Compiled by C.ARUNO, JUSTIN ZACK and R. ARAVINTHAN
PARENTS have been urged to monitor their school-going children to ensure they are not abusing the leeway given to religious clothing or accessories, Makkal Osai reported.
Malaysia Hindu Sangam president T. Ganesan said there have been cases of Hindu students reportedly wearing multi-colored ash on their foreheads claiming it to be ‘vibhuti’ or sacred ash.
The Sangam has received reports of such acts, which do not conform with Hindu practice which is to wear natural uncolored ash, he said.
Some students have been spotted wearing ‘rakshadhara’ or Hindu sacred threads around their ankles, and ‘rudraksha’ beads tightly against their throat which are also unacceptable.
> A man in Tamil Nadu took his wife and children hostage and demanded to meet the Naam Tamilar Katchi leader Seeman, the daily also reported.
Ilangamani, 47, who is a used metal reseller had apparently been suffering from stress for the past few days.
On Monday, he locked himself in his house with his wife and two sons and threatened to blow everyone up using a gas cylinder unless Seeman met him.
The wife apparently managed to contact her relatives and asked them to get help.
Police managed to rescue the hostages but Ilangamani managed to pick up a knife and cut himself across his chest. He suffered superficial cuts and was sent to the hospital for treatment.
The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a, it denotes a separate news item.
