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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 CHENNAI INSIDE • Short ‘N’ Snappy • Kolli’s sacred groves • A ‘missing’ cemetery • A dancer’s story • 3 pages of Madras Week Vol. XXVII No. 10 MUSINGS September 1-15, 2017 Government smile for Madras Day? (By The Editor) fter years of studiously avoiding the subject, the Government Aof Tamil Nadu appears to be waking up to the possibility of joining Madras Day celebrations. That is, if a recent pronounce- ment is to be believed. If this is true, it is indeed a welcome development and we sincerely hope that the statement will translate into action. As officialdom has a tendency to forget its statements when convenient, we are publishing an extract from The Hindu dated August 11, 2017 wherein the following question was posed to the Commissioner, Corporation of Greater Chennai, and he replied as quoted thereafter: “With the Foundation Day for Madras falling on August 22, this month is considered a heritage month. Does the Corporation have any Cycling to celebrate Madras Week plans to celebrate the Foundation Day?” ● Cycling Yogis’ sixth edition of the Madras Day Heritage breakfast was served. Participants took the Swachh Bharat “Not this year. Because the initial phase of Chennai Metro Rail Ride along the Adyar River saw 71 cyclists, including 18 Pledge. ASI Chennai Circle CA, Saravanan gave away opposite Ripon Buildings is expected to be completed by the end support staff/volunteers, start-off at 5 a.m. from San Thome the medal/badges to the cyclists. The return leg was to the of this year. Only after its completion will the restoration of Victoria Inn and follow the river as much as possible. The starting point. Here, the Cycling Yogis pose after the picnic Manimangalam Dharmeswarer Temple, near the starting Hall be taken up. We are planning to organise a series of events, breakfast at the temple. point of the river, was the U-turn point of the ride. A brief (Continued on page 3) interactive session about the river took place here while (More Madras Week reports on pages 7, 8, and 9). Conservation promised, but where’s the mind-set? t’s good news that the Public condition of neglect for several vation to a low priority status. tion programme is being tally to seek one time sanction IWorks Department of Tamil years. It is reported that about We are assured that the evalua- viewed, not piece by piece, but of money and expertise, saving Nadu, through its specially 200 such structures have been tion would be completed in six in totality. Evaluation of the time. Each heritage site and formed division, the Building identified for deeper study of months. This seems adequate in present condition of heritage major components of each site Centre and Conservation Divi- the individual needs of each. normal circumstances, but am- structures across the State for can be prioritised for the ur- sion (BCCD), will be embark- The announcement is a re- bitious considering the speed at their specific requirements has gency that it demands. The ing on a major project across the assurance that the Government which public agencies move. advantages. Monetary and more urgent ones can be taken State to conserve heritage is alive to the consequences of A positive implication of the technical requirements can be up immediately to beat time buildings that have been in a continued relegation of conser- report also is that the conserva- determined individually and to- (Continued on page 2) Work still on at Kalas Mahal. Kalas Mahal – eastern face exterior. Humayun Mahal in total ruin – no evidence of any restoration work having started. CMYK 2 MADRAS MUSINGS September 1-15, 2017 Conservation Good morning gaffes promised, but... his is that season of the chiefly to study the reactions of eral consular staff were in at- Tyear when many of our those greeted. The women in- tendance. Chief among these (Continued from page 1) would need the support of con- city’s residents return home, variably sprang six inches in was the senior consul himself, having completed their the air and if sari clad wrapped and the man was seriously jet- servation architecture firms for grandparently duties in lands it tightly around their shoul- lagged. Thus right through and save them from disintegra- a few years,” says A. Srivathsan, far away. This breed can be ders as though expecting MMM’s speech he(that is the tion. Of course, this implies that Professor of Architecture and easily identified chiefly by their MMM to do a Jack The Ripper consul and not MMM) dozed a certain degree of freedom is Academic Director, Centre for new walking shoes, and T- on them. Those that were in but being a true diplomat he given to the BCCD in using the Environmental Planning & shirts with strange and rather other raiments just walked off managed to keep a fixed smile allocated money for any project Technology, Ahmedabad. unsuitable messages. The Man rapidly probably mentally mak- on his face even as his eyes within the scheme according to The second organisational from Madras Musings has seen ing a note to avoid Lotharios were shut completely. The priority. In our situation, be- concern is this. We are told that elderly men walking around like MMM. general picture was of a lis- cause of much longer than nor- BCCD’s restoration work would proudly sporting emblazoned The men were no different. tener in rapt attention but mal gestation, the money sanc- messages such as “I am hot”, Some scowled in response MMM who knows how vicious be carried out under the super- “Big boys play at night” and, while others grunted grudg- jet lag can be, was sympathetic tioned at the outset becomes vision of the Superintending most memorably, “Balls of ingly. A few looked at MMM and understood. inadequate due to rising costs. Engineer (Buildings), Planning fire”! MMM has followed with with a kind of look that implied The man awoke with a start Time over-run in execution is and Designs Circle, Chennai glee several of these newly re- that if MMM was greeting them at periodic intervals, his slum- translated into cost over-run. and Chief Engineer (Buildings) turned people and eaves- with a view to asking them of a bers largely interrupted when This can be taken care of by Chennai Division. As BCCD is dropped on their conversation. loan then MMM was quite mis- the audience guffawed or project management, if given meant to be a specially equip- Most of them talk about how taken and would be well ad- clapped. And then when it was enough freedom within overall ped body for restoration work, life was extremely restricted vised to try his luck elsewhere. all over and MMM had limits, to re-direct funds from its specialty work should not be out there during weekdays and Clearly all of them were famil- shuffled off stage, he (the con- one project to another, accord- exposed to interference on res- as to how when they did get iar with Polonius’ speech to sul, in case you are still awake around on weekends the first Laertes. The matter did not at this stage in the column and ing to the urgency for retrieval. toration aspects, by supervising thing that struck them was the end with that. MMM noticed wondering as to who MMM Allotment of funds is the engineers and staff, otherwise broadness of the sidewalks and that from the next day most meant), bounded forward with first pre-requisite for action and well qualified but with no back- the ease with which they could walkers cleared the street the extended hand, beamed at the best test of earnestness. ground of handling heritage walk there. In terms of pedes- moment they saw MMM in the MMM and congratulated him There is no indication in the structures. trian comfort, the general ver- distance. They hid behind trees (MMM) on the wonderful talk report of the sum sanctioned for Our fears of delays and seri- dict appeared to be that Ma- till MMM had passed or lurked that he (the consul) had so this project. To demonstrate ous technical inadequacies are dras was no comparison to in dark corners. Some did an enjoyed. earnestness to the public, Gov- not unfounded considering re- Massachusetts or wherever about turn and walked off hop- It was then the consul’s ernment should declare the to- cent experiences. Victoria Pub- else it was. ing to have shaken MMM off. turn at the podium. He got on tal sum to be allotted and the lic Hall, which is Category 1 sum of the first tranche. Peri- heritage structure on which odic reports of progress placed work of conservation was taken SHORT ’N’ SNAPPY in public domain would enable up in 2010 with sanction of Rs. activists and public to feel the 3.39 crore was abandoned be- government working. Pro-ac- fore completion when the land tive feedback on quality of res- was taken over to construct the MMM often wondered if MMM, not to be outdone, to stage, held the mike, these migratory birds ever no- speeded up, caught up with beamed at everyone and then toration and undue time-lags underground metro. This is a ticed another aspect of walk- them and wished them never- said that he was delighted that would afford scope for timely classic example of how not to ing around abroad – the ten- theless.