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1 The Sanmar Group 9, Cathedral Road, Chennai 600 086. Tel.: + 91 44 2812 8500 Fax: + 91 44 2811 1902 Sanmar Holdings Ltd Sanmar Consolidations Ltd Chemplast Sanmar Ltd Sanmar Engineering Technologies Ltd Trubore Piping Systems - Products Divn. TCI Sanmar Chemicals S.A.E. Flowserve Sanmar Ltd BS&B Safety Systems (India) Ltd Sanmar Speciality Chemicals Ltd Sanmar Engineering Services Ltd Organic Chemicals Xomox Sanmar Ltd Phyto Chemicals Xomox Valves Divn. Pacific Valves Divn. Tyco Sanmar Ltd - Steel Castings Divn. Sanmar Foundries Ltd Matrix Metals LLC Cabot Sanmar Ltd Sanmar Shipping Ltd 2 In this issue... 10 11 28 Spotlight People & Places General Interest Madras Week “Stick to your company in Apropos... 4 When the present meets good times and bad”: 24 (Or the art of writing the past 14 Vijay Sankar to students at letters to the editor) TCI Sanmar ‘breaks COMFEST 2012 Proud moment 9 ground’ for Alcoethylene Danish Ambassador Sanmar’s Capt. Project at Port Said visits Sanmar facilities at Krishnamurthi does Indian 15 26 maritime fraternity proud Recognition Karapakkam Friends of Egypt from India Green Sanmar Beyond Sanmar Sanmar’s work at Port Peacocks at home at Sanmar Sri Sankara Schools 10 Said applauded by 16 Foundries, Viralimalai 27 Egyptian Embassy Smart Sanmar Madhuram Narayanan Platinum Award for Sanmar’s foundry in Mexico Centre for Exceptional Chemplast Sanmar, Mettur 18 a shining example of 5S 28 Children 11 FICCI Safety Excellence housekeeping initiative Jaya Krishnaswamy receives System Awards 2012 Best Social Worker Award Tribute FICCI Water Award for Sankara Schools pay Sporting Sanmar 12 Chemplast Sanmar, Mettur 20 homage to their mentor Sanmar cricketer Piyush VS Dhandapani (1932 - 2012) 29 Chawla in T20 World Cup Sanmar Speciality Chemicals Album Legends from the South 13 Syngenta lauds SSCL’s An album of memories Capt. Lakshmi Sahgal customer focus 22 30 Cover: Statue of Sir Thomas Munro, sculpted by Francis Chantrey - an important landmark of Chennai since 1839. Matrix can be viewed at www.sanmargroup.com Designed and edited by Kalamkriya Limited, 9, Cathedral Road, Chennai 600 086. Ph: + 91 44 2812 8051/ 52 For Private Circulation Only. 3 Spotlight 4 Madras Week When the present meets the past Spotlight The author, Sriram V, is one of Chennai’s leading public speakers – especially on the city’s heritage – and eminent author on music and musicians. Sriram’s heritage walks in the city of Madras are well-known events. It all started in 2004, when three wise men of Madras decided to get together and celebrate the city. These were S Muthiah – the well-known chronicler of Madras and editor of Madras Musings, Vincent D’Souza of Mylapore Times and veteran journalist Sashi Nair. They hit upon 22 August as the day, for though the grant for Madras was dated 22 July 1639, historians are almost certain that the month was August and that the recorder of the grant made a mistake. And so 22 August became Madras Day. On that day in 2004, a day- long celebration was held at Rajaji Hall, 2006, the celebrations spanned Sunday Picture and prints of Old to Sunday centering on 22nd August. Madras at Vennirul Art Government Estate. The response was Gallery, CP Art Centre. so good that it was decided that in 2005 Madras Week it became and has so this would become a three-day event. The remained, though now, Madras Fortnight response for that was encouraging that in would perhaps be more appropriate, given Dr Sumanth Raman conducting the ‘Madras Quiz’. 5 city’s newspapers and magazines had special features or supplements and most devoted columns to the coverage of the events. As was another welcome feature. The Coordinators of Madras Week had for Spotlight some time been wondering whether there was enough spontaneity of what was essentially meant to be a volunteer celebration, or whether many of the events took place only in response to requests from the Coordinators. This year the happy feature was several events being Cooking demo by Vipin Sachdev the way the number of events has been organised without the Coordinators even at Burgundy, MRC Nagar. increasing. And from there, who knows, being aware of them. If this spontaneous maybe a Madras month? And making participation is a sign of things to come, we this possible are several volunteers, hotels, should think that Madras Week is a period restaurants, shops, colleges, schools and that is getting embedded in the minds of Government institutions. people and will in future generate its own Was Madras Day/ Week that lasted from steam. 18 to 26 August a success? With about Walks too were many more in number 150 events, a few thousand participating, this year and were, after quizzes, the and plenty of Press coverage getting most popular programmes. If only many more to talk about the occasion, it more volunteers from different parts of certainly could be considered a success. the city came forward to be trained on Particularly noteworthy, and refl ecting leading walking groups and keeping them wider recognition, was that some of the Heritage walk. interested in history, Madras Week can develop into a month of walks; there is so much of Madras that’s unexplored by all those interested in history. We are sure that those already leading walks will be only too glad to train newcomers. There has been some comment that charging a fee was “restricting” participation in some walks. Participation is in no way restricted, but longer walks need vans and with these walks throwing in breakfast the fee charged just about covers these expenses. That the charge has not proved restrictive could be seen by the fact that more took part in a couple of these long ‘walks’ than 6 Spotlight Heritage Tour by Dr Chithra Madhavan. Chennai Heritage Lecture by Mohan V Raman. “The Tamil Forms of Sivaji Ganesan”, at Park Sheraton on 25 August 2012. in any ‘free’ walk. The venue needs to be locally supported is what Madras Day/ interesting and the storyteller needs to be Week should be generating in the years to able to build on that interest for walks come. to be successful, whether there is a fee or not. The police offi cers and men who This is true in the case of exhibitions too. accompanied some of these walks were We’ve heard it said that after the crowd among the most interested participants and present at the inauguration there are hardly couldn’t believe how much this city had to any visitors during the rest of the duration. offer; they’d gladly, we’re sure, support the This is true of almost any of the usual case for such walks and encourage instant exhibitions, even those in art galleries. permissions. Perhaps it is time that some energy is spent not only on organising events but also on There has also been some concern expressed by a few that there are too many Tennis legend of Madras, Ramanathan Krishnan and Lalitha Krishnan talking to programmes and that clashes of times The Hindu’s sports editor Nirmal Shekar. have depleted audiences. We would think more the merrier, particularly if they were distributed all over town instead of in a central locality. Programmes in different parts of a large city would enable people in each of these parts to participate in locally-arranged events instead of having to travel long distances to a core area. The secret of success for programmes outside the centre of the city is for local organisers to encourage local audience participation, like Namma Arcot Road and Mylapore Times do. In fact, more local programmes 7 drumming up audiences; once you get a reputation for putting on interesting events, a crowd will respond to that reputation. We have also heard it said by some that their efforts did not receive any publicity Spotlight in the Press. With so many events, the Tree Walk by ‘Nizhal’ at Queen Marys College, Marina Main Gate. media undoubtedly has to pick and choose what it thinks is most newsworthy, given do a bit more for events organised outside that it can feature only two or three events the core Week, even while being selective. a day. Constrained by space they are likely to give many an event a miss. But event A continuing disappointment has been the organisers should ask themselves whether lack of response from North Chennai. This they are organising events for the publicity is a cause for concern and has also resulted or because they want to create an awareness in a comment that Madras Week is elitist about the rich heritage of Madras amongst and restricted to South Chennai. It must the participants in their events. On the be remembered that this is a voluntary other hand, with Madras Week becoming celebration and unless organisers from the virtually a Madras Month, the Press could various areas come forward to celebrate, it English and Tamil Quiz Winners. is not possible for this concept to take root all over the city. But at the end of it all, what remain with the organisers are the expressions of thanks and enjoyment that unknown people shower them with. It is unknowns like these who keep our faith alive, that Madras Week will generate its own crowds in the years to come, that it will grow year by year and create a greater heritage awareness in the city. 8 TCI Sanmar ‘breaks ground’ for Alcoethylene Project at Port Said Even An Alcoethylene plant (AEP) is being set Foundation work has started for the t up as a part of the TCI Sanmar Project Ethanol Storage Tank the largest of a series R Kalidas during the ‘Bhoomi Phase-2 in a new 100,000 sqm site which of tanks, to be put up for the AEP.