Modi unveils statue of peasant leader Sir Chhotu Ram
Sampla(Haryana), Oct 9: Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 64-foot-tall statue of peasant leader Sir Chhotu Ram at his native village Sampla in Haryana's Rohtak district on Tuesday.
After unveiling the statue, Modi paid floral tribute to the peasant leader and visited a museum built in his memory. There, Modi watched a four-minute documentary on the life of Sir Chhotu Ram.
Sir Chhotu Ram, who was born on November 24, 1881, was regarded as a messiah of peasants and was instrumental in empowering farmers in pre-Independence era and getting pro-farmers law enacted. He had fought for farmers' rights during the British rule.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Birender Singh, Union Minister and maternal grandson of Sir Chhotu Ram, were present at the event, besides state ministers Ram Bilas Sharma and Captain Abhimanyu, and Congress MP Deepender Hooda.
Renowned sculptor and Padma Bhushan-recipient Ram Vanji Sutar sculpted the 64-foot-tall statue.
As many as 5,500 farmers of the state donated iron metal, ranging from from half-a-kg to two kgs for the construction of the statue.
The unveiling of the statue assumes significance as elections to Lok Sabha and Haryana Assembly are slated for early next year.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
