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Registered with the Reg. No. TN/CH(C)/374/18-20 Registrar of Newspapers Licenced to post without prepayment for India under R.N.I. 53640/91 Licence No. TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-506/18-20 Publication: 1st & 16th of every month Rs. 5 per copy (Annual Subscription: Rs. 100/-) INSIDE Short ‘N’ Snappy My Story/My T Nagar Remembering R.J. Shahaney To MS, with gratitude Madras Week Quizzes www.madrasmusings.com WE CARE FOR MADRAS THAT IS CHENNAI Vol. XXX No. 7 September 16-30, 2020 Chennai under HERITAGE WATCH The Madras Literary Society Building ‘Unlock 4’ – what now? he question that is upper- anyway. There are others who Was the hand of the Tmost in the minds of most wonder as to why we went into Govern ment, Central and residents of the city is whether a lockdown when numbers State, forced into opening there is any lockdown at all in were low and why we are open- up? Most certainly – by the place. Yes, those with school ing up now, when the figures demands of the economy. As a and college-going children do for infected cases remains at a city we operate on a dynamic know that educational instit- steady high. There are however model – we can function only if utions are still out of bounds no answers. The lockdown was everything works. Metropolises for physical attendance. The such as ours were not designed Nestled in one corner of the Directorate of Public Instructions entertainment industry is still for shutdowns. There are many campus on College Road is the Madras Literary Society. Its origins under lockdown, at least that by The Editor who depend on a daily wage go back by 200 years, for it was meant to be the library of the College part of it that involves screen- and they have already been of Fort St George, which operated from this campus and gave the ing or performing to a live pushed to desperation and road its name. The MLS was the fount of intellectual thought for audience. But that is about it. necessary for the Government more. Sadly, these are also the the entire Presidency and was more or less the equivalent of the For the rest, it is life as usual, as and those in the health sector very same people who are most Asiatic Societies of Bengal and Bombay. In its initial years it was it was before March 2020. With to prepare for a sharp rise in likely to contract this dreaded a part of the College building and then, after peregrinating it came one difference – the threat of statistics. We are told that this disease. Preaching social or back early in the 20th century to its old location but with a new Covid is forever hanging over- has been achieved. This is not physical distancing to them is a building constructed specially for it. It was most likely designed head, rather like the proverbial believed by several but at this cruel joke. They do not live and by Henry Irwin, for many of its design features match those of the sword of Damocles. stage, it is better to go with work in environments where Connemara Public Library and the Museum Theatre. an element of trust. There is There are many who such a luxury is possible. At the Accorded Grade 1 status by the High Court of Madras, the nothing achieved by negative feel that nothing much was building itself is in reasonable condition, though what privations thinking and being suspicious. achieved by the lockdown (Continued on page 2) it is likely to suffer owing to a high-rise construction happening alongside and which will cut it off from the road is not known. The structure is maintained by the PWD. It is however the library which is by itself in a perilous condition. With a shoestring budget and a falling membership, its collection of rare books face a very dark TMRL – back on track after future. The current pandemic has also meant fewer footfalls and renewals of memberships. A young band of diehard supporters are doing their best to keep it going but it needs more help. We request readers of Madras Musings to help it by way of donations. Those a 5-month hiatus interested can contact [email protected] ith the lockdown grad- September 8th compared to vices resume. City authorities Wually lifting in Chennai, 11,734 on August 8th. must take the necessary steps it remains to be seen how the It’s admittedly a small to ensure that preventive mea- city will handle free public improvement and a deeper sures are upheld by the public movement even as it contin- trend analysis will probably give uncompromisingly. Their cam- ues to battle the pandemic. a more accurate picture; how- paign to contain the pandemic A layman’s analysis of data ever, an optimistic person may continues – fever camps are published by the Tamil Nadu being conducted across the government seems to give city and the GCC will report- hope. by A Staff edly continue its strategy of For instance, the city’s pos- Correspondent aggressive testing and close itivity rate, which had hit a monitoring of the home quar- high of 10.7 per cent on Au- antined. For its part, CMRL gust 22nd, came down to 7.8 consider this a step in the right is also taking multiple steps per cent on September 5th. direction. The bigger concern in this regard as it cautiously Additionally, the number of lies in ensuring that the ab- resumes operations this month persons undergoing treatment sence of the lockdown doesn’t after a 5-month hiatus. (including home treatment) throw caution to the wind as was seen to dip to 11,029 on public spaces reopen and ser- (Continued on page 2) 2 MADRAS MUSINGS September 16-30, 2020 WHAT NOW – AFTER ‘UNLOCK 4’ Mangosteen Musings (Continued from page 1) he lockdown has given consider the colour of the fruit, his frown. The only difference of masks is probably the least Trise to several unsolvable for it was full of what is referred being that MMM, what with expensive and most effective mysteries as far as The Man to as purple prose. But what receiving many Government other end of the spectrum, the way of keeping the virus at from Madras Musings is con- took the cake was a sentence communiques has hardly any State too needs its daily wages, bay. And yet, most residents cerned. Who for instance are that said that mangosteens had hair left, brown or otherwise. by way of taxation revenue. It of Chennai do not appear to the people who ring your door- a Socratic flavour – something Anyway, to get back to the has its running costs that have appreciate this. You only need bell? There was a time when that MMM is yet to make sense COVID figures released by to be met. And for this it needs to see the number of bare you could identify the local out of. His first impulse was to the Government, there are the city to function. butcher, baker and candle- throw the gift away, for when some very reassuring aspects faces, others with masks hang- stick maker even from a dis- you think Socrates, hemlock to them. Rather like the pric- As of now, all the services ing around necks or dangling tance. But now they all appear is usually the next to come ing strategy of a well-known and places that experience from an ear or nestling in the masked and you never know to mind. Was this like some shoe company, the numbers public congregation have crook of an elbow. Why is this who is calling. If you thought Trojan horse? Anyway, MMM always hover just below a opened up – transport systems, simplest of rules not followed? you could identify them by and good lady did not know psychological level. The total malls, places of worship and The excuses are many and the their voice, forget it, for they what you did with the fruit and cases reported is always just open recreational spaces. The worst of all is the quoting of all mumble into their masks. so they decided to keep it in short of 6,000, the number first unlocked Sunday, Sep- some unknown study that says If fact the only way you know storage for a day or two. in the city is just below 1,000 tember 6, saw people thronging masks are useless in the face of they are saying something is The next day, MMM was and the number of fatalities is the last named. A day earlier, a the virus. Are Chennai people by noticing the way the mask roused from his afternoon always in a high double digit, prominent mall in the city had keeps bobbing around the nap by cries of “Saar…Saar… a tad shy of the nineties. Yes, so undisciplined that even this vicinity of the lips. No wonder Saar”. Looking out, he found we do know Tamil Nadu has to close down within hours of basic hygiene requirement is MMM sees so many walking the same masked man. It was been a consistent perform- opening as it could not man- beyond them? Sadly, it would around bare faced – they must like something out of the mov- er across many fronts, but age the influx of people. The appear to be so. And so, if the be sick and tired of trying to ie Amadeus. Had he come so consistent a performance people cannot be blamed – for numbers spike, we have only make sense through masks.