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 Rs. 5 per copy (Annual Subscription: Rs. 100/-) WE CARE FOR MADRAS THAT IS CHENNAI INSIDE • Short ‘N’ Snappy • Local history focus • Madras on the AIR • Suzuki, then the boom • Actor in the shadows Vol. XXII No. 6 MUSINGS July 1-15, 2012 Still no solutions to The Stat(us)E of being woes caused You open your email. Let’s see now....delete, delete, boorrring, delete immedia- tely. Your eyes stray to the left hand by parking corner. Wow – lots of green. You (By A Special Correspondent) obviously know a whole Appa,bunch you of always cyber-space don’t have goof- to hennai adds around 400 new vehicles each day to its roads. While this may be dress off-ers.up in your 70’s clothes every time Cheartening for those who consider it an index of prosperity, it is a matter of worry Thenyou watch you seethe it.‘angry young man’ for those concerned with congestion and its accompanying problems of pollution. Amovies! ‘status’ message peeping out And above all, there is the issue of parking, for which there appears to be no solution from under a name, stating: in sight. The Government has once again dusted and put out its idea of multi-level ‘Stepping on eggshells of thin parking at five spots in the city. But is this to be followed up with action? Past expe- ice...’ rience does not indicate this. Offered such delightful hokum, A recent meeting of town planners saw discussion on the subject and it is reliably you abandon email for this learnt that a consulting firm, which has been involved with many infrastructure far more promising avenue projects in the city, has recommended revival of the multi-level parking schemes. for imaginative speculation. These are to be located at the How to cross a road! Status messages can be such fun MUC Ground, the Broadway – and intriguing. Bus Stand, Government Estate, Like the one that goes: ‘I’m the T’Nagar and Gandhi Nagar. How do we curb cell-phone lost cause I was warned The last two will be single-level about...’ parking lots while the others A line like that offers some fasci- will vary between five and seven use on the roads? nating opportunities to re- floors. Overall, these will have think long held opinions, o country has taken to the the cell-phone can cause and The imbalance caused to cycles especially of people you think capacity to accommodate you know. around 1500 cars and 600 two- Ncell-phone the way India see what can be done to avert and motor-cycles when the user has. And it would be no exag- such tragic happenings in the is trying to cradle a phone and Another preaches: ‘Reach for the wheelers. It is a mere drop in the moon, you may at least bag ocean when you compare it geration to say that Chennai is future. talk into it is a very common some stars'. with the number of vehicles ply- a true representative of that The rules are all in place. reason for accidents. It is also Hmm....this has addicted-to-self- ing in the city. trend. It has been a great con- The Madras Motor Vehicles very often seen that those driv- help-books all over it. What is more, there is no venience leading to its rapidly Act, Rule 250A, clearly states ing two-wheelers hide their A martyred one sniffles: ‘I’m guarantee that these projects penetrating all strata of society. that usage of cell-phones while phones inside their helmets and going just so you’ll miss me.’ will ever take off. The Broadway But at the same time, it has driving is a cognisable offence continue talking into it. The Now that’s just sad – silly sad, at parking facility saw the tender proved to be one of the major that can be penalised by the most recent trend is the use of that. process being repeated four causes of road accidents. The RTO. The Motor Vehicles headphones. There is a view Status messages may have begun times over as many years and temptation to answer a call, no Amendment Act of 2007, en- that this is safe enough. But as a mere means of instant successive relaxing of norms be- matter in what situation a per- acted by Parliament, enhanced what is overlooked is that the indicators, but they’re fore a bidder emerged. There son is, appears to be irresistible, the fine for usage of cell-phone volume of sound is often set turning into an art form. are considerable doubts over resulting in mishaps which have very high and this drowns out G Is it a little like peeping into the commercial viability of such on several occasions caused By A Special the warning signals that are someone’s mind? lots. However, there has been avoidable casualties. Correspondent coming from surrounding ve- Or offering people deliberately some progress in the past couple This report is, of course, hicles. This is also the reason tantalising glimpses of your of months with soil-testing be- prompted by the recent top- while driving to Rs 500 for a why pedestrians overlook life? ing concluded and work ex- pling over of a bus as it rounded first-time offence. Subsequent speeding vehicles and walk Perhaps. pected to begin shortly. a curve on the Gemini Flyover. offences were to be fined at right into them. But hey – it’s a whole new world In a related development, While the exact cause of the rates varying from Rs 2000 to The police have been doing of ‘speaking’, ‘seeing’ and the CMDA relaxed its norms accident is yet to be established, Rs 5000. Yet, there appears to what they can to curb the men- ‘talking’ these days....and for multi-level parking spaces in rumours are flying thick and fast be no abatement in the usage of ace. Campaigns have been con- ‘reaching out to touch some- highrises. The concession to that the driver had a cell-phone phones while on the go. ducted. Counselling sessions at one’. build multi-level parking which in one hand while trying to steer What is interesting is that street corners after apprehen- the bus round a sharp curve at ding a certain number of defaul- Ranjitha Ashok was available for IT buildings this is done by users across the has now been extended to all high speed. This may not be whole cross-section of society. ters is a common sight across highrises and this constructed true, but the likelihood is quite Car drivers are perhaps the the city. But none of these has space will not be included in high, given the past record of most visible offenders as are had the desired effect. There As Biswajit, our cartoonist, is calculation of FSI. This has several accidents in the city. It probably two-wheeler users. appears to be a general feeling out of town, his cartoon does is time to take stock of what among individuals that such not appear this fortnight. damage irresponsible usage of (Continued on page 7) (Also see page 3) (Continued on page 8) CMYK 2 MADRAS MUSINGS July 1-15, 2012 It’s fascinating to catch up with Of turmeric baths, nuptials & birthdays he Man from Madras ground. Some photographer is dinner, MMM’s pal replied T Musings is not a snob. He clearly laughing all the way to that he and his brood had believes in mingling with the the bank and a couple has just taken to living at the Club un- local history prols (short for proletariat) as made a complete ass of itself. til his household acquired its often as he can and when they Too often these pictures are domestic staff, the earlier in- very summer, I am coaxed to take a group of holiday makers on invite him for events, he usu- then compiled into an album cumbents having exited en Ea tour. A summer of 40 plus degrees is certainly not the best ally makes it a point to attend. which is brought and exhibited masse. Apparently it all started time of the year to go on picnic tours. But then the outdoors always But of late, given the kind of to those who did not attend the with the cook and the maid beckon you when it is holiday time for young people. invitations that do land on his event in person. who did not see eye-to-eye. This year my offer was a tour of the neighbourhood forts. And desk, MMM has been sending From the wedding to babies Both quit at the same time, out regrets left, right and cen- is but a hop, assuming the but not before the cook though history is not everybody’s favourite subject, my theme tre. For, there is much in the bride had her turmeric bath at publicly accused the maid of seemed to delight the group. conduct of these events that the right time Babies means er... going out regularly with There are a string of forts you can explore from a base in our MMM objects to. ear-piercing ceremonies and the chauffeur, who immedia- city if you set aside a weekend for this tour. The first concerns an ob- birthdays and these too have tely felt it necessary to resign, Start in the north, with a tour of Pulicat to explore the rem- noxious anachronism that is become big events.