it for four,” Wijetunge accuses claiming this was poor water management on the part of the authorities.

But while the Department maintained field canals in the past, an official from the Irrigation Department in the area said a 44 per cent cut in funds for maintenance meant they are not able to carry out these activities anymore. “Unfortunately many farmers have had to repair these canals by themselves” he says.

That is another cost that farmers like Munidasa cannot bear. “Therefore I just left those fields uncultivated” he says.

Gamini says, officials of the Irrigation Department were not giving advice about how to manage water supplies better. Instead, they repeatedly advised farmers to organise “Vehi Pirith’ ceremonies to ask the weather gods to send rain. “Recently yet another meeting with the participation of government officials was held to discuss how to hold a milk boiling ceremony at the reservoir on a grand scale” Gamini scoffs, “how will this maintain water levels?

This paddy season proved fruitful, but most farmers are left to settle accumulated debts, when crops failed for nearly two years.

In this backdrop, the new water supply project by the government, that caused the controversy recently, weighs heavily on the minds of Rajanganaya’s farming community.

“We cultivated paddy this season with much difficulty and now they are trying to take away our only source of water,” Munidasa laments. He feels the project has rung the death knell for paddy cultivation in Rajanganaya and its suffering farmers.

Weather gods

Since the tank has no other source of water, the farmers fear that a water supply project will drain their only reservoir, severely impacting their livelihood and affecting the future of rice production in the region.

These worries saw a massive protest recently by angered farmers which ended in a violent manner leading to many arrests, farmers and Policemen both suffering injuries during the clash. Speaking to the Sunday Observer, Chairman, Water Supply and Drainage Board, K. A Ansar says, these fears were unfounded. The water supply scheme passed by the Cabinet in 2011, once implemented will provide water to 42 Grama Seva Divisions in Thambuttegama, Galnewa and Thalawa in the Anuradhapura District. “The project will provide potable water to people in these areas including Rajanganaya” Ansar says.

According to him the scheme will only draw 13 acre feet daily from the reservoir which has a capacity of 86,000 acre feet. “This is only a small amount,” he points out. Annually, while around 35,000 acre feet will be utilized for the project, Ansar says, the water supply scheme is in line with government policy to provide pipe-borne clean drinking water to the North Central Province by 2020.

Ansar feels, farmers have misunderstood the project. While discussions are ongoing between government authorities on how best to implement the project the chairman says farmers need not worry.

“If water levels are low we assure them, we will not draw water from the reservoir” he says, adding that agriculture will always be given priority. But the farmers are not convinced. Many express fears that the water supply scheme will be given priority during even severe droughts and the amount of water drawn for the project will only increase in time. “What is stopping them from increasing the amount of water utilized for the scheme? What is their assurance to us?” Gamini questions. Others feel the scheme when implemented will not even allow for the current once in six days water supply allowance for cultivation. Almost all farmers appeared to be in the stance that unless a new water source to replenish the reservoir is created any project drawing from Rajanganaya should be temporarily halted.

“We are not against the people getting potable water but it cannot come at the cost of our livelihood” Wijetunge says. This is the reason for their protest, he says. The farmers claim, water for such a scheme can instead be taken from the Neela Bemma area.

But with no plans to move the scheme to another quarter yet, Ansar claims, “The project will continue and it is in design stage now.”

However he wishes to once again stress that farmers need not worry as their concerns will be heeded.

But according to the officials of the Irrigation Department that the Sunday Observer spoke to, the farmers’ fears are just. Having faced an extremely difficult rice production season he says the department too faced many hurdles when distributing and managing water during the severe drought. “This is their only source of water so the people are scared and rightly so” he says.

With a worrying water supply project looming ahead, however, according to Gamini the government’s decision to provide a free agri-insurance scheme for farmers awarding Rs. 40,000 per acre for crops which fail, he says they can now cultivate freely as the government will bear the risk.

Potable

Despite the positive move, other past troubles continue to haunt the paddy farmers of Rajanganaya. Once old debts are settled, and after the sale of paddy from this season’s bounty harvest, they would have to borrow once again to cultivate their fields in the next season.

“We have nothing left after settling debts despite a good harvest which means we have to borrow from businessman once again” Munidasa says adding that these woes perhaps contributed for the failure of factions in the government during the recent local government elections in the Anuradhapura district.

As farmers they had believed they would be better understood and served by the government, whose President hails from the agricultural heartland in the North Central region, however, this has proven to be a fallacy.

They say water and fertilizer are needed at the correct time. “Getting it later is pointless,” Gamini says. He says the farmers also desperately need a better process to purchase paddy and at a certified price. Gamini explains that without such a scheme private mill owners continue to make large revenues, purchasing paddy from farmers at low prices.

The constant battle for water and fair-pricing indicates that paddy cultivation is fast becoming an untenable livelihood option in Rajanganaya.

“We came here as youth to farm and cultivate but now we are not able to sustain this life anymore” Munidasa says pointing out that youth in the area despite having no other work, are moving away from agriculture.

According to Gamini youngsters having seen the many struggles faced by their elders feel their efforts would be futile. “The youth are disinterested, and as a result many appear to be leaving Rajanganaya for daily labour jobs in areas such as Colombo,” he says.

Munidasa too has failed to convince his sons to take up paddy cultivation. He runs a grocery shop in the area. His failing strength means he has had to give up some of his land to tenant farmers. The Rajanganaya multipurpose project which was built on the backs of youth and paddy cultivation now appears to be dying a slow death. “If these issues are not resolved it is likely that paddy cultivation will cease in Rajanganaya someday” says Wijetunge who believes it only means a bleak future for the agriculture industry in Sri Lanka which was once hailed as the ‘Granary of the East’.

Source: Sunday Observer

MOVING LANKA TO A CASHLESS SOCIETY

MOVING LANKA TO A CASHLESS SOCIETY
Visa turns thirty
8 April, 2018

by Sanjeevi Jayasuriya
Business

Visa officials with one of the 30 three-wheelers used in the promotional campaign

Sri Lanka will be moving towards a cashless transaction era enabling it to become a digital economy with Visa, the global leader in digital payments technology supporting this endeavour to boost the country’s e-commerce platform.

Visa celebrated 30 years in Sri Lanka and reiterates commitment to building awareness of digital payments across Sri Lanka.

“Over the past 30 years, we have been able to forge strong partnerships with Sri Lanka’s financial institutions, partners and merchants in empowering and facilitating digital payment solutions,” Visa Asia Pacific Regional President Chris Clark said.

“It gives us immense pride to Visa now firmly established as the leading digital solution for commerce in the country. Through the future initiatives, we reinforce our commitment to further build awareness and acceptance for digital payments across Sri Lanka,” he said.

Visa commenced operations in Sri Lanka in1988. Continuing its pioneering efforts to build awareness for digital payments in Sri Lanka, Visa celebrated its 30 year milestone by announcing initiatives to promote digital access, and digital and financial literacy across rural communities through its collaboration with Sarvodaya Fusion.

Visa will also be sending 30 three-wheelers across the country to promote the simplicity and the value digital payments bring to everyday lives, helping Sri Lankans realize the true potential of going digital.

Visa will be partnering with Sarvodaya Fusion, the community based development organisation network, in a three-phased program to inform, engage and educate consumers and businesses across Sri Lanka of the benefits of transitioning to a digital platform. Meanwhile, the three wheeler initiative on digital payments will witness Visa’s clients including banks, merchants and technology partners joining hands in a coordinated effort to inform and influence audiences across 30 towns and cities across the country.

“From EMV pin-based cards to state-of-the-art contactless technology-based cards, Visa has continued to be at the forefront of driving innovation in the market. With the rapid evolution of digital payments in Sri Lanka, we are excited about the potential for digital payments in the country for years to come,” Visa Group Country Manager, India & South Asia, T.R. Ramachandran, said.

As a large cash based economy, Sri Lanka has been making rapid strides in transitioning towards a digital economy. As a recent study estimated, Colombo, with a population of 694,000 and GDP of US$6.5B, could alone gain US$200M annual net benefits by transitioning into a digital economy. Estimated catalytic impacts for the city over the next 15 years include 20.4 basis point increase in GDP growth and 2.1% increase in employment.

Recognizing the huge potential for digital payments in the country, in 2016 Visa opened its first office in the country and has since continued to expand its footprint along with its clients and merchant partners. Visa is currently associated with 29 banks and nine finance companies helping them offer debit, credit, commercial and prepaid services to Sri Lankans across the country.

“In under two years, we have been able to further reinforce our leadership in the market. Continued support from our clients and consumers as well as the progressive approach to the payments industry adopted by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has been critical on this journey. We look forward to introducing many more innovative solutions that we hope will help support Sri Lanka’s transition towards a digital economy.” Visa’s first Country Manager for Sri Lanka & Maldives, Anthony Watson said.