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IPL matches in line of fire amid TN Cauvery protests
Chennai, April 6 (IANS) With Cauvery river water sharing row with Karnataka hotting up, political parties on Friday plunged into the fray bringing into the line of fire the hugely-popular Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches to be played in Chepauk grounds here from April 10.
While the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran appealed to cricket fans in the state to ignore the matches, DMK leader M.K. Stalin said organisers of the IPL matches should understand the people’s problems and act.
Queried on the issue, Stalin said the DMK was not against holding the IPL matches here. However he requested the match organisers to understand the problems faced by the people and act accordingly.
On March 10, Chennai Super Kings will play against Kolkatta Knight Riders at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
However, Dhinakaran tweeted that at a time when Tamil Nadu’s rights over Cauvery waters, the lifeline of the state, were being “betrayed” by the state and Central governments and the state had risen in revolt, “I appeal to the cricket fans of Tamil Nadu to ignore these matches”.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol Thirumavalavan sought a ban on IPL matches in Tamil Nadu.
Some fringe groups like the Tamil Nadu Human Rights Party have also voiced their opposition to the holding of IPL matches. They have said they would democratically protest against the matches when the state is fighting for its rights over setting up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) as per the apex court’s order of February 16.
Meanwhile, Stalin said that as decided earlier at the all-party meeting, the Cauvery Rights Retrieval March would be held in two phases.
The first phase march would start from Mukkombu in Tiruchirappalli district on April 7 and the second phase on April 9 from Ariyallur district so that the march was spread across the whole of Cauvery Delta region, Stalin said.
He said the DMK and other parties would discuss and decide on the next course of action if the Central government does not set up CMB.
The Supreme Court on February 16 reduced Tamil Nadu’s share of Cauvery water from 177.25 thousand million cubic feet (TMC), which was less than the 192 TMC allocated by a tribunal in 2007. Karnataka’s share of water was increased by 14.75 TMC.
The Centre, which failed to set up the CMB within six weeks of the apex court’s February 16 order, has moved the Supreme Court seeking clarifications whether the Scheme mentioned by the court in its judgement meant only CMB or whether the Centre could formulate any other mechanism.
The Tamil Nadu government has also filed a contempt petition against the Centre for not setting up a CMB within the deadline.
Both the petitions are likely to come up for hearing on April 9.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.