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Home , Archibald Nye, Bombardment of Madras, Dare House, Madras Fertilizers, Madras Sanskrit College, Mridangam

Registered with the Reg. No. TN/CH(C)/374/12-14 Registrar of Newspapers Licenced to post without prepayment for under R.N.I. 53640/91 Licence No. TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-506/12-14 Publication: 15th & 28th of every month Rs. 5 per copy (Annual Subscription: Rs. 100/-) WE CARE FOR MADRAS THAT IS INSIDE • Madras Nostalgia • The bridges of yesterday • The Madras ‘debate’ • Recalling TRIVENI • 2 pages: Madras Week

Vol. XXIV No. 11 MUSINGS September 16-30, 2014

There appears to be Madras Landmarks hope for the Canal – 50 years ago (By The Editor) iven up practically as a lost Orissa and ending somewhere and perhaps the more serious Gcause with talks of revival after Cuddalore, but it cannot issue, has been the construction being merely ministerial pro- be denied that we have done of the MRTS all along much of nouncements, the Buckingham precious little to protect this its bed in the city. Pillars for the Canal may see better days with valuable waterway. In our city, transport system are actually in the bifurcation of Andhra it is nothing more than a foul the waterway and have effec- Pradesh into Telangana and gutter, its condition being just tively ensured that navigation is Andhra. Among the first an- about marginally better in areas next to an impossibility even if nouncements of the new outside city limits. In certain water were to flow once again. Andhra Government is that it stretches it still is a navigable Rather interestingly, even as would be interested in making waterway. Indeed, it was navi- the Andhra Government has the a tour- gable till the 1960s, with boats made this announcement, there ist destination and a navigable plying down the canal carrying is talk of the Tamil Nadu Gov- waterway once again. Much will produce of various kinds being ernment looking at how it can depend on how this idea pans a normal sight. Consistent ne- revive the canal in the stretch into reality, but if it did, it would glect and a cyclone that de- that runs south after Chennai be wonderful and perhaps stroyed its banks in the late city limits. It is reliably learnt something that the Tamil Nadu 1960s sealed its fate. that the State Government is G Today it may have shifted to a sprawling, verdant and much deserved campus Government could then extend Within the city, the canal examining Coastal Regulation in and may be called the Arignar Anna Zoological Park but, for at to what is there of the canal has had other problems. The Zone (CRZ) stipulations to see least three generations, the Madras Zoo was behind the , within its jurisdiction. first of these has been the his- how this can be done. It will be occupying one end of the 116-acre People’s Park. It may be the longest canal toric practice of letting in un- recalled that the farmers of The Zoo, of course, is older than that; it is, in fact, the oldest zoo in the in the country starting off in treated sewage. The second, (Continued on page 5) country. It was begun thanks to Edward Green Balfour, Director of the Government Museum, Madras, who in 1854 persuaded the Nawab of Arcot to hand over his menagerie to the Museum. The Zoo was founded officially a year later in the Museum premises. Its specimens expanded to 300 in number within a year. In 1863, the Zoo was shifted to People’s Park, where it was to remain for Time to stop Chennai almost 125 years. Together with the Lily Pond, My Ladye’s Garden, Moore Market and VP Hall, it helped to make Park Town a tourist attraction. Not that it lacked some gory history as well. In 1942, following the fears of losing industrial edge , the city was evacuated. All the dangerous animals of the zoo were shot dead. The harmless ones were taken to Erode and brought back to the city in 1944. Another gruesome record was that for years the stray (By A Special Correspondent) dogs of Madras were rounded up by the Corporation, killed, and the meat used to be given to the carnivores in the zoo! This was given up only in the 1970s he latest report on the and, perhaps, the most impor- only by expensive acquisitions. following protests by animal lovers when the sterilisation rather than the culling Tcompetitiveness of Indian tant is the inaccessibility of de- A solution for this can be the of strays was adopted. cities, released by the World cision-makers in the Govern- encouraging of industries to Located as it was in just 11 acres of land, the zoo began to get congested even Economic Forum, classifies ment. move to Tier II towns in the in the 1940s. Around the time of Independence, Governor Sir Archibald Nye Chennai as a city that is not That Chennai has been un- State. But the lack of infrastruc- offered around 100 acres of the Raj Bhavan Estate for the zoo. While “easy to do business in”. able to provide land at reason- ture in such places is daunting, this eventually developed as the Guindy Park, the zoo stayed put. Nye’s successor, Ahmadabad is now ranked the able rates for the setting up of to say the least. Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavsinhji, the Maharajah of Bhavnagar, was an animal best location to set up an enter- industries may come as a sur- Not that the infrastructure is lover and it was thanks to him that the zoo got several specimens, including lions, prise. That may reflect the cur- prise to many. After all, this was any better in the city. Expatri- tigers and macaws. The centenary of the zoo was celebrated with éclat in 1955 rent political situation, but where the concept of industrial ates have, by and large, ex- with a special souvenir and a new entrance in art deco style – the Darwin Gate, which is seen in today’s picture. there is no denying that our estates first came up, with the pressed their disappointment at city, which was holding second Tiru Vi Ka Estate in Guindy what is available. When the IT Right through the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s, the zoo was a favourite cinema position four years ago, has having been set up in 1958. Expressway was first planned, it setting. Perhaps its best representation was in the otherwise poor film Kakkum slipped several rungs. Since then, several others have was touted as a model of what Karangal (1965) where the entire song ‘Alli thandu kaal eduttu’ was set in the The reasons are not far to come up in and around the city, civic services ought to be. But zoo. A decade earlier, the American film director Ellis R. Dungan did a whole photo feature of the zoo for the Corporation. seek. The continuing power but all of them have long lost when it was developed it deliv- shortage is considered to be the their original character. Most ered hardly anything of what In 1976, with increasing traffic noise, and the demand for People’s Park land biggest and most visible issue, have turned IT Parks, vehicle was promised. Six lanes yes, but for other services, the zoo had to shift. The Forest Department generously gave but there are several others. servicing centres, and newspa- nothing more. And as for the 1265 acres of land in the . Work began in 1979 and One of these is the inordinately per offices. As for the feasibility surrounding ‘colonies’ that was completed in 1985 when, on July 24, the then Chief Minister M. G. high price of land in the city and of new estates, forget it. The came up, despite most of them Ramachandran declared the zoo open in its new location and named it after his mentor C.N. Annadurai. its environs. The second is the Government has long stopped being set up newly and, there- failure in providing infrastruc- creating land banks for such fore, not having any of the prob- With a further 230 acres land being added to it subsequently, the zoo is one ture in most locations. The last purposes and can now do so (Continued on page 3) of the largest in Southeast Asia and is a great attraction in the city. CMYK 2 September 16-30, 2014

Memories G Two pages of nostalgia brought

Marina Beach, we, after school and college, would go almost ever green every evening with my father to I yearn the beach. The two hours spent there playing on the sands and getting our feet wet with the of Madras waves were the most delightful that I Beautiful Madaras! Then stage erected in an open moments of our lives. The cool adras that is Chennai has just Singara Chennai! Now? ground. As I go down memory refreshing air and playing on the Mcelebrated another birthday. lane, I can still recall some clean sand made us return Years ago, when we moved And I can’t help getting all nostal- scenes of T.K.S. Brothers’ Raja home glowing with happiness. from our home town Trivan- gic and hark back on the Madras of Raja Cholan, S.V. Sahasra- Only a few vendors came to the to Madras, the city my childhood. From my parental namam’s Therotti Magan – a beach to sell pattani sundal and unfolded itself in its magnifi- home in , known as the bun- theme revolving round the fa- occasionally a Mysore Cafe van cence. Good clean roads galow to relatives, to Church Park mous Karnan character of was parked there and we young- flanked on either side by huge Convent on the arterial Mount Mahabharatham, particularly sters used to go to the small tea majestic trees with the branches Road would be one dash and took the scene where Karnan discov- stalls there. Even after years, extending beautifully to provide just under ten minutes. You could ers that Kunti Devi is his thoughts of these things remain some sort of a canopy to the even manage to stop by at Dawn mother, and the emotional green and firmly etched in my road. It was such a beautiful Stores and pick up some urgently meeting when the mother and memory. feeling to be walking down the needed school supplies. Cars could son meet. It was acted so pow- road with a green cover above The Navarathri season drive right into the school com- erfully that I, as a little girl, saw you accompanied by a refresh- brought joy and colour into pound, unlike today where many tears trickling down many a ing breeze. everyone’s house as it was time traffic pile-ups happen at school face. Cho delighted the audi- for kolu, arranging dolls on times thanks to schools not allow- The main roads had only ence with his humour; so did steps. At that time there was ing cars in. bungalows then, big and small, Balachandar’s stage plays with a lot of bonhomie amidst social School admissions were never a on either side. Roads with shops social themes, which conveyed visits. North Mada Street by problem as opposed to today when were mostly in residential lo- a message and made people the side of Kapaleeswarar you have to start planning it even calities and were confined to think. Koil in had vendors before the birth of the baby. certain parts of the city like selling and displaying the Three times a week my music

Mount Road, Luz Corner, G by colourful dolls, and people teacher would come home and take High Road, Arme- Lakshmi Sundaram happily buying new ones every lessons. Many of us learnt for nian Street, Thambu Chetty year to add to their collection. the sake of exposure to the art and Street, some pockets in T’Nagar Our small colony wore a festive not to be performers or profession- and in streets round a temple in On the music side, the few look as we young girls in Kan- Never to be forgotten... Bala- als and that was joy enough. The each area. Shops with sparkling cheepuram pattu pavadais, and saraswathi... M.S. Subbulakshmi... tuition teacher too would come sabhas staged top singers like Cho Ramaswamy. brass and copperware made Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, blouses, with a kunjalam at the home and one had to carefully many a shopper stare and buy. I choose people who knew their job Musiri Subramanya Iyer, G.N. end of each one’s plait and flow- increasing cinema houses have remember there were only a few and who were safe to be around Balasubramaniam, Semman- ers in the hair enjoyed arranging all played havoc resulting in in- saree shops with traditional with. Had I been as well-clued about gudi Srinivasa Iyer, Madurai our kolu and visiting the kolu ability to maintain old build- Kanchipuram sarees and bits. child abuse at age nine as I am Mani Iyer, M.S. Subbulakshmi, displays in nearby houses. ings. Of course, a few heritage The jewellery shops had limited today, some of those guys and the and D.K. Pattammal, M.L. buildings remain, but the entire variety of gold, diamond and Life was easier to live then, obnoxious driver could have been Vasanthakumari and others, city now has more stereotyped stone jewels tempting the the city was less crowded and slapped with charges accompanied on the and buildings. The Madras of then, women and girls to buy and to you could walk in peace except When you drove into a place like mridangam by proficient artistes with houses and buildings with cause a dent in the men’s in some parts of the city, like the the , the who regaled the audiences. architectural beauty, has given money-purse, as a wallet was town-side, as they used to refer colonial overhang was palpable, Though I did not much under- place to a city of high-rises. then called. to them, where all the wholesale There was exclusiveness about it. stand classical music then, we Rather, Singara Chennai now is markets and shops were The members were the who’s who Good educational institu- youngsters listened with rapt a flattened city, a city of flats. located. The crowd was much of the city and since everybody was tions were few, like P.S. School, attention as the raga alapana, Earlier, in spite of lack of less in every other place. There somebody everyone knew everyone sahityam, swarams, etc. pro- modern vehicles for removing was no vehicular aggression else. Fish and chips and tartar sauce, School, Church Park Convent, fusely filled the auditorium. garbage, carts with men would unlike now; it was easy to go chocolate gateaux, and baked corn Holy Angel’s Convent, These kutcheris were all held in come and clean streets. Now shopping to Luz or T’Nagar by were made to perfection and were Vidyodaya, Good Shepherd. modest buildings with no with modern methods of state transport buses. Of course, tempting to die for. The Saturday The colleges were Queen trappings. Whatever discomfort removal, the dustbins are over- there were the rickshaw-pullers movie and live band, the weekly Mary’s, Presidency, Loyola, Ma- the hall had was forgotten in flowing with garbage, the for short distances and you children’s movie – just the thought dras Christian, and Women’s the melodies from the musi- rubbish strewn all over the did not have to depend on of it all – transports me to a differ- Christian besides other colleges cians. The other fine arts – cars. place. like the Madras Medical, dance team led by Balasaras- ent era. Stanley Medical and Guindy wathi with her technical Madras in those days was I admit there is no point in Eat-outs and hotels (one hadn’t Engineering. proficiency, Kumari Kamala’s beautiful, fairly clean, and com- complaining. This is the price a heard of five star ones) were few aesthetic Bharata Natyam per- mercial institutions were not so citizen has to pay for urbanisa- but I remember my father talking My sisters, my nieces and I formance and a medley of interspersed with residential tion, commercialisation, globa- about a Krishna Iyer never missed a chance of dances called Oriental dances buildings as they are now. lisation taking place in all met- and his badam halwa besides the watching the various drama staged by the beautiful Travan- ropolitan cities and Chennai is tram and the much-feared plague. Today, the transformation is troupes staging serious plays as core sisters, , Padmini, no exception. Madras had changed even in his well as troupes like Cho’s which very noticeable. Beautiful inde- time. Ragini among others – were all But, for people who have provided political satire and pendent houses, big and small, In the city, homes were far apart a feast to the eye. seen Madras in its glorious days which sent us into splits of have been razed to the ground and there weren’t too many people laughter. The T.K.S. Brothers, We in the family enjoyed all and, instead, high-rise buildings in all its splendour, memories S.V. Sahasranamam, Sivaji these different facets of Madras have come up, with the city will always remain green. Ganesan and K. Balachandar life at the time. My father had growing vertically, with pres- and others made the audiences built our house Burma House in sure on urban land and the mi- After the rigours of Madras Week that became a sit up and watch performances a colony off the then Edward gration of people from towns of meaningful stories with Elliot’s Road. From the terrace and villages to the city in search Madras Fortnight, MMM is off on a well-earned mythological, historical and of our house, we could see the of jobs. Haphazard growth of busman’s holiday. His column will resume on his social themes. Sometimes, the sea and the blue waters. Our commercial buildings, shopping return. plays were staged even on a home bieng not very far from malls, money splurged and September 16-30, 2014 MADRAS MUSINGS 3

if really necessary would you get referred to someone else. With about by Madras Week excellent and dedicated doc- tors, institutions like GH and Stanley (Kanji Thotti hospital) and GH, not to forget Maternity at Egmore and for the Madras Gosha (Triplicane), served a large population. The street corner 24x7 dispensary hadn’t showed up back then. Super- once knew markets too hadn’t made their appearance and the local grocer would home-deliver stuff packed in paper cones and secured with twine. Yes, home delivery was a value addition even then. The Indersains. Everything from eggs to to Kanchipuram sarees to Venkatagiri sarees to the Shola- pur sarees and bangles would Remembering come right home to your door- steps and big brands were few and far between .We had an old Royapettah tailor who would come home and do the unimportant stuff – he Indersains (MM, June 16th) lived at 17 Royapettah High inner wear, boxer shorts, TRoad (opposite where the Pilot Theatre was) till recently chemises, etc. while we went to Spencer’s that as a landmark. (Courtesy: Vintage Vignettes.) from 1933. The house had a large playground and high walls Town or someplace else for the allowing four boys and one girl to play cricket with a regular dressy jobs. The barber too cricket ball and stumps in position, and a shuttlecock court of in sight .The only crowded areas 1970s had builders like South- would drop by and a makeshift right dimensions, well measured and marked with a place for a were Triplicane and Parry’s Corner ern Investments made their en- salon would be created. The regular net. The house had a mango tree with many mangoes. (in the Kandaswamy temple/Ras- try and highrise apartments knife sharpener with his stone Remembering those times I recall trams plying on both sides appa Chetty Street vicinity). Even were few and far between. The and the sparks flying, now part of the road, some going towards Mylapore, Luz and the Temple, hadn’t quite fourteen-storeyed LIC building of a vanishing breed, was a others in the direction of Parry’s Corner and terminating at the had remained the tallest build- familiar figure then. The idiot High Court. ing for a long time. Down box hadn’t arrived yet and The nearby Sultan Market opposite Royapettah Police Mount Road, Spencer’s was a movie theatres like Casino and Station was where the family got its fresh vegetables. Next to G by landmark with its unique fa- the Safire complex with its the Police Station was Malabar Bakery, which sold fresh bread, Sudha Umashanker cade, its beautiful driveway, and popular Blue Diamond, where pastries and buns that tasted as good as those from Bosotto’s or its wooden floors – very sadly shows ran back to back, bring MacRenett’s on Mount Road. now replaced by a mall. back warm and happy memories Opposite the Royapettah’s Government Hospital was a Many Sindhi businessmen – not to forget Elphinstone (can ‘hotel’ that served non-veg and vegetarian food. Named Hotels come into its own and wasn’t the had set up shop in Madras, and Jaffer’s ice cream parlour be far Cheap, it was well patronised. nightmare it is today. I wasn’t as fa- India Silk House, Chellaram’s, behind – never mind if it some- City Printing Press started by a Mr. Iyer and assisted by Amaji miliar with Mylapore as I am today. Parsuram’s and Lilaram’s were times made you sick) and helped children from the Corporation school on Royapettah So I can’t say much about it, but for notable examples. They were Minerva. Of course, if you High Road, particularly with book-binding when needed. Rates the Kapaleeswarar temple which I ever so solicitous – addressing wanted to catch a Tamil film, were reasonable to encourage all those who lived in the area, had visited as a child. most woman customers as sis- the gaudy Gaiety, Paragon and among whom was ‘Ammani’, now Dr. Mathangi Ramakrishnan. There were just about twenty ters and young children as ba- the posh Shanthi for die-hard Never will you see again in Royapettah Bus No. 13 whose postal zones and places like bies plying them with coffee and fans of Sivaji Ganesan were the route covered from Triplicane to T’Nagar via the Bazaar Road. and cool drinks. One even came places to go to. Going to MCC College in in 1943 was from were not heard of. away with a key-chain or paper As Madras gets another year Station by local trains and a quick march, left, right, had just had the World Trade weight or some freebie most of older, I yearn for the city of yore to the College. During the rains, Royapettah would be flooded Fair and commuting to that area the time. (whoever dared call it a village) and wearing half-pants to College was not uncommon. seemed like going on a long- Corporate hospitals were un- and wonder where and Further down, on the left corner, which slowed down the distance trip. heard of and one went to the whether I will ever find some tram, was Dr. Rangaswamy Nursing Home where three children Only in the late 1960s and early friendly family doctor and only traces of it. of the Indersains were born (now opposite Swagath Hotel), and the Provident Fund Office. Next to this was 24 Royapettah High Road where the Punjab Association began a shuttle court opposite the Burma Bamboo furniture shop. Here there came and lived in 1947 refugees from Pakistan. Down the road was City losing its industrial edge? Kali Mark bottling company. At Lloyd’s Road corner was the house of V.P. Raman, the famous lawyer, where Rajaji formed (Continued from page 1) neurs and businessmen and India. One of them has rather the Swatantra Party. And what about Raja Iyer, another well- sorting out the problems they pointedly stated that they known lawyer, and Ajantha Guptas Hotel? Then there was the lems that are traditionally faced face. As a consequence, Tamil would prefer to be where they tram shed on the way to the YMCA. by older neighbourhoods, they Nadu and Chennai are faced are “closer to decision-makers.” How can we ever forget going to Church Park School near followed the same patterns of with a very piquant situation – The State Government has Thousand lights with rickshawman Chellappa, and the barber development. Narrow roads, in- in the last two months, Chief been promising a Global Inves- shop oppostie today’s Hotel Amin? frastructure FOLLOWING Ministers from States up north tors Meet for long. The latest land development and not the have begun coming here to we have heard is that this has – Bharat Hiteshi other way round, and a plethora make presentations on their re- now been postponed to March of violations, all together put spective territories and the 2015. The timing could not be further stress on the environ- helpful concessions they are worse – March is the financial MADRAS MUSINGS ON THE WEB ment. prepared to offer companies set- year-end for majority of compa- The last and, perhaps, the ting up plants in them. It is, of nies and most of them will be To reach out to as many readers as possible who share our most serious issue is the inacces- course, well known that at least scrambling to close what has keen interest in Madras that is Chennai, and in response to sibility of those in power to in- three organisations that been a tough year. All this does requests from many well-wishers – especially from outside dustrialists. It is reported that have manufacturing facilities not bode well for a city that was Chennai and abroad who receive their postal copies very late with decision making being around Chennai have already once touted as the best location – for an online edition. Madras Musings is now on the web at strongly centralised, very few announced that their second to do business in. We hope the www. madrasmusings.com Ministers and Secretaries are phase of development will be in administration wakes up and THE EDITOR interested in meeting entrepre- States in the northern part of reads the signs. 4 MADRAS MUSINGS September 16-30, 2014 September 16-30, 2014 MADRAS MUSINGS 5 The bridges G The Madras ‘debate’ of yesterday “No word rom time immemorial, Triplicane. It was heavily dam- like ‘Chennai’ FMadras has had the aged in the 1721 floods. Later, a of two rivers – the Cooum and beautiful brick masonry arch the Adyar. During monsoons, es- bridge was built at the same lo- in Tamil” pecially the Northeast, in Octo- cation, but on a different align- ment. ber-December, these two rivers he development of Fort He added that he had come to ‘Madraspatnam’ These arch bridges of brick often played havoc with the daily “TSt. George laid the this conclusion after thorough (Fort St. George) life of the inhabitants. During masonry and chunam and arches An artist’s sketch showing the imported suspension bridge that crossed the Cooum at , in 1831. foundationsfor the growth of research and enquiry in Madras within the walls, and the dry season, they were crossed helped to beautify Madras. Madras, the first modern city of and . ‘Chennapatnam’ by wading or fording or by boats. The arch bridges in Madras are: India,” said J.B.P. More, a pro- Madras, More said, acquired (outside the walls). To cross the river throughout G Single Arch over the fessor at INSEEC, who was a cosmopolitan character right the year, Governor Elihu Yale Buckingham Canal. Large A suspension bridge speaking during a Madras Week from the beginning. But with the ern city of India. This in itself been any mention of anything “The DMK notion that only proposed in 1680 to build simple arch opening for country craft celebration event at the Roja gradual absorption of various constitutes a major change. but fishing villages where Fort St they changed the name, that bridges across the Cooum. to pass through with two small Muthiah Research Library on neighbouring Tamil villages, Ma- According to More, some George was established, More Madras was a European name or Thereafter, many bridges were ones to allow floodwater to the subject of his recently-re- dras became predominantly a have held the view that Madras points out. it had colonial connotations, is built, but got washed away dur- pass. the City once had leased book, Origin and Founda- Tamil city, with a strong Telugu was derived from madrasa, which The claims that Madras had a completely wrong,” asserts More. ing floods – because they were G Three arches over tion of Madras. minority. means an Islamic college. It was Christian origin – the land hav- “It was always a Tamil word. In Nullah lone suspension bridge was built in 1831 at as it was known then. Government was keen on More, who has a doctorate in The English built their Fort St Col. Henry Yule who in 1886 ing been acquired from a Chris- the Tamil Lexicon, the meaning made this claim. Another claim tian fisherman called Madaresan of the word ‘Cennai’ has been G Five arches over the Cooum. AChintadripet but, unfortunately, collapsed in this. History from Ecole des Hautes George on the ‘high plot’ granted 1840. Enquiry into the disaster came to the con- Etudes en Sciences Sociales, to them by Damarla Venkat- was that Madras was derived – or that it was derived from a given as ‘drum’ or ‘a brown G G Seven arches of ‘Wallajah But this location, being close to the sea, was by clusion that it was because a British regiment was appa. Tamil and Telugu migrants from Makhras Kuppam, which in wealthy Portuguese family called coloured dog’. Otherwise, there Bridge (1820) over the Elam- prone to severe storms or hurricanes besides Paris, has written over a dozen D.H. Rao allowed to march over it in ‘closed formation with settled in the vicinity of the Fort turn was derived fromr Marak- Madra or that it owed its origin to is no such word as ‘Chennai’ in bore River (North River), now heavy floods – which destoryed a newly con- books on various aspects of thumping steps’. The vibration thus created made South Indian history. kayar Kuppam or Markars Kup- the Madre-de-Denus (Mother of the Lexicon. Therefore, Chennai integrated into the Bucking- a steel link crack and the whole bridge came structed “subscription” bridge. Stating that villages and pam, as there were a number of God) Church – established by the is undoubtedly not Tamil. On ham Canal. down, throwing the armymen into the Cooum. The Military Board analysed the cost and of- G by A Staff Reporter wealthy Marakkayars (Muslims), Portuguese – have no solid evi- the other hand, Chenna meant built with timber platforms over towns like Mylapore, Tiruvalli- G Nine arches over the Adyar in fered its opinion to the Governor-in-Council on settled on the Madras coast. dence to support them. There are ‘fair’ in Telugu. I have also estab- timber posts and timber piles. This bridge, it seems, was imported from En- keni, Tiruvanmiyur and Tiruvot- . gland in 1829 and was kept in the store. It was the “re-construction of such a ‘Suspension These claims stated that the no Portuguese or other European lished that Chenna was not de- The earliest known bridge in Bridge’, that it should be compared with the tiyur existed before 1639, he said right from the time when the G duly erected in 1831. After the disaster, the Mili- Marakkayars as well as the Urdu- records or travel accounts or rived from Chennappa Nayak, Madras was built over a drainage Eleven arches (St George’s bridge that was destroyed in the monsoon of these places in the course of time Fort was established. This was tary Board wanted it to be erected once again over speaking Nawab Muhammad Ali Tamil or Telugu literature or in- the father of Damarla channel west of Black Town in Bridge) over the Cooum. 1846. (I was unable to find any information on became parts of Madras. Old in- the area of Madraspatam in the the Cooum. But the Governor turned down the Wallajah belonged to the same scriptions of the period to suggest Venkatappa. In the genealogical 1677. It was called “The New G this one.) scriptions found in temples in beginning. Eighteen arches (Elphinstone idea. (Later, the Harris Bridge came up on the lineage of Hardat Ibrahim Khali- these origins. As for ‘Chennai’, it list preprared by Colin McKenzie Bridge”. In 1690, Yale proposed these villages do not indicate In the course of time several Bridge) over the Adyar. spot.) Again, in 1846, the Collector of Conjee- The cost of the probable bridge with a span of lah, one of the Prophets. It is un- simply means ‘fair’ in Telugu, in 1800, there is no mention of a footbridge, of timber, to con- varam proposed to put this up on the Mount- that Madras or Chennai existed villages were incorporated by the G A timber bridge near 300 feet would be high, the Board felt, as an “Iron likely that wealthy Marakkayar More states, and goes on to say Chennappa as the father of nect the Island and White Town. Road (present-day one near MIOT before 1639. Neither Arab, Por- English as parts of Madraspatam. Moubray’s Garden (Madras Bridge” of 220 feet span and clear road width of traders of such illustrious lineage that “I have proved in my book Venkatappa. So why should we It was executed in 1714, long af- Hospital), but once again permission was refused. 14 feet in a Calcutta yard cost Rs,16,633. tuguese, Dutch, Danish, English Egmore, and Club) had 51 openings! would have chosen lowly beyond any doubt that Madras continue using Chennai, I won- ter Yale’s governorship. Thereafter what happened to the imported bridge and French travellers’ accounts became part of Ma- Finally, the proposal was turned down, not kuppams (fishing villages) to was a Tamil name derived from der,” More asserts. As all these bridges were of is not known. nor official records mention the dras in 1693, and Mylapore, By 1840, Madras had 15 ma- because of the higher cost but because it might settle in; after all, there has never medu, so ‘medurasapatnam’.” timber, heavy floods in 1720 and jor bridges. They were: When I was going through the 1854 records, I not be safe, being so close to the sea. existence of Madras or Chennai Tiruvanmiyur, Adyar and many 1721 did serious damage to five The Government Garden stumbled upon a proposal for another ‘Suspen- before 1639. Nor is there any other urs, pakkams and pets much bridges. The oldest one was “Ar- sion Bridge’ over the Cooum. Bridges were built a So, there went a second suspension bridge mention of Madras or Chennai later. Bridge or St. George’s Bridge; from the ‘Madras sky’. menian Gate Bridge” that Commander-in-Chief Bridge; St few times near ‘Marine Villa’ by the Cooum Bar, before 1639 in ancient and me- Thus, without the English, spanned a drainage channel con- Andrew’s Bridge; Wallajah dieval Tamil, Telugu or there would have been no Ma- necting Black Town and Bridge; College Bridge or Ander- literature. “Therefore, we must dras. In fact, the erection of Fort “Don’t deny Madras walls for fixing lamp posts, and if Peddanaikpet. It had been built son Bridge; Suspension Bridge; Bridge (over Buckingham Ca- lamps and there were about 200 conclude that Madras did not St George laid the foundations in 1677 using timber on brick nal); the Bridge; of them at the time. the Committee approves of it”, exist before 1639,” More stated. for the growth of the first mod- Munro Bridge; Burying Ground he will submit an estimate for the piers and abutments. Bridge (all over the Cooum); and Calingaroy Bridge (over It was Major De Havilland its place in pre-history” Triplicane Bridge – there is no Otteri Canal). who wrote to the Road Commit- job, and twelve lamps were fi- Marmolong Bridge (over the nally provided for this bridge. record of the year of its building Adyar); Benfield Bridge (over a The first street lamps in Ma- tee, when he was building the Can Buckingham Canal (By A Special Correspondent) – spanned the Cooum, connect- drainage channel); Basin Bridge; dras Presidency were introduced bridge in Chintadripet, “that here have been some murmurings about centres of culture in the socio-religious history of ing the Island and the village of Elephant Gate Bridge; Hospital in 1785. They were simple oil provision is made in the parapet (To be concluded) see better days? TMadras’s 375th birthday. They contend that our people.” (Continued from page 1) of the Government of India has Madraspatnam and adjoining Chennapatnam ex- Editor’s Note: We have no doubt that people isted much before Francis Day came to terms with settled in the area now known as Madras when southern Tamil Nadu have been proposed a sanction of Rs. 1000 Venkatadri Nayak. They cite Dr. P. Rajaraman, a people from Africa streamed out to populate the READABILITY PLEASE in favour of such a development crore for cleaning up the entire retired Professor of History, who wrote in his book world. There is no doubt that there were people for quite some time now. As re- canal. Dear Readers, Chennai Through The Ages (1997) that “Chenna- in this area when Lemuria existed. They were also cently as January 2014, we had There are, thus, plans for As letters from readers Naming the City’s bridges patnam was in existence even before Francis Day there in the Sangam ages. They were there when the ryots of Cuddalore petition- reviving the canal almost every- increase, we are receiving more negotiated a cowl with the Nayak.” This is the Cholas, Pallavas, and Muslim cohorts and ing the Pondicherry Government where except within the city. and more hand written letters, confirmed by several other historians, they say. Vijayanagar fought over the area. And they would arly bridges were identified by their location, or landmarks However, these plaques were put into position by De Havilland only to revive the waterway. They had Here too, however, it would many of them in a hand so small nearby, mostly the garden houses. So, when the first bridge was in 1822. Why the delay is not clear. What is clear is the writing on Dr. Rajaraman also points out that the cowl the have been there when it was Thondamandalam, and illegible or large and E highlighted its potential to con- appear that all is not lost. Barring built near Government Garden House it was called ‘Government Gar- the plaques. Nayak offered Francis Day in 1639 makes specific the focus of the area Dr. Rajaraman looks at be- scrawled as to be unreadable. tribute to trade and, more impor- the stretches up to Mylapore and den Bridge’ or Triplicane Bridge because the road led to Triplicane. mention of the “port of Madraspatnam”. He also fore focussing on what happened in the 375-year- Often this leads to our SAINT GEORGE’S BRIDGE tantly, recalled the role it played Adyar till where the MRTS runs The next one was simply called Chintadripetta Bridge because it says that the Masulipatnam Consultation speaks old Madras. But equally there is no doubt that discarding a letter, particularly if ERECTED BY LIEUTENANT THOMAS FRASER OF ENGINEERS in absorbing the waters of the parallel to it, there are plenty of was built in Chintadripet. Another one was called Commander-in- of Madraspatnam as a port town between the Madras we know of today, OUR city, grew some part of it is unreadable. tsunami of 2004, thereby mini- stretches of the canal that can be Chief Bridge because it was near the Commander-in-Chief’s garden A.D. 1805 and San Thomé belonging to Venkatadri Nayak. from the founding of Fort St. George in 1639 and If you wish us to consider your house. mising its impact on the areas renovated and restored. Can the letter for publication, please type Therefore, to say that Madras (or Chennai) is that thereafter absorbed ancient towns and vil- and that it flowed through. They had Government not look at this and it with enough space between Naming of bridges started in 1818, when the builder of the only 375 years old, and that only the period of lages like Mylapore, Triplicane, Tiruvottriyur, SAINT ANDREW’S BRIDGE also pointed out that, once the see what can be done? lines or write it using a medium Chintadripet Bridge, Superintending Engineer Major De Havilland, British presence should be reckoned and to state Tiruvanmiyur and many others which were not ERECTED BY MAJOR DE HAVILLAND OF ENGINEERS canal is in good working order, With so much going for it and hand, clearly dotting the ‘i-s’ and suggested to the Road Committee the necessity to name the bridges. nothing existed before that, is a distortion of part of a cohesive whole but parts of the territo- UNDER THE ORDERS OF THE GOVERNMENT the necessity of constructing bar- the swing of public opinion being crossing the ‘t-s’. The Road Committee requested the Governor-in-Council to sug- history. These critics say, and once again ries of various kingdoms. The Madras that grew Many readers also try to fill gest names for two bridges and he named the one built in 1804 the TH rages across the rivers that flow all for restoration of the canal, it THE FOUNDATION STONE WAS LAID ON 30 APRIL 1817 Dr. Rajaraman is quoted, “Any presumption that out of Fort St. George made them a part of OUR every square centimetre of a ‘Government Garden Bridge’; it also be named St. George’s Bridge AND THE LAST KEY STONE INSERTED ON SEPTEMBER 30TH. through Cuddalore can be is perhaps likely that its condi- the history of the city of Chennai has no antiq- city. And that Madras deserves celebration, what- postcard space, making reading and the other built in 1818, the ‘Chintadripettah Bridge’, be called minimised, with surplus waters tion will soon improve. If that These plaques, notably, gave due recognition to the builder uity and has only a life of four centuries lacks not ever its lineage, be it a million or more years old, or editing impossible. Please ‘St. Andrew’s Bridge’. being drained through the canal. were to be so, it deserves all en- rather than the Governor. only historic enquiry but insight. Its constituent or only 375 years old. help us to consider your letters This has major potential for re- couragement and, more impor- more favourably by making Major de Havilland proposed to the Committee “to fix upon a towns, viz Mylapore, Tiruvanmiyur and Perhaps all those who are Doubting Thomases name to be engraved or embossed on a stone, inserted over the cen- Where are these plaques today? ducing civil constructions on riv- tantly, prayers that all this talk them more legible for us. Tiruvottriyur, have not failed to draw the notice will now celebrate durng next Madras Week/ tre of the arch on the outside of the parapet to the northwards.” ers and thereby minimising costs. will soon result in concrete of foreign travellers. They were conspicuous as Month/Season our city. – THE EDITOR The Inland Waterway Authority action. 6 MADRAS MUSINGS September 16-30, 2014

iscovering the digitised finds exquisite reproductions of Darchives on Google of paintings by Nandalal Bose, Triveni, the literary journal, has Mukul Dey, Subba Rao and been like opening a time cap- Recalling many others. These are not yet sule: the pre-independence is- in the digitised version although (Current Affairs questions are sues take you on a journey into efforts are being made in this from the period August 16th the past with the best guides regard. O.C. Gangoly and G. to 31st. Questions 11 to 20 you could ask for the thinkers, Venkatachalam, the eminent pertain to Chennai and Tamil movers and shakers of those TRIVENI art critics who brought the Nadu.) heady times. The first issue ap- appreciation of Indian art into 1. Which popular film actor re- peared in 1928 and the last in the public domain, also wrote cently became the first Indian 2008. You can now digitally ac- – The journal of the for Triveni. ambassador of Interpol’s Turn Back Crime campaign which cess the issues of Triveni for the In 1928, writing on Mukul highlights how everyone can play entire term of its natural life. Indian Renaissance Dey, Gangoly lamented the in- a role in preventing crime.? The mass of writing from 1928 ordinate attention paid to po- 2. The Prime Minister has set up to 2008, between 30,000- litical events by the public, the Ramanujam committee to 40,000 pages, is an impressive while happenings in the newly identify what in an effort to help collection. resurgent art world were jurisprudence? The journal celebrated ignored. “The of our 3. Name the Oscar-winning ac- twenty-five years of publication artistic vision, it appears, is not tor and acclaimed director of in 1955, its Golden Jubilee in destined to open before the Gandhi who passed away recently. 1997 and its Platinum Jubilee in auspicious dawn of political 4. The Union I&B Ministry re- 2007. In these and other issues, autonomy, and the red-letter cently with held the release of M. Chalapati Rao, Dr. P. day of a cultured Swaraj.” G. Punjabi film Kaum de Heere (Dia- Tirumala Rao and D. monds of the Community). Why? Venkatachalam’s early essays Anjaneyulu, colleagues and on Rajput painting first 5. In which Chinese city was the friends of the founder, fondly appeared in Triveni. Music was 2014 Summer Youth Olympics remembered ‘old Triveni Days’ held? not ignored. Ragini Devi and and much of what follows is others wrote on traditions of 6. Which Indian was the Man-of- based on their writings. the-Series in the ODI series that Indian music and on composers The magazine was the brain- like . India won 3-1 against in child of K. Ramakotiswara Rao England? (1894-1970) of Guntur, a law- The triple stream morphed 7. Name the new domain re- yer by training and a journalist K. Ramakotiswara Rao, Founder-Editor, Triveni. into a wide, all-embracing river, cently launched by the Union by inclination. Established in capturing and carrying within it Government aimed at people the ebbs and tides, the highs who are non-English-speaking. 1927 at Malabari House in Purasawalkam, the first issue set muscles on what ‘Social Wel- Andhra, and in close and lows, of that Indian Renais- 8. Name the ambitious scheme out to dazzle the public in 1928. fare’ should mean in the Indian touch with the literary sance that the Editor wanted to for comprehensive financial in- context. There were discussions and art movements of reflect, as well as the ups and clusion launched by the Prime This was about 150 pages “on on problems of franchise, lin- Andhra Desa. But he is downs of the politics and social Minister on August 28th. fine feather-weight paper, with guistic states and federalism in anxious to publish de- changes sweeping through 9. With which online giant has a number of rare plates for re- production of sculptures and a future post-Independent In- tailed accounts of similar those historic times. the Ministry of Textiles signed an dia. movements in other parts MoU for the welfare of handloom paintings.” Even public speaking was On a personal note, Khasa of India. He makes an weavers? The name Triveni was cho- undergoing transformation, old 10. Where in Maharashtra were sen because it indicated a ‘triple style oratory being replaced by India’s first ever Ethanol-run, en- stream’. In the first issue, the new. P.R. Ramachandra Rao vironment-friendly public buses Editor, Ramakotiswara Rao, ex- begins an article on Jawaharlal introduced by Union Transport plained that the three streams G by Nehru as a speaker with the Minister Nitin Gadkari? were to be ‘Art, Literature and startling assertion, “The Con- * * * History’ and elaborated that the Ganga Powell & John Powell gress President is not an orator.” 11. Three narrow roads connect journal’s “main function (would He compares him to Chitta- North Mada Street and Kutchery be)… to interpret the Indian ranjan Das who “spoke with the Road in Mylapore. One is Kut- Renaissance in its manifold as- voice of a giant.” Nehru, in con- chery Lane. Name the other two. pects.” In this respect the jour- Subba Rao, later to be an emi- earnest appeal to scholars trast, insisted on a microphone. 12. Which Tamil Nadu cricketer nals of the late 1920s, 30s and nent editor himself, pondered in other linguistic areas to “He will not brook the outdated and squash star were recently 40s are especially enlightening. on the meaning of friendship. write about the literary expedient of bellowing to the awarded the Arjuna Award? Inevitably for those times, poli- And B. Pattabhi Sitaramayya and art movements with multitude.” Nehru began slow- 13. Who was the first Indian tics became a fourth stream. recollected the first motorcar in which they are familiar. Governor of Madras? ly. “As he speaks, the thought- In fact, the triple stream Madras when he was an under- Triveni will thus lay the sequence opens out for him. It 14. Which most-recognised swelled to encompass more graduate student: “…an alarm foundations for that in- is as if the trickling rills should name in its business was named than the first three or even four. was raised following a hoot ter-provincial harmony after a lawyer who became the collect and slowly awaken the Social commentary, economic emanating from … Parry’s Cor- and goodwill which is a avalanche which sweeps with a Chief Justice of the Madras High ner.” It was the Hon. A.J. prelude to a federation of Court in 1924? analyses, political debate, philo- thundering suddenness. Be- sophical musings, personal re- Yorke’s car, who then was the Indian cultures.” neath the surface of his modu- 15. Bombay Mutual Building, Chamber of Commerce Repre- True to this intent there are and State Bank of flections, stories, poems and lous words roars the current of sentative in the Legislative innumerable translations from Mysore Building in Parry’s are much more are found in these thought. It bubbles, it boils, it examples of which type of archi- pages. The scope is not only Council. There are also early regional languages such as overwhelms.” tecture? pan-Indian, writers ventured poems by Harindranath Chat- Oriya, Gujarati, Marathi, Ben- further afield to critique world topadhyaya, short stories by gali, Telugu, Tamil and Urdu. Words like ‘motherland’, 16. Who composed ‘Satatatmu ‘sacrifice’, ‘destiny’, even the brovumayya chakravartini’ in events, review international Raja Rao, S.K. Chettur, trans- As Anjaneyulu succinctly weighty term ‘renaissance’ ring honour of King George V? writers, thinkers and philoso- lations of Kalki’s work, critiques points out, “His was the role of true, used in those days 17. What was started in 1917 by phers. There are pieces on the of the fine arts, and much, a one-man academy of art and with newfound pride, confi- Annie Besant, Dorothy Jinaraja- rise of Fascism in Europe, dis- much more. letters. In the event, he antici- dasa and Margaret Cousins? cussions of the Kellog Pact post- With great foresight the Edi- pated the work of the national dence and genuine idealism. 18. How many Pagodas would World War II and the uncertain tor saw a need to bring together, Akademis of free India by a full Today to our somewhat cynical 16,800 Kaasu get you? future of Czechoslovakia. through translation and publi- quarter century or more. He ears such grandiose vocabulary 19. To acknowledge what effort Nilakanta Sastri, doyen of cation under one banner, the was able to do single-handed might seem passé, even ironical. was the Trevelyan Fountain South Indian history, wrote on many cultural flowerings taking what the Sahitya Akademi But they ring true and shine raised in the grounds of Victoria ‘The Ramayana and Valmiki place across the linguistic seeks to do with infinitely larger like newly minted coins when Public Hall? Abroad’, V.T. Lakshmi on ‘An- boundaries of India. resources.” used by these old stalwarts. For 20. Which famous cricket club cient South Indian Commerce’, “Triveni seeks to interpret The reproductions of paint- this reason alone, if nothing was the first winner of the Madras Sir S. Radhakrishnan spoke for the Renaissance move- ings by contemporary artists else, dipping into the rarer air Championship (for the Rajah of common sense in ‘Religion: a ment as reflected in the continued to be a distinctive as- of these journals is as refresh- Palayampatti Shield) in 1932-33? Plea for Sanity’, and Jawaharlal various linguistic units of pect of Triveni. Looking ing as a dip in a mountain (Answers on page 10) Nehru flexed his planning India. The Editor is an through the old hard copies one stream. September 16-30, 2014 MADRAS MUSINGS 7 Madras Week for the young OCee (www.yocee.in), a YChennai-based news web- site for children, organised events for schoolchildren over two weekends recently to cel- ebrate Madras Week. Two photowalks – one inside the re- stored Adyar Poonga and the other in Kottur village – a ‘Walk & Make Scrapbook’ ses- sion after a short walk from Luz Church to the Children’s Club close to Jammi Buildings in Mylapore, and ‘A day at Fort St. George’ were the events that attracted around 50 children at each event while they explored the city in parts. The children found the During the Adyar Poonga walk. Adyar Poonga, now open to the public twice a week, fascinating. Guided by the Interpretation Executive of the poonga, the During the Kottur walk children learnt a lot about the flora and fauna of the creek. Looking at the variety of plants, colourful butterflies and various insects, the children clicked away and saved much informa- tion and many memories. A forenoon spent at Fort St. George had the children taking home much knowledge and heaps of photos, maps and activity sheets. Hugely sup- ported by the Archaeological Survey of India, the morning of- At St. Mary’s in the Fort. fered the young a variety of ac- visited inside the Fort. The chil- Koil probably 500-years old, was tivities. Thanks to Dr. G. dren enjoyed a short map-read- a joyful way of learning for the Maheshwari, Superintending ing session and a fun word- children. Walk and make a scrapbook Archaeologist, ASI, Chenni game. N. Ramaswamy of Chennai Circle, who showed great inter- The walk in Mylapore, look- Daily Photo blog led the walk. Other Madras Week events est in getting children involved ing at historical spots like Luz From the facades of buildings to in the city’s heritage and who Church, Vivekananda College, the spinach-seller on the pave- offered all possible assistance and ment, who had at least ten vari- and hospitality, the children unique neighbourhood sites eties of greens, they were inter- delved into the history of such as the dhobi khana, a shop esting sights to talk about for Chennai. making percussion instruments, curious children. The Assistant Archaeologist roadside shops and statues, The walks and the activities Vetri Selvi and the Fort Mu- ended at the Children’s Club only proved that the city has seum Curator Nidhi led the and brought the children back much to offer children outside children on a heritage walk in- to the present. the classroom. I do wish parents side the Fort and the Museum Walking in the Kottur area, will encourage their children to respectively. Kalyani Naraya- which still has the characteris- participate in more such out- nan of ‘Snapshot Memories’ tics of a village, including a few door learning. guided the children in making tiled houses, a temple for a Vidwan R.K. Sriramkumar and Latha Nathan sang about tree species at scrapbooks of the places they grama devatha and a Perumal – R. Revathi The Musical Tree Walk in Tree Park organised by Nizhal during Madras Week.

Participants at “Living Statues” walking tour organised on the Marina by the World Storytelling Institute. Madras Naturalists’ Society conducted several programmes for children during Madras Week. 8 MADRAS MUSINGS September 16-30, 2014 Quizzing with Murugappa’s At the Madras Quotient Quiz 2014...

Rushing (left) to get into the auditorium (right).

The audience gets into the act. First prize winners from nearly 300 teams – Maharishi Vidya Mandir. ...and at The Madras 375 Quiz Three of the finalists in The Madras 375 Quiz, an open event sponsored by the and organised by Mylapore Times. The 260 quizzers included T.K. Balaji, one of the winners of the Madras 350 Quiz. This is how the love for Madras brings people to the city’s celebrations again and again! September 16-30, 2014 MADRAS MUSINGS 9

lous story by itself, worthy of a global case study. It marked a Hanuman jump over obsolete A story of three major technology adopted by the exit- ing manufacturers, Hindustan Motors, Premier Automobiles and Standard Motors, who were triumphs also beset with low volumes of production and restrictions on capacity. VK describes the phe- nomenal care bestowed by him G V Krishnamurthy’s At The Rs. 15,000 crore, the BHPV appointed Secretary in the in selecting the collaborator, his Helm – A Memoir traces his plant, attached to the Ministry Department of Heavy Industry. top management team and in tenure at the top of three of Fertilisers, did not do well, When I dropped in to offer my V. Krishnamurthy. quietly adopting several of the turned sick and was later taken congratulations, he suggested major corporates – Maruti, salutary practices he had intro- over by BHEL. While BHEL-T my visiting Hyderabad to see Prime Minister Indira duced in BHEL. BHEL and SAIL. He narrates expanded output manifold by the facilities there. I joined VK Gandhi then requested VK to in detail his steering path-breaking development of and other directors on the flight build the Maruti factory in the The advent of Maruti was a these companies to great ancillary industrial units and to Hyderabad and we went to aftermath of Sanjay Gandhi’s watershed in upgrading not just production technology in the success and his charting constantly upgraded technol- Ramachandrapuram. Over death. VK describes in great de- ogy through collaborations, time, the Hyderabad unit has tail the initial challenging years engineering sector but in the new management con- introduction of a vast new cepts. BHPV declined. taken up a spectacular diversifi- at Maruti. He held to his prom- ise on delivering the first vehicle work culture. These were later t was just after the launch of by the end of 1983, within less adapted to great profit by IIndustrial Economist in March than three years of taking hundreds of manufacturing 1968 that we carried in its charge. concerns. ‘Glimpses’ column a short note I met him in 1984 and asked Of course, there was no on BHEL-Tiruchi. We won- dearth of sceptics. I remember dered why the sprawling unit, how he was confident that the market would be able to absorb my discussions with a few manufacturing industrial boil- captains of industry involved in ers, had failed to win an order 100,000 cars at a time when total size of the market, fed by the manufacture of automobiles from Ltd. and components in Madras. Within days, I received a two- three Indian manufacturers was just around 40,000. VK’s They were content with the page letter, which provided an volume of business offered by outline of the issue. The writer reasoning was grand: “The Maruti 800 is a state-of-the-art Telco (Tata Motors) and were invited me to visit the temple not quite impressed with the town and have a look at the product. It promises a saving of Rs. 1000 per month on mainte- promise of Maruti to raise facilities. One V. Krishna- production to 100,000 cars in murthy (VK) had signed it. He nance. Thus, in four years the saving will be around quick time. But once VK was the Company’s General BHEL. established the capability to Manager. In 1972, VK successfully walk his talk, they rushed to When I visited the produc- convinced policymakers in register with Maruti as suppli- tion facilities a week later, I was Delhi to merge the much older ers. deeply impressed with the pas- Heavy Electricals (India) Ltd It was not just an engineer- sion and involvement of the with BHEL and form a single ing marvel; it was financial workforce and their ability to large power equipment manu- engineering at its very best. In produce sophisticated equip- facturer, BHEL. It was a the initial years, Maruti opened ment to strict time schedules. herculean task bringing about a bookings requiring a deposit of What impressed me most was synthesis of cultures of the two Rs. 10,000 per car for registra- BHEL-T winning an order for different units. The initial tion and adopted a system of boilers from Malaysia – three doubts and resistance by senior allotment that was transparent. years before the first BHEL managers were tackled by The first bout of registrations boiler was fired at the making them work in much saw the Company garnering thermal station! higher positions at the different Rs. 130 crore by way of depos- plants. its. The Company paid seven per cent interest to the deposi- G In quick time BHEL emerg- by ed a leader not just in the field tors. The second bout garnered S. Viswanathan of power equipment manufac- another Rs. 140 crore. The ture but also in the public opening for Omni received an sector. I remember the vibrant Maruti. My fascination for BHEL, media campaign of BHEL de- cation: new product lines for which started in 1968, has con- signed by R.K. Swamy of HTA manufacture of oil rigs to meet tinued through these past 46 to highlight the commanding the requirements of ONGC years during which I have vis- heights reached by the public at Bombay High, which was ited the various plants of BHEL sector. Particularly fascinating then reaching peak production, in different parts of India and was the record of the giant and a vast range of industrial the several sites where BHEL company to expand its range of equipment and switch gears equipment was installed and products by ramping up the were introduced. A separate had been operating effectively. capacities of the individual division was also set up for The visits to Tiruchi have been plants in different parts of the R&D. like pilgrimages undertaken at country. least once a year to keep myself The best proof for the suc- The waning success of BHEL updated on the expansion of fa- cess of BHEL through the 1970s for several years post-1970s, cilities and to report on the was the ability of the Company when both VK and S.V.S. progress. to supply top talent for high Raghavan left, was marked by this giant corporation losing its I had expressed my amaze- managerial positions. From the prestige and clout. We wit- ment on the utilisation levels of earlier practice of such talent nessed a re-bound only during equipment supplied by Czecho- being largely supplied by multi- the boom years in the new mil- SAIL. slovakia on identical terms and nationals like Hindustan lennium. The UPA I govern- comparable costs at two differ- Unilever, ITC and the Indian ment gave high priority for Rs. 48,000, which is more than equal sum and when Maruti ent plants – one at Tiruchi and Railways, from the 1970s we power development. BHEL was the initial price announced of announced bookings for its the other at the Bharat Heavy witnessed BHEL supplying chief ready to grab the opportunity Rs. 47,000. Thus, every buyer of 1000 cc car there was a mad Plate and Vessels Ltd. (BHPV) executives both for the public and in quick time became once Maruti can easily go for a scramble. Many borrowed at Visakhapatnam. While the sector and for private enter- again a true leader in the public replacement through the sheer money from the banks to de- former has grown into a highly prises! sector. savings involved!” posit the initial fee of Rs. 25,000 sophisticated plant that acco- In 1977, I was in Delhi unts for a turnover of over around the time when VK was * * * Maruti’s success is a marvel- (Continued on page 10) 10 MADRAS MUSINGS September 16-30, 2014 A story of three triumphs (Continued from page 9) phenomenal success of Maruti In the five years he was at under the stewardship of VK. the helm at SAIL, he trans- The ability to raise production formed the company into one to avail of profits on re-sale of to 100,000, ensure of quality that increased productivity such vehicles, if allotted. The and reliability, and to assure low manifold. There was a huge bookings were for a massive maintenance costs and com- focus on quality, and customer 250,000! This helped the Com- fortable driving had resulted orientation was brought about pany garner around Rs. 625 from the country catching up for the first time. I consider the crore! The Company lent this with state-of-the-art technol- transformation of SAIL as money to other public sector ogy and management. Maruti among the high points of VK’s undertakings at an interest of set the standard for production, tenure at the helm of three 15 per cent per annum. In the Till September 21: Dusshera Festi- DakshinaChitra Workshops sales and service. major companies. initial years, Maruti earned val with Dollu Kunita folk for Adults more income through this fi- In At the Helm – A Memoir, performers – Raghavendra and September 17-21: Mysore * * * troupe from Karnataka perform- nancial engineering than from V. Krishnamurthy describes in Painting VK’s assuming charge as detail his approach to industrial ing every day; display of golu dolls September 20: Terracotta car sales! in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Chairman of SAIL in 1985 at organisation and management. Jewellery There was disbelief over the the behest of Prime Minister houses; crafts and textiles from for Children For three decades, from the Karnataka; and Lambani Rajiv Gandhi posed him his 1960s, VK strode the industrial September 20-21: Painting a craftswomen displaying their Dasavadharam (the ten different most difficult challenge. In the map of India like a colossus. colourful embroidery (at case of BHEL and Maruti he incarnations of Lord Vishnu) ERRATA The country owes him a DakshinaChitra). Golu set: This two-day terracota had the advantage of building great deal for the enormous Till September 30: Group exhibi- workshop for children is a part of these from scratch and experi- contribution he made during Dusshera celebrations and will The report by Venkatesh menting with many new tion by Karuppu Art Collective, this period. a new chapter in the Madras include a storytelling settion on Krishmoorthy on the Lloyd’s concepts. At SAIL, a well- His very rich experience, metaphor. It is a collaborative the ten different incarnations of Road Walk (MM, September established company, it was not was, again, put to good use by effort of nine artists from the Lord Vishnu and the character- 1st) had several errors, namely: that simple. At the time he took istic of each incarnation. An the UPA government. As College of Fine Arts drawn from 1. Semmangudi was to be charge, SAIL was suffering from unpainted Dasavadharam set will Chairman of the National three generations (at Dakshina- referred to as Pitamaha and not low productivity, high costs, Chitra). be given to each child to paint Manufacturing Competitive- Pitamaga. poor quality, little customer and take home to keep in the ness Council, VK brought Till September 30: Exhibition of 2. It was not G. Subramania orientation and low morale of Golu display there. (at Dakshna- Iyer who lived in Lloyd Lane but into focus the manufacturing paintings by Cynthia Prabhakar Chitra) the workforce. VK describes in (at DakshinaChitra). C. R. Srinivasan who owned the sector. For further information contact: detail how he took great pains 98417 77779. Swadesamitran from the 1940s. to interact with groups of the His memoir provides deep 3. The dubash brothers who large workforce which, at that insights into the evolution of owned Lalitha Sadan were time, was in the region of several manufacturing prac- Answers to Quiz tices. The most significant part Ramaswami and Lakshminara- 240,000, spread over several 1. Shah Rukh Khan; 2. Identify obsolete laws which hamper gover- yana Iyer and not as reported. plants in different parts of India. of this relates to the evolution nance by creating avoidable confusion; 3. Sir Richard Attenborough; 4. It 4. The Dewan of Baroda was He had to take tough decisions. of the Indian work ethic. VK depicts and glorifies the acts of Indira Gandhi’s assassins 30 years ago; 5. Sir V.T. Krishnamachari and The most sensitive of these almost single-handedly esta- Nanjing; 6. Suresh Raina; 7. Dot Bharat (in Devanagiri); 8. ‘Pradhan not Krishnamacharya. His son related to his bold announce- blished the Indian model of Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana’; 9. Flipkart; 10. Nagpur. was the noted Advocate- ment that there would not be management, laying great em- * * * General V. K. Tiruvenkatachari any overtime. Unlike in BHEL phasis on communication with 11. Chengazhuneer Pillayar Koil Street and Mathala Narayanan Street; and not Tirumalacharya. the workforce and establishing 12. R. Ashwin and Anaka Alankamony; 13. Maharaja Rao Shri Krishna and Maruti, VK had to contend Kumarsinhji Bhavsinhji Sahib Gohil; 14. Murray & Co. (named after Sir 5. Lalitha Sadan was not just with a very large number of the capability of the public 18,000 sq ft. That was the built sector chiefs to manage large Victor Murray Coutts-Trotter); 15. Art-Deco; 16. ‘Poochi’ Srinivasa trade unions, which were Iyengar; 17. Women’s Indian Association; 18. Five; 19. Governor Charles up area of the house. very strong, especially in enterprises effectively. – (Cour- Trevelyan’s initiative towards providing Madras with adequate drinking Sriram V. Durgapur. tesy: Industrial Economist) water; 20. Triplicane CC.

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