Registered with the Reg. No. TN/CH(C)/374/12-14 Registrar of Newspapers Licenced to post without prepayment for India 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 CHENNAI INSIDE • Short ‘N’ Snappy • Attention-drawing calendar • A doyen of Philately • What’s in street names? • What ails TN cricket? Vol. XXIII No. 20 MUSINGS February 1-15, 2014 If Chennai is to be 52 places for the G Can we recognise that the footpath is a necessity for a tourist walking and easy access traveller in 2014 and therefore cannot be encroached upon? (according to the New York Times) destination... G Can we, while designing our buildings, respect the Witness a city in transformation, glimpse exotic animals, neighbours’ space and also explore the past and enjoy that beach before the crowds. Chennai, in the State of Tamil Nadu (and formerly ensure that those who “known as Madras), was long considered the gateway to are otherwise abled can 1. Cape Town, 26. Chennai, India popular South Indian tourist destinations like Kerala but South Africa 27. Seychelles easily gain access to our 2. Christchurch, 28. Krabi, Thailand was overlooked as an attraction itself. It is, however, a na- buildings? tional cultural capital and home to several dance and mu- New Zealand 29. Aspen, Colo. G Can we have a law to pro- 3. North Coast, California 30. Highlands, Iceland sic schools like Kalakshetra for dance and the Music Acad- 4. Albanian Coast 31. Umea, Sweden emy for Carnatic South Indian music, which both regularly tect heritage buildings? After all, one of the reasons 5. Downtown Los Angeles 32. Xishuangbanna, China hold performances around town. There are also historic 6. Namibia 33. Andermatt, Switzerland sites aplenty, including the Kapaleeswarar Temple, built in that Chennai has made it to 7. Ecuador 34. Indianapolis the name of the Hindu god Shiva. Fresh buzz makes this the list is the presence of 8. Quang Binh, Vietnam 35. Mekong River city especially enticing: Several major hotels including the historic places. 9. Perth, Australia 36. Athens 10. Rotterdam, 37. Barahona, Park Hyatt have recently opened, and there is a slew of G Lastly, Chennai ranked new and trendy clubs, boutiques and restaurants, including number one on another the Netherlands Dominican Republic Ottimo for excellent pizzas. 11. Taiwan 38. Arctic Circle scale just a few weeks ago – 12. Frankfurt, Germany 39. Dar es Salaam, ” the national garbage cre- 13. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tanzania ation index. That does not 14. Fernando de Noronha, 40. Downtown Atlanta hat is the entry in The New sound good for a city rank- G Brazil 41. Nozawa Onsen, Japan TYork Times against Chen- by A Special ing 26th internationally 15. Nashville, Tenn. 42. Subotica, Serbia nai, citing the reasons for it to Correspondent among tourist destinations, 16. Scotland 43. Elsinore, Denmark make it to the annual list of top does it? 17. Calgary, Alberta 44. Cartmel, England 52 travel destinations in the 18. Ishigaki, Japan 45. Nepal world. Our humble Madras that we could do to make that 19. Laikipia Plateau, Kenya 46. Vienna This is just a first cut is Chennai rubs shoulders with happen. 20. Yogyakarta, Indonesia 47. Siem Reap, Cambodia wish list. We are sure our exotic locales such as Cape 21. Tahoe, Calif. 48. Varazdin, Croatia G Cut the poster and cutout readers will have a lot more. If Town and Rio de Janeiro. 22. Yorkshire, England 49. St. Petersburg, Fla. culture out. Dirty walls and all these fall into place, what And in case you thought it 23. Dubai 50. Belize cluttered footpaths do not more can we want in this, our 24. The Vatican 51. New Caledonia came in last, here is another make for a good city. city? 25. Uruguayan Riviera 52. Niagara Falls, N.Y. surprise – Chennai ranked a healthy 26 and, what’s more, G Manage our traffic better. was the only city from India. Let us resolve to respect Move over snooty Delhi, traffic laws, observe lane moneyed Mumbai, and bump- discipline and give pedes- tious Bengaluru. trians their space. Is the Metrorail Not all the information is G Be more polite and display accurate as can be seen, after all less of road rage no matter the Music Academy and Kalak- how tempting it is. And slowing down? shetra are not itinerant impre- while we are about it, can sarios. But it cannot be denied we honk a little less? he news from the Chennai gence being done at the time of nancial year of 2014/15. The that Chennai is a national G Can we have more public cultural capital – with religious toilets so that our populace TMetrorail Limited (CMRL) short-listing. project was believed to be pro- front is not encouraging. It is gressing according to schedule festivals, art shows, literary need not relieve themselves At the time of launch in now firmly established that the till September last year when events, music and dance in the open. And, yes, can 2008, it was announced that project may be delayed along the first rumours began surfac- programmes and, above all, people stop spitting? the elevated sections of the theatre. If only the weather was various stretches by anywhere ing that all was not well. G Can we understand that the between three months and over somewhat pleasanter! But It is learnt that while work right to silence is one of the a year. Which means the city then nothing can be done on tracks and viaducts is going fundamental rights? Can we will have to wait till 2016 at the G by A Special about that. on as scheduled, these being therefore tone down the least before this much-touted, Correspondent contracted out to big names in Having said that, and having television and radio and, and much-needed, alternative the world of engineering, the agreed that Chennai admittedly more important, avoid high public transport system be- deserves this pat on the construction of stations, signals decibel speakers at public comes functional. The reasons project would be completed by back, let us resolve to make it a and other equipment on the spaces? And, in the context, are the usual – the bureaucracy, mid-2014 and the entire better city and perhaps aspire to elevated lines will not be can we avoid shouting slowness in execution, and the project, including the under- be Number One on the list. while speaking over cell tender system for selection of ground portions, would be op- And here are some things phones? vendors without much due-dili- erational by the end of the fi- (Continued on page 2) CMYK 2 MADRAS MUSINGS February 1-15, 2014 Is Metrorail slowing down? Fault lines on a flyover fortnight ago The Man it involved blocking one lane at was a gentleman of full habit. (Continued from page 1) was the one responsible for the Afrom Madras Musings a time, and on the blocked lane If he bulged at all odd spots, airport line. With repeated wrote about the Royapettah a series of small metal humps his wallet bulged even more. (Continued from page 1) delays, CMRL issued notices for clock tower roundabout and were placed. A barricade was The priest arrived with the completed in time. With the lapsed deadlines and, finally, many of you of the MM con- erected at the entrance to the plate and the fat man depos- rolling stock already in place, terminated the contract. A new gregation under the pontificate flyover, which further acted as ited a hundred rupee note on of the Chief were kind enough a deterrent to those wanting to it. MMM, then being a stu- Metrorail, it is learnt, is keen on contractor is yet to be identi- to express your appreciation. take that lane to go across. But dent, merely smiled at the at least doing a test run. But the fied, five months after work Fifteen days later, MMM once did that prevent our two- priest. Imagine MMM’s sur- Commissioner of Railway came to a halt. again writes of Royapettah, wheeler friends from hoping prise when a large garland was Safety, whose permission is The latest development con- this time about its flyover. that they could reach the other placed around his neck, bene- required, has not agreed to such Though glorified by that name, side? They simply began using dictions were sung in full- cerns the underground stations. trials being undertaken without it is nothing but a narrow strip the lane that was open for traf- throated voice and vermillion The contractor in charge of this the rest of the equipment being of elevated road with two fic from the opposite direction. applied on his forehead. The had applied as early as 2012 for in place. lanes, one for each direction of Whenever they espied a par- priest then beamed at the busi- an extension of 18 months from traffic. The service lanes below ticularly large vehicle coming nessman and, pointing at The problem, it is under- the original planned comple- are eternally in a state of being their way, they would duck MMM, said that he was ex- stood, lies with the contractors tion date of 2015. CMRL it is dug up and so have long been into the closed lane, wait for tremely happy that he, the responsible for these allied learnt, has agreed to an exten- given up as useless. Conse- the vehicle to pass and then get businessman, had brought his activities.