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Registered with the Reg. No. TN/CH(C)/374/18-20 Registrar of Newspapers Licenced to post without prepayment for India under R.N.I. 53640/91 Licence No. TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-506/18-20 Publication: 1st & 16th of every month Rs. 5 per copy (Annual Subscription: Rs. 100/-) INSIDE Short ‘N’ Snappy Water Works Heritage Vavilla Press Miyawaki Forests Cricket Stars from TN www.madrasmusings.com WE CARE FOR MADRAS THAT IS CHENNAI Vol. XXX No. 20 April 1-15, 2021 City gears up for the When a city is Assembly Election as it fights to stave off by The Editor second wave of pandemic careless… t is now quite clear that con- Just around a month ago, While there is much that wards preventive guidelines trary to all claims of victory Tamil Nadu and Chennai ap- can be laid at the door of the he sixteenth legislative I and social distancing – the over Covid, we may be staring peared to have come up trumps administration for this evolv- assembly election of Tamil T practices of wearing masks, down an abyss. The virus has as far handling the pandemic ing crisis, there is a lot that Nadu is to be held on April 6 washing hands and maintain- clearly not gone away. In fact, was concerned. Union Min- could have been done by we, and, according to the Election ing prudent distancing seem during the time we were cel- isters praised us, doctors and the people. The wearing of Commission of India, 62.6 to have largely gone out the ebrating the falling numbers experts predicted that the end masks is the first and perhaps million people are eligible to window. In fact, the new cases it was merely crouching for was in sight and there were most important step. This by vote, of which 40 lakh voters are reported to be workplace a spring so to speak, with re- learned articles as to how there itself seems to be a huge hur- are attributed to Chennai. The and family clusters, with the newed vigour. Unfortunately, was no possibility of a second dle. Most people prefer to go elections come at a time when latter arising out of a failure to the sharp spike has come at a wave in the city and state. And around without this simplest of the city is struggling against a comply with home quarantine time when the administration then the numbers began to rise, protective devices. Of course, new swell of corona virus cases measures. Reports say that is involved with the Assembly and have continued ever since. this is not surprising in a state – for instance, Chennai saw a electioneering efforts from elections, which by itself is At the latest count, as on 27th where the helmet law is still 100% rise in fresh cases over a political parties are adding to a very demanding exercise. March, we in the city appear to considered a punishment. The span of three weeks, according the strain, with party gather- What is unfortunate howev- be well on our way to daily in- heat was given as an excuse to an NDTV report. ings and campaigns adopting er is the carelessness of the creases in four digits. The only then. We presume the fogging One of the reasons for loose enforcement of the covid people. The attitude towards consolation is that at present up of spectacles will be the the new surge is thought to protocols outlined by the Elec- Covid that we now see is com- casualty figures are still low. reason for not wearing masks. be ‘covid fatigue’, which has tion Commission of India. The pletely inexcusable. resulted in lax discipline to- (Continued on page 2) city’s medical community is reportedly bracing itself for an exponential rise in fresh covid OLD cases. Given the situation, san- HERITAGE WATCH itary voting arrangements are expected to be a crucial line of The Kapaliswarar Temple Panguni festival defense against a second wave of covid – after all, most things that one takes for granted in The Kapaliswarar Temple is unique in the sense that it has a poem from voting is a red flag in these the 6th century describing its annual calendar of festivals. We allude pandemic days, from crowded to the Poompavai Pathigam of Sambandar. The Panguni festival is polling booths to the voting included in it too and what we see today therefore is a mark of continuity machines. of our city’s traditions. It is therefore a part of our heritage. According to a report in The Hindu, the Election Commis- That said, this year, we sincerely feel that a toning down of the event sion has increased the number would have been advisable. Last year the celebrations were not held of polling booths in the state and to make up for that, there was a closed-door observance of the from 68,324 to 88,937 in a bid same, earlier this year. It may have been best if the 2021 edition too to reduce crowding at the polls. had been celebrated the same way. The crowds that poured in on the (Continued on page 2) key days of the ten-day celebration had to be seen to be believed. In a situation like this, the temple administration and the permitting authorities ought to have thought twice about allowing such an event. NEW NEW True the police kept announcing that people needed to wear masks and even went to the extent of distributing these to those who were without them but even masks prove ineffective when it comes to crowds of this magnitude. We have to wait and watch the next week or so as to what the impact of this event is going to be on Covid statistics. Our Old is a picture of the ther (car) procession, from the early 1900s, courtesy Vintage Vignettes. Our New is of this year, courtesy Mylapore Times. Since these are times when an article like this will immediately elicit heated responses that we would have never dared to write this way about Muslim and Christian celebrations, let us assure our readership that we are completely against all religious gatherings of this magnitude during a time when individual safety is paramount. 2 MADRAS MUSINGS April 1-15, 2021 When a city is careless… Putting the dis in disinfect (Continued from page 1) rather than simply encouraging ren’t we still in a pan- for a full five minutes. After a playing lukewarm enthusiasm, them to open up may have Ademic? The Woman from pause, she asked which zone (Wo)MMM is now getting in Avoidance of crowded spac- been advisable. Madras Musings can’t help but the apartment came under. touch with a private sanitiza- es is the next precaution. You Lastly, we come to the hes- wonder at the flagrant flouting (Wo)MMM’s heart sank. This tion company to help – howev- only need to see what is hap- itation in getting vaccinated. of covid norms everywhere she is seldom a good question to er, you can’t help but wonder pening in election meetings to For once our city appears to goes. Mask wearing has disap- hear when trying to get help how folks who cannot afford realise why the numbers are have adopted the good man- peared as has social distancing, from the authorities. True such services will fare. growing. There are practically ners of old Lucknow in allow- but the charming habit of spit- enough, the health official de- ting on the streets is back. So, clared quite cheerfully that this Electioneering in the no masks to be seen anywhere ing others to go ahead in being it came as no big surprise to particular zone wasn’t under and the people are tightly injected. That a city which has learn that the virus has planted her team’s purview and asked time of covid packed together – a perfect a high literacy rate and prides its unwelcome flag on (Wo) (Wo)MMM to get in touch he Woman from Madras breeding ground for the virus. itself on being a rationalist MMM’s territory – a family in with the right health official. TMusings recently came The High Court has recently bastion should be so diffident the pater’s apartment complex This, of course, led (Wo)MMM across a campaign march. A sea suggested (only suggested) when it comes to preventive tested positive for covid-19. to yet another number to call. of flags fluttered in the wind, that the Election Commission steps is puzzling. The only op- (Wo)MMM recalled an ear- The fourth phone number held proudly aloft by party may spread the message about tion left for the administration lier brush with the virus, when was absolutely unreachable. cadre as they marched to the attendees at political meetings is to then make it compulsory. the in-laws fell sick – a cor- (Wo)MMM wouldn’t have tune of the party’s campaign song. The leader was seated wearing masks. But there is no We trust they soon will for we poration official had checked called even the better half so in on the family almost every many times during their court- in a car, smiling and waving at sign as yet from the EC about otherwise do not see much day during the quarantine ship days. She tried the number the public as he passed them this. A rather languorous video hope for Chennai. period, which had been quite all day and well into early eve- by. He wasn’t wearing a mask, on how to vote however does In the midst of all this cha- a relief at that time.

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