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 Special Issue on our Founder: S. Muthiah WE CARE FOR MADRAS THAT IS CHENNAI Vol. XXIX No. 2 May 1-15, 2019 OUR FOUNDER S. Muthiah 13.4.1930-20.4.2019 C M Y K 2 MADRAS MUSINGS May 1-15, 2019 Muthiah, The Complete(?) Works How many books did the Chief actually write? When asked he would dismiss the question with a wave of his hand. If pressed he would be evasive but concede that the number was around forty. Bye Bye Chief My guess is that he simply stopped counting after a while. To him it was the quality of the output, rather than the numbers, that mattered. or once, The Man from gers, just as he did A few hours after his demise, Vikram Raghavan put up on FMadras Musings is at a with a typewriter. Facebook a photograph of his collection of Muthiah’s books. The loss for words. It had been And then there was Madras Club library put up a similar display. The family had a a great friendship between the matter of cell collection, along with his typewriter and pens, placed close to Chief and MMM and at the phones. For years where his body was kept on the day of his funeral. That got Karthik end of it, he, the Chief, has he fought the very Bhatt to compile a list. I still suspect that this is incomplete and shaken MMM’s hand off and idea and then when who knows, some more may emerge. But we did get to ‘around 40’. gone to a distant land. With everyone insist- whom is to MMM now laugh ed he did get one, over Madras that is Chennai? he promptly gave MMM even now thinks it to his assistant. of that happy day when he That person did brought the Chief a picture all the dialling and of a shop signboard, which answering. When gave the address as Mind all the heavy work (instead of Mint) Street. And was done, the Chief then there was that awful would deign to take issue when we consistently the instrument in left out the letter L from the hand and utter some word public. Fortunately no- benediction or the other. MMM said he was not. body noticed. The same can- Finally, on the title Chief “A freelancer?” it asked, not be said of the issue where – MMM would have nev- rather in the manner of Lady MMM made fun of the postal er dared call him Uncle or Bracknell saying, “A hand- services and speculated on Muthu. Sir sounded too for- bag?” in the Importance of the way they delivered issues mal and so it became Chief. Being Earnest. of Madras Musings. Someone He appeared to like it and so MMM said he was. in the Department of Posts that was that. There never will “Oh in that case, I just read it and by some stroke be another Chief for MMM. called to ask about the exact of misfortune it was the man nature of the illness of your who stamped or franked the MM will go on boss.” Madras Musings copies. The MMM was not giving him Chief dealt with the irate vis- he phone rang and any personal details and so itor and promised on MMM’s TThe Man from Madras politely suggested that the con- behalf to behave in future. Musings answered it rather versation take a different turn. SHORT ’N’ SNAPPY There was also the time reluctantly. These are days “He was a glory of Ind,” when MMM wrote of ladies when MMM feels low and said the caller. “I guess now walking around in public in depressed. True, the Chief your magazine will have to nightwear. There were howls was ailing and old but then wind up.” of protest, led by a Lovely there was always the com- MMM did not reply but Lady from Lancashire. The fort that he was there. But he knew that somewhere Chief calmed them all down. then MMM digresses. Let the Chief must have been There were some aspects him get on with the story. chuckling. After all, had he, to his personality that none “The Glory that was Ind,” the wise man that he was, of us ever managed to fath- said the fruity voice at the not made enough arrange- om. For instance, how IT other end. ments for the magazine to savvy was the Chief in real- MMM wondered if the continue? Indeed that would ity? He maintained that he caller, a former bureaucrat, be the greatest tribute that Books on Madras was in a tech-free nirvana, had been indulging rather those of us who worked with preferring to handover such freely at lunch. But then him can ever pay him. And 1. Madras Discovered; East West Books (Madras) Pvt. mundane responsibilities to clarifications came forth – striving to be worthy of his Limited; 1981 – this is now in its 8th edition (2018), as Madras Rediscovered, published by East West, an imprint Flower or God-On-Seven- “I don’t expect you would standards will be everyone’s of Westland Publications Private Limited (also available in Hills, his two assistants who have even heard of this book, endeavour. Tamil). dealt with the mountains a great work of the past that So sucks to you, you 2. Madras, the Gracious City; Affiliated East West Press; 1990. of manuscripts, correspon- told us about the glory of pompous caller. dence and other paperwork. India,” it said. 3. Madras – Its Past and Present; Ranpar Publishers; 1994. MMM had his doubts and MMM rather brusquely Tailpiece 4. At Home in Madras; Overseas Women’s Club; 1995. one afternoon managed to replied that he had read the 5. Madras that is Chennai, Queen of the Coromandel (illustrations catch the Chief poring at a book though he did not add here have been many by C.L.D. Gupta); Palaniappa Brothers; 2000. desktop. When confronted that going through it was Tmoving tributes to the 6. Madras that is Chennai, Gateway to the South; Ranpar he just shrugged it off saying something of a penance. Chief and The Man from Publishers; 2005. he could read what was on- The voice became im- Madras Musings has been 7. A Madras Miscellany, A decade of people, places and potpourri; line but had never managed pressed. reading them with a heavy East West; 2011. to move the mouse. He how- “Am I speaking to Profes- heart. One, however, from 8. The Dalliance of Miss Mansell and other stories; East West ever did gamely agree to pose sor MMM?” it asked, a new a senior art critic, was tai- Books (Madras) Pvt. Limited; 1989 – enlarged as a fresh in front of the machine as he obsequiousness creeping into lor-made for this column edition titled Tales of Old and New Madras in 2014. called it and the accompany- its tone. – “Will miss her, She was 9. Madras, Chennai: A 400 year Record of the First City of Modern ing picture was the result. MMM assured it that a dear friend. Chennai will India, Vols. 1, 2 and 3; Association of British Scholars; When he did go abroad, nev- it was and added that he, not be the same without her. Vol. 1 came out in 2008 and Vol. 3 in 2019. er for more than two weeks MMM, was no professor. RIP.” as the next issue of MM had “Are you not attached to Chief – wherever you are, Books on Madras Institutions to be handled, he did send any institution?” asked the MMM knows that you are 10. Getting India on the move: The 150 year saga of Simpsons of out some emails. He said he voice, a ring of disappoint- laughing out aloud at this one. Madras; Higginbothams Limited; 1990. typed them out with two fin- ment now evident. –MMM (Continued on page 3) May 1-15, 2019 MADRAS MUSINGS 3 List of books by Farewell to our Mr. Muthiah (Continued from page 2) 11. The Spencer Legend, East West Books Madras Pvt. Limited; Founder 1997. 12. Parrys 200, A Saga of Resilience (with N.S. Ramaswamy); Affiliated East West Press Pvt. Limited; 1988. 13. The Spirit of Chepauk, The MCC Story; East West Books (Madras) Pvt. Limited; 1998. 14. All in the Game, A Pictorial History of the Madras Cricket Club, (with V. Ramnarayan); The Madras Cricket Club; 1998. 15. The Ace of Clubs, The Story of the Madras Club; The Madras Club; 2002. 16. 60 Landmark Years (with Sashi Nair and Ranjitha Ashok); L&T and ECC; 2004. 17. A Tradition of Madras that is Chennai, The Taj Connemara; The Taj Connemara; 2006. 18. 150 Years of Excellence, A Pictorial History of the University of Madras; (Muthiah was chairman of the committee that brought out this book); University of Madras; 2006. 19. A Work of Genius, the Senate House of the University of Madras; University of Madras; 2006. 20. Overcoming Challenge: The 125 Year Saga of Chennai Port, the Harbour that Men Made (with KRA Narasiah); Chennai Port Trust; 2007 (also in Tamil). 21. Moving India on Wheels, the story of Ashok Leyland (with K. Gopalan); Ashok Leyland Limited; 2008. 22. The Raj Bhavans of Tamil Nadu (edited by S.