MM XXVIII No. 11

Registered with the Reg. No. TN/CH(C)/374/18-20 Registrar of Newspapers Licenced to post without prepayment for India under R.N.I. 53640/91 Licence No. TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-506/18-20 Publication: 1st & 16th of every month Rs. 5 per copy (Annual Subscription: Rs. 100/-) INSIDE G Short ‘N’ Snappy G Pothan Joseph remembered G Nolamba sculptures G Apothecaries & Dressers G Madras Week footnote WE CARE FOR MADRAS THAT IS CHENNAI Vol. XXVIII No. 11 September 16-30, 2018 Way behind in conserving our heritage Memorials seem to be our priority G by The Editor rom being a much vaunted to the National Gallery of Mod- Fcity of firsts, Chennai ern Art. As a city that boasts of certainly appears to lag right a thriving art culture, Kolkata behind everyone else when it could not ask for more. comes to heritage conservation. Metro stations in Chennai have generously offered space for performances, games etc. making them lively destinations. Now it is art which is finding a place on their walls. (Photo: R. Raja Pandiyan) The latest metro to steal a (Continued on page 2) march over it is Kolkata, which is close to completing the restoration of two magnificent structures, both built in the colonial era. What is more, there are Hurdles to deep sea fishing must creative programmes in place for both the buildings, so that they are kept in continuous use. be recognised, removed You just need to compare this with what is happening here in Chennai. Our city has sadly lost (Continued from to the Palk Bay must be weaned immediately which can be Fisheriesquality of Department life? as the it on matters concerning last fortnight) away speedily. Cochin shipyard transferred to each enrolling umpireWhen tothe resolve area was disputes, expanded if is likely to get 56 vessels ready fisherman as and when he com- any, arising among partners. In heritage. eriodic large offers of catch to 1,189 sq.km, Government rea- by October. Generally, the pletes the financial arrange- this manner, it is potentially The Currency Building in would depress the market soned that a large area was P delivery period for vessels is said ment. This would save a lot of feasible to cover all the 2,000 Kolkata, constructed in 1833, and middlemen are bound to needed to find the best possible to be about nine months. If sev- time and shorten project fishermen at four partners per was a near ruin for years. Its exploit the weak holding capac- location for employment, afford- eral units are ordered at a time completion. vessel by procuring 500 vessels dome had collapsed and there ity of the fisherfolk. There able housing and relocation of with a supplier, he can The capital cost being still within two years. was even a move to demolish it. should be a government procur- slums and developing connecti- standardise the parts and the too high for the intended Deep sea fishing spread over Metcalfe Hall, built in the 1840s, ing mechanism with appropri- vity. This was primarily to be process to shorten the delivery beneficiaries, even after netting several days is susceptible to was in relatively better shape ate storage facilities that can achieved by creating satellite period. Each fisherman, under it for the subsidy, partnerships risks arising out of vagaries of but it too faced an uncertain offer a minimum support price towns and peripheral ring roads. the present procedure, should should be encouraged. Some weather. In the event of loss of future. Matters came to a head with freedom to the sellers to Of five proposed towns, only life or serious disability of the when work began on pulling avail of better deals outside. two – Manali and Maraimalai beneficiary, the successors down the Currency Building. Assurance of a market at the Nagar – were accomplished. This G would become liable to the out- The city’s Corporation brought end of the voyage at a reason- by A Special Correspondent has not been adequate to arrest standing dues. The lending in INTACH and a plan was able price is needed for a mini- the rising overcrowding in institution must cover itself by worked out for restoration. The mum period of three years till Chennai city. The object of insuring against such a risk so maintenance and restoration the new mini-entrepreneurs complete the financial obliga- fishermen say that the cost of making housing in suburbs an that the outstanding due gets was handed over to the overcome their initial fears and tions and directly order with nets is 20 lakhs and is not pro- attractive option has not been self-resolved on occurrence of Archaeological Survey of India attain proficiency in their any of the empanelled builders vided for in the capital cost of realised. Reports from residents the risk, saving the successor (ASI), which embarked on a operations. of his choice. There are cur- the vessel. This makes the case in outlying areas indicate that from an unbearable financial painstaking conservation exer- The Project is meant to stop rently 17 empanelled suppliers for partnership even stronger. It local roads have not been put in burden compounding the trag- cise. It is interesting to note that disputes of fishing rights and and this number should be is understood that rules allow a place nor has the supply of edy. Another problem relating the Superintendent of the ASI remove a major irritant in inter- doubled. Suppliers like Cochin maximum of six to combine. serviced land for middle and to insurance is that boat owners at Kolkata was once in service national relations as soon as Shipyard, that have the capac- The number of partners should tend to neglect the insurance of here. possible. It must produce the ity to take on orders for a large be limited so that the share of the vessel and its operators, The work is almost com- desired outcome within a number at a time, must be given each is attractive compared to landing themselves in serious plete. The Currency Building couple of years. Speed is the priority. The Government must their previous trawler earnings. trouble when the risk occurs. will now sport a glass roof and name and soul of the strategy. place anticipatory bulk orders The sharing format should be an entire wing will be made over The 2,000 or so fishermen going for, say, a hundred vessels, on standardised terms, with the (Continued on page 2) CMYK 2 MADRAS MUSINGS September 16-30, 2018 WHY DO WE LAG BEHIND? WhatsApp wonders (Continued from page 1) Senate House be perpetually he Man from Madras Tuesday and have yet another hears from insiders that the locked up after a magnificent T Musings rarely writes deity appended. MMM suf- principal argument put for- Metcalfe Hall, a magnificent restoration? Why is the reading about social media, chiefly be- fered this for a fortnight and ward in support of this wholly pillared edifice, is also undergo- room of the Connemara Public cause the Chief does not quite then mustered the courage to unnecessary renaming was like these things. Neither does send a politely-worded message that if Bombay (sorry ing restoration. It had suffered Library opened only once a year? These are all instances of MMM, but then unlike the to musician asking if the Mumbai) could rename Vic- from indifferent maintenance Chief he cannot afford to stay nuisance could cease. The re- toria Terminus after Chatra- for years, dumped with several good restoration work that has away from them either. There ply was prompt – the musician, pati Shivaji, then why not books and records. Post restora- gone to waste owing to lack of were many occasions when he said the musician, was most Chennai do the same with tion, it will be home to an exhi- creative use of these spaces. was sorely tempted to write sorry. He said he appreciated Central. To this, MMM has bition titled ‘From Calcutta to On the other hand we have about the menace that lurks in MMM’s problem and would only one counter – Central Kolkata’. This will trace the his- plenty more examples where these so-called aids to social make amends. It was just that was not the name of any tory of the city, from its colonial magnificent structures are connectivity, but he held back he needed two days. Why, colonial King Emperor or beginnings to the present day. languishing with no attempt at the typing hand and bade it to asked MMM. The answer was Queen Empress. It merely be still chiefly because he did rather sheepish – the musician, indicated a location. On the other hand, what do restoration – VP Hall, Bharath Insurance Building, Gokhale not know what the Chief said the musician, knew how to Why this rush to name the we have here? There is no func- would say. But then, out of the add phone numbers to this list, station after Matinee Idol who tioning municipal body and Hall, the old Mint, the Govern- blue, in the last issue, what but did not know how to left us all in deep sorrow over even when it was, it paid no ment Stationery Depot… these should MMM see but an remove them. three decades ago? Appar- attention to heritage. The are just a few. And within Fort article on Alexa, the virtual There followed two days of ently, the fear among those in CMDA has been forever dith- St. George we have many that assistant! What ho, said MMM agony wherein MMM received power (yes we all know the old ering on a so-called listing of are nameless but could easily be to himself, the Chief is leap- more blessings and pictures of adage – uneasy lies the head heritage buildings.

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