Registered with the Reg. No. TN/CH(C)/374/15-17 Registrar of Newspapers Licenced to post without prepayment for India under R.N.I. 53640/91 Licence No. TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-506/15-17 Publication: 15th & 28th of every month Rs. 5 per copy (Annual Subscription: Rs. 100/-) WE CARE FOR MADRAS THAT IS INSIDE • Short ‘N’ Snappy • Cleaning lakes, his passion • Satyamurti’s Sundara • PoochiVenkat’s ‘stars’ • Bharati’s poetic treasury

Vol. XXVII No. 11 MUSINGS September 16-30, 2017 NEET A wake-up call for the State (By The Editor)

he vexed issue of the Na- Do the political parties have Ttional Eligibility cum En- any chance of ensuring that our trance Test (NEET) for admis- State will get favoured treat- sion to undergraduate medical ment? This is highly unlikely. and dental degree courses just The only way out is for the Gov- refuses to go away, as we write. ernment to ensure that its Edu- At the heart of the issue is the cation Department gets crack- state of ’s unprepar- ing on setting up counselling edness to cope with such a blan- and coaching centres where ket examination set for the en- students can get familiar with tire country. The political par- the NEET process and its meth- ties of Tamil Nadu are protest- ods of examination. Time and ing and the State Government money would be spent usefully has seen its attempts at ap- if this was done. proaching the Courts on the It is also high time the State matter sternly rebuffed. The woke up to the reality that its Centre, with its present attitude education standards are way of fishing in the troubled waters below par. We had earlier com- of the State, has been playing a mented on NEET in our May double game, now seemingly supporting the State and then (Continued on page 2) backing off when action is Making ‘stars’ of poochies is PoochiVenkat. Here she’s a Ladybird Beetle. (See page 5.) needed. In all this chaos, a student’s life has been lost. And that was an avoidable tragedy. The final year of school is a Riding the Metro, finding it costly stressful period for most chil- dren, what with the pressure to n Chennai, the Metro project tual so that people can plan validity and at 20 per cent dis- The ride itself was smooth perform being intense. The Iis in progress. The city’s land- their movement to be able to count for 60 trips. This covers a and comfortable, but noise level marks of the public exam are in- scape is changing. The first of arrive just in time to catch the month’s need to go to work and of the wheels was rather high terpreted to be life-changing the proposed four corridors of train. get back. Parking areas are making even light, short con- and at that vulnerable age stu- 16 km from Alandur to Central Before the check-in barri- available for cars and motor versation difficult; but this is dents tend to take extreme Station having been completed cade is the automatic touch- cycles. The charges are Rs. 10 not a major flaw and as such steps in the light of a failure. and made operational, there is screen ticketing machine to buy and Rs. 5 per three hours re- does not diminish the value of This is well known to the State expectation of tangible and tickets for casual travel from spectively. For a working day, it the service otherwise provided. Government, which for a few visible beneficial effects from The route signs were in Tamil years has been taking steps to the First Phase itself, as it is a and English, but types were not counsel students. In such a sce- forerunner of the full project. G by A Special Correspondent large enough to be read from nario, how is it that the girl who The stations are beautifully the seats without having to had impleaded herself in the laid out with clear directions. strain the eyes. The stations case that the State Government The service was available every any point to any other point on amounts to Rs. 30 and Rs. 15 were marked on the route map had filed against NEET was not 20 minutes at 11.15 am on a the line. Soon, we are told, it respectively – working out to by tiny bulbs each switching off paid special attention? Surely Monday. The frequency is 10 would be possible to buy the Rs. 780 and Rs. 390 per 26- when that station was reached. this was a high profile piece of minutes during the rush hour charge card from the machine working day month. No pam- That is quite imaginative. This litigation and merited some from 8.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. and periodically re-charge it phlets containing details of fare electrified sign was not func- close watching? The death has and between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. also by the machine. Till then, charts and time schedule were tioning on some of the boards now become a political tool, and it was 20 minutes during it can be bought in the booth available, as advertised. It was but, again, it did not matter as with every party freely using the non-peak hours, although the situated at the entrance barri- reported that Chennai Metro there were announcements in girl’s photograph and claiming latter is advertised as 15 min- cade. The booth staff are help- Rail Limited (CMRL) had Tamil and English just before that it will see that justice is utes. Frequency of 15 or 20 ful and proactive. Smart card brought out maps to help reaching each station. done. This open attempt at minutes during non-peak peri- for travel to and from work- passengers identify routes From Alandur to Koyam- seeking publicity from a gross ods is not material so long as point, as nominated by the cus- faster. They were not available bedu it took only 13 minutes, tragedy is lamentable. they are predictable and punc- tomer, is sold with six-month at the Alandur station. (Continued on page 2) CMYK 2 MADRAS MUSINGS September 16-30, 2017 NEET Moving statues of Chennai hennai that was Madras is among actors, after one of his MMM chose to shut his eyes, – a wake-up call Ca very dynamic city. The hit songs, when he was bundled it being one of those warm af- local male population (and in unceremoniously on to a truck ternoons when a siesta man- (Continued from page 1) gan to opt for colleges outside this the Man from Madras and carted off to distant Adyar. ages to insidiously creep up. Musings does not include him- MMM, not that his opinion He awoke with a start on hear- the State and gave the go-by to self) may have a partiality to be matters in anyway, is quite ing applause and realised that 16th issue and expressed our the mushrooming private col- supine especially after imbib- happy that this has happened. the lugubrious introduction view that the fault for this leges here, all ostensibly gov- ing the libations of the local The statue was hardly a tribute was done. Assuming that it present impasse lies solely with erned by Anna University. The TASMAC outlet, but the stat- to the old man. Its gold paint was his turn to speak MMM successive State Governments result is that most of these insti- ues are forever on the prowl. was tacky and, as for the pos- got up and made for the lec- that have consistently aimed at tutions are facing empty seats Take for instance Cornwallis – ture, it was quite ridiculous, tern only to see another of the what a story his statue could making the actor look like the elders was hotfooting it to the lowering educational standards. and several have applied for clo- sure. The medical colleges are relate if only it could speak. average Madras resident, out same spot. He, the elder, dis- This made them popular, for it From Fort to First Line Beach enjoying the evening breeze. It playing an alacrity that none ensured that most students got now threatened by NEET and the consequence is likely to be to Connemara Public Library could be a statue to any uncle. would have suspected him of, extraordinarily high marks. The to Fort is quite a journey. Simi- And, moreover, it was a dis- managed to beat MMM to the entrance tests to medical and similar. larly, Lords Willingdon, Ripon traction at an important traffic lectern by a short head and engineering colleges also being At a time when the world is and Ampthill have all moved, junction. Kudos to whoever re- then having grabbed the mike under the control of the State linked and standards are no as have Kings Edward VII and moved it – the Corporation or in a manner that could have meant the system there was an longer national, forget local, it George V. Here today, gone the PWD. You guys rarely taught a thing or two to bar- extension of what was happen- is laughable that Tamil Nadu tomorrow is the motto by work, but when you do you nacles said that it was now his ing at school level. Everyone thinks it can continue to fix its which they have all stood make sure you leave your im- duty to say a few words about around. Even old Neil, not the press. MMM. was happy – the parents, the own levels of competence. Is most popular among the locals, Not so happy are various The few words extended children, the politicians, the this the State that once showed went walkabout and finally political outfits that threaten to into many, all delivered in a teachers and the bureaucrats. It the world that when it came to rests, like the men of Madras raise a ruckus demanding soothing monotone that had was one big happy closed world scholarship, leave alone (not including MMM of return of the statue. No matter the audience dozing gently. where no external benchmarks manufacturing and IT, it was course), horizontally. that it now stands under a roof, Halfway through the few existed. second to none globally? Sadly The statues of Indians have in a secluded garden and so is words, the speaker turned Unfortunately for everyone, that would appear to be the case not been exceptions to the probably better off than where round, beamed at MMM and Tamil Nadu is part of a larger when it comes to education. It rule. Swami Sivananda played it was, inhaling the fumes from said that it was his pleasant country. The engineering disci- is high time the State woke up hide-and-seek at the Univer- millions of vehicles and being a task to touch on yet another to raising its educational stan- sity, now vanishing, now ap- toilet for the birds of the area. aspect of MMM’s multi-fac- pline was impacted first when pearing, rather befitting his The shift was a blow to Tamil eted achievements. He then slowly but steadily parents be- dards. mystic status and it is only in pride, argue the politicos, proceeded to describe the ca- recent years that he has cho- rather like the ban on bull- reer of a First class cricketer- Riding a costly SHORT ’N’ SNAPPY sen to remain, relatively un- sports. One of them, who turned author and editor, moved so to speak. Nehru specialises in posters of him- whom MMM counts among Metro moved too at Kathipara, wan- self, all showing him with arms his closest friends. It was quite dering in a confused fashion crossed and a grim expression, clear that somewhere in the under the four-leaf clover immediately put out posters cloudy confines of the (Continued from page 1) of the Metro but the lower flyover before coming to roost featuring the statue, and him- speaker’s mind, MMM and his including intermediate stops. income groups having to cope in a corner. Periyar grew taller, self by its side, arms crossed friend the cricketer had coa- The same journey could take with a tight monthly budget and or at least his pedestal did, un- and face in a grim expression. lesced into one. It was in vain nearly an hour by bus, accord- high housing rentals do not care til he could get a good view of He, the poster said, would not that MMM tried to catch the traffic as it rolled on top of rest till the statue was back on speaker’s eye to tell him that ing to regular bus-users, and for the frills. Gemini Flyover. That was pre- the beach. The man clearly has he was making a mistake. Af- that does not include the wait- There are, broadly, three sumably to enable him to duck a busy life ahead. ter a while MMM gave up. ing time. This is an important types of transport that account in time whenever a bus went The audience was fast asleep feature that should make for for the bulk of the movement of out of control on top of the More Madras Week and the few that were awake Metro’s eventual future popu- people outside their localities – grade separator, which so were busily looking into their larity. There was a separate motor cycle, bus and motor car, MMM understands, is Corpo- he Man from Madras mobile phones. MMM cannot compartment for higher class without counting suburban ration-speak for flyover. T Musings, rather like the deny that he was flattered, and and one exclusively for ladies. trains and autos. Autos cater to Kannagi was another mover politician in the story above, mightily amused, for in his life has had a busy August going Both were practically empty at movements over short localised and shaker. She vanished he has never grasped a overnight, no doubt tired of hither and thither, being the bat nor ever bowled a ball. about 11.15 a.m. on a week day distances. Motor cycles consti- standing with one arm raised, life and soul of countless Ma- and quite a few ladies were tute the bulk of the transport aiming her anklet at Tripli- dras Week events. He has Tailpiece found travelling in the general modes on Chennai roads. The cane. A doppelganger surfaced therefore become weakened by compartment. Special compart- number of vehicles is growing on Mount Road where it still Madras. During his well- he Man from Madras ment for a higher class seems rapidly in Chennai and of this stands. In the meantime, the earned repose he has taken to T Musings was quite in- unnecessary as it is running the fastest growing is the two- original Kannagi came back, reminiscing about some of the trigued to see this signboard practically empty and the wheeler segment. It is symptom- now on a new pedestal that events of ye olde monthe. And with no fire extinguisher in chances of attracting car-using atic of the motor cycle commut- bears the legend ‘Perfection of one of them brings much mirth sight. He then came to realise commuters to the Metro does ers declaring their indepen- Chastity’. In the interim she each time he thinks about it. that in the event of a fire, this This was one of those where board was to be used to beat it not appear to be high for quite dence from inadequate public rested horizontally in the Museum’s vault, maintaining the elderly met the very young, out. some time. services. The Metro should fo- a safe distance from Neil. the latter thankfully being in Chennai’s much-delayed cus on the large motor cycle Anyway, given that so much larger numbers. The old project has set its fares much segment as its potential market many of these statues have guard was, however, quite jeal- beyond the reach of the if any impact is to be made on moved, it is no surprise that ous of its prerogatives and one segment of commuters who congestion and pollution levels. old Sivaji Ganesan too had to that it clung on to was the in- constitute the most potential of If Metro fares, parking charge make a journey. There came a troduction of MMM to the au- Metro users. With a fare of Rs. and last mile connectivity cost, dark moonless night when the dience. And so it was that 30 for 8 km between Alandur together, are significantly more Corporation or the PWD sent MMM found himself on stage amidst a considerable geriatric and Koyambedu, Chennai than the present monthly cost men over to have the great thespian shifted. In the witch- presence. One of these rose to Metro Rail is costly. On the for going to work by motor ing hours of midnight, they introduce MMM and pro- suburban route in Chennai, a cycle, the Metro may remain a worked with crowbars and ceeded to read out from a pa- ticket between Chennai Beach week-end novelty for pleasure chisels no doubt, uprooting per in such sepulchral tones and Guindy costs just Rs. 5. On rides. A substantial fare reduc- the great local Garrick and that MMM began to have the the MRTS, between Velachery tion seems necessary to reach taking him away. “Is this gait? feeling that he was present on and Chennai Beach for 19 km 60-70% capacity utilisation and Is this the gait? Is it not a play stage in a framed photograph the fare is Rs. 10. Of course, the its feasibility is an issue for fur- being staged?” no doubt with incense wafting all over comfort and speed of the older ther study. (A cost study will hummed the great aigrette him. Halfway through the intro – MMM services are not as good as those appear next fortnight). September 16-30, 2017 MADRAS MUSINGS 3 Cleaning lakes – his passion

organisation adopts a beach, being cleaned up and renewed lake or any water body on a vol- by about 70,000 volunteers. untary basis. The water body or Cleaning cannot go on end- beach with its periphery are lessly; the objective is to make cleaned, strengthened and re- cleaning unnecessary. Consid- stored to its original capacity ering that it is a difficult, long and beauty. The cleaning pro- process needing persistent ef- Arun Krishnamurthy. cess involves massive removal fort, it takes about ten years to nvironmental conservation restore the water body and G Ehas been a much-discussed by make it sustain itself with mini- subject of vast scope and has N.S. Parthasarathy mal maintenance and cleaning. naturally meant many things to Such a self-sustaining state is many people. To Arun of physical garbage followed by the aim and that mark has been Krishnamurthy, it is cleaning scientific lab testing of the wa- attained in 26 out of the 83 sites lakes. He has not only chosen ter samples repeatedly to check in the country over the last ten this specific aspect of environ- contaminant and pollutant lev- years, says Arun. In these sites The sculpture of Bharat Matha in the Kapali Temple. mental conservation, but has engaged in direct action on this aspect over the last ten years Bharat Matha in with dedication and tenacity. Krishnamurthy, in his early thirties, graduated in microbiol- Kapali Temple ogy, but had dreamed from his boyhood of saving lakes and (by Nivedita Louis) ponds in his neighbourhood in the outskirts of Chennai where ave you taken a close look we came across this wonderful he was brought up. In his time, Hat some of the sculptures sculpture. It is an exact replica boys of his age entertained more at the Kapali Temple? of a wall poster printed by exciting aspirations and inter- Here is one that may surprise Nagpur City Press – the Bharat ests, but Arun was obsessed you, a beautiful sculpture of Matha with a crown on her with the state of unclean lakes Bharat matha. flowing hair, clad in a saree, and ponds in his neighbour- It is seen in the dhwajarohana resting her left hand on a hood. He started – over-ambi- mandapam of this temple. seated, decorated elephant, her Volunteers at work with Arun. tiously as it may have seemed On a Mylapore temple walk right hand holding a trishul, tied then – the Environmentalist els. The lake bed is de-silted and the water is fresh with no pollu- with Venkatesh Ramakrishnan, to which is the tricolour flag. Foundation of India (EFI), an the silt is deposited on the tion, with aquatic life restored. The mandapam was a later NGO, in 2007 to mobilise sup- bunds followed by a major In each of the selected sites addition to the temple, built in port for conserving environ- bund-strengthening prog- there is action by the commu- 1939, by Kaatupalli Paiyur K.N. ment. ramme. The levelled bund is nity participants every eight Shanmuga Mudaliar. EFI’s web-site refers to sev- planted with native species of weeks which entails a supervi- eral programmes, each of which saplings which offer extra sup- sory visit from EFI. Progress is That was when India’s free- is as important as the other. The port to the bund. A small wet- quantified and fed into the cen- dom struggle was at its peak and holistic village development land is created at one corner of tral data base. Each community the world was at the threshold programme which involves the lake to filter out the incom- is encouraged to work closely or probably had entered World large scale sensitisation and en- ing waste. The wetlands act as with local sub-district or War II. The sculptor who did vironment volunteering efforts substrate filters; plants like wa- panchayat officials. Volunteers the work proved his love for the is Green Gramam. Through this ter hyacinth are grown in this bring their ideas, efforts and motherland, undetected under project EFI adopts villages and part alone to ensure filtration. commitment and no one is the watchful eyes of the British, converts them into eco hubs. I met Arun Krishnamurthy forced or “supervised”. The with this sculpture. (Courtesy: Green Gramam is executed in his office in Besant Nagar. It community decides what to do Mylapore Times) through volunteers from the vil- is a modest space with a dedi- and guidance and tool kits are lage. cated team of young qualified supplied free of cost to them by Cities generate enormous professionals who seemed fired EFI. Thus, ownership and com- quantities of waste every day, by the importance of their mis- mitment to the cause is created. and with no appropriate waste sion. EFI does not get foreign Arun says that it is important to CHENNAI HERITAGE management system in place, funds but operates with domes- understand the local social and No. 5, Bhattad Tower, 30, Westcott Road, Royapettah, Chennai 600 014 our landfills are mounting in tic institutional philanthropy. A cultural dynamics of each place size. Through their waste man- lean organisation with a vast and work within it to get results. army of ground level volunteers Each site is different and has its I am already on your mailing list (Mailing List agement programme, EFI aims No...... ) / I have just seen Madras Musings and at sensitising people to segre- at hundreds of select sites all own characteristics, he says. would like to receive it hereafter. gate their waste. Post-segrega- over India ensures a low cost of EFI is extending into distant tion, the waste is recycled and delivery of services. And there areas like Sri Lanka and seems G I/We enclose cheque/demand draft/money order for not sent to the landfill. can be no greater assurance to to be going for a larger geo- Rs. 100 (Rupees One hundred) payable to CHENNAI HERITAGE, MADRAS, as subscription to Waste generated at home is donors than what EFI has done. graphical spread. I sought clari- Madras Musings for the year 2017-18. a big challenge. EFI teaches By dint of the results seen on fication on the advantage of households how to convert this the ground and by the low cost spreading their resources thin G As token of my support for the causes of heritage, waste into nourishing manure. of accomplishing them, Arun over a wide expanse compared environment and a better city that Madras Musings espouses, Herbs and saplings can be shows no sign of worry about to a more nuanced and focused I send Chennai Heritage an additional treated with the compost nutri- monetary resources needed for approach in a select region or Rs...... tion. From as little as kitchen the vast operations that EFI is area and soaking it with every (Rupees ...... ) Please waste to something as big as col- tackling today. It strategises, available resource. Arun says keep/put me on your mailing list. lection of apartment complex guides, supervises and monitors that the availability of a proven Name : ...... waste, EFI offers help in these hundreds of sites all over the model and the capacity to adapt Address: ...... tasks. country – Chennai, Pondy, to locally articulated needs, ini- The most impactful of all Thanjavur, Tirunelveli, Bengal- tiatives and styles, built into the ...... programmes seems to be EFI’s uru, Kolkata, and more. model, enable EFI to replicate All cheques to ‘Chennai Heritage’. DD/Cheque should be sent by water-body clean-up campaign. At present, there are 83 water the model even in outlying Speed Post only. Under this programme the bodies in these areas that are (Continued on page 10) 4 MADRAS MUSINGS September 16-30, 2017

From India’s Digital Satyamurti’s LOST Archives – 3 – Karthik Bhatt LANDMARKS ‘Sundara’ OF CHENNAI or years it was a sight for sore Feyes in increasingly clut- – SRIRAM V Thomas Parry, tered and congested T’Nagar. Located in a broad section of expected him to become the Free Merchant Thanigachalam Chetty Road, Prime Minister of Madras. But this was a bungalow of the old that was not to be. He was, variety. A garden with a statue, homas Parry was one of the most prominent merchants however, elected to the Central a curving verandah and, if in the annals of the business history of the Madras Legislature in 1935 and his T memory serves me right, a cen- Presidency. Arriving in Madras in 1788, he made the city speeches there livened up many tral courtyard with a swing. Last and, by extension, the Presidency his home for the next a debate. A brilliant career in month I passed by the house three and a half decades before passing away in harness in public service was cut short fol- and it was with some shock that Porto-Novo in 1824. The subject of this column is a book lowing the rigours of Amravati I realised it was no longer there. written in 1938, commemorating the 150th year of his prison where he was interned in I could have been the central arrival in Madras. 1942 for his participation in the character in Daphne Du S. Satyamurti. Quit India Movement. Re- Born in 1768 in Leighton Hall, Welshpool, Thomas Parry Maurier’s Rebecca, going back leased when his health was be- arrived in Madras aged to look at Manderley. The doors yond recovery, Satyamurti died twenty and registered and windows were stacked for in the Lansdowne Ward of the himself as a Free Mer- sale and a vast empty space had General Hospital, Madras. chant. His first business taken over where Sundara once A life of burning the candle enterprise was in 1789, was. The marble plaques in the at both ends meant Satyamurti in partnership with gateposts proudly gave out the had hardly any time for family, Thomas Chase, a civil name of the house and of its comprising his wife and daugh- servant, who, besides famed occupant – S. Satya- ter Lakshmi. It was left to well- his official duties, car- murti. In one fell swoop, the wishers to make good. Worried ried on a general bank- wreckers had done away with a that her honorary brother did ing and agency busi- significant part of Chennai’s not have a house to call his ness. The partnership history. own, K.B. Sundarambal, by lasted for three years, S. Satyamurti (1887-1943) K.B. Sundarambal. then a very well to do theatre before Parry quit in was a man of many parts. A law- and film personality, bought 1792 to strike out on yer by profession, he was an where every film star aspires for and gifted this plot of land on his own. By 1795, he Thomas Parry. active member of the Suguna a stint in power. Thanigachalam Road to Satya- had become a known Vilasa Sabha, a founder secre- Satyamurti served as Mayor murti. The house was com- name in commercial circles, thanks to the success of his tary of the Music Academy and of Madras in 1939-40. During pleted in the late 1930s and was shipping business that he had begun in a small way during a member of the University his tenure he successfully ex- named Sundara. It was however his partnership with Chase. His reputation led him to being Senate. A brilliant orator, he horted citizens to voluntarily always a matter of debate on appointed the Secretary of the Carnatic Insurance Co. and was one of prime movers of the clean their neighbourhoods. whether it was named after the Examiner to the Mayor’s Court, positions that he described Congress Party in Madras Presi- Batches of residents with benefactress or after Satya- as “situations of respectability and emolument”. These, dency. In that capacity, it was brooms were a familiar sight murti’s father Sundara Sastri- however, were short-lived ventures, as he entered the he who first thought of roping long before Swacch Bharath gal. Does it matter now that the service of the Nawab of Carnatic as Captain in 1796. His in theatre personalities for pub- made its appearance. It was also house itself has gone? job was in the Treasury, where he was in charge of collect- lic meetings. S.G. Kittappa and Satyamurti who augmented the After Satyamurti’s time, his ing the duties. His private ventures, however, remained K.B. Sundarambal, the two water supply of the city, getting daughter lived here with her unaffected and moved from strength and strength, under stars of the Tamil theatre in the the foundation stone laid for husband. With the couple also several partnerships. His relationship with the East India 1920s, were his first choices. the Poondi Reservoir, which having passed away, the demoli- Company was one that blew hot and cold, and he found That in turn led to film person- would one day bear his name as tion of the house was the only himself perilously close to being deported to England in alities being invited to speak at Satyamurti Sagar. way out for the sons. In a city 1800. political meetings, which got Many felt that the Congress where the Government does not Over the course of the next two decades, Parry’s them involved with various par- victory in the polls to the Ma- reward or recognise in any way businesses spread across South India. In 1805, he founded ties and culminated in the dras Legislative Assembly in people who protect heritage, the first tannery in Madras, in San Thomé and, four years present scenario of Tamil Nadu 1937 was due to his efforts and what else can private owners do? later, took over sugar and indigo manufacturing units in Chidambaram. He also established a shipbuilding business in Cochin, which by 1820 was building King’s Ships for the Royal Navy. His commercial success meant that he owned substan- tial property in Madras. By 1819, he owned seven houses in Madras, one at San Thomé (Leith Castle), two in Nungam- bakkam (Wallace Gardens and Mackay’s Gardens) and four in Purasawalkam. The business was headquartered at the south corner of First Line Beach, a location which came to be known as Parry’s Corner. His most significant partner- ship was with John William Dare in 1819, one which would expand the empire substantially long after his death in 1824. The book, written by G.H. Hodgson, a director in Parry and Co., is compiled from private letters written by Thomas Parry between 1806 and 1809 and ledgers and other records in the possession of the Company. The first part of the book deals with Thomas Parry’s life, while extracts from the letters form the second part. These letters are of considerable interest, recording Thomas Parry’s views of various events and his business correspon- dence. Richly illustrated with drawings and photographs from the collection of the Company (including a perspec- tive drawing of the new buildings that would come up in 1940), this book is a delightful account of the eventful and colourful life of Thomas Parry, Free Merchant. Sundara. September 16-30, 2017 MADRAS MUSINGS 5

Gram Blue. Robber Fly. Ant.

Red Cotton Bug. Milkweed Grasshopper. Paper Wasp.

n chapter-2, verse-47, the started off with a Pentax film IBhagavad Gita says, Do SLR camera and worked my your duty without expecting PoochiVenkat introduces way through Nikon and anything in return. Results will Canon. Today, even compact follow automatically. cameras produce professional- These lines perfectly de- his book on insects quality macro photographs. scribe what insects (Poochi, in At present, I use DSLR cam- Tamil) are doing all the time. pronged approach in our con- approaching stealthily from fied all living organisms on eras from Nikon and Canon, Insects are not for the faint- servation effort by increasing behind, distracting by waving Earth, modern digital technol- specialised macro lenses from of-heart! Their strange shapes insect populations and raising from one angle while “attack- ogy and genome-level research Tamron and Zeiss, dedicated and buzzing and colouring and native plants primarily for ing” from another angle – The is changing everything. All flash units from Nissin, and stinging and creeping can pollination. ‘attack’ here refers to the divisions are being re-divided macro accessories from Ken- make you a phobic…. or a Insects are always hovering clicking of the shutter! In my and all names are being re- ko. I occasionally take along lover… of these beautiful around me, and the occasional relationship with these crea- named. Quite soon we may my compact camera (Lumix creatures that have been mosquito or cockroach is my tures, I’ve been bitten, stung, have to identify humans by LX5) with Leica optics) and around from millions of years favorite target to wipe out! and infected, and I’m happy some other name! I’ve there- some of the pictures in this before us and will live long af- But the insane interest in and content to follow their fore kept scientific jargon and book are from that small unit! ter all of us have disappeared. these creepies began with a philosophy of duty! information to a minimum The purpose of the book is Being in the tropics, our delicious mix of photography I included arachnids in my and, in most places, given a to start you, the unsuspecting country has an immense vari- and curiosity, which led to a book for several reasons. In transliteration of names and reader, on a curious interest- ety of insects. New species are word filled with amazement Tamil, they’re also called terms. ing journey into the amazing being discovered almost every and wonder. My aim was to “poochi”, they play a very im- The pictures in my book world of insects just by appre- day. The very fact we are alive capture the infinite forms and portant role in the life of are from early negatives (and ciating the beauty of their on this planet is because of colours of these innocuous insects, and I’ve done specific slides) as well as from modern shape and colour. I want you them. From pollinating flow- creatures and maybe later – research on spiders. digital images. Digital image to marvel at the variety these ers to decomposing detritus to maybe never – understand Though Darwin and processing has helped me ren- creatures display and the fact consuming carrion, they are their complex names and biol- Linnaeus divided and classi- der colours accurately. I that all these pictures are from absolutely essential to life ogy. India. cycles and processes on Earth. This endeavour started 25 If we go beyond the creepi- Humans regard insects as years ago in the analogue age, ness, the aversion and all pests. From using pesticides where we had only films and those scary insect movies, to to destroying habitats to out- only 36 frames in each roll and conserve and support insects, right elimination, they’re no way to ‘preview’ any shot then we can live safe, secure continuously inventing ways and absolutely no internet! and healthy. to exterminate them! Our This combination made each actions on this planet are click priceless and each breath If, after reading everything, causing a worrisome climate held, a lifetime of stillness. you want to go further in en- change which is seriously This also made me study the tomology, research, conserva- affecting pollinator insects. behaviour of insects, their tion or photography, I would Many insects like silk- movements, their habitats, be proud and happy that this worms and bees are economi- their likes and their dislikes. book has done its work. cally beneficial to us as they One thing became clear: to I apply John Keats’s lines are used extensively for pro- get that elusive valuable shot, here: A thing of beauty is a joy ducing silk and honey. It is vi- I had to become an insect my- forever! (Published by Kalam- tal for us to take a multi- self – creeping on the ground, PoochiVenkat at work. kriya of the Sanmar Group.) 6 MADRAS MUSINGS September 16-30, 2017 Kripal, Venkat, Ashwin (Quizmaster V.V. Ramanan’s questions are from August 16th to 31st. Questions 11 to 20 relate to Chennai and Tamil Nadu.) 1. Name the two sportspersons and others conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Khel amil Nadu has perhaps I played Kripal in the Madras ing against the John Reid-led at Chepauk in January 1975. Ratna award by President Ram T contributed the most First Division League as a mem- New Zealand team in February When Prasanna bowled to Nath Kovind on August 29th. number of off-spinners to In- ber of the State Bank of India 1965 on his home ground. Julien, the batsman drove the 2. Dipak Misra became the 45th dian teams in the past five de- team while he represented Venky would never allow a ball all along the carpet to the occupant of which prestigious post cades – A.G. Kripal Singh, S. Parry’s. I found him to be a batsman to settle down and did extra-cover fence twice in suc- on August 28th. Venkataraghavan, M. Venkat- steady bowler who soon read a not flight the ball as often as cession. Then Prasanna went 3. Which UNESCO WHS site features as a motif on the reverse ramana, Ashish Kapoor and batsman’s technique. I was other bowlers plying his trade. around the and before of the new Rs. 200 note. Ravichandran Ashwin. Of overwhelmed when he picked He never liked a batsman domi- the ball reached the batsman, 4. On August 21st, which iconic course, there were splendid me for the Ranji squad nating his line or length of at- he came to the right side of the landmark in London ‘fell silent’ so bowlers possessing the same probables and advised me that I tack. He would make the ball straight umpire crossing the that repairs could be carried out. trade from outside the State, was one of the best backfoot bounce and his clean, lovely ac- runner. Julien drove the ball in 5. What Islamic practice was de- like , V.M. Muddiah, players around. He gave me lots tion was a treat to watch. He the air and Prasanna had him clared unconstitutional by the Su- Erapalli Prasanna, Shivlal of advice and guidance and his would jump before the umpire caught-and-bowled brilliantly. preme Court of India on August Yadav, Rajesh Chauhan and blessings enabled me to score 86 and bowled several wonderful It was a superbly flighted 22nd? the inimitable Harbhajan in the Buchi Babu Memorial deliveries that had batsmen delivery and Julien just couldn’t 6. Name the hurricane that sma- Singh. Not to forget the giant of control his push to the onside. shed the US end-August, causing Indian cricket, the great Polly Even today, I wonder whether major loss of life and property. Umrigar who served the coun- there is any off-spinner who 7. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, try most nobly when captains could trap a batsman in that whose arrest and imprisonment re- cently, led to riots and deaths in threw the ball to him. fashion. Haryana, was the leader of which In view of the extraordinary religious cult group? success of Ashwin in recent se- * * * 8. In possibly the richest fight of ries, I was tempted to have a As for Venkatramana, he all time, whom did Floyd May- look at the prominent off-spin- was a very good off-spinner who weather Jr. defeat to improve his ners that I had faced during my was unlucky in not getting record to 50–0 and break Rocky playing days. Undoubtedly, many chances to play. He was Marciano’s 61-year-old record. Ashwin is an extraordinary also a good bat. His stock deliv- 9. In its recent report, the Parlia- spinner in that he has become ery used to be the angular one, mentary Standing Committee on the second bowler after the emi- Kripal Singh. because he used to bowl a little Agriculture has observed that ex- Venkat. Ashwin. nent Australian offie Clarrie diagonally with variations as treme weather events is costing In- well. He played just one Test in dia how much annually? Grimmett to complete 200 Trophy against a Ramesh or caught behind. It in international cricket Saxena-led Rusi Modi team. was a lesson to watch how he the West Indies and was very 10. From which common plant unfortunate like Padmakar have scientists in the US devel- in the shortest time – 37 tests. Kripal was tall and his height used the crease while bowling in oped the world’s first plant-based Of course, Test matches were enabled him to pick the right tandem with another great leg Shivalkar and, now, Jayant Zika vaccine that may be more ef- far apart in those days, and play- length early in an innings. I saw spinner from Madras, V.V. Yadav, where the selectors fective, safer and cheaper? ers did not play continuously as one of his best spells in the First Kumar. stumbled very much. * * * Ashwin does these days. For in- Test against Bobby Simpson’s Both bowlers used the crease * * * 11. If you wanted to buy food es- stance, Ventakataraghavan and Australia in early October so well and that helped them sence in bulk, then which road Prassanna, despite being in the Ashwin, with his perfor- should you go to in Chennai? 1964. It was a sultry morning as bowl with a lot of variety. They team squad played few Tests to- he bowled cleverly to take three did not depend on turning mances, we have to accept as a 12. On which iconic product have great bowler. But he’s bowled the Kumar brothers been doing gether. wickets for 43 on a bouncy wickets as available these days track at the Madras Corpora- and if they had bowled on stark and got the maximum number the Madras Stripes for decades * * * of wickets on turning tracks now? Kripal had started off prima- against weaker sides. In my 13. According to the Chennai rily as a batsman when he made view, however, no spinner is Corporation website, what is the his First Class debut in the G by S. Kedarnath bowling on a wicket where name of the bridge on Pallavan 1950-51 season. There was no there is a 50-50 chance for bat Salai leading to the old jail? It’s zonal system in that season and and ball. Hence, there is no commonly called the St. Mary’s he got to play just one match bridge? point in comparing each of against . However, 14. Who was the Governor at Fort tion Stadium. It’s still vivid in turners they’d have got 1,000 these guys with one another. he soon emerged as a worthy St. George in September 1746 my mind how he teased and tor- wickets each! Venkat would get Secondly, nobody will accept all-rounder becoming the bat- when Admiral Bertrand-François mented batsmen of the calibre deeply involved in the match Ravindra Jadeja as a great ting lynchpin of the Madras Mahé, Comte de La Bourdonnais, of Bill Lawry and Norman was a terrific close-in fielder and bowler, but he’s taking wickets ‘seized’ Madras? Ranji team and an off-spinner. O’Neill. He hardly experi- a great leader. He was great in heaps. That’s the order of the He gave splendid all-round per- 15. What is the name of the mented and with a lovely action sportsman as well. day. church (built in 1551) over the formances in the game against changed the line now and them cave where St. Thomas is said to * * * Take and Holkar, who Madras defeated and bamboozled the batsman. have lived? Coming to Prasanna the and how they to win its maiden The best part was that he was 16. The name of which famous bowler with an artistic, stylish gave their best when pitches in the 1954-55 season. not overawed by either left-arm Madras institution founded in action, he had excellent control were prepared for batsmen, yet His splendid displays in the bowler, or Salim 1936 was suggested by Pandit over spin and flight and never they proved they were great by Subramania Sastri? Ranji Trophy earned him an In- Durrani. dia cap in 1955 against New worried about bowling with getting victories for India. 17. Where in Chennai would you Kripal was also a very shrewd teasing flight to any cricketer in There is a lot of difference bet- find the Satyagraha movement Zealand and he celebrated it leader and made both Madras the world. I recollect his bril- ween good and great. If a bowler commemorated? with a 100. He hardly got a and South Zone forces to liant bowling against Bill bowls correctly, on a wicket 18. What was imported to Madras couple of overs to bowl in the reckon with in the tournaments Lawry’s Australians in the final that gives 70 per cent assis- for the first time in 1877, by a Ma- Tests that he played in. How- they played. jor Charles Boswen of the Royal ever, he earned more recogni- Test at Chepauk when he tance, he should produce good Engineers, from a Paris firm, tion as a full time off-spinner * * * floored them to 57 for 7 and results. Michaux? when he was selected to play in Venky was very much in the pushed them into a corner. lf We should not compare the 19. Name the legendary hockey the First Test at the Brabourne Anil Kumble mould, bowling wicket-keeper Farookh Engi- bowlers of the past with the goalkeeper from Madras who won Stadium in Bombay during the quicker, but was not a leggie neer had not missed a stumping, present. They bowled in differ- three Olympic gold medals be- series against the Ted Dexter- like the latter. He had shot into the visitors would’ve slumped to ent conditions and there was no tween 1948 and 1956. led England side in 1961-62. prominence when he played for 60 for 8. help like what’s offered at 20. In June 1788, Josiah du Pre Madras University in the Later, I remember a memo- Porcher and Thomas Redhead set That was largely due to his role present. If the BCCI plays up the first formal bank in Madras as a match-winner for the then and rable dismissal Prasanna plotted matches at neutral venues then with its HQ in the Fort. What was Madras and South Zone teams, earned a place in the Madras against the West Indian all- perhaps we can say something it named? runner-up in the inaugural Ranji team when he was around rounder Bernard Julien in the in comparison. (Courtesy: (Answers on page 10) Duleep Trophy Tournament. 18. In another year, he was play- first innings of the Fourth Test Straight Bat). September 16-30, 2017 MADRAS MUSINGS 7

G Two pages celebrating Madras Week A traditional way of learning maths

strategy game and geom- in-a-row game – Kattam Vila- Aetry. Cowrie shells and yattu, the pallanguzhi, and the Probability. Tamarind seeds challenging puzzle game – A houseful of teachers listen to Vinitha. and mathematical concepts. So Nakshatra Vilayattu, among many varied thoughts, yet they others. all came together in a high en- Each game was played and ergy workshop conducted by then presented through varied Studying a transit corridor... Kreeda and the Ramanujan mathematical concepts that are adras Week events The MIDAS Urban Initia- based on the students’ study of Museum and Math Education required for primary and middle M organised by Xavier tive (MUI) featured exhibitions Grand South Trunk (GST) Centre at the Museum premises school students. Participants Benedict of (AARDE) included organised in two locations Road transit corridor from in Royapuram as part of the were also introduced to various an exhibition organised by where Urban Design Studio Pallavaram to Tambaram done Madras Week celebrations. traditional elements of play, MIDAS Architecture College sheets by the final year B.Arch in July-August/2017. The study Aimed at primary and such as long dice, cowrie shells and a whole day event in students of the College were on which 110 students worked, secondary math teachers from and the math lessons they can Pulicat. displayed. The sheets were was based on various param- schools around Chennai, the teach. eters – socioeconomic, history, built-form, transportation, physical-study, vegetation, ur- ban-elements, etc. The study was analysed and few proposals were made by the students. The whole-day exhibitions were organised at the Palla- varam Santhai one day and at the Tambaram Railway Station on the next. The public was asked to review the study and proposals. The students plan to submit the final outcome of the studio-work to the Corporation The MIDAS Architecture College students’ exhibition site at the Pallavaram of Chennai in October. santhai. ... & exploring Pazhaverkadu

race Origin of Madras @ ral-Built-Cultural Heritage of stone, and Dutch Street. The Play a TPulicat was an all-day Pulicat which was followed by a participants further learnt game and event in Pazhaverkadu walk around Pulicat visiting about Pulicat history from the learn your organised by the AARDE the Dutch Cemetery, a church, exhibits displayed at the Pulicat Maths. Foundation. 39 participants the Adinarayana Perumal Interpretation Centre (AAR- from Chennai spent the whole Temple, a Mosque, the Light- DE Pulicat Museum). A dem- day in Pulicat. The tour started house (which they climbed for onstration of palm-leaf craft was with a one-hour presentation by a 360O view of the lagoon and what attracted the participants Xavier Benedict on the Natu- the sea), the 25th Canal mile- most. workshop had a record atten- All the games were drawn dance of 56 teachers and the from those popular around hall was literally bursting at the Madras through the years and seams. Surprising that the en- teachers were introduced to the ergy and enthusiasm of the background of the games too. teachers and the sheer joy of The session culminated with playing traditional games from the ever popular Aadu Puli Chennai did not explode those Aatam, a game that Ramanujan seams! is reported to have played with Conducted by Vinita his mother. This is a strategy Sidhartha of Kreeda and Meena game that develops critical Suresh of the Ramanujan Math thinking skills and was very Centre, the aim of the work- popular in and around Madras, shop was to explore how tradi- as is evident from the numerous tional games can be used to inscriptions in the temples teach mathematical concepts around here. and the critical thinking that The noise level was palpable, the games develop in students. the laughter was riotous and the The workshop explored learning was tremendous. All games played with tamarind elements for a wonderful session seeds, the traditional Indian – and perhaps one of the most Snakes and Ladders – Parama interesting ways of learning The Pulicat ‘explorers’ with the 25th milestone of the Buckingham Canal. The zero milestone is at Basin Bridge. Padam, the popular local three- mathematics! 8 MADRAS MUSINGS September 16-30, 2017

G A point of view Are we celebrating Madras Week in a vacuum? appreciate Madrasis (Chennaites?) who conditions to the level of their ability for the Icelebrate the Madras Week with enthusiasm. next twelve months, before celebrating the next I have been following the celebration for the Madras Week, so that they can celebrate the last few years. I have felt that it is being done in past and also the present to some extent next vacuum. I got the same feeling this year too. year. Obviously, we are celebrating past Madras Have we planned any purposive programmes and its heritage and tradition and not present for the next twelve months, particularly involv- Chennai or possible future Chennai. ing the youth and poor and deprived section of One thing that is very clear is that Madras society, who are as much residents of Chennai Week is celebrated by a selected few who be- as those presently celebrating Madras Week? Thirupurasundari (third from right) explaining to participants how to explore long to upper and middle income group. Those Triplicane. who celebrate are not representative of the N.S.Venkataraman present day Chennaites, whom we call the Nandini Voice For The Deprived ‘Common Man’. nandinivoice.com Following the clues The celebration is not creating enthusiasm EDITOR’S NOTE: Mr. Venkataraman obvi- amongst vast section of Chennaites, since there ously does not follow the variety of programmes is nothing to celebrate as far as the present being offered during Madras Week celebra- to ‘find’ Triplicane Chennai is concerned. As you walk on the tions. They include both the past and the road, you cannot but see overflowing sewage, present (this year much more of the latter). people urinating on the road and half naked These programmes range from looking at am Veedu, Nam Oor, drunkards lying on the road. Are we to cel- Madras’s problems by think-tanks to ebrate this? Nam Kadhai’ organised programmes in schools of all levels all around ‘N Should we confine ourselves just to be the city, certainly in no vacuum. an exhibition of Triplicane, get- proud of the past ? Does such celebration of ting participants to follow clues. the past glory have any significance for the Madras Day/Week/Month has from the first Drizzles of the previous night present and the future? never sought government support nor any kind did not hinder the spirit of par- It has been lamented that the Government of funds from anyone. It has only called for ticipants or the volunteers. The of Tamil Nadu is not supporting the Madras VOLUNTEER activity and perhaps Mr. Venkataraman should next year initiate some task was to decipher the clue Week celebrations. Obviously, recognition is sought for the celebration from the Govern- such activities of his own with discussions on given to team with the help of the problems he lists and have the voices of the local people, reach the spot and ment in principle and some fund support too. The Government does not have the face to cel- ‘common man’ he wants to be heard, heard? As get the next clue from volun- ebrate the happenings in present Chennai and, for Government participation, it has never been teers there. Each team of three therefore, it is reluctant to play its role in cel- sought by any of the participants, but that is no consisted of at least one child ebrating the past, which would reveal the dif- reason why any celebrations organised by it who was differently abled. The ference between the past and the present in a should not be welcomed. task ended with teams collect- glaring manner. Would any government of the As for the problems Mr. Venkataraman ing all the clues from different day subject itself to such humiliation? mentions, every city in India has them; doesn’t places and reaching the start. It is high time that we not confine ourselves Mr.Venkataraman seen any positives in our The event was a colloborative to celebrating the glory of the past Madras for a city? Does he only see the deprived? Don’t they effort with Akarmaa foundation week and then wait for the next twelve months see this city as their home, a place of opportu- One of the ‘explorers’ of Triplicane nity, a place they migrated to in search of a receives a clue from a volunteer. and ‘Explore Differently’. for the next year’s Madras Week celebration. The enthusiasts should fix targets to improve better life? Discovering the City’s markets

ity Markets. This was the theme for this year’s edition of the Cannual Heritage of Chennai power-point project contest for city schools, organised by Mylapore Times. Twelve schools came up with fascinating stories. And the win- ner, AMM School of Kotturpuram, bagged the rolling trophy for Winning at the Murugappa’s quizzes the team’s research on the markets of Saidapet. he Madras (Open) Quiz up and were followed by Vidya from PSBB Senior Secondary The trio had gone to the bustling market at 7 a.m. and stayed T2017 was organised by the Swaminathan and Aravind School, Nungambakkam (Su- on for a few hours to capture life at that early hour. They learnt Murugappa Group jointly with Subramanian. dharshan M., Akshaya Mohan how fish at this famed fish market was brought here from different AMM Matriculation Higher * * * and Akash Kishore) and they parts of the State and outside. How it was transported, auctioned Secondary School. Dr Sumanth Murugappa Madras Quotient were followed by P.S. Senior and sold to big and small retailers. They learnt how land belonging C. Raman was the quiz master. Quiz 2017, which was held at Secondary School, Mylapore to a temple came to be a market of the city. They located founda- Around 250 people of all ages St. Bede’s Auditorium, San (Guhan, K.K.S. Abhishek and tion stones that helped them highlight a slice of history. And they participated. A significant pro- Thomé, with Quizmaster Dr. N. Dhanush) and PSBB Senior spoke to shop-owners and the man who has leased the space to portion of students were from Navin Jayakumar, had a record Secondary School, KK Nagar learn more about this market. the younger age groups. Rama- turnout of 385 teams from over (Nithin Karthic, R. Visves- Other teams explored other markets. swamy and Sylvian Patrick were 100 schools in Chennai! 1200 waran and Sashee Kiran Automobile spares and accessories on General Patters Road. the winners for the 2nd con- students and 200 parents and Raman). The Padma Seshadri Textiles on Mint Street. The potters of Kosapet and the tiled secutive year. Sankhya and teachers were part of the event. teams appear to have taken to Kalmandapam Market. Jayakanthan were first runners- The winners were the team quizzing in a big way. Zam Bazaar and the notorious Pudupet auto spares market. Thaneerthurai Market and Chintadripet Fish Market. Ambattur’s Fish Market and Burma Bazaar. Each with fascinating histories and character. The contest had allowed the children to explore and learn and appreciate. But given the limited scope and time that our schools provide for such highly educative projects, most presentations skimmed the surface. The children liked the experience though. Now they know a little more about their area. And of the city. September 16-30, 2017 MADRAS MUSINGS 9 Bharati’s treasury of poetry

he renaissance in Tamil letters came to full bloom The Bharati canon is sumptuous and comprises Twith Subramania Bharati (1882-1921). Though his prose and poetry. Subramania Bharati’s poems deal father desired that Bharati should pursue ‘English edu- with various subjects: patriotism, devotion, ethics, au- cation’, the boy’s heart was with Tamil. It was while tobiography. His prose includes journalism, short fic- working as a Tamil pundit in Madurai in the Setupati tion and an unfinished novel. Bharati’s genius trans- High School that he met G. Subramania Iyer, the leg- formed all that he touched into good literature, and endary editor of Swadesamitran. He was appointed a often reached the heights of the sublime. Ninety years sub-editor, which meant translating the speeches of and more after his passing, Tamil literature still swears great leaders like Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo by the Bharati canon. and Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Simplified by his genius, The world outside Tamil Nadu has generally known Tamil prose glowed with a new strength. At the same Bharati only as a poet of freedom and patriotism. Many time, the patriot poet was also born. It was the time of the Bande Mataram Movement and Bharati’s fiery po- of the songs were immediately effective when they were litical articles roused the Tamil Nation with immediate sung and continue to evoke national pride in the effect. In fact, later, he became the full-fledged editor hearer. These poems were children of the Bande Mataram Movement. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s of the Nationalist paper, India. With the help of friends, Subramania Bharati. he floated other papers. Swami Vivekananda’s song was translated by Bharati twice; and each transla- Prabuddha Bharata inspired him to start the magazine, tion is literal and poetic at the same time. and seeks in Nature without and the imagination Bala Bharata in 1907, as a mouthpiece of the National- Subramania Bharati loved his mother tongue and within by inditing six songs titled, ‘Kannamma – my ist ideals in South India. Tamil Nadu deeply and found no contradiction in prais- Lady Love’: ing the Tamil land even as he praised Mother India. “Are those flame-bright eyes, Kannamma! The influence of Swami Vivekananda is very clear Subramania Bharati’s message of such an integral The Sun and the Moon? in what Bharati wrote in the pages of this magazine: unity in meaningful diversity remains very relevant Does the dark eye-ball, Kannamma! “Let us dream of a service so pure, so vast, so even today. Reflect the inky skies? daring that in all our life, from the first moment to Are those woven diamonds gleaming the last, there shall not be found a single thread On the raven-like silken robe G of self! Prema Nandakumar remembering The star-clusters above “In every question that comes before you, Subramania Bharati on his 96th death In the middle of the night?” make it your rule to assume that India has the anniversary, September 12th. Kuyil Pattu is a narrative poem of 750 lines. It is a essential. She has only to learn how to use it. fable where we have a kuyil (koel), a monkey and a “She has unity: must organise and direct it. Ganesa was a favourite deity of Bharati as he was a bull. It is Bharati’s dream-vision of the spirit of beauty Has passionate love of country – must avail her- regular visitor at Manakkula Vinayaka temple which is and is pure romance. We cannot dismiss it as mere self of it. Has abundance of democratic sense not far from the beach in Pondicherry. His Vinayakar fancy, for the poet concludes with a challenge thrown and method, must discover how to make use of Nan Mani Malai lists out the good that accrues to devo- at the reader: it.” tees of Ganapati: “How be it a fictional tale, O wise old poets, – (Bala Bharata, November 1907) Could my story yield on closer study “The inner ear will open to sounds; the inward eye A deep philosophical meaning, When Bharati went to the Calcutta Session of the Will glow; It will blaze forth; manliness will be his gift; Won’t you explain what it is indeed?” Congress in 1906, he made it a point to meet Swami One can issue forth in the directions Vivekananda’s disciple, Sister Nivedita. As soon as he And plant the flag of victory; why, one can If there is God’s plenty in Bharati’s poetic canon, his met her, he realised that this was certainly an emana- Hold the venomous serpent in hand; prose writings yield an equally rich treasure. The unfin- tion of Mother Shakti. In the course of their conversa- One can live for all time, never cowed down ished novel, Chandrikayin Kathai deals with widow-re- tion, the Sister impressed upon him the need to over- By poison, illness or dire enmity.” marriage. One-Sixth is about the tragedy of untouch- come caste and creedal prejudices and the imperative ability in India. Jana Ratham is an account of the imagi- work an educated Indian had to take upon himself, His immersion in the Krishna experience was due to nary travels of the author in “the chariot of knowledge”. women’s emancipation. He promised to do so and was the poetry of the Alvars. Thus, Nammalvar’s decad, He goes to Gandharva, Satya and Dharma worlds. as good as his word. Considering her as his guru, he ‘Kannan kazhaladi’ inspired him in an identical Dharmaraja reminds him of Bal Gangadhar Tilak! Soon dedicated the first two volumes of his patriotic poems, rhythm: the author’s Mind grows restless and he is back in this Swadesa Gitangal, to Sister Nivedita: “I place this slim “O mind, remember world of human affairs with a thud. volume at the Teacher’s Feet who showed me the vi- Kannan’s holy feet; Always tuned to the future, Bharati did not have sion of Mother Bharat and instilled in me patriotism, It will give definitely time for regrets. His philosophical poems underline this even as Krishna revealed to Arjuna His viswarupa and An indestructible form. aspect very well. We must build for the future genera- taught him the true nature of the Self.” tions, not keep raking the past, he said and issued a Bharati’s fiery and caustic editorials, poems and The Lord who sports command: speeches soon drew the wrathful attention of the Brit- A darkling Form, Will give us riches, “Stumble not, fools, into the pit – ish Government. The paper India which he edited was Gratification and fame.” The preying, destroying recapitulation Of things past and done with – an eyesore for the authorities and an opportunity was Bharati’s Kannan Pattu (Krishna Songs) has twenty- Nor with the agony of vain regrets. sought to arrest him. On the advice of friends, Bharati three lyrics composed in lilting musical modes. The The Past will not return! preferred self-exile in Pondicherry. He was there in approaches to Krishna chosen by Bharati includes the Rather grapple to your heart the thought 1909; Sri Aurobindo reached the sea-side French Lord as a servant. Krishna as a servant? The manner in That you have today achieved enclave in 1910. Another well-known nationalist which Bharati projects Krishna as a domestic servant is Another birth.” leader, V.V.S. Aiyar, also preferred self-exile. Bharati amazing. The poet has had troubles a-plenty with ser- There have been innumerable books written about was in Pondicherry for a decade. These years were the vants always asking for higher salaries and giving lame his priceless contribution to Tamil literature. The best richest in his career as a writer; he had great friends excuses for their absence. And then comes Krishna to tribute to Subramania Bharati comes from the legend- with whom he could study sublime works like the Veda- him as a servant, introducing himself as of the cowherd ary scholar-administrator Navaratna Rama Rao: s; but he was also to suffer intense poverty during this clan. And as the days go by with this perfect servant, “So long as men love motherland and goodness, so decade. Krishna has also become Bharati’s friend, counselor, long will Bharati continue to be read. Even if he lives In 1918, he decided to return to India and was teacher and even god himself! The poems, ‘Kannamma only as long as the glorious Tamil language, it would arrested at the Indo-French border and lodged in – my child’ and ‘Krishna – my mischievous boy’ are not be incorrect to call him immortal.” – (Courtesy: Sri Cuddalore Jail for 25 days. He was freed later and spent justly famous. It is pure Perialvar, cast in the Bharatian Aurobindo’s Action). some time in the village, Kadayam. Bharati was invited mould. by Swadesamitran again, and a new and happy chapter The Sufi inspiration is clear in Bharati’s songs to seemed to open for the poet-journalist Unfortunately, Kannamma. Here the poet-devotee is in search of the The translations from Subramania Bharati quoted in he passed away on September 12, 1921. divine beauty and personifies the same as Kannamma the article are by Prema Nandakumar. 10 MADRAS MUSINGS September 16-30, 2017 RR Sabha opens Cleaning lakes – his passion (Continued from page 3) EFI’s campaign should shift have a contagious influence on its new hall gradually to utilise its model their fellow citizens. n July 16th morning, to the strains of the nagaswaram, the locations without difficulty and and expertise to bring about a Philanthropic institutions Ochant of religious texts and to the sounds of classical mu- loss of effectiveness. It still behavioural transformation are looking for good causes and sic, the 89-year-old Rasika Ranjani Sabha, a Mylapore icon, among waste generators. Arun’s committed implementation. opened its doors to guests and rasika-s. It now offers a well- seems debatable whether a large equipped performing arts complex located on Sundareswarar spread is desirable over com- present effort is, no doubt, hav- And EFI under Arun Krishna- Street, off East Mada Street, Mylapore. Senior Mylaporean pactness and completeness area ing the incidental effect of murthy has a worthy cause, a guests will not be able to linger at that iconic statue of Lord by area, but Arun and his col- sensitising a vast army of volun- working model that lends itself Krishna that greeted you in the past, behind the box-office leagues are shrewd enough to be teers in the country to the need to easy replication, low delivery counters. The sabha team says a new marble statue will be aware of the probability and for protecting natural resources costs and a team of young men installed in that spot. need for such a strategic course and to more responsible habits and women charged with mis- There are three auditoriums here – the main one is a correction in the future. in generating and disposing sionary zeal. That should make 700-seater and spread across two levels. There is a mechanical EFI’s programmes are so waste. Their example would for a synergistic partnership. lift for seniors in wheel-chairs. There are two smaller auditori- wide and comprehensive that ums on the second floor; a 270-seater for concerts, talks and discourses and an 80-seater which is best suited for social func- you wonder if meaningful and tions and informal events. All of them are fitted with smart- sustained attention is feasible designed stages, comfortable seating and state-of-the-art audio on so wide a range of objectives. equipment which promise the best acoustics. Says R. Nagarajan, Their conservation efforts in- senior chartered accountant and sabha secretary, “If we hold clude the following: lake con- mike-less concerts in any of our halls they will sound great and servation, herb restoration/na- can be heard by anybody sitting anywhere in the hall.” tive species plantation, creating The sabha hired an Australian expert to fit the halls here. urban eco-responsibility, About Rs.1.5 crore has been spent on the sound and accoustics composting, setting up bio-di- Till September plans here. The earlier plan to have an art gallery was dropped. versity parks in schools, animal 30: Hour of the Soon, the R.R. Sabha complex will also have a music listen- Cowdust, an ex- care, sparrow reintroduction, hibition of wa- ing room where you can put on the ear phones and listen to the youth camps and mass aware- music of the masters, which has been digitally restored from ter colours by spool and tapes. ness through media. Would EFI G.D. Paulraj. There is also a small cafeteria counter for now; a bigger one be better off devoting its ener- His paintings will be in place in the year ahead. gies and resources on select were quintes- sential images of The re-constructed R.R. Sabha is a Rs. 16 crore project, with critical programmes instead of rural Tamil Rs. 2 crore given by donors and Rs. 11 crore borrowed from a trying to do too many things all Nadu between private bank. at once? Even with a fine working 1950 and 1980. To raise revenues, the sabha is planning to skip being part of The importance the famed December Season and instead curate theme festivals model backed by sound of Paul Raj¡’s art thus lies not only in their technical prowess but also in round the year. Says Nagarajan, “Our focus is on young talent. organisation it takes many years their importance as documents of a bygone era. When Queen Elizabeth And we will have unique, themed music and dance fests.” to restore a waterbody to its came to Chennai in the 1950s, he was asked to paint at the Boat Club. Work is still going on at this campus where, some eight years natural state of life-giving That painting is among the Queen’s collection now and another paint- ago, the JCBs brought down that iconic auditorium where famed cleanliness when it does not ing of his is in the Pope’s collection. actors, musicians and dancers had performed to packed houses. need any more massive cleans- Till September 30: Folk Rhythms, an exhibition of paintings by S. Controversies dogged the sabha when new plans were drawn. ing attention. And there are We are told that the idea of a Trust was dropped and there is Govindarajan at DakshinaChitra. only one sabha team now that will manage the affairs and that thousands of such water bodies there are no legal cases to address any more. (Courtesy: in every State. As such, clean- Mylapore Times) ing as a post-event correction would be endless, with no clo- Answers to Quiz sure in sight. While cleaning as 1. Former Indian hockey team 11. Wall Tax Road, 12. Royal a corrective measure is neces- captain Sardar Singh and Enfield motorbikes, 13. Hutton MADRAS MUSINGS ON THE WEB sary, simultaneous massive ef- Paralympics double gold medallist Bridge, 14. Nicholas Morse, a To reach out to as many readers as possible who share our keen forts to educate people to gen- , 2. Chief Jus- grandson of Oliver Cromwell, 15. interest in Madras that is Chennai, and in response to requests from erate less waste and to dispose tice of India, 3. Sanchi Stupa, 4. Big Shrine of Our Lady of Health, 16. many well-wishers – especially from outside Chennai and abroad of them in a responsible man- Ben, 5. ‘Triple Talaq’, 6. Harvey, 7. Kalakshetra, 17. Fortune Hotel, who receive their postal copies very late – for an online edition. ner would, ideally, reduce the Dera Sacha Sauda, 8. Mixed mar- Cathedral Road (former Chola Madras Musings is now on the web at www. madrasmusings.com need for cleansing itself, making tial artist Conor McGregor, 9. $9- Sheraton), 18. Bicycle, 19. – THE EDITOR it eventually even unnecessary. 10 billion, 10. Tobacco. Ranganathan Francis, 20. Carnatic * * * Bank.

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