The term ‘corona’, which is now commonplace, thanks to the global pandemic, has been in vogue in Kanniyakumari for ages.
In fact, its use to denote a type of skin disease was so widespread that it found its way into the Nanjil Naatu Sollakarathi (Dictionary of Nanjil Nadu), compiled by folklorist A.K. Perumal.
“In the spoken language, it is pronounced as ‘corona’, but we write the word as ‘corna’. It is a skin disease normally affecting the fingers and palm,” said Mr. Perumal.
Achiammal, an 80-year-old woman who is familiar with the word, said it was used to curse those who tampered with weighing measurements to cheat the customers.
“We would say, kaiyile corona theenam pidikkattum (Get corona disease in your hands),” she recalled. Theenam denotes disease.
Agriculturist Shenbagasekaran said the word was common among traders, particularly among those buying and selling milk and paddy.
“If women notice the milkman trying to tamper with the weighing vessels, they would say, ‘Let your hand get corona’,” he said.
At a time when paddy was given as remuneration instead of money, the word was used to curse the employer if he tried to reduce the amount of paddy.
“In the process it also became more of an imagery. It means that you should be fair when it comes to paying remuneration to workers,” Mr. Shenbagasekaran said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Tamil Nadu / by B. Kolappan / Chennai – April 23rd, 2020
Mockingbirds, the city’s first spoken word/poetry collective, is celebrating its fifth anniversary with online events curated to create awareness on this less-explored art.
Participants at an event held in 2019
Chennai :
To have your voice heard without judgement, to give shape and sound to your thoughts, to get a place under the spotlight (even if it’s only for a couple of minutes), to string words together and perform in front of an audience — for any budding poet and spoken word artiste, to have a conducive platform is essential to grow. Five years ago, when the city lacked such a definite space, a group of friends gathered at a cafe and discussed ways through which their poetry and spoken word can find an audience.
The group, instead of waiting for serendipity, decided to create it and in April 2015, on a summery afternoon, Mockingbirds, the city’s first spoken word/poetry collective was born. In several interviews, Michelle Ann James, one of the co-founders, has often reiterated that the group is built on these lines from the award-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird — ‘Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.
They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’. Over the years, the group has diligently stuck to its vision — of providing a platform to budding performers and inspiring expression through versification. “It’s all about poetry for poetry’s sake,” says Michelle. To commemorate their fifth year anniversary, the group recently curated an Instagram live open mic session — of poetry reading in English and Tamil. “We had about 136 people join us for the live session and about 33 active participants. That’s a lot, especially for something as niche as spoken word and performance poetry,” details Michelle.
Growth and adversity
From curating poetry performances in quaint cafes and open terraces to conducting workshops and aiding literary events, the group has slowly yet firmly carved a space for itself in the city. “Back when we started out, Instagram wasn’t a popular medium, so, most events were announced through Facebook and people came to know about us through word of mouth. I vividly remember one of the initial events we had curated. It was at Spaces, Besant Nagar, and we had just one participant. A lot of people had promised to make it but didn’t turn up. We were heartbroken but we kept going,” recalls the word artist. Yet, something constructive was born out of the adversity.
The sole participant who made it to the event — Ishvar Krishnan — eventually became one of the core members of Mockingbirds. “Ishvar experiments with sound, music and words. I remember the first time I met him — he came for the performance with a bunch of papers, nervous, his hands shivering. Now, he has grown, has his own style and audience. That’s what Mockingbirds aims to do — act as a non-judgemental platform for people to explore and grow,” she says. Similarly, Aashika Suresh, another performer who skipped work to attend one of Mockingbirds’ open mic performances has now found her calling. “She is one of our core members. She is now a freelance writer and poet. Our growth as a group has been organic,” says Michelle.
Magic through words
Weaving magic with the inherent music in language and verbal expression, the group has been a force to reckon with. As performers, the group is also informed about their responsibility to give back to society and to raise consciousness. This is perhaps why, most of their events are a free ground for expression — about mental health, politics and whatnots.
As they step into a new year, Mockingbirds aims to become a resource organisation, take alternative ways of interpreting poetry — to understand ideas and concepts — into educational institutions. With the lockdown in place, several online-based events and workshops are scheduled to take place. “Our main commitment is to poetry as a craft. We are also in the process of organising longer workshops and open mics in the coming weeks. We want to receive video entries of spoken word and create an audience for the performers,” she adds. For details, visit Instagram page @mockingbirdsinmadras or send a mail to projectmockingbirds@ gmail.com
UPCOMING EVENTS
Hindi open mic poetry (Insta live) on April 25 from 8 pm to 9 pm. An introductory workshop on Poetry
Appreciation in English by Aswin Vijayan, poet and assistant professor of English, on April 26 from 7 pm to 9 pm. This is a pay-as-you-wish workshop.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Roshne Balasubramanian / Express News Service / April 23rd, 2020
Three of the institute’s alumni are currently on the Board
Sudarsan Babu, a 1988 graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras was appointed to the National Science Board in United States of America on Monday. He is the third alumnus from the IIT-M to currently occupy the Board. The members are appointed for a period of six years.
Mr. Babu completed B.Tech from PSG College of Technology and graduated with M. Tech in Metullurgical and Materials engineering at the IIT Madras in 1988.
The other two alumni are Sethuraman Panchanathan and Suresh V Garimella. Mr. Sethuraman is tipped to become the director of another prestigious institution the National Science Foundation. One of his predecessors is Subra Suresh, another alumnus of the institute, who is currently the president of Nanyang Technological University.
Mr. Sethuraman completed M.Tech in electrical engineering in 1986. Mr. Garimella graduated in 1985 in B.Tech mechanical engineering.
Institute director Bhaskar Ramamurthi said, “Our alumni have done us proud in India and abroad and have been a great pillar of support to their alma mater.”
“Having three alumni on the Board is a first for the institution. It speaks of the academic research culture that we had established even a long time ago and continue to foster. This is a direct validation of the institution’s ecosystem as a whole, as a research institution going back to the early eighties. All of these people we talk about today were students here in the mid-80s. The ecosystem has created these superstars and we have continued to grow from strength to strength. That is in essence why we talk about these achievements,” said Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean of International and Alumni Relations, adding that the alumni were “deeply involved in advising the institute in its activities.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by R. Sujatha / Chennai – April 21st, 2020
At a time when personal distancing is emphasised, reaching out to people in quarantine or persons who have tested positive for COVID-19 becomes a challenge. More so, because people fear contracting the virus from the positive persons.
V. Karthi demonstrating his remote-controlled vehicle at the Coimbatore Collectorate on Monday. | Photo Credit: M_PERIASAMY
To overcome the challenge, Vedappati resident V. Karthi seems to have a solution in his remote-controlled vehicle, which he showed to the district administration authorities and demonstrated to journalists at the Coimbatore Collectorate on Monday.
Mr. Karthi, an engineer, says he designed the vehicle over the last weekend with materials he had acquired while working over the years on various projects. His objective behind developing the vehicle is to help supply food, medicines or other items to people quarantined or persons who tested positive.
The vehicle will also help them chat over video call with doctors or family members when mobile phone is attached.
Built over four wheels with a circuit board and four batteries of 3v each, Mr. Karthi’s vehicle runs responding to commands given from mobile phone, through an app. A mobile phone or an internet dongle at the vehicle’s end passes on the commands to the circuit board.
After the demonstration, the officials said that he was free to take it to hospitals to see if they were interested, he adds.
Mr. Karthi says he is engaged in developing mobile apps and robotic projects.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Special Correspondent / Coimbatore – April 20th, 2020
Hyundai and Air Liquide aim to achieve a target of 1000 ventilators in the first phase of production and scale up subsequently.
Chennai :
Hyundai Motor India (HMI) has entered into a partnership with Air Liquide Medical Systems (ALMS) to augment the production and supply of ICU ventilators in Tamil Nadu and other states amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Through this partnership, HMI and ALMS aim to achieve a target of 1000 ventilators in the first phase of production and scale up subsequently.
Ventilators are medical devices used by healthcare professionals to treat patients who are unable to breathe on their own by delivering air with a high concentration of oxygen to their lungs. For patients severely affected by COVID-19, ventilators are critical to ensure continuous oxygen is supplied to overcome respiratory insufficiency.
Commenting on the arrangement with ALMS, SS Kim, MD & CEO, Hyundai Motor India Ltd, said, “Hyundai and Air Liquide Medical Systems are working together to ensure a steady supply of ventilators in India.”
Anil Kumar, managing director, ALMS India, said, “Air Liquide is one of the very few global companies with a dedicated research and development team to manufacture ventilators in India.”
“Air Liquide Medical Systems is employing all the resources available to manufacture innovative, easy-to use and high-performing ventilators and will hold the reins to deliver quality service across the country during this time of need and to spearhead the Make in India initiative,” a release stated.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Express News Service / April 18th, 2020
The group has supplied around 25,000 shields so far and has an order for nearly 30,000 more
The shields were distributed to Home Guards on Saturday | Photo Credit: S.R. Raghunathan
Four students from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, in collaboration with an entrepreneur, have developed face shields which have been provided to healthcare professionals and police personnel who come in direct contact with COVID-19 infected people.
The students initially used 3-D printing technology to develop the shields. Their effort was much appreciated and soon demand for the shields increased after which a Chennai-based company came to their help.
Now, the group has shifted to the injection moulding method to cater to the demand. “Now we make 4,000 pieces a day,” said Pranit Mehta, a third-year dual degree student of Engineering Design.
The other students are Hari Ramachandran, a fifth-year dual degree student of Metallurgy; Anuj Khandalikar, third-year dual degree student of Engineering Design and Denil Chawda from the M.S. Aerospace Engineering department. They were guided by a couple of alumni and Professor Satya Chakravarthy of the Aerospace Engineering department.
The group has supplied around 25,000 shields so far and has an order for nearly 30,000 shields. They have supplied to hospitals in Cuddalore, Puducherry and Kanniyakumari so far.
The students are currently helping units replicate their model in Delhi, Indore and Mumbai after they received requests for the shields. “It is a social impact project. We are giving the shields free of cost to the police and we are running a fund-raiser campaign. We have got donations from people now,” Pranit said.
The need for funds came up as the cost of the shields rose. “With 3-D printing it cost us ₹100 each, but with injection moulding it costs ₹60 per piece. It is a not-for-profit initiative. The more people we reach, the more the impact will be,” he said.
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An earlier version of this copy mentioned that the prices of 3D printing and injection mold incorrectly. The error is regretted.
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source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by R. Sujatha / Chennai – April 18th, 2020
The list of these five hospitals has been communicated by the Ministry of Railways to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare who in turn has shared the same with State governments.
These isolation cabins will be an addition to around 1,000 quarantine/isolation beds provided by SCR at railway hospitals, health units, training institutes spread over 30 locations.
Tiruchy :
In its April 17 edition, TNIE reported Southern Railway (SR) has earmarked 11 railway hospitals to treat coronavirus cases. Eight hospitals are in Tamil Nadu and three in Kerala.
It was also reported SR has kept 1,236 beds ready in these hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients. Following this, SR in a statement said 1,135 is the total number of beds in all Southern Railway hospitals.
Of these, 384 beds in five hospitals – three in Tamil Nadu and two in Kerala- are being made ready by Southern Railway for treating COVID-19 positive patients, both for Southern Railway and non-railway patients if the situation so warrants.
The list of these five hospitals has been communicated by the Ministry of Railways to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare who in turn has shared the same with State governments.
Of these, in two hospitals at Palakkad and Tiruchy, only part of the hospitals has been earmarked for CoVID-19, as the remaining beds are required for other patients.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / by Express News Service / April 18th, 2020
Between April 10 and 14, farmer Mathesh has distributed around 8 tonnes vegetables to more than 800 poor families for free of cost.
GM Mathesh, a 38-year-old farmer from Erode. (Photo | ENS)
Erode :
“In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent lockdown, I had two options: one to make most of the profits out of my business or to be generous and support the poor who are struggling for one square meal. And I chose the latter,” said GM Mathesh, a 38-year-old farmer from Erode.
Mathesh, a third-generation farmer is a resident of Alampalayam village in Erode’s Anthiyur Taluk. He owns 10-acre farmland at Udayarpalayam village in Karnataka. During this season, he had cultivated Cabbage, garlic, beetroot, tomatoes, chillis and lady’s fingers which were harvested in March third week. Speaking to The New Indian Express, he said “I got to know that many daily wage labourers in my village were struggling to survive during the lockdown as they were not able to earn. Although they got rice and dal from ration shops, a healthy meal is incomplete without vegetables. So I decided to give all my produces to them, for free.”
Between April 10 and 14, Mathesh has distributed around 8 tonnes vegetables to more than 800 poor families for free of cost. “My family and friends go door-to-door to supply these vegetable bags. We had ensured to follow social distancing norms and were equipped with protective gears as well. Apart from this, we have distributed more than 100 bags to tribals settled near the farmland,” he added.
However, as the Tamil Nadu government has ordered to co-ordinate with the district administration to provide relief assistance, Mathesh said that he has stopped door-to-door supply of free veggies. He said that he is planning to coordinate with local authorities and identify more people in need and also provide them with the necessary supplies.
For Mathesh, doing this selfless deed was not easy. Every day he travels 110 km to transport the veggies in the truck. But due to lockdown, he has been facing difficulties in crossing checkpoints and to ease the transportation, he requested for a permission letter from the government.
“All my produces of this season would cost up to 10 lakhs at market rate and each day I spend up to fifty thousand which will include transportation and payment to labourers in the field. But I decided to compromise on profit as this is not the time for it,” he said.
“I believe that together as a community we can overcome this difficult time by doing our part to maintain the health of our people. I hope I would be able to supply free vegetables to the needy till lockdown ends,” he added.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Chandini R / Express News Service / April 16th, 2020
Hundreds of doctors of Indian origin came together under the banner of Global Indian Physicians COVID-19 Collaborative on Saturday to share knowledge and foster cross-system learning in the fight against COVID-19.
Addressing the first virtual meeting of the collaborative, Prathap C. Reddy, chairman, Apollo Hospitals, and founder-president of the Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPIO), said that the pandemic was unlike anything he has seen in his 65 years of practicing as a doctor.
Stressing on the need for collaboration by breaking all barriers, he said that the pandemic had made medical professionals realise their amazing ability to find solutions in record time.
Indian response
Vinod K. Paul, NITI Aayog member and co-chair of the Empowered Committee for COVID-19 Response in India, said that India’s response has been calibrated, graded, and it was yielding results.
On the availability of PPEs, he said that the present availability was adequate for the present situation and in a matter of two to three weeks, the availability of PPEs would be sufficient to cater to even worst-case and extreme scenarios.
He said that India was also focusing on developing vaccines for COVID-19, with four possible vaccine candidates being worked on in four of the country’s laboratories.
Sudhir Parikh, secretary general of GAPIO, expressed hope that convalescent plasma therapy would prove to be an effective treatment for COVID-19 and highlighted, in the American context, the need for creating a database of persons who had recovered from COVID-19, for plasma donation.
Patrice A. Harris, president, American Medical Association, highlighted the need for increased collaboration at international, national and local levels, and accurate data collection.
“For instance, the African-American population seemed to be disproportionately affected by the disease. However, we do not have data at the national level,” she said.
Kamlesh Khunti, director, Centre for Black and Minority Ethnic Health in the U.K., said that early data had indicated that South Asians and Black minorities were disproportionately affected by the disease in the U.K. as well.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Staff Reporter / Chennai – April 12th, 2020
Larsen & Toubro Ltd has supplied 100 semi-fowler bed with mattress and lines, 2 ventilators, 7 Bipap ventilators, and 20 multiparameter monitors to King Institute as per the directive of the Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Department.
L&T will also supply 8 more ventilators shortly, the company said.
It has also supplied 35 COVID-19 test kits and has provided 10,000 N95 masks so far, out of a total of 30,000 N95 masks to be supplied.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – April 14th, 2020
