Dalit girl alleges assault by DMK MLA’s family in Chennai
Anu* was employed as a domestic worker by Pallavaram DMK MLA I Karunanithi’s son Anto and daughter-in-law Merlina when she was 17 years old. On January 16, she was admitted to the hospital with multiple injuries.
Chennai’s neighbourhoods during floods: Adrift together, divided by caste
Activists and residents of north Chennai say that they had to fight state apathy, along with a lot of disinformation, as it was deliberately portrayed that normalcy returned to Chennai when a part of the city was completely under water.
Floods in north Chennai through the lens of its youngsters
“For others, photos are for news. But for us, it is a documentation of life with all its struggles and no filters,” say Nandhini and Rasiya, two young women photographers who documented the floods as it unfolded in north Chennai.
Ennore spill takes its toll, 50 birds found soaked in oil
Nishanth Ravi, a BMAD volunteer who was part of the rescue team, said, “We didn’t find any dead birds, but there were many sick ones with oil all over the body.
Oil spill in Chennai’s Ennore Creek destroys livelihoods of fishers in eight villages
Environmental activists say this man-made disaster would have a long-term and far-reaching impact on the lives and livelihoods of fishers, their surrounding ecosystems, and microhabitats that are endemic to Ennore Creek.
"The causes of such #flooding are multifaceted. Heavy #rainfall, inadequate #drainage systems, and the incapacity of rivers to manage high discharge levels are primary contributors. #Urbanisation plays a significant role, with encroachments on major water bodies and ecologically sensitive zones exacerbating the situation.
Chennai's struggles are part of a broader narrative of climate vulnerability across Indian cities."
Experts link Cyclone Michaung to climate change, say Chennai will face more in future
Chennai as a whole received close to 45 centimetres of rain between Sunday and Monday night as Cyclone Michaung, the fourth tropical cyclone over the Bay of Bengal this year slowly moved through the coast.
As with everything anon always in moderation. But dear God, are there some dishes that straight up do not taste the same if you do not use MSG. #foodstr
May I suggest to try the ones manufactured by the Ajinomoto company of #Japan. Their MSG is the ONLY one I’ll buy - good research and stuff and as you can see, they’ve been around since 1909.
They also grant the manufacturing license to only one company in other countries. This one’s manufactured in Thailand while in #India, there’s only one company in #Chennai that has the license to manufacture them.
Update: How women became the target in a case of vengeance against a Chennai pub
Popular Tamil TV channels ran stories shaming women who were at a bar in Chennai for their attire and for drinking. It now turns out that it was a group of inebriated men who were refused entry into the pub who created a ruckus.
N. Sankaraiah, one of the founding members of CPI(M), no more
The freedom fighter and veteran Marxist leader, who had a career in politics that spanned over 75 years, died at a private hospital in Chennai, aged 101.
DMK’s Chennai Mayor R Priya is spoken over, patronised in meetings by male councillors
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam won a majority in Chennai’s local body elections in 2022, and was lauded for making Dalit member R Priya the GCC Mayor, a move many perceived as progressive. But at the council meetings, patriarchy continues.
Dr Kafeel Khan releases Tamil version of his book, says won't remain a mute spectator
“I read a lot in jail. Until then I did not bother to know why Gauri Lankesh was killed, or why there is so much poison based on caste on religion. My whole life I had only studied medical books,” says Dr Kafeel Khan.
Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comments on Sanatana Dharma stoke huge row
Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks were interpreted as a call for a ‘genocide’ of Hindus by BJP leaders. The TN minister has refuted these claims while standing by his statement that Sanatana Dharma was responsible for many social evils.
Madras HC issues notice on petition challenging use of FRT in Tamil Nadu
Madras High Court has issued notice in a petition challenging the installation and deployment of Facial Recognition Technology (“FRT”) across the State.
TN CM Stalin writes to President, demands assent for anti-NEET Bill
In the letter, CM MK Stalin says that the delay in granting assent to the bill has caused immense anxiety and stress in the minds of people and have led to ‘sad incidents of suicides’.
Chennai cop says ‘go to Pakistan if you don’t like Rama Rajyam’, suspended
P Rajendran from Pulianthope Traffic Investigation Wing allegedly sent a voice note in which he said that those who cannot tolerate the Ram Rajya can go to Pakistan, Saudi, or elsewhere.
This year has been a reminder to tend to the little spaces on the internet I call my own with more care, starting with https://indiastreetlettering.com/.
I set up this website years ago to collect photographs I take of street lettering around the country, but I’ve been terrible at keeping it up-to-date. That changes now. And if I can keep myself motivated, I’ll share a picture from it here every week 🤞🏼
When I visited Chennai five years ago, I spent a morning photographing signs for hardware stores in George Town. Among them was this one for Quality Machine Tools, which featured the most delicious, high-contrast Tamil lettering.