Registered with the Reg. No. TN/CH(C)/374/12-14 Registrar of Newspapers Licenced to post without prepayment for India under R.N.I. 53640/91 Licence No. TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-506/12-14 Rs. 5 per copy (Annual Subscription: Rs. 100/-) WE CARE FOR MADRAS THAT IS CHENNAI INSIDE

• Short ‘N’ Snappy • When the promised power? • The Krithika-Chitti letters • Perambur Railway Hospital-3 • Economist & Shakespeare Scholar

Vol. XXII No. 2 MUSINGS May 1-15, 2012 Government offers hope again for Heritage Act (By The Editor) I’ve found out that by exercising he State Government has announced that it is planning to your mouth, teeth, jaw, cheeks, throat, bring in two laws on the heritage protection front, one specifi- you can lose lots of calories... what I T Appa, you always don’t have to cally covering Mamallapuram, which is a recognised World Heri- mean is, to talk non-stop while eating! dress up in your 70’s clothes every time tage Site, and the other covering heritage and cultural properties you watchEat theyour ‘angry words? young man’ across the State. This is a good development as far as intent is movies! Food facts, nutrition nuggets, concerned. Much, of course, will depend on how this will translate and weight watching. into reality. This is not the first time that the State has raised hopes If you can’t claim any knowl- of legislation for protecting heritage, only to pass over to what it edge or direct experience felt are more pressing issues. Those promises were made as far back with regard to any of the as 1999 and, again, in 2002, and then even more recently when above – chances are that you Heritage Regulations/Acts were drafted or reviewed. The plight of pedestrians. (Courtesy: The Hindu.) spend most social gatherings The latest announcement in complete silence, possibly has it that a Heritage Commis- chomping away on fried sion Act is on the anvil which The least pedestrian-friendly food, submerged in a fog of masochistic defiance and will constitute a body that can gloom. advise the State Government Indian city: Chennai Seriously – the world may be on preparing a classification of burning up on several levels heritage buildings into various study put together by flyovers for the building of walking on a pedestrian cross- – but general conversation grades. It will also advise local A Clean Air Initiative, a which we have sacrificed pave- ing. This basically recognises centres primarily on weight authorities on the developmen- Delhi-based organisation, has ments. We also have a series of that the pedestrian’s rights are issues – Weight lost, Weight tal rights of such heritage show our city to be the least pe- one-ways, none of which has foremost on the road. In our regained, and an avalanche properties. What the Govern- destrian-friendly. Chennai has any zebra crossing. Those wish- city, motorists never stop for of food-centric facts thereof. ment appears to have over- scored even lower than Banga- ing to cross these roads on foot pedestrians to cross. If they do, And Commerce responds at looked are two aspects: lore and several tier II towns of do so at their own risk. The it is because of a traffic signal once. and even then, they choose to Take departmental stores. 1. That such a body already the country. The study’s con- statistics speak for themselves – Now, you kind of expect it of exists – namely the Heritage clusions appear almost to imply 38 per cent of fatal accidents on stop on, or even beyond, the those high-end, cater-to-the- Conservation Committee that the pedestrian has little or Chennai’s roads involve pedestrian crossing. The pedes- Page-3-variety-of-customers (HCC) constituted by the even zero chance of staying pedestrians. trians have to make their way types. CMDA in response to the High alive on Chennai’s roads. What Chennai needs is a between the vehicles. But when good old Shop- Court’s judgement in 2010 in The evaluation was done on complete makeover of its traffic Footpaths and routes for Around-the-Corner, the guy the case concerning the demo- the basis of nine parameters, system. This requires coordina- those with disabilities are a who used to once ply you lition of Bharat Insurance Build- some of which are: motorists’ must in any world-class city. with tons of homemade ing. That the Committee, com- behaviour, grade crossing avail- Chennai has been steadily re- vadam, now talks know- G prised largely by bureaucrats, ability, grade crossing safety, By A Special moving what little it had. ledgeably of ‘superfoods’, Correspondent ‘nutrient dense’, and nutra- became a handmaiden of the security from crime, availability Though a tough task, the Gov- ceuticals, you know civili- CMDA is another matter alto- of walking paths, and disability ernment has to bring back foot- sation as you knew it has gether. The State Government infrastructure. Chennai man- tion between many agencies paths wherever it has done changed forever. will do well not to repeat this aged to score the lowest or and it also requires communica- away with them. What is ironic Those who once thought mistake and when creating the second lowest on all counts. Is tion with, and training of, all is that even in greenfield devel- ‘Omega-3’ was a character in Heritage Commission it should this a record worthy of a city stakeholders in the city’s roads, opments and new colonies, a sci-fi movie, now lecture on make it like the Urban Arts that claims to be on the road to of whom the pedestrian is just these are not mandatory. All probiotics – (something Commission of Delhi, a body world-class infrastructure? one. Firstly, all road junctions the new, so-called posh South entire generations thrived on with independent powers. Of course, the results of the need zebra crossings, no matter Chennai areas have come up in this part of the world sans these facilities. And where without even realising it). 2. That the exercise of study ought not to be a surprise how minor they are. All world- Obviously, there are benefits to grading and listing heritage for those witnessing the devel- class cities have them and so we we have footpaths, these need healthy eating – but some- buildings has been done at least opments in Chennai. Ever since need to be no exception. And to be protected from encroach- times it feels like we’re a couple of times. The first time 1996, the city has seen a shrink- these have to be painted regu- ments. They cannot be granted missing the French Fries of was when draft Heritage ing, or complete removal, of larly so that they remain bright to have become spaces for park- Life for the Bitter Gourd of Regulations/Acts were drawn footpaths. And all road devel- and visible. This is no easy task, ing two-wheelers, or for hawk- Appearance. up by the Town and Country opments have been done keep- but, then, it has to be done. ers, wayside shrines and storage Well, as in most things, perhaps Planning Department teaming ing in mind the interests of the Second, it is mandatory areas for nearby construction the Middle Way...? motorists alone. As a conse- internationally for motorists to projects. Ranjitha Ashok stop when they see someone (Continued on page 6) quence, we have several (Continued on page 7) CMYK 2 MADRAS MUSINGS May 1-15, 2012 When will we MMM by any other name get all undays are lean days for on nighties which earned him may wonder. It is none other Stemples, especially in the everyone’s ire? Was he from than Pennycuick, the man mornings. There is hardly the University, deeply resent- about whom the Chief and anyone at them and it is usu- ful of MMM’s comments on several others have been writ- this power? ally on a Sunday morning that the photography exhibition? ing, the father of the Mullai- you will find The Man from Or was he … periyar dam. And considering hile Tamil Nadu has to get long-term coal linkage, Madras Musings at one or the But having come close, the that it was just about a couple W been steeped in a power which is essential to get envi- other of the many historic man’s mien changed. He of months ago that the crisis for long, the existing ronmental clearance from the shrines that Madras that is smiled ingratiatingly, though Government decided on a me- Chennai is blessed with. And projects in the State have Centre. With the Union Coal his eye seemed as powerful as morial, MMM must say it has so it was last Sunday. MMM ever. MMM took a deep all been mighty quick. compounded the issue. Adding Ministry not having passed prayed, begged forgiveness for fuel to the crisis, many of the orders on coal linkage, the breath. Perhaps this was a fan? But what a radio station did many sins of omission and Perhaps he would say how upcoming projects that would Government decided to use was even better. Those of you commission, and thanked much he enjoyed all that who read this column will ease the shortage of power are, imported coal for the project That Which Must Be Obeyed MMM wrote? know that MMM, when he ironically, yet to take shape. and seek the Environment for whatever blessings had does not have to finish a story come his way. “Sir, can I ask you a ques- The State is nearly 4,500 Ministry’s clearance. However, tion?” he said. for the Chief, sometimes tunes MW short of its requirements as reports now suggest that Gov- And then it was that in to the radio. And so he did “By all means,” said MMM, MMM realised that what he the same day as the Benny of now. From the wordy duel ernment plans to meet 70 per now beaming at the man. between the two dominant par- cent of the coal requirements had actually been suspecting Quick story came out. “It is ties in Tamil Nadu, it can be from domestic sources. to be a rash of prickly heat on “What cologne do you use? Shakespeare’s birthday to- It is very good and I have been understood that when the State Once the project commen- the back was actually MMM’s day,” screamed an announcer. sensitive skin reacting to following you wanting to know was ‘power surplus’, there was ces, Tamil Nadu will get the There was no way that MMM someone’s penetrating gaze. the brand.” could verify this, but he did no industrial development – entire 1600 MW of power gen- MMM turned back to see a It was an anticlimax. But wait to hear what followed. and during hectic industrial ac- erated. In this regard, UPCL man “with an eye like Mars to then MMM has survived to “On this day, we present you a tivity in the subsequent period, signed a Power Purchase Agree- threaten and command”, write this column. Tamil film song that has En- no fruitful steps were initiated ment with the Tamil Nadu looking sharply at MMM. If glish,” she said. MMM waited towards generating more power. Generation and Distribution MMM had had a guilty secret, with bated breath. What could We all know about the Corporation Ltd (TANGE- this eye would have detected Powerful’s power this be? It turned out to be Koodankulam Nuclear Power DCO) in January 2011. The it at once or perhaps knew all he Man from Madras Why this Kolaveri di! Project and the obstacles it has project would also benefit from about it already. T Musings, in all his inno- faced. The plant that was ready tax incentives under a ‘Mega Having peered short- cence, had assumed that power Where British jogged for commissioning was put on Power Status’. sightedly back at the gazer, cuts afflicted kings and com- hold for over nine months. The current status of the MMM walked away only to moners alike. But apparently he Man from Madras Musings is being consis- Well, there are other projects project is that the Tamil Nadu find that the prickly heat sen- that is not so. MMM got to T that too face problems of delay. Government has alienated over One of them is 305 ha of Gov- the Udangudi G by A Special ernment land for Supercritical Correspondent the project and Thermal Power has given ad- SHORT ’N’ SNAPPY Project in Tuti- ministrative corin District. The Rs. 8,000- sanction for the acquisition of crore, 2x800 MW project, an additional 116 ha of private which should have been com- lands. The State Government sation was increasing. Sure know of this while walking tently advised by the Chief missioned by 2011, is yet to take has also declared Udangudi a enough, the gazer was follow- along with a few others when that he ought not to be off. minor port for the captive use ing. And when MMM the conversation turned to- condescending towards those Now, the new government, of the Udangudi Power Corpo- stopped, so did he, always wards the timings of the two- who have no knowledge of his- having reviewed the project, ration Ltd. maintaining a respectable dis- hour power cuts in the respec- tory or heritage. “Fight this has taken the initiative to The project is to be devel- tance. Man and shadow had tive areas which those who tendency, MMM,” he has implement it. The completion oped with super-critical tech- reached a fairly secluded cor- were walking came from. And warned several times. And it is of the proposed power plant is nology to obtain benefits under ner of the temple where there then it transpired that one of entirely thanks to this that expected by 2016-17, with its the Clean Development was hardly anyone. MMM those walking was not contrib- MMM has taken to spending first unit expected to be Mechanism (a CDM Project), could picture the headlines: uting to the conversation at all. time with young journalists “Society scribe done in by But there came a point when once again, even going to the and it will have its own captive commissioned by March 2013. stalker” or “Murder comes to everyone else had given details extent of tolerating their call- The proposed date of coal jetty at Udangudi with MMM” or words to that ef- of his area’s power cut timings ing him ‘Uncle’. commencement of the project transportation of coal through a fect. and this gentleman had to But they do help in keeping activities at site was last month pipe conveyor system to the It was with a sinking feel- speak up. He turned a bright MMM ever smiling. Last (April 2012). power plant – a rare pheno- ing that MMM came to sus- shade of pink and confessed week, when one bright Originally, the erstwhile menon amongst thermal power pect that the man knew that he never had any power specimen called to know if Tamil Nadu Electricity Board projects in India. MMM’s identity. True, the cuts. MMM knew anything about (TNEB) and BHEL had signed But this supply may not be Chief had assured MMM that The reaction was varied. the jogging track of the Brit- a memorandum of understand- sufficient to meet the growing his true face would always Some were plain jealous, while ish, MMM was flummoxed. ing (MoU) in October 2007 to demand-supply gap. The Tamil remain a mystery but perhaps others who were of a more Mystery turned to admiration. implement the project through Nadu Government has an- information had leaked? Was charitable bent of mind won- Here was this young man who a joint venture, the Udangudi nounced power generation the man upset about the dered if the ‘powerful’ gent had found something that Power Corporation Ltd. projects to the tune of 3800 wretched story that MMM could have his mains hitched even the Chief would know had written a few months ago to those of a nearby hospital. nothing about. Did we not (UPCL). The State Govern- MW in the 2011-12 Budget. But that was not the case. need more of his ilk? May his ment has now decided to go it These include 1000 MW LNG- Someone in power was living tribe increase, thought MMM. all alone. It will fund the project fired power generation, the It remains to be seen in the neighbourhood and so Further enquiries, however, fully. proposed 660 MW Ennore whether this goal will be the area was spared of power revealed that he was referring In the initial stage, it was Thermal Power replacement achieved, given the fact that cuts. As simple as that! to the War Memorial on planned that both joint venture project, the 1000 MW Vallur these projects may not be ready Island Grounds. Its circular partners would invest 26 per Thermal Power Project, jointly exactly by the dates committed RIP – English shape, he said, gave him that cent each in the equity, and a executed with the Nuclear and, even if that happens, the clue. It reminded MMM of financial institution or a private Thermal Power Corporation, demand may not remain at the emorial to Benny another of the same breed who current level in a growth-ori- “MQuick,” read the said that he was pretty sure partner would bring in the bal- the 600 MW North Chennai that the Madras GPO was the ance stake. But the project did Thermal Power Station Stage-2 ented State. But, as of now, headline in a leading newspaper of the city, when it chose to an- residence of the Mughals in Tamil Nadu will turn out to be not make any headway except project, and the 600 MW nounce the laying of the foun- this city. It’s a pity the Taj for the partners, TNEB and Mettur Thermal Power Station self-sufficient once these dation stone for the structure. Mahal was not built here. BHEL, allocating Rs. 32.5 crore Stage-3. These projects are projects become a reality. Now who is Benny Quick, you – MMM each as project funding. expected to be commissioned (Courtesy: Our Building and There were no efforts taken between 2012 and 2015. Construction) May 1-15, 2012 MADRAS MUSINGS 3

This letter appeared in Current Science (v. 102: p. 1087, 2012) and was forwarded to Madras Musings as a contribution to the debate that has taken place in these columns from time to time. English: The heartbeat of world science Traits still common water. Congratulations to both authors. he results of the ACER–PISA test for speaking countries are putting a great effort to enjoyed reading the article Tannual global assessment of students’ skills improve their English-speaking abilities, as Ion Tambrahms (MM, April S.R. Rajagopal for 2011, conducted by the Organisation for English is seen as the ‘language of science’. 16th). Several traits that have 7/12, Peters Colony Economic Cooperation and Development, India, with a different historical been mentioned in the article Royapettah, Chennai 600 014 show the Chinese on the top and the Indians at background, is almost an English-speaking still continue to be seen among Getting it straight the last but one position among the South and country with limping standards. In spite of Tambrahms, despite the sweep- South East Asian nations. The analysis puts the ever-expanding higher education in the ing changes. While I agree that udha Venkataraman blame squarely on ‘ineffective’ English teaching country (around 200,000 institutions by the the profile of a typical Tam- S ([email protected]) in professional institutions and consequent end of the XI Plan period, 2007–2012, writes that she is the author of ‘inability’ of the students to frame a sentence including colleges, universities, IITs, IIMs and brahm has changed, not much on their own in English. A cartoon in an English polytechnics), a steady decline in English in terms of traits and character- ‘West Coast Brahmins’ (MM, daily, illustrating the article, shows the Indian standards is being observed. istics has changed from then to April 16th). She adds: The link students sleeping or chatting over a laptop, Thanks to e-mails, chatting, SMS and other now. Some other traits that I’ve to my runnersblok blog is incor- whereas the Chinese students take pains to computer and cell-phone operations all over found common among Tam- rect. It should be http:// learn and practise. the world, scientific English is receiving a brahms are finishing a meal runnersblok.blogspot.com/ Whether or not English is the international further jolt. The inability to comprehend good with thayir saadam irrespective 2011/12/west-coast- language of science is no more debated. The scientific English and publish good work is not of whichever cuisine they are brahmins.html. issue is the assessment of the contribution to confined to the non-English-speaking science by different linguistic nations vis-a-vis countries alone, with researchers from the UK, trying out, asking questions Sudha Venkataraman about the ‘water problems’ their standards in English, for discussing which USA, Canada or Australia no better. The Current Science has contributed much in the difference between the two groups is rather a (thanni kashtam) in the area, EDITOR’S NOTE: We regret past. With around 400 million people learning matter of quantity or number of grammar and and the stress on the centum the omission of the blogger’s English as first language across the world, 350 syntactic errors in English writing than in the culture/engineering courses/ name with the article. million people as second language, as in India, quality of expression and thematic logistics. 1* IIT. Wake-up call and over a billion people learning English as a C. Kavitha foreign language, as in China, Russia, Korea or 2 S. Srinivasa Ramanujam S. Sushma Raj ou keep writing ad nauseam Japan, it is no surprise that more than 60% of GITAM Institute of Science [email protected] Yabout heritage buildings, research publications are in English, with the GITAM University rest in vernaculars giving titles, abstracts or Visakhapatnam 530 045 Much appreciated culture et al. But have you ever written about, or cared to find parallel translations in English. ‘Non-English’ AMBRAHMS’ (MM, out, the state these so-called old 1Department of Electronics/Physics 2Department of English *[email protected] ‘TApril 16th) was an ex- heritage buildings are in? Or cellent piece of informative why? Take for instance Presi- on Gokhale Hall or the Bharat Mielapoor are less accessible to Rock Railway Hospital, writing on a community. The dency College. Every time I go Insurance Building. If some of the exertions of the Christian Trichinopoly. He was even author was right that behind- there to attend meetings of the these heritage buildings had missionary than the inhabitants then married to the hospital. I the-scene values put forth by alumni association I get been rebuilt, new edifices would of the interior generally; On still remember when my Brahmins come out through emotional. The corners of the have come up and generated the north side of Mielapoor youngest son, a baby, developed politicians and bureaucrats staircase have turned red with more money. Wake up to reali- there are many Mahommedan diphtheria at a time when it was even today. Even anti- betel leaf juice. No one is both- ties, at least now. inhabitants.” fatal for a child under two. He Brahminists keep Brahmins as ered. The teachers never ask P.B. Mani was with us night and day and Nimicheri Vignesh F8, Krishna Kutir their employees to take care of the students not to indulge in [email protected] but for him my son would not their interests because they this sickening habit. Near the 18, Justice Sundaram Road be alive today. have confidence in Brahmins library, where we have these Old Mylapore Mylapore, Chennai 600 004 At 90, all those of my gen- for their integrity and honesty. meetings, there are cigarette he Annual Brahmotsavam Give it life! eration who have known Dr. I wonder whether the pre- butts on the floor. Have you of Mylapore Temple was TJC will not forget him. We fol- sent settlement ‘Tambaram’ written about that? T adras Musings (April 1st) lowed him from Golden Rock to recently celebrated with pomp was right in bemoaning near Chennai relates to Then, the old Teachers’ Col- and grandeur. Wesleyan Mis- M Perambur Hospital to Vijaya Brahmins, Brahmins started liv- lege at Saidapet. The stately the fact that, after all the ex- Hospital to Devaki, wherever sionary Elijah Hoole, in his pensive restoration carried out ing in large numbers in building is hidden from view. book Madras, Mysore and South he went, like Mary had a little Tambaram when the place was When the metro rail work is on the Senate House building, it lamb! India published in 1844, was kept closed for long result- surrounded with paddy fields. over, this structure will be pulled described Mylapore as he saw it A distress call to him any Regarding the ‘West Coast down. I can bet on that. Or it will ing in its deterioration. time and his advice would put in 1820, thus: The reason for its non-use is Brahmins’ (MM, April 16th), just be totally neglected till we “The original Hindu town of us at rest. He had a rare God- the so-called Vadamas still forget its existence. not given. But any building kept given gift for diagnosis! Mielapoor stands at a short in regular use thrives better think they are superior to any Did you bother about private distance from the beach and Anna Varki other sub-sect within the buildings that remained idle – than one kept closed. Senate 1D, Rosamere Apts was never included within the House could be put to all the community because of drinking at Gemini corner, the old Safire Portuguese Port. It has a large 18, Harrington Road the fresh and holy Cauvery cinema, etc. You keep harping uses it was put to in the past, Chetpet, Chennai 600 031 ancient temple of considerable like language classes, lectures, repute; adjoining it is a deep meetings, conferences, convo- READABILITY PLEASE OUR ADDRESSES stone built tank, filling a very cations, etc. Dear Readers, large quadrangle, where the Being one of the finest As letters from readers increase, For matters regarding subscriptions, donations, non-receipt of natives bathe, and from which buildings of the colonial era, the we are receiving more and more receipts etc.: CHENNAI HERITAGE, 5, Bhattad Tower, 30, they supply themselves water. acme of Indo-Saracenic archi- hand written letters, many of them Westcott Road, Royapettah, Chennai 14. The annual festival of the tecture, it could be opened to in a hand so small and illegible or Madras Musings now has its own email ID. Letters to the editor temple is attended by tens of the public for guided tours for large and scrawled as to be can be sent via email to [email protected]. Those who thousand of worshippers, and is limited hours during the day unreadable. Often this leads to our wish to intimate change of address can also do so provided the celebrated with barbaric and a small fee charged for discarding a letter, particularly if subscription number is quoted. For non-receipt of copies, change splendour, and at great ex- going round the majestic hall some part of it is unreadable. of address, and all other circulation matters: Madras Musings, pense. There is no place within and enjoying its beauty. This If you wish us to consider your letter C/o Lokavani Southern Printers Pvt. Ltd., 122, Greames Road, the same distance of Madras would generate some revenue, for publication, please type it with enough space between lines or Chennai 600 006. where the traveller may see and the visiting public walking write it using a medium hand, On editorial matters: The Editor, Madras Musings, C/o Lokavani such an assemblage of Yogis, under its canopy would give it Sanyasins, Tabasis, Pandarams, clearly dotting the ‘i-s’ and crossing Southern Printers Pvt. Ltd., 122, Greames Road, Chennai 600 back its vibrancy. the ‘t-s’. 006. all the varieties of heathen N. Harinarayana priests, priestesses and devotees Many readers also try to fill every No personal visits or telephone calls, please. Letters received will 120, Big Street, Triplicane each making an exhibition of square centimetre of a postcard be sent from these addresses every couple of days to the persons Chennai 600 005 space, making reading or editing his peculiar mode of dress, wor- concerned and you will get an answer from them to your queries What a Doctor! impossible. reasonably quickly. Strange as it may seem, if you adopt the ‘snail ship and penance, as in Please help us to consider your mail’ approach, we will be able to help you faster and disappoint Mielapoor on this occasion. e have known Dr. T.J. letters more favourably by making you less. The Brahmans and other WCherian (MM, April 1st) them more legible for us. – THE EDITOR heathen inhabitants of from the time he was in Golden – THE EDITOR 4 MADRAS MUSINGS May 1-15, 2012 May 1-15, 2012 MADRAS MUSINGS 5

G Perambur Railway Hospital computer was looked at with great suspicion, and the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Mehrothra, An exchange of going around promising people, A remarkable ‘If you let me keep the computer in your room, we will help aircondition it.’ I agreed and so learnt G Basic and DW Basic, letters journey and that knowledge helped me ithout Mathuram Bhoo- are not meant for posterity temple’s courtyard in Chennai – design a new heart valve for Wthalingam and P.G. Sun- though I suspect they are being letters from a married lady to a which I have a US patent!” adds dararajan having known one an- written in the knowledge that married gentleman... sollunga Dr. Balakrishnan. to excellence Dr. Balakrishnan also has other, there would have been no they are going into some little saar, adhu sariyaa? They have to letters between them. Without box or cabinet, some table- raise not just eyebrows but hack- Krithika Chitti (Continued from last fortnight) fond memories of the hospital canteen, the ICF Club where those letters, there would have drawer or old trunk where they les. This is a reflection on us, our emotional trust. And that rela- Every serious relationship The proposed new hospital complex. they played tennis or badminton been no relationship between will be excavated from in a lonely limitations. Two individuals are, tionship of trust is at a discount 1993 souvenir echoes many pro- compensates for a lack in other every evening, jogging around them. Without a relationship be- hour, by a lonely lamp, for a above all, individuals. Whether today. A PRH’s philosophy, “...to cesses in the relationships. Oravu enradu the Perambur Stadium, and trav- tween them, their knowing one lonely read when no one else is they are man and woman, mar- * * * provide comprehensive health care develop- 1978 and brought the team to- currently heads FORTIS Malar’s saadarana vishayam illai. Puhaiyil elling by Bus No. 35 to Egmore. another and writing to each looking. ried or otherwise, has to be be- There is another reason why to the patients, upgrade the techni- ment of the gether!” Cardio Vascular Care Unit, was than uruvaugal vasikkum. Every year, between December other could have been a thing of * * * side the point, especially when this volume is so cal knowledge of the doctors and institution. Instrumental in contributing around 30 years old when he first The more undefined relation- 23rd and 31st and also from May no importance or interest. precious. Letters provide the necessary equipment He remem- several improvements to the in- landed at PRH in the late 1980s. ship, the more it is likely to be se- 15th to June 1st the Cardiac Unit But that conjunction did oc- are becoming an needed for a high quality of service bers driving frastructure and facilities not He recalls nostalgically, “As cure, provided others do not in- was closed. “We had our best cur. Mathuram Bhoothalingam endangered species to the beneficiaries.” In this con- Dr. K.A. Abraham down from only at the Perambur hospital ADMO, I was allotted a house terfere with it. Defined relation- family holidays then. Wherever as Krithika and P.G. Sunda- of writing. With the nection, a 2003 record notes: Vellore in but also at other railway hospi- next to the hospital, and when it ships can also be secure, but we went, there was a Railway rarajan as Chitti did meet and get emergence of the e- “Till date, over 40,000 cardiac his old Fiat car, to be given a two- tals in the Southern region, Dr. rained anywhere, it poured in- rather like contracts entered into guesthouse and free travel, and to write the letters which K.R.A. mail and the SMS, catheterisations and about 9000 in- room apartment on the campus Abraham was also responsible for side! The nearest life was in in faith and sustained in perse- often a TT or station manager or Narasiah has with sensitivity letters, hand-writ- terventions have been performed.” and Rs.2200 salary per month. making the hospital’s Cardiology Dasaprakash, Kellys or Noor Ho- verance. ground staff would come up to us double-distilled into a slim book, ten and ‘proper’ let- The first telemedicine net- He further recalls, “The PRH and Cardiac Surgery Depart- tel near the Ayanavaram bus Chitti and Krithika reposed and greet me because our team the size of which belies its ters, are a rarity. work in Indian Railways con- was at first just a ‘Sick and Fit’ ment a teaching centre from stand. What luxury we experi- trust in one another’s sensibility, would have operated on one of strength. Imagine today’s nected RH Trichy to PRH in Hospital. In the 1950s some 1984, training students for the enced, with six free railway travel discretion and restraint in a rela- his family members. Those were * * * young generation 2004 under the late Dr. G.C. order came about under Dr. E. Diplomate of National Board of passes and a salary of Rs. 1100, tionship that did not suffer ow- great days, and I miss them very S. Bhoothalingam was not in- producing a Raju, then Medical Director. Somasekhar, a surgeon and the Examinations. Soon after, it which we never needed to spend ing to lack of conventional typi- much!” he sighs rather emotion- terested in diminishing or abridg- Krithika and Chitti The PRH’s Department of first Southern Railway Chief came to be recognised for train- on anything! When Dr. TJC fications. ally. Today there are a few more ing Mathuram Bhoothalingam’s fifty years from now. Otorhinolaryngology and Head Medical Officer (1951-1954). ing in many other specialities like went to the US on work, I Their correspondence is, cardiac surgery centres in differ- sensibility. On the contrary, he They will have and Neck Surgery is also consid- He introduced rules for the Rail- Ob Gyn, Orthopaedics, ENT headed the Unit. We had pa- therefore, not just about their ent zones in Indian Railways, but was a truly modern and emanci- acute observations ered a pioneering institute for la- way Medical Department and and so on. A record of that pe- tients from across India, mainly times, but about all that which is the Southern Railway cardiac pated man in frank admiration, to make, no doubt. ser surgeries. put the Railway Hospitals on the riod notes, “From barely a couple from the Eastern, Northern and refined, restrained and redemp- surgery unit in Perambur is even awe, of his gifted wife. But a They will have Dr. K.A. Abraham was the map! Thereafter came Dr. P.A. of surgeries a week in 1978, the South Eastern Railways. It was tive about human relationships. recognised for its low mortality flask, even when transparently points of view that first qualified cardiologist to join Menon (1957-1966), an hospital has become a leading refer- truly a great example of how a rate and its dedicated patient self-abnegating as the protector are both interesting (Excerpted from Gopal Krishna PRH. That was in August 1978. excellent surgeon and good ad- ral centre. The cardiology wing public institution can work by care. and preserver of the temperature and valuable. But Gandhi’s address after releasing He came from the Christian ministrator, who strengthened with its 110 beds performs 2,500 trusting young people and giving Though the hospital itself has of its content, is a flask. It con- will they have the Lettered Dialogue, compiled by Medical College, Vellore, and the hospital structure. Then procedures, besides 1,000 open- them the responsibility of mak- The first question that came what are being written are letters kept pace with advances in the tains, it holds, it secures. But it language, the expression? Will K.R.A. Narasiah and published by during his next 25 years at PRH, came Dr. TJC who was CMO heart surgeries, in a year.” ing an efficient service. to me was: Were Krithika and that contain reflections, observa- medical fields, the existing build- does not, indeed it cannot, per- they have the feel for Palaniappa Brothers.) he streamlined and standardised from February 1977 to August Dr. K.R. Balakrishnan, who “I remember how our first Chitti in love? tions. ing is unable to cope. A new mit the substance within to take communication? But no, no such luck. Why one wants to say some- Southern Railway Headquarters a shape other than its own. Krithika says in one letter to Then, the next question that thing to one particular person, Hospital was envisaged in 2005 Whence arises the need for a Chitti: “My four days in Madras came to me was: Were Krithika and not to another, why some and sanctioned, with a total pseudonym. When women use seem a dream now. Not so our and Chitti into some joint con- jokes are best shared with one built-up area of approximately them, they gain the joy of an long morning drives; I still feel fessional? and nor another, why one would 500,000 sq ft. The nine-storied independent identity. the sands of Mahabalipuram AN OLD BOY’S ADVICE Again, no luck. wish to exclude someone, even new complex would be a well- Krithika is, if anything, beating against my cheeks.....” Were they seeking shoulders very close, while talking to some- equipped state-of-the-art build- independent. Independent in That would perhaps be rendered to lean on, perhaps even to cry one else, all these questions are efore I came to Madras greatly enjoyed my subsidiary What did I learn from my time and their fellow Indian citizens, ing, with Rs.1.5 crore computer- what she chooses to think of and on SMS like this: “Hey Chits... 4 on? impossible to answer. That is Christian College (MCC) subjects and was an active par- at MCC? The importance of by acting with honesty, integrity, based navigation orthopaedic independent in what and how dez Mds total dream, yar. But B No. They were utterly self- how it is. Human relationships for my university education, I ticipant in extracurricular activi- working as a team, the ability to objectivity, efficiency and in a surgery equipment. she chooses to write upon. thoz morn drives! Awsum... possessed. are not to be dissected. They are was greatly privileged to study at ties, including quiz, debating, communicate, and lead by ex- selfless manner whilst striving to The incumbent Medical Di- But hers is not the indepen- M’pur sands biting me mug... Are they the Karuthamma to be observed. Lawrence School, Lovedale. It is athletics, NCC and table tennis. ample, and the need to get things be the best themselves. rector Dr. dence of vagrancy. It is the inde- wow”. and Pareekutti of Thakazhi’s These are letters because they a boarding school with a military However, the highlight of my done. MCC greatly increased my How can this be achieved? I Kannan, a pendence of one who has a ticket But believe me, if the Krithika Chemmeen? happen to be written. They could bias whose excellent headmaster time at MCC was being Prime self-confidence and self-belief. It make a few suggestions for the paediatri- in her hand, an open ticket, with and Chitti of 2052 are true de- destinations unmarked. She No! well have been conversations. in my time was K.I. Thomas, Minister of St Thomas’s Hall in was at MCC that I realised the future: cian with scendants in spirit of our And then I realised I was They could well have been who went on to found ‘Sishya’ in 1962-63. It was a great experi- importance of focussing on qual- By outstanding leadership PRH since travels, she does not lurch. And Krithika and Chitti, I would say missing the whole point of the thoughts unexpressed, but con- Chennai. The school, like MCC, ence which moulded me in de- ity and being the best. from the top, with leaders cho- 1991, in her letters to Chitti, she jour- their SMS correspondence letters. I was trying to find the veyed. Krithika’s and Chitti’s let- was set in 800 acres of forest and veloping leadership and team- I also learned that to do well sen on merit, with no place for speaks neys with a companion with an would be a good read. Let us not predictable and the trite in what ters do not lead up to or culmi- at 6500 feet above sea level. It work skills, honed my communi- you had to enjoy what you did. It politics. The golden standard be- proudly of identical travel document. How be prudes. was altogether different, fresh nate in anything. But they do ag- was founded in 1858. is a mistake made by many stu- ing selfless outstanding leaders the new de- delicious, how altogether delec- Letters written in a relation- Given by Dr. Paul Sabapathy, CBE, Dr. Kannan and autonomous. I was trying to gregate into something. They ag- When I joined MCC, the dents and parents chasing the like the Rev. Miller, Boyd and velopments table, to travel with someone ship of trust are, therefore, a pre- Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands find the stereo-typical in what gregate into an understanding, a Principal was Rev.J.R. Macphail, money and the prestige of being Devanesan. This in no way im- to be. “Very soon, the new 600- who becomes a friend on the cious transaction which, when was original. kind of compact, which says ‘We who taught me English. He was a doctor or an IAS Officer rather plies that the current Principal plus bed hospital will come up at journey, with no worries of one is given the chance to read make me go through the indigni- cation and organisational skills, Unless Narasiah has edited agree not to seek agreement or followed by Dr Chandran than doing what they love doing. was not chosen on merit. The re- an estimated cost of Rs.110 excess baggage on one’s hand or with legitimacy, is a privileged ties of ragging which was com- and focussed on excellence. out things which belonged to the concordance, only communica- Devanesan, the first Indian to So when I changed from Physics sponsibility for recruiting, nur- crore. The existing hospital pre- left-luggage to be collected on experience. mon at the time. Also coming Organising a Hall Day success- return, only conversation, recol- world of privileged commun- tion’. We need to express our- hold the post. He did this with from an English medium school fully takes some doing. to Business Studies, which I en- turing and retaining outstanding mises and the proposed new hos- great drive, distinction and pa- joyed, success followed. leaders rests with the Board. lection, and banter! ciation, there is no indication selves on things we do not have * * * used to military discipline, com- The night was an outstanding pital complex will be available for nache. * * * By recruiting, motivating And yet the letters between that Eros hides somewhere the chance to in the ordinary Chitti comes through the bined with my self-confidence, success. Unfortunately one of my establishing the Railway Medical Krithika and Chitti are not light. between the lines of these letters. transactions of life. pages of this volume as a man of When I joined PUC in 1958 was a great advantage. What is my vision for the fu- and retaining the best teachers College. With basic specialities and stayed in St Thomas’s Hall, hall-mates, a university hockey ture for MCC? My vision is that and researchers of any creed. They are not chat. They are not If Eros does, that would be good Krithika wrote voluminously, firm views, assessments and even St. Thomas’s Hall was a player, got drunk and started in 15 disciplines and super-speci- ‘side-stuff’. They are about the for Eros. If Eros does not, it mat- as did Chitti. She wrote as she predispositions. In other words, I took to college like duck to wa- friendly place with an excellent MCC will become an educa- This will be enabled by human alities in three disciplines, the ter, as I had the great advantage pulling the fairy lights decorating tional institution of excellence resource development practices times, about people, about what ters not. thought, without translating her as a man who would have been a warden in Prof. M.A. Thangaraj, the Hall. Fearing electrocution a hospital is sought out for post- is being written, thought, said. Letters from a man to another words for official acceptance. delight to know and a trouble to of coming from an excellent who went on to be Principal of by providing students with the which reward excellence and do graduate training. It’s amazing boarding school environment at few of us had to restrain him and highest quality educational expe- not accept mediocrity. They do not seek the other’s cor- man, from a woman to another Krithika and Chitti need to be disagree with. In his letters to American College, Madurai. I took a cold shower with him in how the early small unit at the roboration, though they some- woman would raise no eyebrows. read not because they were liter- Krithika he is obviously seeking Lovedale. I was confident and, After my PUC, I did my B.Sc. rience to enable each student to Enable students to be highly PRH has metamorphosed!” as you can see, I am big in stat- my suit, to get him sober, which achieve his/her full potential, to sought after by employers by in- times seem to revel in approval. But letters, a whole series of ary geniuses or they were social and discovering one he can ex- Physics which was a great mis- we successfully did. Truly, it has been a remark- They do not seek to impress, them, stretching over more than philosophers, but they were two change his thoughts with, almost ure and quite capable of looking take on my part, as I did not en- become highly educated, respon- culcating in them high moral and able journey! after myself, so no one dared sible citizens committed to bet- ethical values combined with though they sometimes seem to four decades from – and let me individuals in a relationship of as if in an exercise of self-nour- joy the subject. I, however, * * * – Shobha Menon like having that effect. They also speak as if I am seated in a trust, intellectual, cultural and ishment. tering themselves, their families (Continued on page 6) (Concluded) 6 MADRAS MUSINGS May 1-15, 2012 METERPODU

(Current Affairs questions are from the period April 1st to 15th. – A work in progress Questions 11 to 20 pertain to Chennai and Tamil Nadu.) nce upon a time, auto- A tech-savvy NRI, recently He explains the psychology 1. The 100th anniversary of which rickshaws in the city had returned to his home town, behind the crowd-sourcing tool celebrated maritime disaster was O observed on April 14th-15th? functioning meters, so the leg- decided to do something about Meterpodu. “So let’s say an end goes. this. Crowd-sourcing, a form of autodriver demands Rs. 50 to go logging in via Twitter, Face- 2. Among much media attention, a book or Gmail,” says Mayur. Pakistani scientist, incarcerated in Asking auto-drivers to turn distributed problem solving, from T’ Nagar to Saidapet from on that boxy contraption today could be the answer. “I figured 10 consecutive commuters. Their input goes into a data Ajmer, was granted bail by the base that computes the average Supreme Court of India recently. is like committing a small crime. that the only way to get some Each of them refuses and His name? The unrevised, State-fixed fare parity is if a whole bunch of us counter-quotes a sum of Rs. 40. fare. Now, with that number in 3. On April 12th, two powerful is blatantly unfair to these men decided that we were only go- The 11th commuter is likely to hand, every user can hope to earthquakes struck the coast of (only a few of them these days) ing to pay Rs. x and not Rs. y be quoted a fare of Rs. 40, since drive a decent bargain with any Sumatra, creatines tremors in India in khaki. But pay the arbitrary that the drivers demanded,” the driver doesn’t want to price auto-driver in the city. too. Of which Asian nation is sum they demand and, chances says Ananthanarayanan K. himself out of the market.” How is Meterpodu faring? Sumatra a part? Subramanian (Anantha, for Anantha teamed up with a are that it won’t be fair to you The new tool got good press. 4. Who was re-elected as General short). friend, Mayur Narasimhan, and in the long run. What gives? “A lot of people began polling Secretary of the CPI (M) for a third designed a system to collect fare consecutive term at the party’s con- the system to find out fares,” data, process the numbers, and gress in Kozhikode recently? says Anantha. “The fare for- Keep Meterpodu ticking provide commuters useful infor- 5. The 30th anniversary of which mula the system uses is dated war between an European country 1. Go to www.meterpodu.in. It has a very straightforward mation. If you key in two loca- circa 2007, which is when the and a South American nation was interface. tions, the system looks up government last revised fares. Google Maps and calculates the observed recently? 2. Look up fares for your destination.If the government fare So it will quote average fares distance between them. It 6. Which celebrated writer’s first comes up, it means no user has contributed a fare for that that are a lot less than what is arrives at the official fare based adult novel will be called The route yet. Otherwise, you get an average fare as well. And being demanded on the roads.” Casual Vacancy? that is your bargaining chip. on the fare chart. The driver The number can only lead to 3. If you are a Facebook user or a Gmail user, Meterpodu lets may not take the same route, 7. Another book question. British angst that the auto-drivers writer William Boyd has been asked you submit fares. The credentialing is necessary to prevent but this a good enough approxi- to write a new novel which will random submissions from people or bots. aren’t plying according to the mation. government-set fares, says feature which iconic hero who 4. You can also query @meterpodu, or contribute to it, via What users actually pay on battles the world’s evil forces? your Twitter account. Mayur. 5. Meterpodu lets you look up fares for free. But if you never the ground is very different, of 8. At which U.S. airport was Shah course. “Users can contribute Meterpodu enjoyed an ini- Rukh Khan recently detained by contribute fares, there may be precious little to draw from at tial wave of popularity. Nobody some point. these fares for various routes authorities, leading to a diplomatic likes to be fleeced and the auto- issue? driver is a convenient villain in 9. Which famous tech company a farce of a transport system. affirmed its status as the world’s HOPE FOR HERITAGE ACT “We don’t have anything most valuable company after against auto-drivers,” Anantha breaching the $600 billion mark in (Continued from page 1) passage of a Heritage Act. Only have been consumed by fire. market valuation? hastens to clarify. “Most of then can we have some legal And Bharat Insurance Building them rent the rickshaws they 10. Instagram, the popular photo with INTACH in 1999 and protection for heritage build- would not be facing an uncer- drive and are forced to do what sharing application, has been then by the CMDA and ings and sites. tain future. However, with they do because their owners snapped up by which popular INTACH in 2002. The second online giant for $1 billion? Readers of Madras Musings Queen Mary’s College being squeeze them.” time was when the Justice need hardly be reminded that threatened in 2003, the draft * * * The lull that came later is Padmanabhan Committee was the draft of a Heritage Act, at regulations were quietly 11. What is the anglicised name of harder to explain. While put together by the High Court least for the city of Madras, was forgotten. Since then there the fort town called Sadurangapat- Meterpodu costs commuters in connection with a case on completed as far back as 1999 have been attempts at revival in tinam? nothing, everyone stands to outdoor hoardings. The report and had it been adopted then fits and starts but nothing 12. In which town, synonymous gain once it reaches its poten- of that Committee, of which we would not be a city minus concrete has emerged. All this with a famous literary work, can tial. Yet, few contribute fares. you pass through road-arches INTACH was also a member, buildings such as Gandhi Illam, despite the fact that there is a Usually, crowd-sourcing in- named after Ilango Adigal, Kovalan formed the basis of the 2010 Capper House, the erstwhile groundswell of public opinion in volves some form of gratifica- and Manimekalai, among others? judgement referred to above Madras Club building on Ex- favour of a Heritage Act. What tion, but here the user gets no 13. How many kuzhis are there in which resulted in the formation press Estates, and Government is needed is quick action. instant reward. the traditional version of ‘Pallan- of the HCC. House. Chepauk Palace may not guzhi’? Even before that, INTACH Still, is that the hold-up? 14. Which famed jewellers had had drawn up its own list for the “May be it is our mistake that their showroom at Shankar’s Build- City’s municipal limits. What we haven’t stressed it enough, ing (or Diamond House) on the needs now to be looked at is a An Old Boy’s advice but the whole point is for folks Esplanade in Chennai before Hotel fine tuning of these lists into to contribute fares to the system Saravana Bhavan occupied the (Continued from page 5) Ensure all lecturers have a premises in the 1990s? one comprehensive list and teaching qualification. and build up a database of then identifying heritage build- 15. Who wrote the Poompavai developing their intellectual, Explore introducing fares,” says a bemused Anantha. Pathigam? ings in Greater Chennai and communication, teamwork, subjects like Finance, Law, So, right now, the system is 16. On what vahana do Kapalees- elsewhere in the State. leadership and enquiry skills Banking, Pharmacy and Phar- missing a vital piece. warar and Karapagambal ride after The decision to include the with an ability and work ethic macology which have links with To make Meterpodu an ef- their wedding on the tenth day of entire State within the ambit of to apply their theoretical existing subjects like Commerce fective tool, the first order of the annual festival in Panguni? the proposed Heritage Commis- knowledge to solving practical and Chemistry. business would be to drive more 17. Name the famed builder who sion is commendable. So far, the problems. Improve student employ- fare contributions into the sys- tended to the ailing Srinivasa heritage movement has been ability by considering teaching tem. There are tweaks in the Use new technology to Ramanujan on his return to Madras fairly dormant in most towns of subjects like Mandarin, Portu- works. Currently, it is a in 1919. the State, resulting in large- make best use of student and lecturer contact time to explain guese, and presentational skills. smartphone application, but its 18. What is the claim to fame of scale desecration and wrecking Also set up an Advisory Man- creators plan to release an SMS- Nathamuni and Govindu after rather than dictating notes. of heritage sites which are not agement Board for each subject based version for non- whom streets are named in T’ protected by the Archaeologi- Run the college on business Nagar in Chennai? with outside experts and em- smartphones users. cal Survey of India. It is impera- principles of efficiency, effec- ployers who can advise on how 19. Which Chennai theatre was Thanks to technology, and tive that the legislation consti- tiveness, and investing to save, students can meet employers’ the first to get a wide screen – way tuting the Commission is passed so surpluses can be generated to individual initiative, we have a back in the 1960s? needs. handy tool to set fair prices for at the earliest. What is even invest in improving equipment In all this I am talking with 20. Paul Benfield, a 18th Century or buildings to improve student routes all over the city. Collec- EIC engineer, is credited with first more important is that the 17 years’ experience in higher Commission should work experience. tively, we may be able to resolve showcasing Indo-Saracenic archi- education in the UK, including an issue that had us haggling quickly in getting its list of heri- tecture to the world with which Know which courses cover seven years as Chairman of Bir- and hand-wringing in the past. building in Chennai? tage sites together and ensuring their cost, so efficiencies can be mingham City University which (Answers on page 8) that the list is notified with the made. has 23,000 students. – Vijaysree Venkatraman May 1-15, 2012 MADRAS MUSINGS 7 The economist as a Shakespearean economists of the 1970s and mostly on economics – about came to be known as the ‘Slater four of which are related to In- tradition’. dia. (In his 1924 book The Slater’s contribution to Dravidian Elements in Indian scholar Indian economics is significant. Culture, Slater suggests an A birthday feature He presided over the Annual Egyptian origin for South here has been many an Conference of the Indian Eco- Indian Brahmins even while reached with the disappearance TEnglishman who loved In- nomic Association held in accepting the prevalent Medi- of the Dravidian vernaculars.” dia and worked tirelessly for its Allahabad in 1920. One of terranean race theory for other Today, apart from a few eco- people and preservation of its Slater’s distinguished pupils was South Indian people.) nomic historians and heritage cultural heritage. While the Sir M. Ct. Muthiah Chettiar of Slater strongly supported the buffs, Slater remains largely for- story of the lay adventurer or the MCt family who founded retention of English as the me- gotten. missionary who had fought in United India Life Insurance and dium of instruction in the However, unlike in India, in India’s freedom struggle has whose more popular son Madras Presidency. In The England, Slater is a well-known been only too well documented, M.Ct.M. Chidambaram Chet- Dravidian Elements in Indian figure to a small but influential the contributions of academi- tiar would later found the Culture, he prophesied the circle of Shakespearean scho- cians like Gilbert Slater, Edgar Indian Overseas Bank and destruction of local vernaculars lars. His 1931 book Seven Thurston and Kathleen Gough Travancore Rayons Limited. if Hindustani or any other Shakespeares is a must-read for have all but vanished from Slater also wrote a foreword to Indian language was made the students of alternative author- public memory. Most of the Dr. Gilbert Slater L.C. Jain’s book, Indigenous medium of instruction ship theories of Shakespeare’s aforesaid individuals spent only Banking in India. In 2009, the “All India labours under a and he set sail for India after works. In the book, Slater a few years of their lives in University of Madras published very serious disadvantage be- spending a few days trying to claims that the plays believed to India, but their impact on a set of essays on Indian rural cause the language which is the familiarise himself with the have been written by Shakes- Indological studies has been economy and dedicated them medium of all higher instruc- Tamil language. peare were actually penned by immense. to Slater’s memory. tion is different from the lan- Slater served as Professor of seven different authors in differ- While Thurston lived in Economics at the University of India at the turn of the 20th ent times. The seven, according Madras from 1915 to 1921. Dis- G by K. Ravichander to Slater, were Francis Bacon, Century and Gough arrived satisfied with the college text- shortly after the Dominion of [email protected] the English dramatist Christo- books which were based on the pher Marlowe, the 5th Earl of India had been inaugurated, economic conditions prevailing Slater arrived in Madras during Rutland, Mary Sidney of Pem- in developed countries and, at broke, the explorer Sir Walter the Great War when British the same time, convinced that Slater was nominated to the guage of the home. For the rule in India was at its zenith Madras Legislative Council in present, Dravida suffers least. Raleigh who founded Virginia, villages formed the lifeline of the Elizabethan army officer Sir and yet there were signs – like India, Slater encouraged his November 1921. In the Coun- On the average a student of the the emergence of the Home cil, Slater was one of the Madras University saves about William Stanley and Edward de students to conduct a detailed Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford. Rule League – that its demise survey of their native villages in government’s well-known “yes a year, as compared with stu- was not far off. Born in men” along with the likes of Sir dents of other Indian univer- Slater suggests that all of the Madras Presidency. He in- Shakespeare’s plays may have Plymouth, England, on August structed his students to gather C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar and Sir sities, in the time necessarily 27, 1864 in a middle-class fam- Muhammad Usman and was spent in the preliminary study of been authored as part of information on decadal popula- England’s propaganda against ily, Slater had his education in tion variations, land ownership, the target of constant brickbats English before beginning his England and graduated in eco- from the Indian National Con- chosen course of study. But, on its 16th Century rival, Spain, cost of land cultivation, occu- and their authorship was attrib- nomics from the University of pations of the people and the gress benches. Slater’s stint as the other hand, the develop- Cambridge. He worked as a member of the Council was ment of Bengali, Hindi or Urdu uted to William Shakespeare in income and expenditure of order to hide the real identities lecturer at Balliol House and individual families. The survey brief and insignificant, but for into an efficient medium for Toynbee Hall and was Principal his proposal for the adoption of scientific and general education of their creators. Slater, thus, – the results of which were pub- hints at the presence of a large of Ruskin College from 1909 to lished in 1918 as the book Some a common script for the whole is a much more hopeful propo- 1915. During this time, he was Presidency. sition than the modernising of and well-organised conspiracy, South Indian Villages – covered and at the head of the con- active in the British Labour districts as diverse and far apart Slater sailed for England in any Dravidian language to at- Movement and supported 1923, but returned a few years tain the same result. Northern spiracy, he places the Earl of as North Arcot and Malabar Oxford – the ringleader, who union representation in the and Ramnad and Kistna. These later as Labour Commissioner India can reasonably hope to college’s administration. When for the Presidency. He went make one of its vernaculars the was instrumental in convincing villages, numbering eleven in Shakespeare to lend his name. the Great War broke out, the all, later became popularly back to England again in the literary and scientific organ of college shut down leaving Slater late-1920s, this time never to between two and three hundred While there have been many known as ‘Slater villages’ and who have questioned the au- jobless. Fortunately, after a were resurveyed from time to return. Slater died in his home million people; unification of short wait, Slater was offered in England on March 8, 1938. the language of the masses with thenticity of Shakespeare’s time, some as late as 2008. The works, Slater was one of only the newly-created economics methodology pioneered by During his lifetime, Slater the language of the learned in chair at the Madras University wrote more than a dozen books, South India is most likely to be three to suggest a “group Slater was adopted by Marxist theory” of authorship, the oth- ers being Harold Johnson (who, CHENNAI HERITAGE in 1910, attributed Shakes- Far from pedestrian peare’s works to a bunch of No. 5, Bhattad Tower, 30, Westcott Road, Royapettah, Chennai 600 014 Jesuits) and H.T.S. Forrest I am already on your mailing list (Mailing List No...... ) / (who, in his 1923 book The Five I have just seen Madras Musings and would like to receive it hereafter. friendly Authors of Shakespeare’s Sonnets, G I/We enclose cheque/demand draft/money order for Rs. 100 (Rupees One hundred) proposes that Shakespeare’s payable to CHENNAI HERITAGE, MADRAS, as subscription to Madras Musings for the (Continued from page 1) terms of safety. Elsewhere, in sonnets could have been writ- year 2012-13. some cities, pedestrians practise ten by five different people, G As token of my support for the causes of heritage, environment and a better city that Lastly, at the same time, we road discipline, too. We need to thereby pioneering a theory Madras Musings espouses, I send Chennai Heritage an additional need to recognise that the pe- educate our people on this. which Slater probably built Rs...... destrian is no paragon of virtue All this requires a great will, upon). (Rupees ...... ) Please keep / put me on your mailing list. in our city. Jaywalking is ram- greater coordination and an A portrait unveiled by the Name : ...... pant and, let us face it, most of enormous effort. What we are former Finance Minister of the concrete medians in the city witnessing on the roads is a Address: ...... Tamil Nadu, Prof. K. Anba- are witness to pedestrians jump- culmination of several years of zhagan, at the campus of the ...... ing over them to cross roads at apathy. But it is never too late University of Madras, on Janu- Note: Overseas postage Rs. 550/year extra. Cheques for overseas postage alone payable what appear to them to be the to make a start in a new ary 22, 2009, is the only monu- to M/s. Lokavani Southern Printers Pvt. Ltd. All other cheques to ‘Chennai Heritage’. most convenient spots in terms direction. ment in the city dedicated to DD/Cheque should be sent by Speed Post only. of distance but certainly not in Slater. 8 MADRAS MUSINGS May 1-15, 2012 A Chola temple near Tambaram May, June & July: Sakti Burman Till May 30: Macro World, a pho- ne among the numerous Tirumullaivayil and Kunnattur Retrospective, a travelling show tography exhibition of flora and Omonuments under the and also of Sadasiva Raya (16th by Apparao Gallery on Sakti fauna by Poochi Venkat and his protection of the Archaeo- Century C.E.), during whose Burman, a well-known con- students: Flora and Fauna (at logical Survey of India in and reign the sack of the glorious temporary artist who was born in DakshinaChitra). around Chennai is the historic city of Vijayanagara (present- India and lives in France. There Till June 15: A solo show of Sophie will be over 100 paintings, water Jo’s paintings. Her brilliantly Dhenupurishwarar temple in day Hampi) took place. In colours, drawings and litho- coloured works are inspired by Madambakkam, close to Tam- Chennai, an inscription of the graphs (at DakshinaChitra). everyday life that she captures baram. It is a temple dating time of this emperor is found in with a sense of humour (at back to Chola times and much the Parthasarathi temple in Apparao Galleries). enlarged in the subsequent Entrance to Dhenupurishwarar Tiruvallikeni. as Anidhira Mangalam is gath- June 1-17: Paintings and sculpture Vijayanagara era. Walking into Temple, Madambakkam. Going around the sanctum ered from a Chola inscription by Shanthi (at DakshinaChitra). the temple is like going back in for Goddess Parvati, enshrined found in the Nitya Kalyana June 20-30: Puppets of South In- time. the temple around the apsidal- here as Dhenukambal, is Perumal temple at Tiruvidandai dia from the DakshinaChitra col- The entrance is through a shaped main sanctum is a de- equally rewarding as there are (another A.S.I. protected his- lection (at DakshinaChitra). half-completed gopuram of light for historians, archaeo- records on the walls belonging toric temple) on the East Coast DakshinaChitra Workshops Vijayanagara workmanship. logists and heritage-enthusiasts to the reign of the illustrious Road which records a donation For children Most visitors hurrying in and since there are numerous epi- emperor Jatavarman Sundara of gold to the sabha (administra- May 11: Junk Art out of this monument miss see- graphs to be seen on the north, Pandya (1251-1268 C.E.), in- tive organisation of a village) at May 18: Traditional games ing the intricate carvings on the south and west outer walls of scribed in the 13th Century Anidhira Mangalam alias May 25: Pottery & Clay Model- sides and the ceiling of this en- the shrine. Neatly etched in Tamil letters. It was this heroic Madambakkam. From its inter- ling trance gateway. If we stood and Tamil script of the Chola and monarch who transformed the est earning they agreed to sup- looked, it would be our mute Vijayanagara times, these Pandyan kingdom into an em- ply a certain amount of ghee For adults tribute to the unnamed artisans records, which register dona- pire of which the territory now every day for a lamp in the Till May 6: Table Mat Weaving of the 15-16th Centuries who tions of land, livestock and known as Chennai was a part. Tiruvidandai temple. Till May 12: Studio Pottery sculpted such minute designs other details, are a mine of in- Madambakkam was known A polished granite slab near May 25-27: Glass Fusing and figures on the hard granite formation for understanding in the Chola days as Ulaguyya- the main gopuram of the (jewellery) ceiling more than twenty feet the past. The Chola epigraphs vanda-Chola-Chaturvedi- Madambakkam temple, do- June 8-10: Kalamkari + Kalahasti visit high. Passing through this here are dated to the kings of mangalam. It was situated in nated by a philanthropist in the gopuram, you see a multi- the 13th Century C.E., like the ancient territorial sub-divi- recent past, has the accurate For details: 98417 77779 pillared mandapam in which Kulottunga III and Rajaraja III. sion of Nedukundra-Nadu, in details of the history of this each stone pillar is studded with Of Vijayanagara times, there Puliyur-kottam aka Kulot- temple neatly etched in English many superb sculptures of dei- are a number of inscriptions of tunga-Chola-Valanadu, a sub- and Tamil. A worthy donation Answers ties. Emperor Mallikarjuna (15th division of Jayamkonda-Chola- indeed, as it helps visitors It is interesting to know that Century C.E.) whose lithic mandalam. The fact that realise they are in a historic site to Quiz the most ancient inscription in records have also been found in Madambakkam was also known more than a thousand years old. Madambakkam was not found It is a delight to visit this an- 1. Sinking of the Titanic; 2. Dr. in the temple, but dug out from cient Siva temple in Madam- Khalil Chisty, 3. Indonesia; 4. the backyard of a house of one bakkam. Not only is it spick and Prakash Karat; 5. Falklands War; 6. of the residents of the village. span, the centuries-old gopu- J.K. Rowling; 7. James Bond; 8. This stone slab, already dam- ram, mandapams and sanctums WhitePlains; 9. Apple; 10. aged when discovered, has an have been restored from their Facebook. inscription in the Tamil lan- damaged condition with much * * * guage and script of the Chola care and dedication. Moreover, times (10th Century C.E.). It the inscriptions have been su- 11. Sadras; 12. Poompuhar; 13. Fourteen, 14. Surajmal’s; 15. records a grant of land for Siva, perbly preserved, unlike many that have been obliterated in Sambandar, 16. Ravana vahana; 17. the presiding deity of this Thatikonda Namberumal Chetty; temple, known in those days as various other temples in 18. They were workers who were Sittreri Mahadeva. Chennai in the name of reno- killed when laying drain pipes in Walking through the inner vation. the area; 19. Pilot; 20. Chepauk circumambulatory passage of A view of the Mandapa at Dhenupurishwarar Temple, Madambakkam. – Chithra Madhavan Palace.

Madras Musings is supported as a public service by the following organisations

Bata India Limited

The Hindu F.L. Smidth Limited Group of Publications

Since 1856, patently leaders UCAL AUTO — A WELLWISHER TVS MOTOR COMPANY PRIVATE LIMITED

PublishedPublished by S. Muthiahby S. Muthiah for ‘Chennai for Heritage’,‘Chennai No.Heritage’, 5, Bhattad 260-A, Tower, TTK 30, WestcottRoad, Chennai Road, Royapettah, 600 018 andChennai printed 600 by014, T printedJ George by T atJ George Lokavani-Hallmark at Lokavani Southern Press Pvt.Printers Ltd., Pvt. 122, Ltd., Greams 122, Greams Road, Road, Chennai Chennai 600 600 006. 006, Edited and edited by S.by MUTHIAH.S. Muthiah.