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 • Stormwater drains • The Ramachendra Row story-2 • The cerebral Army Chief • The master leg spinner Vol. XXIII No. 6 MUSINGS July 1-15, 2013 Railways attempt to discard their heritage he Indian Railways has railway station today in the harbour, was laid perpendicular Tbeen the one bright spot in entire subcontinent – Pakistan to it. The northern side deve- an administration that pays lip and Bangladesh included. The loped as an industrial belt and service or, worse, just does not station at Bori Bunder near the railway workshop which care for its heritage – built or Mumbai which was a year older came up at Perambur played a natural. Scores of heritage has long gone. It was from railway stations have been Royapuram that South India’s “Is the policeman a part of that illegal hoarding?” preserved as they ought to be first train service, to Arcot, was (Continued on page 3) and at least two railway posses- flagged off on 1st July 1856. The sions – the Nilgiri Mountain Madras Railway Company Railway and the Chatrapati (MRC), which in 1907 merged Shivaji (Victoria) Terminus – with the Southern Mahratta Call to participate in have world heritage status. Railway to form the M&SM, Closer home, the new wing of became a part of the Southern the Central Station has been Railway in 1950. The construc- built as a replica of the older tion of Central Station in 1873 Madras Week-2013 one. It is in the light of this that reduced the importance of the decision to demolish Royapuram which over the historic Royapuram Station is a years slowly became nothing INTACH-C, Rotary-S & British Council first up distressing one. more than a wayside station Last week, representatives of catering to a very few passenger ome one, come all to cel- in schools, colleges and other others have walks planned – the Southern Railway approa- services. Cebrate Madras Day-2013 institutions like corporates and and walks in different parts of that’s become Madras Week- clubs who would like to see it. the city throughout the week 2013 and promises to become This presentation will be only a will be a particular feature of G by Madras Month-2013. And the phone call away: contact this year’s celebrations. If you The Editor more the merrier. That was the INTACH’s organisers and would like to organise a heritage message of the Coordinators of they’ll arrive at your premises to walk in your area, contact us for Madras Week when they re- screen the programme if you advice, say the Coordinators. ched the Heritage Conserva- The station is a fine example cently announced that Madras provide screening facilities, says Programmes like these and Week this year would be cel- INTACH’s Co-Convener, any others which innovative tion Committee (HCC) of the of the early colonial classical th Chennai Metropolitan Deve- style with Corinthian columns, ebrated from August 18 to Sujatha Shankar. planners can think up to cel- August 25th, bracketing Madras ebrate Madras are what the Co- lopment Authority seeking the tall archways and a huge portico nd removal of the Royapuram Sta- that welcomed important Day, August 22 . And they G by A Staff Reporter ordinators of the celebrations said they were happy to add that hope will happen between Au- tion from the list of protected guests. Till 1873, it was th th buildings and to allow for its customary for newly appointed the celebrations were likely to Rotary Club, Madras South, gust 18 and August 25 – and demolition. The space occupied Governors of Madras to arrive start, judging from the is planning programmes right they’d be glad if they happen by it, they claim, will be needed here by train after reaching programmes they had heard through August and Program- well into September as well for the building of a third termi- the west coast by ship. about, from early in August and me Organiser S.R Madhu will Participation is purely a vol- nus for Chennai (after Central Royapuram has hosted viceroys run into the first week of Sep- be glad to help any other Rotary untary effort by those wanting and Egmore) and which will and, in 1875, royalty too – tember. Club or any other organisation to organise programmes during help in the decongestion of the the Prince of Wales, after- First off the mark has been looking for speakers on Madras. the Week. The role of the in- city. The HCC it is learnt, is wards Edward VII – being feted INTACH’s Chennai chapter, And the British Council is formal group of Coordinators is meeting on it on the 26th. There here. the Rotary Club of Madras organising a whole-day seminar only to encourage such partici- are indications that permission South and the British Council. on the Nawab Wallajah-Gover- pation, try to organise publicity The presence of the termi- may be withheld. But current INTACH is focussing on nor George Pigot-Rajah of for the events, offer advice and, nus here was to play a definitive legislation can do nothing if the schools with three competitions Tanjore connection besides where possible, arrange venues. role in the development of the railways chose to neglect the featuring short plays, AV pre- other programmes. Chennai Their press conference was a contours of North Madras. The building and allow it to collapse sentations and essays. It is also Heritage is planning eight talks first call for individuals/groups/ prime business district of First by itself. organising an open photo- on different aspects of Madras. institutions, who wish voluntar- Line Beach led off to the south graphic contest. And it has a Mylapore Times has several ily to celebrate the founding of Royapuram Station, whose from the station. The first DVD presentation on the his- competitions and quizzes plan- this city, to join in. foundation was laid in 1854, breakwater of Madras, the tory of Madras and a look at its ned, as has Namma Arcot can claim to be the oldest predecessor of the present heritage which it hopes to show Road. All three and Nizhal and (Continued on page 6) CMYK 2 MADRAS MUSINGS July 1-15, 2013 Stormwater Trouble in Paradise drains...mixed he Man from Madras and more was promised in the these is advertised with the T Musings learns that those brochure and looked real tumbler and its counterpart. who built huge high-rises all enough while visiting the site But what MMM is not sure of responses along the sea coast, starting before the buildings were put is the quality of the coffee of- from San Thome and ending up. But the builders, like Noah, fered at many of these places. practically at the shore temple, decided that two of every kind After all, what is a degree from are now a worried lot. Those of flat and building was better a particular town for coffee? who built on parallel stretches than one and so put up twice Does that town have any mo- some distance inland are also the number of structures on nopoly over mocha? Not so, sick as mud. Apparently most the promised land. The result? MMM would imagine. And at of the flats are empty causing Rolling parklands have been least the coffee that he stopped these real estate punters who taken over by robust concrete. to have at a couple of these constructed them to suffer Open skies can be seen only outlets left him with a feeling sleepless nights. using a periscope and wind is that its quality can only be de- available only when the scribed as third degree. The Opinion is divided as to neighbour opens a window or milk was watery, the decoction why this should be so. After two. weak and probably left in the all, these places were promoted rain. He reflected that the de- as Valhallas, Meccas, Edens And then there is the aspect gree claimed was perhaps quite and heavens on earth. So why of maintenance. Nobody took in keeping with that town’s is the public not flocking to the these into calculation while reputation in the days of the booking offices with open signing but these do add up to Raj. cheque books and pens on the quite a bit. How else to keep ready? MMM is told that this swimming pools, club houses Not that old-timers from is because of the economic and gymnasiums in the state to that temple town would agree. recession which is causing which they are accustomed. Their town was ill-used by the the flat-buying populace to But several of those residents erstwhile masters, they allege, he Rs. 815 crore stormwater drains (SWDs) project under the TJawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), approved in April 2009, aims at constructing about 535 km of SWDs in about 1200 stretches in Chennai. As of March SHORT ’N’ SNAPPY 31, 2012, work at 250 sites had been completed and was in progress at about 225 sites. With ‘no work’ at 725 sites, the deadline has been extended to June 2013. However, this is one ‘development project’ that seems to keep extending timelessly while generating stick to its money like glue.