The Great Indian Democratic Festival starts today.

At its core lies Electronic Voting Machines designed by BEL.

Are EVMs tamper proof? Since when is it used?
Why should India use it even when Western superpowers don't?

Writer Sujatha, whose team at BEL designed it, answers:

EVMs were used for the first time in the general election in Kerala in 1982.

An LDF candidate filed a petition to stop EVM use. After Sujatha's demo in judge's chambers, EVM was permitted .
The same candidate who filed a complaint had won.

"Electronics won" wrote Sujatha!

On the subject of Kamalhassan, his hypocrisy and double standards and misinformation have been documented by Tamil Labs over the past 1.5 years.

A thread compiling all such posts for your reading pleasure, Kamal fans are welcome to give a factual rebuttal: 2020 Kamal criticizing ADMK for rain-flood mismanagement, and 2023 Kamal blaming the force of nature instead of DMK:

https://x.com/labstamil/status/1731673497087209865

One of the most engaging but dishonest film is Jana Gana Mana, from Commiewood.

Infact the movie clearly states its political ideology and bigotry very clearly, including its emotional manipulation technique.

But alas, we were hooked to cinema and missed it all.

A thread. Spoilers Ahead.

The film was good only no? Why are you calling it called dishonest, you ask? Good question.

The film states one thing and does exactly its opposite - isn't this dishonest?

Take this scene for example - it hates discriminating people by color. A school textbook that calls people fair and ugly is criticized. Valid point.

But what does the film do?

The Srirangam Files:

In 1323 CE, just like today, crowds had thronged to Srirangam Temple for the Panguni festivities.

Mohammed Bin Thuqlaq was camping at what is Samayapuram today, near Trichy. He wasn't coronated as the "Mad Delhi Sultan" yet, and went by his real name Ulugh Khan.

It was a sacred temple festival for the locals, but for the Sultan-to-be, it was an expedition - a chance to loot and ransack the huge temple and strike fear at the hearts of idol worshipping Kh@firs.

Sensing that Khan might attack, the temple Archakar Vaduladesikar had made arrangements for the Murti to be saved.

Wrath had filled the Mad Tyrant Ulugh Khan and he screamed his orders. Trained army men behe*ded 12,000 unarmed devotees making the Kaveri river turn red with civilian blood.

It took weeks before all the bodies could be disposed. This bloody history, this "Srirangam files" won't be found in most history books.
But the Srirangam temple's own record book 'Koil Ozhugu' documents this incident as 'பன்னீராயிரம் திருமுடி திருத்திய கலகம்’.

We must consciously recall and respect the sacrifices of our ancestors. Otherwise, those who forget history are condemned to repeat it.
Sri Vedanta Desika who played a crucial role in saving the Murthi, had composed a stotra 'Abeedhi Sthavam' asking Ranganathar to remove the fear instiled in people by Turks and Yavanas (Greeks).

Compiling all threads and posts from the past few days, on the TM Krishna- Music Academy saga, EVR's problematic statements cited from primary sources, at a single place.

Bookmark this for quick reference. RT this to spread the word. (1/11) Many were asking for sources on whether EVR really called for a genozide.

In this Srirangam speech, he himself takes credit for asking people to st@b any and all TB men and women, keeping fire to their agr@harams and it resulting in a policy change:

https://x.com/labstamil/status/1771222508798193953?s=20

Challenge Accepted. Thread (1/5)

Instances of EVR profanity against women

1: 1971 EVR (age 92) speech at a wedding at Madurai:

"Why do women spend so much time in makeup?

The only reason is to make others (men) take a look at them.

They dress provocatively such that their body parts are visible rousing emotions in men.

The makeup and the dress they wear is what arouses emotions (lust) in men" 2. EVR, of age 94 says in his Irudhi Perurai (Final Great Speech) in 1973:
"Why are temples still alive?

Because only in a temple's festive crowd, will a husband get the pleasure of seeing his wife being groped.

He is habituated to this because everyone else's wife is also subject to the same.

Women could also get such a chance to graze multiple men only within temple premises. If we make different arrangements for this, women would not go to temples"

One of the most misinterpreted story is "Scorpion and the Saint", where a saint keeps saving a scorpion from drowning, despite it stinging him every time.

This is our version of "If someone slaps your cheek, show them the other"

But this story has a better interpretation (1/7) When the saint saves the scorpion from drowning, despite it stinging him many times, somebody asks him why.

He says:
"It is the nature of the scorpion to sting, it is my nature to save;
When the scorpion isn't giving up on its nature, why should I give up on my Sva-Dharma?"

Oppenheimer wins the Oscar for the Best Picture, and Nolan wins the Best Director award.

Nolan thoroughly deserves it for his ambitious filmmaking and storytelling.

We all know that Oppenheimer quoted from the Gita after the Trinity test, but do you know why he did so?

(1/7) Oppenheimer, after he witnessed the Trinity Test, the first detonation ever of a nuclear weapon, opines with glistening moist eyes:

"We knew the world would not be the same.
A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent.
I remembered the line from the Gita."

Once, when Sundaramoorthy Naayanar was on a yatra to Chola temples, he crossed a river & continued to walk near Mazhapaadi, an area covered by dense Konnai trees.

He heard a voice: "Sundaram, Ennai Marandhaayo?" (Sundaram, did you forget me?) but it was not from any human(1/5) Shocked, he enquired the locals if there were any temples around.

With their guidance, he discovered a small temple fully covered by Konnai trees (golden shower) that were fully bloomed.

This Kondrai flower is a favorite of Lord Shiva, who is called கொன்றை வேந்தன். (2/5)

Yesterday, PM Modi laid the foundation stone for ISRO's second spaceport at Kulasekharapatnam in TN's coast.

But TN had a chance to be ISRO's first choice for a launchpad, even before Sriharikota.

But the chance was ruined, thanks to a DMK minister in the late 60s.

(1/5) ISRO had zeroed in on East Coast as ideal sites for launchpad, as launching rockets along the spin of the earth gave a cost advantage.

To setup a launchpad at Kanyakumari coastline, Vikram Sarabhai wanted to meet the CM Annadurai, the CM.

But Anna had severe shoulder pain.

Tamil Youtube has some of the worst non-censored content that does targeted abuse of one comm alone in such a vile, disgusting manner.

Not only are these micro-communities openly denigrated, their slang and profession is mocked, their intents are questioned, their lives are laughed at.

The guy performing this cheap "parody" goes by the name "420 Michael" in videos from his earlier channel.

Ambedkar wanted Sanskrit to be India's official language, but this follower of Ambedkar calls it as an "alien" language in the video.

In the public space, no other comm can be made such a punching bag with no consequences.

If you question this utter indecency for the targeted abuse it is, you become "c@steist" , "pr!vileged", "S@nghi" and whatnot.

The sad thing is, everyone has started accepting this as the new normal in the "civilized, progressive" TN.
Will this crassness ever stop? If there was any real impact of EVR in real life, it is normalizing this TB hate to such an extent that its become second nature in TN.

There is literally no social or legal ramifications to doing this "parody". Infact, it is incentivized and covertly encouraged.

Such indecent stuff will go utterly unnoticed by w0kes and Ds. Tamil Peter Sandhu will not outrage over this, they become silent enablers for such crassness.

Many will laught it off, some will give justifications for the need to do such parody, a few will call this out.

But it will never stop. Its a well oiled hate machine funded by you know who.

In 1987, Cho published a warning of a news item from The Hindu in Thuglak:

"In research centers, when frogs were dissected, 1.75 ft long snake was discovered in its stomach"

Many curious readers asked to explain this warning.

But he didn't explain it for 3 years.
Why?

(1/5) Cho was reading Mahabharata's section on Sagunam/Nimitham on what were considered bad omens for the king.

In it were listed:
1) When sun is on east, if an object's shadow is cast on east, the king will die

2) If a frog in a country swallows a snake, the king will die

Today is #ThiruvalluvarDay & there is a lot of confusion about his identity.

Was he an atheist? A H? Xtian? M? Jain? Buddhiśt?

Leaving politics aside, is there is a way to determine his identity by analyzing his work?

Yes and the answer is clear.

A fact-based thread (1/15)

Some might ask: Should we even be doing this research?

Why try to box Thiruvalluvar into a religious identity? Isn't his work universal, and common for all?

Good question!
The answer to this consists of 2 points.

Is ignoring what we dislike (especially on SM ) a winning strategy?

Say a movie like Annapoorani comes out where an Iyengar eats meat, learns to cook beep, wears a burqa before cooking, should u speak out?

Or Should u be the silent majority?
When to ignore? When not to?
(1/8)

Lets flip it.
When Kerala Story and Kashmir Files came out, did the illiberal LW ignore it?

Nope. They kept writing review after review, giving 0.5 star rating. Why didn't they simple ignore it, if they didn't want people to see it?

Cuz they know something that the RW doesn't.

Secret missing ingredient of a great Biryani recipe is: offering Namaz before cooking it, according to Annapoorani.

Just minutes later, she says Biryani has no caste or religion. But doing Namaz can make it taste better. Some logic. Hope the director did not commit any bl@sphemy as non-Ms are not permitted to offer it on their own.

They have to enter Izlam before praying, then purify themselves by doing ghusl.

Or maybe Iyengar Annapoorani became Ayeshapoorani or something, who knows.

A short thread to compile the specific Kurals where Valluvar speaks of Vedic rituals, Vedic gods with exact relationships and descriptions from scriptures, Puranas etc.

(1/6) Valluvar mentions a lot of Hindu concepts in Kural (with verse #)
Indran: 25
Yaman: 326, 1050, 1083, 1085
Lakshmi: 84, 167, 179, 617, 920
Moodhevi, goddess of misfortune: 167, 617, 936

Vishnu: 610, 1103
Devas: 18, 25, 86, 346, 906, 1073
Pitrus: 43
Amritam: 82,1106
Shiva: 9, 580

Some Congi leaders are casting aspersions on EVMs despite getting thumping majority in Karnataka, Telangana elections.

EVMs were designed at BEL by writer Sujatha Rangarajan's team.

Let's take a short look at EVMs & their "tamper-proofness" as told by Sujatha himself: (1/6) EVMs were used for the first time in the general election in Kerala in 1982.

An LDF candidate filed a writ menu to stop EVM use.

After Sujatha's demo in judge's chambers, EVM was allowed. The same LDF candidate who filed a complaint had won.

"Electronics won" wrote Sujatha!

The Dravidian movement detests the liberal, feminist, egalitarian poet Bharathi, not just due to his TB c@ste, but also cuz Bharathi was razor sharp in identifying and getting to the root of this movement.

A thread on Bharathi exposing the "Drav/NB movement" (1/7)

Right from Kuthoosi Gurusami to EVR to Maniyammai, all of them have written critical articles on Bharathi.

EVR said Bharathi's writings were blabberings that lacked rationality and practicality.

Kuthoosi Gurusami said his poems are akin to "Unsold Omapodi, foul Smelling Boondi"

Today is Bharathiyaar's birthday.

141 years have passed & nobody even comes close to his poetic prowess.

A selfless patriot & a peerless poet, his Dharmic poems rouse nationalism, bhakti & courage in everyone.

Here are 5 places you can visit today to pay your respects! (1/6) Pondicherry folks can pay a visit to this Mahakavi memorial house. Entry free.

He lived here for 10 years from 1908-18 and composed immortal poetry - Kannan Paatu and Kuyil Paatu here.

In 2022, only 500 people per month (~ 16 a day) visited here😢

Map: maps.app.goo.gl/WcpmQzgnbuTf8c…

Nilkantan RS (Puram_Politics) is a provocateur/author who wantonly says problematic things for attention.

A thread compiling Gems of Puram.

1) "India's two great kings were Ashoka & Akbar: both were not H"

Rajaraja, Shivaji, Krishnadevaraya aren't great by Puram's standards? 2. "H Terr0rism is worse than ISIS.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (Al Qaeeda militant's counterpart is Yogi Adityanath"

False Equivalences comes easy for Puram. He still thinks percentages and percentiles are effectively the same thing.

This is Data Scientist's unique thinking levels.

Today is Karthigai Deepam, a festival of lamps.

Does Karthigai Deepam have real literary and historical references in TN?

Or is it like the cooked up "Buddhist" festival Karthula Deepam?

What is its significance? Is it a "waste of money" as one cynic said?

A 🧵 (1/9) Karthigai Vilakeedu, beyond its spiritual significance, could be the oldest of all recorded Tamil festivals.

Tolkappiyam, the oldest Tamil grammar book mentions: "வேலை நோக்கிய விளக்கு நிலையும்
வாயுறை வாழ்த்தும் செவியறிவுறூஉவும்"

This signifies lamp lighting in Karthigai month.