Registered with the Reg. No. TN/CH(C)/374/09-11 Registrar of Newspapers Licence to post without prepayment for India under R.N.I. 53640/91 Licence No. WPP 506/09-11 Rs. 5 per copy (Annual Subscription: Rs. 100/-) WE CARE FOR MADRAS THAT IS CHENNAI INSIDE • Short ‘N’ Snappy • Seeds from the UK • The Tree of Life • Madras Week Programmes • By bus and foot Vol. XXI No. 9 MUSINGS August 16-31, 2011 Sign to save City’s heritage Campaign part of this year’s Madras Week “Lord! If I pick up the phone, he will know I'm watching this hopelessly- (By The Editor) romantic soap!" adras that is Chennai is Metro Rail are merrily contem- Mthe first city of modern plating the demolition of a few Look who’s watching India. It is the city where virtu- heritage structures in the name Too far. ally every institution of the In- of overall development, over- There really is such a thing as dia of today – be it municipal looking the fact that the needs Going Too Far. governance, jurisprudence, of modern-day life can go hand- And that, you can’t help thinking, educational systems, engineer- in-hand with heritage conserva- is just where some of these TV ing, medicine, record-keeping, tion. Even as we write this, the tecchies are going. you name it – had its begin- fate of two historic buildings, Look – what did TV provide all nings. It is a city to be proud of Bharat Insurance Building and these years? Entertainment, for what it has contributed to Gokhale Hall, is in the hands of great time-pass; some informa- modern India. the Courts, the owners having tion for the slightly more high- Many of the buildings where decided to challenge earlier minded, and a pleasant alterna- these contributions were made judgements stopping demoli- tive to family bonding, which still survive. Others have van- tion. more often than not (for some, ished, but those that stand are The city, the cardle of the almost always) led to those dis- tressing family rows that do so commemorations of that contri- unique Indo-Saracenic archi- much to sour the atmosphere bution and need to be protected tectural style and, later, a sig- at the dining table. and preserved. While the nificant representative of the Perfect. march of time cannot be wished Art Deco style, teamed with away, what is of concern is that But now... (Continued on page 6 ) Have you heard? Apparently, it’s new development in the city is The state-of-the-art road meant to be the pride of the city. now possible, with a press of a taking place without any con- button, to actually find out sideration for preserving the what your friends are watch- past or the environment. ing. A recent example of this is A no-man’s land beside Just a tad intrusive, don’t you the construction of the new think ... even creepy? Tamil Nadu Legislative Assem- And, have these tecchies even bly and Secretariat which in- the IT Corridor considered how tough this will volved the felling of century-old be on those addicted Soap-ers trees and at least four heritage walk alongside the teem- software engineers waiting for waiting for the buses that will with image issues who are ob- structures, including Govern- Aing IT Expressway, outside their travel modes amid the carry them to their chosen sessively paranoid of having the Kasturba Nagar piles of rubbish all around! paths. their Nat-Geo-watching myths ment House where more than busted? 200 years of Madras history was MRTS station is generally a Look above at the station Apparently, the TNRDC’s TV watching is such a private written. What in any other very learning experience. On roofs, and huge hoardings purview ends with cleaning the thing, where sharing info is country would be seeking both sides of the median – promise ‘Luxury homes in gar- main roads on which vehicles strictly a matter of choice. World Heritage Site status, Fort where you will see manicured ply. Sometime last year, when a Seriously, is TV getting a bit St. George, which is nominally and neatly planted/efficiently senior Corporation official was above itself, playing too many under the protection of the Ar- watered rows of conventional contacted for help, I was told to roles – entertainer, cooking ex- chaeology Survey of India, but landscaping (courtesy the G by Shobha Menon talk to the Railway. The senior pert, teacher...? has multiple owners, is not im- Tamil Nadu Road Develop- Railway official in charge said What next? Best-est friend...with mune to unplanned construc- ment Corporation, TNRDC) – that the premises of the Railway frequent power shortages act- tion and consequent demolition there are synchronised streams den cities’ and ‘bigger homes for were outsourced to a contrac- ing as the perennial fly in the of heritage buildings. Govern- of vehicles of all shapes and little pleasures of life’! A lead- tor, but his purview did not ointment ... or the bone in the ment organisations such as sizes; on the left hand side cor- ing hotel chain advertises its stretch to the public road or to kebab? ner, you will see a diversity of ‘passion par excellence’ while litter contributed by pedestri- Too far. Celebrate tree species planted and raised overlooking a heaped pile of dis- ans. On going back to the Really ... too far. ‘Madras Week’ from by a green NGO’s young volun- carded chips packets, mineral Corporation once again, I was Tecchies, do exercise a little re- August 21st – 28th teers (initiated by the erstwhile water bottles, discarded directed to another zonal com- straint. Satyam Foundation); and in chappals and tetrapacks! And missioner who, after much Let TV just be ... TV? and beyond (see pages 7 & 8) between all this you will see all around, passers-by mill about Ranjitha Ashok neatly attired and deo smelling eagerly, walking through litter, (Continued on page 9) CMYK 2 MADRAS MUSINGS August 16-31, 2011 Sowing the Hearty welcomes, past & present seeds of change he lady came, saw and shout out the name of the visi- has been coming down. MMM Tthen left. The Man from tor as the cavalcade passed. would like to point out that Madras Musings refers to the Some managed “Gobar Chor” the count has increased in the – from a field recent visit of the U.S. Secre- which meant stealer of cow last one year by a grand total tary of State who once had dung, much to their own of one – the new/old/new As- presidential ambitions. Pre- amusement. Others thought his sembly building to boot. Now sumably she wanted to meet name was Karva Chout, a ritual our city, always known for far away others of her ilk who had had that women in the North ob- several records, also holds a ambitions and achieved them serve for marital bliss. And so new record for it possesses G Running a café purely for charity! Well, Madras Café in the as well. But be that as it may, they shouted whatever they felt probably the world’s most ex- United Kingdom does so and has provided a new lease of life to what MMM really liked about and laughed raucously, vastly pensive but the most short- many needy women in India’s rural South, partnering Action Vil- the visit was the plethora of amused at their own creativity. lived Assembly building ever lage India and other agencies in micro-finance initiatives wall posters that made their The visitor, had he chosen to in human history. And judging – Maithreyi Nandakumar, appearance before, during, lower a glass pane and look out, by its architecture it is a sign and after the visit. would have been puzzled but of Indo-German ties lasting Bristol, England “Welcome to Hilary happy to see such cheer, as several years. With a Kaiser- afting in the chill This unique concept of run- Clinton to Chennai” was the would our Hilllaari at the pecu- like helmet to top it off, its oil- Wsummer breeze as I near ning a café purely for charity is burden of most that were on liarly worded but plentiful signs tank like exterior is symbolic this stone cottage in the Cots- something Bryan is very proud the walls near the airport. And of welcome. of the bombing of Madras by wolds was the unmistakable of. The Café has a popular stall in that context MMM won- On the same subject, MMM, the German ship Emden smell of frying pakoras and the at WOMAD, the famous world ders what happened to a May- now deep into anecdotage (al- which, after all, hit only the oil oral statute of not a year’s vin- ways a sign of dotage) remem- tanks and added a new word potent mix of spices. Rather a music and dance festival each tage that expressly forbade the bers a wonderful book by a man to the Tamil lexicon. That it contrast with the very English year, cooking idlis, dosas, and defacing of walls with posters largely unknown for his wit – was built by Hindi-speaking setting of the party I was attend- serving masala chai and is on certain important roads of Lord Curzon, if you please. The natives of our country only ing – in the middle of the bu- helped entirely by volunteers which the airport road was imperious and forbidding exte- adds to the possibilities. Can it colic splendour of the country- who do the cutting, chopping, also one? Leaving that aside, rior obviously hid a fun-loving not be converted into a World side, and with the promise of cooking and cleaning for free.