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 G Short ‘N’ Snappy G Life around Jagdish’s Shop G Less known sculptures G The computer and Anna G The Kalaignar dream WE CARE FOR MADRAS THAT IS CHENNAI Vol. XXVIII No. 13 October 16-31, 2018 Elevated road, threat to Cooum? G by The Editor he elevated road corridor from Maduravoyal to the Harbour is Tback in the news. A Committee recently reviewed progress on the project with particular reference to the issues of land acquisi- tion. Earlier in the year, it was decided that the road, planned origi- A vision by night, now much in demand by day (see page 8). (Photo: R. Raja Pandiyan.) nally for four lanes, will now be expanded to six. With all this, it appears that the project will take off once more, five years after it was stalled ostensibly for environmental reasons while it was an open secret that the ac- When political parties take over tual cause was political. The story then given out was that isuse of public surface and Mass meetings at the apex level the piers for the elevated road Maerial space and walls is citizens’ spaces for birthdays and anniversaries taking place right in front of our could be substituted by manage- were being erected on the flection on the eminence of the ing across 30-40 feet, eulogising Cooum riverbed. This, the Gov- eyes every day. Those respon- able gatherings spread over dis- sible are shopkeepers, vendors, political personality whose the qualities of head and heart trict centres whereby, in fact, ernment elected to power in memory was being honoured. of the leader. We are happy to 2011, was unwilling to proceed bus and truck owners and the message would be more householders restricting usable By someone’s count 138 hoard- have such leaders taking charge effectively disseminated. with and the project was ings were erected on a kilometre of our destinies which, they shelved. Now, with the same road space, preventing safe pe- One mass meeting of a lakh destrian use of pavements, clog- stretch on the arterial road of think, is more than enough to quality of life? Party in power, the idea has Chennai through which all traf- compensate us for losing spot- or two for mere demonstration been revived. As to what hap- ging drains and causing road ac- ofWhen strength the areais at washeavy expanded social cidents. In the list of offenders, fic incoming and outgoing has lessly walled streets. Who pays to 1,189 sq.km, Government rea- pened to concerns regarding the necessarily to go through. The cost. Announcements of meet- river nobody has a clue. the self-authorised abuse of sonedings can that be madea large in newspapers area was public facilities by political par- hoardings were grouted on the needed to find the best possible The project, originally esti- platforms forcing poor pedestri- instead of obstructive hoardings mated at Rs 1,800 crore, had ties is reserved for special men- location for employment, afford- ans to walk nervously close to G by A Special and arches. Meetings should be two major heads of expenditure tion for the scale and audacity ableoutside housing peak andhours. relocation of of their virtual take-over of the the edge of busy Anna Salai to Correspondent slums and developing connecti- – construction on the actual Areas subject to large-scale City unmindful of the hardship avoid being run over and to es- vity. This was primarily to be roadway at Rs 1,345 crore and ingress and egress should be to citizens. cape the adventurous driving achieved by creating satellite the balance to be spent on avoided for large gatherings. Recently, we saw the chaos styles of State Transport drivers for cleaning up the ugly graffiti towns and peripheral ring roads. resettling around 7,000 families Meetings near schools, colleges created by a political function – who have declared their inde- and repainting? Most often the Of five proposed towns, only and hospitals should not be (Continued on page 2) citing which is not to cast re- pendence long ago. To enhance unclean walls are not restored two – Manali and Maraimalai the celebratory ambience even and the question of paying for it Nagarpermitted. – were accomplished. Under Thisno further, hundreds of hoardings, is not allowed to arise. hascircumstances not been adequate should to pedes- arrest thousands of flags and festoons Use of public space is neces- thetrian rising conveniences overcrowding bein were erected all over the city by sary for expressing ideological Chennaicompromised. city. The object of Party functionaries vying with beliefs and messages in a de- makingNor housingare political in suburbs parties thean each other in number, size and mocracy but this needs to be attractiveonly “culprits”. option Construction has not been of colour as a measure of loyalty to balanced against the cost to realised.pandals Reports spanning from the residents road in their leadership. All this, in the citizens in terms of safety, con- infront outlying of temples areas indicate at festival, that face of the Court declaring such venience, ease of movement, localnamaz roads on haveroads notand been blaring put mi- in use of public space as illegal. speed in coping with emergen- placecrophones nor athas all thetimes supply of the day of Commandeering public cies, diverted traffic, missed servicedfrom these land forsources middle are and going spaces and facilities by political flights, lost opportunities, ad- unchecked. parties is not limited to special verse effect on pollution and so Irresponsible intrusions into occasions. We see multi- on. Hundreds of hoardings, the citizens’ rightful space, per- coloured graffiti on public walls huge arches and cut-outs and haps, is the main reason why in most streets. They occupy flags are traffic hazards and Tamil Nadu is at the top in All Towers to nowhere on the Cooum River bed. (Photo by R. Raja Pandiyan.) the whole wall surface, stretch- should be prohibited altogether. (Continued on page 8) CMYK 2 MADRAS MUSINGS October 16-31, 2018 ELEVATED ROAD THREAT Public Service, Chennai Style ylapore, which to The stowing dirty looks at the rich musical history. One of (Continued from page 1) in power and is yet keen to re- MMan from Madras owner of the stalled car. As for the group was a talented and vive the shelved scheme. Musings is the centre of the the pedestrians, MMM did professional singer and he and 500 business entities that It is learnt that the Indian universe, becomes quite notice a couple of them taking was asked to sing a song that were likely to be displaced. Institute of Technology has unapproachable during the photos on their cell phones of had been composed 400 years Spanning 19km, the project given a new alignment for the festival of nine nights aka MMM pushing the car, but earlier at the same shrine. He when completed was expected road by the side of the river and Navaratri. Doll sellers occupy beyond that there was no help had barely launched into the to cut commute time for con- with this, piers, around 650 of the pavements, such as they forthcoming. The cake was composition when along tainers and lorries bound for the them, will be on the riverbank are, and set up displays of taken by a man who came came a guard and said that harbour from anywhere up to 4 and not on the river bed. It has their wares. The civic autho- close and then helpfully ad- UNESCO rules forbid singing hours to just 30 minutes. since also been announced that rities, who in MMM’s view, vised MMM that his effort of songs at protected sites. Repeated delays in the project with the new alignment, there consider our street widths to would bear more fruit if he MMM knew this was not have however meant that the will be no necessity to seek be elastic and, therefore, ca- placed his hands differently on true, but he chose not to ar- cost has escalated. The recent coastal regulation zone (CRZ) pable of expanding at will to the car’s boot. Having said gue. The group moved to a accommodate all demands for that, he walked away, leaving place in the open and the decision to expand the road clearances, as the river will no space, make no effort to re- MMM to toil. song was duly sung. width to six lanes has also longer be affected. What is puz- strict traffic around the four MMM pushed the car all The next port of call was a impacted plans. The revised zling is the lack of clarity on Mada streets during this sea- cost is expected to be Rs 3,500 what exactly is the new align- the way to the end of the road picturesque spot and one of son, or, for that matter, at any where there was sufficient the group being a talented art- crore. The National Highways ment. other time of the year. As a space to park it. The grateful ist, began to sketch the sight. uthority of India, which is the Those who have the inter- consequence, vehicles of all owner thanked MMM Mind you, it was just a small gency to execute this project, ests of Chennai’s waterways, kinds jostle for space with an profusely and then went off to notepad, and not an easel on as been pushing for it relent- such as they are, at heart, are increased number of pedes- look for a mechanic, even as a stand or any such thing.