P Ramachandran Nair, CPI Thiruvananthapuram district secretary said, “Tharoor got his name included in the voters’ list in the constituency using fake documents. Though we had demanded that the Election Commission should probe into the allegation, no action has been taken in this regard so far. So, we have decided to approach the High Court against Tharoor for cheating and violating the Representation of People Act.”

According to Ramachandran Nair, the party is in possession of all the documents needed to prove that Tharoor got into the electoral roll ‘illegally’. “He submitted the application to get enrolled into the electoral rolls on the very day (October 27, 2008) he took a house in Thiruvananthapuram for rent. This means he was not an ordinary resident,” he said.

The Election Commission of India has stipulated that a person should be an ordinary resident, i.e. he or she should have resided in a particular place for a considerable amount of time, to get included in the electoral rolls. “Tharoor was not an ordinary resident in Thiruvananthapuram even for a day at the time he submitted the application for enrolment,” he alleged.

Apart from this, the residential certificate which was submitted along with the application form, was not given by a Revenue official, but was issued by a ward councillor so that he could obtain a ration card. The residential certificate obtained with the recommendation letter from a corporation ward councillor can be used only to get a ration card. Residential certificates for all other purposes have to be issued by a Revenue official, after a thorough inquiry.

“In Tharoor’s case, the residential certificate was issued as per the recommendation letter of Kowdiar ward councillor A Sunilkumar for getting the ration card and was addressed to the City Rationing Officer. This letter was obtained nine days after he took the house for rent. Besides, it cannot be used for any other purpose other than applying for a ration card,” he said.

The documents obtained using Right to Information Act proves that Shashi Tharoor failed to fill in the testimony column in the application form, which gives details about his period of residence. His application should have been rejected for this lapse. As per the section 31 under Representation of People Act, any person who makes any false declaration in writing, for the inclusion of any entry into the electoral roll, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.

“Though there are clear instructions that applications in which the required columns are not filled up should not be accepted, the official who received the application has mentioned Tharoor as a VIP and forwarded the application. However, the State Election Commission accepts only thirteen categories of people as VIPs, but these in no way include Shashi Tharoor, who was not holding any government office while submitting the application,” he charged.

“Also, there was no hearing conducted in his case to verify the documents submitted by him including the rent agreement, the letter from the ward councillor and the residential certificate. The notice sent to Tharoor for conducting the hearing on his application does not have the place, date or time of the hearing. Though all the documents submitted by Tharoor were illegal, the hearing was not held. The EC also failed to take any action against him,” he rued.

“These documents prove that Tharoor was included in the electoral rolls through unfair means. So we will question his candidature and position as a minister in the High Court. We are waiting for the High Court to open after the summer vacation to take up the issue,” he added.

“I turned a vegetarian at the age of eleven, as I could not  stand the cruelty shown towards them,” Mini Vasudevan divulges. The same reason prompted this electrical engineer   to launch the Humane Animal Society (HAS), a non-profit organization in the city for the protection of animals.

“I lived in the US for 13 years till 2004. After completing my PhD, I was working with a telecommunications firm in Texas. At that time, I used to volunteer on my weekends to protect the animals,” she recollects.

“Things are so different there, the endeavours of animal protection societies are dependent almost entirely on volunteers. You just have to handover the animals which have been abandoned on the streets to the societies. The rest is upto them and we need not worry any longer,” Mini discloses.

“On the other hand, animal rights activism is not an easy task at all in India. The number of stray dogs here is so high. You   cannot help spot one chasing pedestrians or two-wheelers in every nook and corner of the city. This sorry state of affairs persists mainly because of the unawareness amongst the public about the things that can be done. Miracles do not happen overnight. We have to work consistently to curb the stray dog menace. In the US, for a dog to be kept as a pet, it will perforce have to be sterilised. Only if you are a licensed breeder, you can keep dogs without sterilising them. This policy has proved to be very successful in controlling the number of dogs there,” she says.

“Unfortunately, that is not the case here. Written laws alone will not do the job. There should be a systematic way of doing things. When I first came here, I found so many stray dogs and wanted to do something to protect them. However, I realised much to my dismay that there was no organisation to whom I could turn for help. Only later did I hear about the PFA. So Humane Animal Society (HAS) was formed in 2006. It started out as a non-profit organization run by myself  and my husband Madhu Ganesh. Now ‘HAS’ has three more trustees and many volunteers,” a proud smile spreads across her face.

HAS has played a major role in creating awareness amongst  the denizens about the need to protect animals. “We mostly  stress the need to sterilize the dogs. Whenever we approached someone, they used to maintain that their’s was a ‘veetu naai’ (house dog) and therefore there was no scope for alarm. But we have always insisted that all the dogs _ whether  they are kept as pets, or those wandering in the streets, should be sterilized,” Mini reveals.

“People should come forward to adopt pups delivered by stray dogs. Once we received 15 such pups at Shelter, a joint venture of HAS and People For Animals (PFA). Though there is a huge demand for male pups, female pups are the best when it comes to providing love and affection,” she avers.

“I think stray dogs should be known as a distinctive ‘Indian breed’. Foreigners like our dogs on account of their wide range of colours and robust nature,” she notes. “An American lady who came to an ashram near Anakatti a few years ago  liked a stray dog very much and wanted to take it along with her when she went back. We helped her in procuring all the necessary documents for that. Seeing many others like her go to great lengths to take care of the dogs here, I sometimes wonder why we Indians do not put in even a small fraction of their effort,” she remarks.

Over the last one year, HAS has been working in conjunction with PFA for conducting the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme here and has been actively taking care of several stray as well as abandoned dogs. “I wish more like-minded people will join us to make a difference. Instead of chasing individual agendas and reaching nowhere, animal lovers should band together to curtail the atrocities against the animals and make the city a better place for them to live in,”  she stresses.

On Padmashree

“I felt great and terribly happy. I consider it as recognition not just for me, but for the entire motorsport fraternity. It was a great honour for me to receive the award from the President of India. The style in which the function was conducted itself provides an avid feeling.”

Being an F1 driver

“A lot of skill is involved. Determination and consistent hard work is very important when it comes to motorsport. Of course, support from the family too plays a big role.”

As a pioneer

“Being a pioneer, we will have to take an extra-effort and have to do more. As racing was not that recognized and an accepted sport, I had to put in more effort and time into it.”

Making a difference

“Yes, it did I would say. After me winning the F1 title, people in India, especially those in the South, have become more aware about the motorsport racing. Many are now showing their interest in this sport and are coming forward, which is an appreciable act. India is going to host its first F1 race in Delhi next year. These are all not things that happened over a night.”

Role of parents

My family is responsible for what I am. For someone to become successful, they should be allowed to live their dreams. My parents allowed me to live my dream and now I am here.

Due recognition

We can’t criticize the love for cricket. It’s a sport which can be played and enjoyed by the common man. But now, the people and even the government has started giving due recognition to other sports too (citing his Padma Shree). That is a good trend.

About your car

“It’s my office; it’s my world.”

For budding racers

“Four years ago, I started Speed NK Racing team to identify, nurture and groom young Indian racing drivers into potential champions. I am still doing it and will also continue it in future.”

You and Coimbatore

In India, Coimbatore has produced a large number of racing drivers. Maybe that I was born and brought up here, I was so biased to motorsport from even my childhood. The people here are so supportive and encouraging.

So how do Pavarna look at things being the wife of ‘the fastest Indian in the world’! Excerpts from a chat with her:

“I felt so proud when he was recognized by the Indian Government. Also, this is a unique profession and he was the only one in the 1.2 billion to become a F1 driver. That’s really fantastic.”

Unique factor about Narain

“He is very humble and that is the very first thing everyone, who knows him, talks about. His achievements have not made any difference in him as a person. There are only a few persons who live their dream and happy that he is one among them.”

The dream you are living

“I too am living his dream. At least for now, my dreams, aspirations and everything are towards molding Narain’s dreams.”

Narain as a family man

“He is a very family-bound person, who loves to be always at home when he is not into racing. He always entertains guests at home, rather than going out.”

Motorsport crazy

“Am crazy about motorsport as this is our life. It brought us to where we are now. Though I miss few of his matches, I always prefer to be with him as I could know his state of mind and could provide moral support.”

The risk factor

I think living and achieving our dream is more important. Even you walk on the road, it has a certain risk. If you take the risk part more into consideration, we can never succeed in our life.

Future plans

“Once he has more time in hands, we are planning to open a school to groom the young race drivers to meet international standards. We have to give something back to the motorsport and we would work together for it.

In a factory where raw materials and huge machines for the production of electrodes occupied the major space, Mohanasundari was spotted amidst many woman workers, giving them suggestions and at times engaging in light chats with them. “Unlike other industries, majority of the workers here are women. Their love and support helps me moving forward. With moral support, we can do wonders” says Mohanasundari, who has won the award for export excellence from Engineering Export Promotion Council for multiple times. Even at the age of fifty-seven, she remains energetic and dynamic, thanks to her healthy daily routines. “A small walk in the morning, a little of yoga and meditation and a ten-minute shuttle keep me fresh all the day,” she smiles. Dedicating all her success to husband K Jaganathan, who passed away five years ago, she says that it is still a wonder that how she entered into business world. With export deals with more than thirty countries including USA, UK, and many Gulf countries, she is treading a successful path in the entrepreneurship scene. “I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. My father was a weaver in Kalapatti village. With his encouragement, I completed my post graduation in Physics. Though I took biology first, aiming to become a doctor, knives and dissections scared me and I went for physics,” she quips. Completing her studies, she started working as a lecturer in Saradha College in Salem. “I was married to my cousin in 1976, and I would say that it changed my whole life. I continued to teach in CIT in Coimbatore for 14 years. My husband used to discuss all his business ideas with me. All the business tours were travelled by us together. After placing ourselves in a significant position in the business market, he encouraged me to do MBA as he wanted me to enter into the business along with him,” she recollects. Mohanasundari was made the proprietor of Sharp Trendys by Jaganathan and was asked to look after the whole affairs while he concentrated on Sharp Electrode. “I never knew my strength. It was he who made me realize my inner strengths,” she sighs. “His death shattered me. I was not in a position to think of anything other than him. I was struggling to come out from that grief. It was then my father also passed away, that too just sixty days after my husband’s death. This had put me in the most miserable situation. By then, talks were doing the rounds that our company will be closed down soon as all doubted that whether I would be able to manage it all alone,” she says. She did know that the company was her husband’s life and he always wished to achieve more. She never wanted his dream’s to go unrealized and at that point, she decided to run the company at any cost. “I thought of the workers and their families who were depending on us. I did not want them to suffer. I decided to continue the journey from where my husband stopped,” she said. But things were not that easy for her. The business world was not ready to receive her with a bouquet or garland. “There were many calls and mails harassing and even threatening me about the pending consignments. Also, many were not ready to place new orders. But there were a few among my well-wishers and friends, who are responsible for what I am. There was a situation when I had to beg orders. But within a period of two years, I found customers coming in my way, asking for our products. When some problem comes, I would just think of how my husband would take decisions.”

“Hey dude, is there any way to remove the dark circles under my eyes? Well the cucumber facial which I did last week seems to be quite effective… No, you better go in for an exclusive aroma therapy which I did recently…” _ If you think that these snatches of conversation regarding the importance of grooming are from a women’s college canteen, then you are wrong. The male gender too is finding time for   chitchats on beauty tips.
It is common nowadays to overhear seemingly macho males discussing under the eye circles, pimples, hair styles etc. There is an increased awareness among men in Kovai about the importance of looking good. They are becoming more conscious of their appearance and grooming.
“Gone are the days where you could find only a shaving cream and after-shave lotion as men’s make-up accessories. Now, majority of the men are so particular about their grooming. Their involvement in a wide spectrum of activities invariably exposes them to stress, sun and pollution to a great extent,” Anand of Nakshatra Family Saloon remarks.
According to him, pollution and the need for a perfect look at the workplace are the main reasons for men getting ready to shed their ‘macho’ image.
Men are now more cognizant of the fact that looking good counts for a lot in this age of adoration and competition. Many accept that the whole affair of grooming has benefits which are beyond just the good looks. Moreover, people irrespective of  sex, like to be complimented and appreciated in all fields including on their looks.
“A well-groomed person generally appears very confident. I believe that proper grooming can not only help us make more friends but also propel us on a north-headed career graph. When I go for a new hair style or colour, I get more attention from my friends. It is the same with anyone who is in vogue. A trendy look always fetches one a lot of attention,” Kishore, a city-based IT professional avers.
The domain of beauty care, which was once exclusively female, has become a common area of interest for both women and men. Several family beauty parlours have popped up, serving up at one single place cosmetic care for all in the family. “We now go together to the beauty parlour. Earlier, I was forced to go with just our kids but having my hubby join me there is so convenient. I feel that men should have a serious approach to their looks. They matter a lot,” quips Preethi, a housewife in RS Puram.
“The most common cosmetic treatments among men are hair styling, facial massage, pedicure, manicure, bleaching, chest as well as armpit waxing and even eyebrow plucking. Gents ranging from 16 years to 60 years come to us and ask for these procedures to be carried out on them. Whereas youngsters prefer hair styling, waxing, facial etc, men above 45 are more into hair colouring and complexion treatments,” notes Arumugham of Royal Mens Beauty Parlour. “Middle-aged men are our regular clients. People are now ready to spend more on neat looks,” he adds.
The media and films have also created an impact among the men and lured them to the beauty parlours. “The increasing affinity towards Western culture and some of our own film stars with Adonis like looks have combined to create our beauty-obsessed male clientele. With the city a hub for both education and IT industry, students as well as IT professionals are keen to maintain a pleasant look. Bogged down by tiresome schedules and night shifts, they find it easier to visit a parlour at least once a month to help them look fresh and good,” Shanmugham of New Oboral Hairlines discloses.
Women were long stereotyped as the beauty-obsessed gender, but this trend indicates that men too are spending a lot of time on grooming themselves. Earlier, while it was considered cool if a man not only appeared rough but was also able to  get ready for an outing in just a few minutes, now appreciation is bestowed on the one who takes that extra effort to charm others. So what are you waiting for? Join the queue and get groomed for a better look!

In most cases, those who want to get married invariably plan a grand wedding. However they soon discover all that organising that grandeur is a Herculean task.

Since modern marriages are mostly elaborate affairs, a lot of planning is required to arrange everything within an affordable budget. And anyone who has tried to do simply this will tend to agree that only marriage event managers / wedding planners can efficiently organise a hassle-free and memorable wedding.

The trend of handing over the A-Z responsibilities of conducting a marriage into the hands of a wedding planner seems to be picking up fast among Kovaiites. Most of the wedding planners in the city attribute this trend to the increasingly busy schedules of the people.

So how does a wedding planner help you in organising a marriage? “We take care of all the different stages leading up to the wedding ceremony and beyond that too. Right from designing the invitation cards as well as the bride’s and groom’s makeup to the honeymoon packages, a wedding planner organises everything to help reduce the burden on the family concerned,” says Dr Valliappan, owner of Alagus Flower Valley in Vadavalli.

Hiring a wedding planner relieves you from all these worries and enables you to enjoy the wedding. “I have heard many parents in the past lamenting that amidst the rush of arranging everything, they missed out on the most important moments. This is where wedding planners play an important role. Nowadays, you can just relax and witness the whole affair, secure in the belief that others are looking after all the important things,” he remarks.

The lack of compatibility between the agencies hired for different purposes is another reason why most people opt for wedding planners. “Generally, our services come in packages. In some cases, we offer additional services like orchestra, special events on the eve of the wedding as well as the engagement ceremony besides the usual entertainment. We also have honeymoon package for the couple. The different events are charged separately. The tariff starts from Rs 50, 000,” says Bindu, team leader of Pearlscornische, Corniche Inn Resorts Marriage Events.

As the concept of wedding planners is yet to catch on here, there are only a few marriage event managers in the city compared to metros like Bengaluru and Chennai where they are so many. Most of the wedding planners here organise the marriage through sub-contracts. They have a close tie-up with bridal and groom make-up services, catering services, decorators and florists etc. The only thing you have to do for organising a marriage is to hire a wedding planner; the rest of the things will be safe in their hands.

“We charge Rs 10,000 to 20,000 for our services. After giving sub-contracts to other agencies, we co-ordinate everything so that the family can have a hassle-free wedding ceremony,” Valliappan reveals.

Thematic wedding is another major attraction that most of the marriage event managers offer. “Medievalistic or ultra modern, formal or casual, romantic or fun with a personalised ambience is all arranged according to the preference of the client. If need be, we go in for royal weddings too. We have in-house experts and catering services to cater to the different demands,” says Bindu.

Many of the people who come in search of wedding planners prefer a thematic wedding. The wedding cards to the parting gifts will be based on a particular theme. “Some colour schemes or the company which the bride or groom owns or the family culture can turn a theme,” notes Valliappan.

Apart from venue selection, catering service, theme and floral decoration, and honeymoon packages, travel arrangement, hotel booking, reception host, ring ceremony, vegetable and ice carving, security service, video and photography, band troop, sound and lighting etc are all added services rendered by the wedding planners.

“The  experts who are ready to conceptualise and produce the event according to the idea and need of the client are our specialty. We offer Sangeet Sandhya, horse chariot, Nadaswaram, and variety dances in addition to the normal services,” says Senthil of Softy Events.

So what are you waiting for? When these wedding planners are all ready to come to your rescue, surely you should unload the burden of your responsibilities and let them design the perfect look for a grand marriage ceremony!

“No more fear. We are no more criminals. The verdict has changed our lives,” cries out an ecstatic Kalki. She depicts the mood among the LGBT community, post-Delhi HC verdict.
And for the rest of the society who are not willing to toe the line, she asks: “What do they mean by cultural pollution and damage to family system? Can you nowadays skim a newspaper without a story on the rape of newborn or child molestation? Can a ‘mother’ or ‘sister’ walk free without fear during the night in our country? We don’t care a hoot to these moral policing by religious leaders and pseudo faces…”
Relieved after voicing her anger, Kalki now smiles. A smile that speaks volumes on the society that fails her and the community she represent. “They are unaware of our plight. They depict us as mere sex workers. They should understand that being a gay or lesbian is more than that,” she pauses with a sigh.
“A not-so small number among the people belongs to LGBT community. It includes people from all segments. It is not fair to comment only on their sexual orientation and calling it ‘unnatural’…
“Many say that homosexuality is unnatural. Even using contraception and condoms are unnatural. But as it helps to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, it is widely accepted. Who decides on what is natural and what is unnatural? Homosexuality is a biological phenomenon. We can’t call it abnormal or unnatural only because our culture and tradition doesn’t support it,” she added.
She then went silent for a moment before speaking further. “…Think of those who can’t afford a sex-change surgery to become a transgender,” said a sympathetic Kalki. “Repealing of Section 377 which says that an individual who ‘voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal’ shall be imprisoned for life or for a term exceeding 10 years and be liable to pay a fine, will make them a benefited lot,” she said.
“… I recently came across an article which explained homosexuality among animals, which was written by Maneka Gandhi. It was beautifully explained…that many animals, apart for reproductive process, mingle mostly with the same gender. It’s not for sex but for compassion, love and friendship,” she mused. Wondering why people still think it as unnatural when nature itself has depicted it natural, she did not forget to appreciate Maneka for coming out with the article despite that she is from BJP.
A waana-do-more Kalki can’t just sit idle rejoicing over the verdict.
She knows that she has a lot more to do. “It’s sad that information about the gays and lesbians that prevails among the public is misleading. But it’s more irritating to know that even medical fraternity lacks proper knowledge about this…,” says an annoyed Kalki.
“Most of the medical professionals including psychiatrists consider the condition of being a gay or lesbian as a sort of mental illness. But I say.. a gay or lesbian can never be changed into a heterosexual through treatments or counselling,” she asserted.
She also feels a strong need for setting up counselling centres for the parents of the LGBTs. “It is often seen that, if a person is identified as a gay or lesbian, the parents will force them to get married thinking that a marriage will solve the problem. This is a strong misconception. Many of the divorces that take place today is pointing finger to this,” she said.
Kalki knows that it is easier to catch the young rather than messing up with the old generation and she has a well-planned strategy for it. “We will put forth a suggestion to include the sexual orientation in the biology textbooks,” she said.
However, Kalki is happy for the verdict though she feels that it was a little late. “It is a beautifully-written script,” she says adding “it will find place in our history books”.

To sensitise them on LGBT (lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders) rights, the Sahodari Foundation, an NGO, plans to organise a workshop next month on the issue.

Talking to the author,  Sahodari founder Kalki said the workshop will be held in the first week of August in Chennai. A similar event is slated to be organised in Coimbatore to cover the southern Tamil Nadu media.

Kalki pointed out that the State government had created a separate welfare board and allotted a significant amount in the recent budget for transgenders. “Granted that the Tamil media were more open to discussing transgender issues, but why is it that they shy away from flagging issues of other sexual minorities?” she wondered.

Kalki claimed that language media has various misconceptions on LGBT rights, which led to inaccurate reporting.

For instance, the term “orinaserkai” is used commonly in Tamil media for gays, lesbians and bisexuals. But it refers only to the sexual aspect. Instead, phrases like ‘oru paal eerpu kondavarkal’, ‘than paal vizhaivu kondavarkal’ (people who are attracted to their own gender) etc can be used to give them a sense of dignity.

“We are also trying to coin new Tamil terms to properly define our community,” she disclosed.

“While the English media has supported us, the Tamil media usually focuses only on the sexual aspect, ignoring their commitment to each other,” she rued.

“The prevailing concept is about an abnormal sexual orientation, however being a gay or lesbian is something much more than that. Though the English media has supported us, Tamil media usually talks about the sexual aspect, focussing only on the intercourse between members of the same gender and ignoring their commitment to each other,” she said adding that there are many committed relationships among LGBT community which are stronger than those seen in heterosexual couples.

“Through the workshop, we hope to sensitise the Tamil press (newspapers and magazines), television channels, radio and web media. Around 35 representatives of various Tamil media would be invited. We have also decided to distribute handbills. These will contain WHO’s removal of homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1992, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (1973) which clearly states that homosexuality is not an illness and also much more details to create anawareness of what the LGBT community is all about. A similar event will be soon organised in Coimbatore in order to cover the southern media of Tamil Nadu,” she said.

Prominent personalities from academics and judiciary, human rights activists, film personalities, writers, and student representatives besides parents, siblings and neighbours of the LGBT people will participate in the workshop, she informed.