Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin commenced the second year of his ascension to power with an announcement that Iron Age began in the State 4,200 years ago. Quoting archaeological reports, the chief minister told the Legislative Assembly on Monday that excavations carried out in Krishnagiri and Salem districts prove that an agrarian economy existed in Tamil Nadu 4200 years ago and it makes the State distinct from other parts of India.
Stalin disclosed that the carbon dating of artefacts excavated from the sites were done at Beta Analytic in Florida, US. The statement by the chief minister is in synch with the findings about Mahabharat Battle between the Pandava and their cousins Kauravas fought for the Kingdom of Indraprastha. The Mahabharat war took place around the same period and weapons made of iron and copper were used along with chariots, according to the findings by Archaeological Survey of India excavations carried out in Baghpat which was reported by The Pioneer in a report dated 5 April 2018.
“Some 60 km drive from Delhi, at Sanauli in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has stumbled upon “royal burials” with remains of chariots dating 2000BC-1800BC.
The first-of-its-kind findings in the Indian sub-continent dating back to the Bronze Age suggest that people of that era belonged to the warrior class and were living a highly sophisticated lifestyle,” said the report by Archana Jyoti.
Back in Tamil Nadu people were expecting announcements from the chief minister about some important achievements made by the DMK Government during its first year in office. But a policy note of the departments of home, excise and prohibition says that the State has seen a hike in the number of crimes against women and sexual offences against children compared to that of previous year.
There were 55,682 road accidents in 2021 in which 15,384 persons lost their lives and 55,996 were left injured. Number of crimes against women in 2021 stood at 2,421 (compared to 2,025 in 2020 and 1,982 in 2019). While there were 3090 POCSO cases registered in 2020, there were 4,469 cases registered in 2021.
Adding to the woes of the Government, former chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami said in the Legislative Assembly that 30.45 tonnes of ganga were seized in 2021 alone and this was a shocking information. Though Stalin made light of the statement by replying that it was because of the pro-active nature of the DMK Government, the fact remains that there has been an increase in the number of crimes and violence all over the State. The reluctance of the media to highlight these issues was pointed out by columnist N Sathiya Moorthy: “A sympathetic media is not saying enough, maybe, but the social media, purportedly identifiable with the rival All India Anna DMK and Bharatiya Janata Party, is unrelenting and unpardoning,” said
Moorthy.
Stalin’s main promises that he would bring down the fuel cost and make Tami Nadu free of NEET remain unfulfilled. The promise of monthly honorarium of Rs 1,000 to all women home makers remains on paper. Though he undertook an official visit to UAE to invite entrepreneurs and investors to Tamil Nadu, it may take time to
fructify.
The action of the Government in taking over the administration of Sree Rama Bhajana Mutt and banning the May 22 Sharmapuram Aadheenam Procession had alienated the Hindus.