A request to International Indian Film Academy

(This source letter can be obtained from http://www.naamtamilar.org/beta/textnews_detail.php?id=799. Please sign at the bottom and send it to iifa@iifa.com)
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Dear IIFA Directors/Sponsors/Concerned,

I am in an enormous shock to see such a dignified forum is planning

to have its prestigious award ceremony in a land that is accused of

war crimes and genocide. People from across the globe are condemning

the Human rights violations of Srilankan government.

And civilized society is fighting hard to establish the justice to

the tamils. Killing of nearly 1,40,000 innocents, war crimes,

ongoing slaughter on the journalists, moderates, reformists, artists

and having opposition leader behind the bars make the Srilanka as a

criminal and a failed state.

People’s Permanent Tribunal found Srilanka guilty of war crimes and

Genocide.

UN’s Human Rights Chief is critical of Lankan government Human rights

records.
US human rights report accused Lankan rulers for the Human Rights

violations.

I urge you to change the venue of your event; else this will

strengthen and encourage the government that is involved in the

human rights violations. It will be too ugly and gory to have the

favorite stars to dance in the Tamils’ graveyard.

This is the high time for you to respect not just the sentiments of

Tamils across globe but more importantly respecting the human rights.

Please change the venue to a different country. It will honor you.

For your reference i am attaching the website
(http://www.tamilsagainstgenocide.org/) which provides more details about
the war crimes committed against the Tamils in Sri Lanka.


Yours Truly,

Boobalan Pachaiyappan

Ratan Tata - Human, Institution or God???

What Ratan Tata did for the Mumbai victims.... what every Indian should know!

Ratan Tata is the chairman of Indian Hotels who own the Taj Mahal Hotel Mumbai, which was the target of the terrorists on 26/11/08.

Hotel President a 5 star property also belongs to Indian Hotels.

The following is really touching.

What Ratan Tata did for the Mumbai victims.... Don't miss!!!!!!

SALUTE TO MR. RATAN TATA

A. The Tata Gesture

1. All category of employees including those who had completed even 1 day as casuals were treated on duty during the time the hotel was closed.

2. Relief and assistance to all those who were injured and killed

3. The relief and assistance was extended to all those who died at the railway station, surroundings including the “Pav- Bha ji” vendor and the pan shop owners.

4. During the time the hotel was closed, the salaries were sent by money order.

5. A psychiatric cell was established in collaboration with Tata Institute of Social Sciences to counsel those who needed such help.

6. The thoughts and anxieties going on people’s mind was constantly tracked and where needed psychological help provided.

7. Employee outreach centers were opened where all help, food, water, sanitation, first aid and counseling was provided. 1600 employees were covered by this facility.

8. Every employee was assigned to one mentor and it was that person’s responsibility to act as a “single window” clearance for any help that the person required.

9. Ratan Tata personally visited the families of all the 80 employees who in some manner – either through injury or getting killed – were affected.

10. The dependents of the employees were flown from outside Mumbai to Mumbai and taken care off in terms of ensuring mental assurance and peace. They were all accommodated in Hotel President for 3 weeks.

11. Ratan Tata himself asked the families and dependents – as to what they wanted him to do.

12. In a record time of 20 days, a new trust was created by the Tatas for the purpose of relief of employees.

13. What is unique is that even the other people, the railway employees, the police staff, the pedestrians who had nothing to do with Tatas were covered by compensation. Each one of them was provided subsistence allowance of Rs. 10K per month for all these people for 6 months.

14. A 4 year old granddaughter of a vendor got 4 bullets in her and only one was removed in the Government hospital. She was taken to Bombay hospital and several lacs were spent by the Tatas on her to fully recover her.

15. New hand carts were provided to several vendors who lost their carts.

16. Tata will take responsibility of life education of 46 children of the victims of the terror.

17. This was the most trying period in the life of the organization. Senior managers including Ratan Tata were visiting funeral to funeral over the 3 days that were most horrible.

18. The settlement for every deceased member ranged from Rs. 36 to 85 lacs [One lakh rupees tranlates to approx 2200 US $ ] in addition to the following benefits:

a. Full last salary for life for the family and dependents;

b. Complete responsibility of education of children and dependents – anywhere in the world.

c. Full Medical facility for the whole family and dependents for rest of their life.

d. All loans and advances were waived off – irrespective of the amount.

e. Counselor for life for each person

B. Epilogue

1. How was such passion created among the employees? How and why did they behave the way they did?

2. The organization is clear that it is not something that someone can take credit for. It is not some training and development that created such behaviour. If someone suggests that – everyone laughs

3. It has to do with the DNA of the organization, with the way Tata culture exists and above all with the situation that prevailed that time. The organization has always been telling that customers and guests are #1 priority

4. The hotel business was started by Jamshedji Tata when he was insulted in one of the British hotels and not allowed to stay there.

5. He created several institutions which later became icons of progress, culture and modernity. IISc is one such institute. He was told by the rulers that time that he can acquire land for IISc to the extent he could fence the same. He could afford fencing only 400 acres.

6. When the HR function hesitatingly made a very rich proposal to Ratan – he said – do you think we are doing enough?

7. The whole approach was that the organization would spend several hundred crore in re-building the property – why not spend equally on the employees who gave their life?

This is NOT COVERED BY Any NEWS CHANNELS !

I Salute Mr. Ratan Tata..

(Source: http://smallstrokes.blogspot.com/2010/05/what-ratan-tata-did-for-mumbai-victims.html)

Global vs. Local

I always wanted to be local. I am comfortable that way. The concept of being global enticed me a little bit in my early days of USA just like I got enticed to touch the star on the sky when I was a little boy. Very soon I realized I can't touch a star! And I realized I can't be global either. Honestly, I do no want to be global!

The general definition of being global is demonstrating ability to tolerate and follow foreign cultures/lifestyles in addition to one's own. However, more often I found myself in a situation where I am expected to embrace foreign lifestyle at the expense of my own. When I publicly mourned about the Virginia Tech tragedy which cost the lives of 32 innocent people, I am categorized as 'Global'. At the same time, when I wrote articles and had intense debates about the freedom of Tamils in Sri Lanka or about the massacre of my innocent people, I am criticized 'local'. When I discussed American politics, I was considered Global. Talking about lack of electricity and water problems in hundreds of villages in India is considered local. Hanging out in a group full of people who speak a language that only I don't understand put me as 'global'. Wanting to marry a Tamil Lady made me 'local'.

Another thing that pisses me off these days is this. Why is the word 'Global' synonymous with the word 'western'? I despise this anomaly from my very inner core. By default westerners are categorized as people who are broad minded and global. Everyone who wanted to be global displays characteristics that a 'westerner' does. But, a native westerner is surprisingly "ill-informed" about things that are not local in which case these guys are behaving like "ultra locals". Why would I care about being global (read 'westerner') when the so called 'global' person doesn't even have a modicum of understanding about events happening in a foreign soil?

I was constantly bombarded by my friends and relatives in India about questions related to America - for ex, Is Obama going to win the Presidential election? Is NASA going to send another space shuttle? Can America recover from financial debts? Is Avatar a big hit in America like in India? I shut their mouth once and for all when I said I do not even read the headlines of American dailies. Honestly, my source for American news is primarily Indian dailies.

There are a few things that I can never compromise. My country stands out first in the list. Only by being local I get to love my country this much. I could be living in a foreign soil, but I can never compromise my country for anything. My country gave me so much and expects me to reciprocate not to herself but to the needy. If money is not a possibility, at least a couple of tear drops will suffice.

I was born as a Tamilian, I will die as a Tamilian. I was born as an Indian, I will die as an Indian.

Operation Green Hunt

(The following letter is sent to the Editor of the famous Indian daily - "The Hindu")

Sir,

The recent killing of 75 CRPF men by Maoists delineated two important things:(1)Our strategy towards Maoists is certainly "weak". The CRPF is unable to capitalize their positions in enemy zones. (2) In one way or the other, the Maoists are given "enough" updates about the moves of the Government. It seems they also knew when to attack and when to be silent. It is about time the government stop playing the 'negotiation game' with the Maoists and come forward to retaliate strong and swift. Doing this will at least increase the credibility of the UPA government a little bit which is currently struggling to reduce the skyrocketing prices of mundane items, to pass the women's bill, to gain access to deadly "Headley", to solve the "ever-unsolvable" water problem of Tamilnadu with its bordering states.

Sincerely,
Boobalan.

வேத வாக்கு!!!

ஜனங்களோட ஜனங்களாக இருக்கும் போது நாமும் முட்டாளாக இருக்கனும். இல்லனா நம்மள மதிக்க மாட்டாங்க!

-யாரோ!

????

Where are thou when I need thou the most!