Latest news with #Rajalakshmi
Deccan Herald
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Deccan Herald
A precious discovery
After publishing several major Kannada stories in Prajavani and other publications in Mysore state, the nineteen-year-old Rajalakshmi N. Rao published The Rain, her scintillating debut story in English, in The Illustrated Weekly of India in late 1954. On the heels of the buzz around this story by a Kannada writer, B R Nagaraj, the editor of the Sunday Magazine of Deccan Herald, dropped in at her parents' home in Kalyan, a Bombay suburb, to ask her to write for his paper. She wrote a dozen exciting short stories for DH over two and a half years. These stories appeared as lavish full-page spreads along with stylish stories in English reveal an intense literary talent at work. Acutely observant, metaphorically laden, and philosophically ambitious, they disclose a preoccupation with the existential dimensions of human relationships. In the tightly-woven story, The Rain, the rise and decline of intimacy and love in a newly married couple unfolds against three monsoons with the 'never-ending' rain being a different kind of presence each time. Besides, her virtuoso descriptions of the rain are something to savour independently inside the two quartets of Rajalakshmi's stories host the close scrutiny of self-examining protagonists, often female, and on occasion, male. The protagonists are, for the most part, educated young urban individuals in want of self-realisation or, as one of her characters puts it, desiring to 'snap out' of 'emotional anesthesia,' or whose intellectual and emotional worlds ask to be brought in sync. These literary explorations, which candidly encompass sexual matters, are not as frequently seen in Rajalakshmi's equally intense Kannada stories that show other thematic self-scrutiny of women characters in Rajalakshmi's English stories can, at times, hold a mirror to patriarchal power games, but it usually does not stop there and moves on to arrive at an enhanced self-awareness, a truer capacity for love. In the final story in the second quartet, Pastorale, a character appears to offer a considered rumination in this regard: 'Perhaps peace comes not by trying to merge oneself in another, but by merging oneself with oneself; not by looking for impossible perfections in others, but by striving for perfection in oneself; not by searching for oneself in others, but by discovering others in oneself; not by believing that others exist for being taken, but by believing that oneself exists to be given.'.A fascinating feature of Rajalakshmi's stories is their casting of inanimate objects as sentient beings. Summoning them as feeling and thinking objects realigns the self-centred human relationship with reality. Consider the following instances pulled from across her stories: 'Darkness quivered in the room like a hungry bear. She closed her eyes upon its suffering'; 'The machine huddled silent, cold, alone.'.Most of Rajalakshmi's stories move across a third-person and a first-person narration, which imbues the telling with layered, shifting intensities. She also reaches out to wildly inventive metaphors to place her philosophical reflections in front of us. My favourite among such instances appears in the story, Winter: 'This, the sky paved with cow-dung cakes, this, the moon, frightened but putting on a brave brass front, this, the incredibly agile star with its easy, opaque optimism, this is real and eternal. Thus was it when the earth tore itself free, a gem fallen from its setting, and thus will it be when you and I and we are mica smithereens shrouding the bombed remains of Beauty.'.Rajalakshmi's free-spirited stories exude a daring confidence and a quest for vision. Her bold exploratory probing of the inner self is simply unlike what is found in the writings of her contemporaries like RK Narayan, Raja Rao, Mulk Raj Anand, Kamala Markandaya, and Nayantara Sahgal. Her stories continue to be a radiant recently from the DH archives, Rajalakshmi's English stories appear along with her Kannada stories in a new anthology of her short fiction, Sangama-Pastorale, that I have compiled and edited. This book, which releases today at the Mysuru Literature Festival, nourishes literary sensibilities, enriches critical awareness.
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
50 years of Emergency: The death of Chittibabu who formed a ‘human shield' to protect MK Stalin in jail
InFocus The Emergency left behind many indelible memories — stories of resistance and brutal repression across India. Each State had its victims who would not live to tell their tales. If it was the young student Rajan in Kerala and actor Snehalatha Reddy in Karnataka, then in Tamil Nadu, it was C. Chittibabu — former Mayor of Chennai and DMK MP from Chengalpattu — who paid the ultimate price. He died on January 4, 1977, at the age of 41. Chittibabu was imprisoned in the Madras Central Prison, a notorious site of brutality during the Emergency. It was there that he received a brutal lathi assault after shielding a young M.K. Stalin from attack inside a prison cell. He never recovered. 'I was beaten mercilessly, and former Mayor Chittibabu, who formed a shield to protect me, later succumbed to the injuries,' Mr. Stalin recalled a decade ago. Chittibabu's death remains one of the most chilling episodes of the Emergency in Tamil Nadu. His wife, Rajalakshmi, filed an affidavit before the Justice M.M. Ismail Commission seeking justice. Her counsel, T.P. Radhakrishnan, even sought the suspension of the Inspector General of Prisons and the Jail Superintendent pending inquiry. Justice M.M. Ismail, however, stated he lacked the authority to suspend them, but he could forward the representation to the government. Convincing the Commission of the cause of death was no easy task. Advocate N. Shanmugam, who also represented Rajalakshmi, relied heavily on Chittibabu's prison diary — 'every word of which rang true,' reported The Hindu in August 1977. 'The diary of Mr. Chittibabu was unassailable evidence. Unlike other convicts, the MISA detenus never knew when they would be released or what offence they were being held for. They had no legal recourse and depended solely on government mercy. The events noted by Mr. Chittibabu were not exaggerated. All the detenus were beaten. The medicines administered to them bore evidence of this. None of these incidents occurred in other prisons in Tamil Nadu,' he told the Commission. Also read | 50 years after Emergency: Encounter killings and a saga of silence Yet, the Commission remained unconvinced. It demanded concrete evidence linking the beating to Chittibabu's death. 'Mr. Justice Ismail said on material available, it was impossible to conclude that the beating in the jail had anything to do with the ultimate ailment and cause of Mr. Chittibabu's death. There was no evidence that he had been singled out and hunted. Medical opinion had said he died of a massive heart attack,' according to The Hindu Archives. Still, on May 7, 1977, the Commission recorded the testimony of Rajmohan, one of two convicts serving life terms in Tiruchi jail. Rajmohan testified that both he and co-convict Vedayyan had written to DMK president M. Karunanidhi, claiming that the Chief Warder, Surulirajan, had admitted to them that Chittibabu was beaten and died as a result. They also claimed to have sent a letter to the Commission of Enquiry — though it never reached the authorities. That letter, notably, did not name Surulirajan. Jail doctor L.K. Rangachari told the Commission that Chittibabu had been admitted and discharged from the prison hospital twice. On several occasions, he was referred to the Government Hospital. In one report, Dr. Rangachari noted that Chittibabu had a history of diabetes, myocardial infarction, piles, umbilical hernia, and anal and urethral strictures. He added that 'the protrusion of the umbilicus could have been caused by pressure on the abdominal portion of the body by beating or kicking.' Chittibabu had also complained of anal and urethral pain. 'It might have been possible that they were caused by pressure on the abdomen by beating or kicking,' the doctor said. Two years ago, Mr. Stalin inaugurated a 500-m bridge in his Kolathur constituency, naming it the 'Mayor Chittibabu Bridge' — a gesture he said was made 'with gratitude.'
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
The death of Chittibabu, who formed a ‘human shield' to protect Stalin in jail
The Emergency left behind many indelible memories — stories of resistance and brutal repression across India. Each State had its victims who would not live to tell their tales. If it was the young student Rajan in Kerala and actor Snehalatha Reddy in Karnataka, then in Tamil Nadu, it was C. Chittibabu — former Mayor of Chennai and DMK MP from Chengalpattu — who paid the ultimate price. He died on January 4, 1977, at the age of 41. Chittibabu was imprisoned in the Madras Central Prison, a notorious site of brutality during the Emergency. It was there that he received a brutal lathi assault after shielding a young M.K. Stalin from attack inside a prison cell. He never recovered. 'I was beaten mercilessly, and former Mayor Chittibabu, who formed a shield to protect me, later succumbed to the injuries,' Mr. Stalin recalled a decade ago. Chittibabu's death remains one of the most chilling episodes of the Emergency in Tamil Nadu. His wife, Rajalakshmi, filed an affidavit before the Justice M.M. Ismail Commission seeking justice. Her counsel, T.P. Radhakrishnan, even sought the suspension of the Inspector General of Prisons and the Jail Superintendent pending inquiry. Justice M.M. Ismail, however, stated he lacked the authority to suspend them, but he could forward the representation to the government. Convincing the Commission of the cause of death was no easy task. Advocate N. Shanmugam, who also represented Rajalakshmi, relied heavily on Chittibabu's prison diary — 'every word of which rang true,' reported The Hindu in August 1977. 'The diary of Mr. Chittibabu was unassailable evidence. Unlike other convicts, the MISA detenus never knew when they would be released or what offence they were being held for. They had no legal recourse and depended solely on government mercy. The events noted by Mr. Chittibabu were not exaggerated. All the detenus were beaten. The medicines administered to them bore evidence of this. None of these incidents occurred in other prisons in Tamil Nadu,' he told the Commission. Yet, the Commission remained unconvinced. It demanded concrete evidence linking the beating to Chittibabu's death. 'Mr. Justice Ismail said on material available, it was impossible to conclude that the beating in the jail had anything to do with the ultimate ailment and cause of Mr. Chittibabu's death. There was no evidence that he had been singled out and hunted. Medical opinion had said he died of a massive heart attack,' according to The Hindu Archives. Still, on May 7, 1977, the Commission recorded the testimony of Rajmohan, one of two convicts serving life terms in Tiruchi jail. Rajmohan testified that both he and co-convict Vedayyan had written to DMK president M. Karunanidhi, claiming that the Chief Warder, Surulirajan, had admitted to them that Chittibabu was beaten and died as a result. They also claimed to have sent a letter to the Commission of Enquiry — though it never reached the authorities. That letter, notably, did not name Surulirajan. Jail doctor L.K. Rangachari told the Commission that Chittibabu had been admitted and discharged from the prison hospital twice. On several occasions, he was referred to the Government Hospital. In one report, Dr. Rangachari noted that Chittibabu had a history of diabetes, myocardial infarction, piles, umbilical hernia, and anal and urethral strictures. He added that 'the protrusion of the umbilicus could have been caused by pressure on the abdominal portion of the body by beating or kicking.' Chittibabu had also complained of anal and urethral pain. 'It might have been possible that they were caused by pressure on the abdomen by beating or kicking,' the doctor said. Two years ago, Mr. Stalin inaugurated a 500-m bridge in his Kolathur constituency, naming it the 'Mayor Chittibabu Bridge' — a gesture he said was made 'with gratitude.'
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
TiHAN-IITH moots industry consortium for autonomous navigation, offers tech and test infra
Mumbai/New Delhi: As India embarks on a mission to lead in autonomous mobility by 2047, the NMICPS Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation (TiHAN) at IIT Hyderabad is leading the charge with a woman engineer at the helm--Dr. P Rajalakshmi, who is the Project Director at the Dept. of Electrical Engineering, IIT Hyderabad. TiHAN-IITH is working to strengthen industry collaboration, while also positioning itself as the country's first dedicated autonomous vehicle testbed . Born in 2022 and funded by the Government of India through the Department of Science Technology, the initiative aims to provide access to advanced infrastructure, data, and collaborative opportunities for validating autonomous technologies in Indian driving conditions. 'We have developed a complete in-house autonomous driving stack. This proprietary system entirely designed, tested, and validated by the institute, includes multi-sensor fusion, perception algorithms, path planning, and control systems, representing a fully integrated end-to-end solution,' Dr Rajalakshmi told ETAuto. This stack, which is TiHAN's intellectual property, has been field-tested through an autonomous campus shuttle, which is equipped with core autonomous features including Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). It can detect obstacles, maintain safe following distances, and respond dynamically to its environment. ETAuto has learned that a proposal has been submitted to TiHAN's advisory board to introduce a negotiable membership model for OEMs, suppliers and industry partners, with an indicative fee of around ₹1 crore for a three-year term. This membership would grant access to the autonomous testbeds, data sets, and research collaborations. Capability and strength The autonomous shuttle currently deployed at IIT Hyderabad has reached Technology Readiness Level 9 (TRL-9), indicating it has been successfully tested, validated, and deployed in a real-world environment. Operating daily on campus, the shuttle carries 45–50 passengers without a driver. This places the technology just one step away from TRL-10, the stage at which solutions are industrialised and ready for mass production. While the current deployment focuses on low-speed autonomous shuttles, TiHAN's technology stack is adaptable to higher-speed vehicles as well. The institute emphasises that sensor fusion, perception, path planning, and control algorithms are all tailored based on vehicle type and intended speed. Dr Rajalakshmi asserted that the team has the technical competence to develop end-to-end autonomous vehicle solutions, adaptable across various use cases and driving conditions. At CES 2025 in Las Vegas, USA, the team showcased its innovations and also signed an MoU with Tier-1 supplier Sona Comstar. Autonomous technology in India Expressing confidence in autonomous technology becoming mainstream in India, Dr. Rajalakshmi emphasised its relevance in areas where road safety is a critical concern. 'Human error remains the leading cause of road accidents. Even achieving Level 2 autonomy, with advanced driver assistance, can make a significant impact on safety,' she noted. However, she sees Level 4 and 5 autonomous technologies (where no driver intervention is required) as more viable for off-road use cases such as agriculture, mining, and port operations, rather than public roadways. She added that fully autonomous vehicles must also be connected and capable of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication. Once this integrated ecosystem matures, India has the potential to emerge as a global leader in next-generation mobility solutions. Future of mobility Beyond ground mobility, TiHAN is actively developing heavy-payload autonomous drones and electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs) with a focus on real-world use cases such as air ambulances, emergency evacuations, and cargo transport in remote or high-altitude terrains. 'These drones are designed to carry not just individuals, but also substantial cargo loads, making them suitable for sectors like fisheries, disaster response, and military logistics, particularly in areas where traditional road transport faces limitations,' she said. The two working prototypes include a 60 kg payload autonomous drone, capable of transporting a nominal passenger, which has undergone over a year of successful testing at 100–150 meters above ground level. Another is a cargo drone with a 150 kg payload capacity, currently undergoing autonomous trials within the 600-acre IIT Hyderabad campus, covering flight distances of 3 to 3.5 km. With innovation at its core and a clear goal in sight, TiHAN's initiative, guided by a woman, seeks to accelerate India's efforts into the future of autonomous mobility.
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Women in Engineering Day Special: TiHAN-IITH eyes industry-led vehicle test bed consortium
Mumbai/New Delhi: As India embarks on a mission to lead in autonomous mobility by 2047, the NMICPS Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation (TiHAN) at IIT Hyderabad is leading the charge with a woman engineer at the helm--Dr. P Rajalakshmi, who is the Project Director at the Dept. of Electrical Engineering, IIT Hyderabad. TiHAN-IITH is working to strengthen industry collaboration, while also positioning itself as the country's first dedicated autonomous vehicle testbed . Born in 2022 and funded by the Government of India through the Department of Science Technology, the initiative aims to provide access to advanced infrastructure, data, and collaborative opportunities for validating autonomous technologies in Indian driving conditions. 'We have developed a complete in-house autonomous driving stack. This proprietary system entirely designed, tested, and validated by the institute, includes multi-sensor fusion, perception algorithms, path planning, and control systems, representing a fully integrated end-to-end solution,' Dr Rajalakshmi told ETAuto. This stack, which is TiHAN's intellectual property, has been field-tested through an autonomous campus shuttle, which is equipped with core autonomous features including Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). It can detect obstacles, maintain safe following distances, and respond dynamically to its environment. ETAuto has learned that a proposal has been submitted to TiHAN's advisory board to introduce a negotiable membership model for OEMs, suppliers and industry partners, with an indicative fee of around ₹1 crore for a three-year term. This membership would grant access to the autonomous testbeds, data sets, and research collaborations. Capability and strength The autonomous shuttle currently deployed at IIT Hyderabad has reached Technology Readiness Level 9 (TRL-9), indicating it has been successfully tested, validated, and deployed in a real-world environment. Operating daily on campus, the shuttle carries 45–50 passengers without a driver. This places the technology just one step away from TRL-10, the stage at which solutions are industrialised and ready for mass production. While the current deployment focuses on low-speed autonomous shuttles, TiHAN's technology stack is adaptable to higher-speed vehicles as well. The institute emphasises that sensor fusion, perception, path planning, and control algorithms are all tailored based on vehicle type and intended speed. Dr Rajalakshmi asserted that the team has the technical competence to develop end-to-end autonomous vehicle solutions, adaptable across various use cases and driving conditions. At CES 2025 in Las Vegas, USA, the team showcased its innovations and also signed an MoU with Tier-1 supplier Sona Comstar. Autonomous technology in India Expressing confidence in autonomous technology becoming mainstream in India, Dr. Rajalakshmi emphasised its relevance in areas where road safety is a critical concern. 'Human error remains the leading cause of road accidents. Even achieving Level 2 autonomy, with advanced driver assistance, can make a significant impact on safety,' she noted. However, she sees Level 4 and 5 autonomous technologies (where no driver intervention is required) as more viable for off-road use cases such as agriculture, mining, and port operations, rather than public roadways. She added that fully autonomous vehicles must also be connected and capable of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication. Once this integrated ecosystem matures, India has the potential to emerge as a global leader in next-generation mobility solutions. Future of mobility Beyond ground mobility, TiHAN is actively developing heavy-payload autonomous drones and electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs) with a focus on real-world use cases such as air ambulances, emergency evacuations, and cargo transport in remote or high-altitude terrains. 'These drones are designed to carry not just individuals, but also substantial cargo loads, making them suitable for sectors like fisheries, disaster response, and military logistics, particularly in areas where traditional road transport faces limitations,' she said. The two working prototypes include a 60 kg payload autonomous drone, capable of transporting a nominal passenger, which has undergone over a year of successful testing at 100–150 meters above ground level. Another is a cargo drone with a 150 kg payload capacity, currently undergoing autonomous trials within the 600-acre IIT Hyderabad campus, covering flight distances of 3 to 3.5 km. With innovation at its core and a clear goal in sight, TiHAN's initiative, guided by a woman, seeks to accelerate India's efforts into the future of autonomous mobility.
