NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME

STATE PRESENTATION
ON

TAMILNADU AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS

BY,
A. JASWANTHI
SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE IN LAW, TNDALU, CHENNAI
Tamil Nadu has glorious past, a vibrant culture, a rich history, and natural bounty in the form
of blue beaches and clear skies. One can enjoy on the Marina beach, go cruising in the theme
parks, or let the mind search for peace in the midst of magnificent temples. Alternatively, one
can relish the mouth-watering dosas, savour the refreshing filter coffee, or enjoy the
Bharatanatyam performances. Tamil Nadu is not about the past only, but it has set its site on
the future. The state is developing rapidly on all the fronts whether it is economy, social, human
resource, culture, and so on. Tamil Nadu is one of the top Tamil Nadu three Indian states, which
receive highest foreign investment in the sectors like automobiles, information technology,
power, telecommunication, and others. On the social front, the state has a high per capita
income, there is easy availability of resources to people, and it produces quite a large number
of trained manpower to increase the productivity. No wonder that the past and present in Tamil
Nadu has a harmonious coexistence.
Tamil Nadu is the eleventh-largest state in India by area and the sixth-most populous. The state
was ranked sixth among states in India according to the Human Development Index in 2011,
and is the second largest state economy in India with 13,842 billion (US$210 billion) in gross
domestic product after Maharashtra. Tamil Nadu was ranked as one of the top seven developed
states in India based on a "Multidimensional Development Index" in a 2013 report published
by the Reserve Bank of India. Its official language is Tamil, which is one of the longest
surviving classical languages in the world. Tamil Nadu is home to many natural resources. In
addition, its people have developed and continue classical arts, classical music, and classical
literature. Historic buildings and religious sites include Hindu temples of Tamil architecture,
hill stations, beach resorts, multi-religious pilgrimage sites, and eight UNESCO World
Heritage Sites.

BRIEF INFORMATION OF THE STATE:

NAME: Tamil Nadu ANTHEM: "Tamil Thai Valthu"
LOCATION OF TAMIL NADU IN INDIA COUNTRY: India
COORDINATES: 13.09N 80.27E
FORMATION: 26 January 1950 AREA: Total: 72,147,030, Rank: 6th,
Density:550/km2 (1,400/sq. mi)
TIME ZONE: IST (UTC+05:30) ISO 3166 CODE: IN-TN
HDI: 0.570 (medium), HDI RANK: 6th (2015) LITERACY:80.33% (2011)

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Tamil, English WEBSITE: www.tn.gov.in

NATIONAL ANTHEM: Jana gana mana STATE ANTHEM: "Invocation to Tamil
Mother
EMBLEM: Srivilliputhur Andal temple DANCE: Bharathanattiyam
ANIMAL: Nilgiri tahr BIRD: Emerald dove
FLOWER: Gloriosa lily TREE: Palm tree
SPORT: Kabaddi
GEOGRAPHY OF TAMIL NADU:
Tamil Nadu, located in south India, is bounded on the north by Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka,
on the south by the Indian Ocean, on the east by the Bay of Bengal, and by Kerala on the west.
Point Calimere and the Mudumulai Wildlife Sanctuary mark the eastern and western limits of
the state respectively. The northernmost limit is the Pulicat Lake while the southernmost tip,
defining the end of the Indian landmass, is Cape Comorin or Kanyakumari.. The Eastern and
Western Ghats meet in Tamil Nadu and run along its eastern and western boundaries. The
Cauvery River, originating in the Coorg district of the neighboring state of Karnataka, is the
lifeline of the state. The lush Coromandal plains are irrigated by the Cauvery and its Thanjavur-
Nagapattinam delta is called the granary of Tamil Nadu. The perennial rivers are Palar,
Cheyyar, Ponnaiyar Kaveri, Meyar, Bhavan, Amaravati, Vaigai, Chittar and Tamaraparni. The
non-perennial rivers are the Vellur, Noyal, Suruli, Gundar, Vaipar, Valparai and Varshali. The
760 km long Cauveri is the largest river of the state.

Tamil Nadu is subdivided into 32 districts. A district is administered by a District Collector

Districts are further divided into 226 Taluks administrated by Tahsildars comprising 1127
Revenue blocks. A District has also one or more Revenue Divisions (in total 76) constituted
by many Revenue Blocks. 16,564 Revenue villages (Village Panchayat) are the primary
grassroots level administrative units which in turn might include many villages and
administered by a Village Administrative Officer (VAO), many of which form a Revenue
Block. Cities and towns are administered by Municipal corporations and Municipalities
respectively. The urban bodies include 12 city corporations, 125 municipalities and 529 town
panchayats. The rural bodies include 31 district panchayats,385 panchayat unions and 12,524
village panchayats.
BRIEF HISTORY OF TAMIL NADU:

Tamil Nadu was ruled by three major dynasties-the Cholas in the east, the Pandyas in the
central area and Cheras in the west. This was during the Sangam Age - the classical period of
Tamil literature-that continued for some 300 years after the birth of Christ. The Pallava dynasty
was influential particularly in the 7th and 8th centuries, testimonies to which are the
monuments at Mamallapuram. In the 13th century, with threats of Muslim invasions from the
north, the southern Hindu dynasties combined and the empire of Vijayanagar, which covered
all of South India, was firmly established. However, by the 17th century, due to the
disintegration of the Vijayanagar Empire, various small rulers like the Nayaks ruled southern
India. By the middle of the 18th century, there were frequent conflicts between the British,
French, Danes, and Dutch due to their interest in these areas. The British were finally
victorious, while small pockets like Pondicherry and Karaikal remained under French control.
Under the British rule, most of south India was integrated into the region called the Madras
Presidency. In 1956, the Madras Presidency was disbanded and Tamil Nadu was established.

ECONOMY OF TAMIL NADU

There are a number of hydel power stations in Tamil Nadu. The atomic power plant is located
at Kalpakkam, in the Chengalpattu MGR district. The major minerals found in this state are
limestone, magnetite, mica, quartz, feldspar, salt, lignite, gypsum, and bauxite. The major
industries include cotton textiles, chemicals, fertilizers, paper and paper products, printing and
allied industries, diesel engines, automobiles and parts, cement, sugar, iron and steel, and
railway wagon and coaches. The state is an important exporter of leather and leather products,
cotton goods, tea, coffee, spices, tobacco, etc. The state's economy is largely agriculture-based
and 70% of the population is involved in this industry. The principal food crops are rice, maize,
jowar, bajra, ragi, and pulses. The cash crops include cotton, sugarcane, oilseeds, coffee, tea,
rubber, and chilies. About 17% of the state's total land area is under forest cover.
EDUCATION IN TAMIL NADU:

Tamil Nadu has a history that dates back to a thousand years or more. Tamil Nadu prides from
the fact that the first engineering institution to come into being in the country was the Survey
School established in 1794 at Chennai by the East India Company. Out of this grew the reputed
College of Engineering, Guindy, and Chennai. Having made great strides in the field of
Technical Education, Tamil Nadu is a frontline state in India imparting education in the field
of technology. The State Government has undertaken several programs to overcome the
problem of rural illiteracy and providing free elementary education among the masses. Schools
in Tamil Nadu are either affiliated with the State Board or the Central Board of Secondary
Education (CBSE). Tamil is the medium of instruction and study in the rural schools of Tamil
Nadu. The State has a literacy rate of 74%, which is satisfactory as compared to the average
literacy rate of the country. Major cities like Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichi and Madurai are
famous for their renowned educational institutions and research centers.

TAMIL NADU CULTURAL HERITAGE:

Tamil Nadu is a land of varied beauty. It is mostly famous for its numerous Hindu temples
based on the Dravidian architecture. The temples are of a distinct style, which is famous for its
towering Gopuram. Popular temple towns include Madurai, Trichy, Tanjore, Kanchipuram,
Palani, Tiruvallur and Mahabalipuram. The most famous temple is the Brihadisvara Temple in
Thanjavur that is about 1000 years old and is on the UNESCO's World Heritage Site list. Tamil
Nadu also has the Navagraha temples that are a popular pilgrim circuit. Kanyakumari, the
southern most tip of peninsular India, is famous for its distinct and beautiful sunrise, Vivekanda
Rock Memorial on the mid-sea, Thiruvalluvar statue and has some very green hilly landscape
and picture-postcard perfect sceneries around the district and Nagercoil. Hill stations like
Kodaikanal and Nilgiris boast some of the stunning landscapes in India. The Nilgiris also has
one of the two mountain Railways in India and is being evaluated for the UNESCO's World
Heritage Site list. The Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary located in Gudalur near the border of
Karnataka known for its elephants, tigers and deer and the Pitchavaram Mangrove forests
located in starts filming Chidambaram are two of the many eco-tourism spots of importance.
Tamil Nadu, the cradle of south Indian temple architecture, is a living museum of styles that
originated in the seventh century and matured in the huge temple complexes studded with
towering gateways-Gopuram-that soar on the skyline of almost every town in the state.
Food of TamilNadu

Tamil cuisine, traditionally vegetarian, consists of the famous dosas, which are crisp rice
pancakes and idlis, which are steamed rice dumplings. Vadas, sambar, rasam, coconut chutney,
and upma are other common delicacies. Rice is the staple diet of the state. Chettinad cuisine is
a specialty in Tamil Nadu and will be a delight for those who like hot and spicy non-vegetarian
food. This cuisine has several variations of fish, mutton, and chicken dishes of which the
Chettinad Pepper Chicken is by far the best. Tamil Nadu, especially Chennai, is famous for its
filter coffee, as most Tamils do not prefer instant coffee.

Arts & Culture of Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamils and their Dravidian culture. Human activity in this area
may have begun as early as 3,00,000 years ago. Historians are of the opinion that the first
Dravidians were a part of the Indus Valley Civilization and came to the south after the invasions
in the north, around 1500 BC. The main language spoken here is Tamil, followed by English.
While around 88% of the state's population follows Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam are also
followed here in Tamil Nadu. There is an established caste system, and the traditional
differentiations here are a lot more pronounced than in many other parts of the country. Gypsies
have had a special place in Tamil history. Many tribes and castes have accepted this iterant
way of life. The Tamil deity Murugan's group was identified variably as a Kuravar (in Tamil
Nadu) or as a Veddha (an indigenous hunter gatherer tribe in Sri Lanka). The Badagas, Kotas,
and Todas are other tribes found in the Nilgiri hills. The innumerable temples of Tamil Nadu
are themselves marvelous feats of art. The stone carvings of Mahabalipuram (also
Mamallapuram), the paintings of Tanjore, the mats of Pattamadai, woodcarvings of Chettiand
are famous throughout the country. Besides these, the dolls made during the Navratri
celebrations and baskets made of bamboo reeds are other popular local crafts

Dance & Music of Tamil Nadu

The land of Carnatic music, Tamil Nadu is the birthplace of many music legends. The main
instruments used here are the violin, wooden flute, veena, gottuvadayam, mridangam,
nadaswaram and ghatam. Bharatnatyam is probably the best known and one of the most
respected classical dances of India and is Tamil Nadu's gift to Indian culture. It originated in
the temples of Mahabalipuram, and was initially performed by the Devdasis, who were young
women wedded to the temple deity. Today, besides being practiced extensively in India, it has
many exponents the world over, especially in Europe.
STATUS OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE STATE:

Tamilnadu from the ages have had good concern for the human rights of its people, from the
chola, chera, pandiya dynasty the tamil people have enjoyed all the human rights.yet as we
know humane is err there are also some places where there have been violations of human
rights taken and being taking palce which have to be monitored seriously. For, this reason there
have been established the Tamilnadu- State Human Rights Commission to deal with
administering the human rights violations in the state.

-Statutory Governance Of Human Rights In The State:

The state human rights commission was established on 17th march 1997, and its headquarters
is loacated at Chennai. At present the chairperson of the commission is Justice.T.Meenakumari.
The Protection of Human Rights act,1993 provide for its establishment , powers and functions.
The commission has both judicial and administrative functions. The major power provided to
it is, it can investigate the human rights violations of any person in the state by the authorities
of the state and give recommendations. The commission can take cognizance by a complaint
or on Suo moto. And it has been provided with the powers of court given under the civil
proceedur code,1908. It can also direct cases to NHRC which is of national importance. Till
now, SHRC has taken a lot of measures in maintaining the human rights in tamilnadu . Other
than the State human rights commission there are also other bodies which look upon on the
human rights issues in tamilnadu. There are a number of NGOs working on the proper working
of human rights in the state. The state itself has taken many measures in protecting the human
rights such as,

Women/child help lines for protecting them

Policy for malnutrition free state
Policy for providing employment to transgender
Reservations for minorities in educational institutions and in employment.
Developing the best PDS -Public Distribution System in the country ,etc

Though there are lot of mechanisms to curb the human rights violations in the state there still
exist in some places where human rights violations like farmers suicide, custodial deaths, caste
based discrimination,etc.. takes place in which one of the major problem which is concerning
the state for a long time is the killing and tortue of fishermen of the state by srilankan navy,
which would be discussed in the later part of the essay.
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS OF TAMILNADU FISHERMEN:

Fishermen issue came in prominence when the shooting and arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen
by the Sri Lankan Navy increased since 1990s due to security reasons. For instance, in the two
decade period, starting from 1991 there had been 167 incidents of shooting on Indian
fishermen; 85 fishermen were killed and 180 injured by the Sri Lankan navy. To deal with the
problem the Joint Working Group (JWG) on fisheries was formed in 2004 involving officials
from both sides. The JWG till date has met only four times and could not come up with
satisfactory solution to address the concerns of fishermen. It failed to explore possibilities of
working towards a bilateral agreement for licensed fishing. The JWG on fisheries stressed on
the need to release the arrested fishermen on humanitarian grounds. As a result of an
understanding reached between Indian and Sri Lankan governments for the security and safety
of fishermen, practical arrangements were made to deal with bonafide Sri Lankan and Indian
fishermen crossing International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and agreed that there would
be no firing on fishing vessels. It was also agreed that Indian fishing vessels would carry
valid registration/permit and fishermen would have personal identity cards issued by the
government of Tamil Nadu. Due to its consistent efforts, government of India could secure
release of 676 fishermen in 2013 and 536 out of 541 fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan navy in
2014 (till 18 July 2014). Even though fast track approach is adopted by the Sri Lankan
government to repatriate arrested Tamil Nadu fishermen, confiscation of boats by the Sri
Lankan Navy has become an irritant in the process. Tamil Nadu government has refused to
participate in the next JWG meeting proceedings unless boats are released.

The issue of the fishing rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen to fish near and around Katchatheevu
island has come in conflict with the Sri Lankan and Indian governments stand that Tamil Nadu
fishermen cannot cross the IMBL for fishing. A series of letters and a memorandum, presented
to the Indian Prime Minister on 3 June, 2014 by Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, reflected the
sentiments of fishermen on this issue. The Chief Minister mentioned that the arrests and
harassment of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy have caused great unrest
amongst the fishermen community of Tamil Nadu and made specific suggestions to resolve
the issues such as: (a) Protection of the traditional rights of the Indian (Tamil Nadu) fishermen
in the Palk Bay and ensuring their safety and security, (b) Retrieval of Katchatheevu and
restoration of traditional fishing rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen and the government of India
should take active steps to abrogate 1974 and 1976 India- Sri Lanka agreements. It was
proposed that these steps be implemented, to resolve the problem.
The Tamil Nadu government also filed a writ petition in 2011 in the Supreme Court
questioning the Government of Indias stand on Katchatheevu island. However, these
suggestions are not acceptable to the government of India which opted for diplomatic and
practical arrangements to deal with fishermen of either side crossing the IMBL. In an attempt
to find a solution, both the governments encouraged talks between Indian and Sri Lankan
fishermen associations. As result, two rounds of talks took place in January 2014 in Chennai
and in May 2014 in Colombo. Sri Lankan fishermen expressed deep concern about the
destruction of marine resources due to the use of mechanized trawlers, bottom trawling and
pair trawling by Tamil Nadu fishermen and requested their counterparts to stop using these
trawlers. On their part, the Indian fishermen have sought three years time to phase out
mechanised boats. Sri Lankan fishermen have also conceded to the Tamil Nadu fishermen
demand that they will be allowed to fish in Sri Lankan waters. Meanwhile, the government of
Sri Lankas refusal to concede to the demands of Sri Lankan fishermen has led to deadlock in
talks. These contradictory positions and stance taken by the governments, including the
TamilNadu government, to address the fishermen issue is deeply affecting fishermen on both
sides. Coastal districts of Tamil Nadu fishermen, as well as the future of Tamil fishermen from
the Northern Sri Lanka, will be affected by the long term sustainable solution proposed by both
the governments. In this context, both the governments have to work towards evolving a
consensus in formulating regulatory mechanisms to manage the fishery and marine resources
in respective Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). On the Indian side, encouraging TamilNadu
fishermen for deep sea fishing and placing restrictions on mechanised bottom trawling to
preserve the resources near coastal waters is an option that can address the concerns of Sri
Lankan fishermen. Involving all the stake holders in decision making process, particularly the
fishermen on both sides is important for long lasting solution. Both the governments along with
respective state/provincial governments should devise a road map to ensure livelihood, safety
and security of the fishermen. Formulating a plan for development and cooperation in the field
of fisheries is another option to address long standing bilateral issue between India and Sri
Lanka. Concluding, NHRC could take a suo-moto cognizance of this issue and recommend
suitable measures to the central and the state governments as to bring a solution to this problem,
as it affects the fishermen community of tamilnadu in a large which violates their economic as
well as their basic human rights. An also it has a great national importance and affects the
diplomatic relations between the two nations.