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 • Bharati’s open letter • In-Sight and eye-sight • A life of service • 3 contributors to industry Vol. XXII No. 18 MUSINGS January 1-15, 2013 How about a Festival of Chennai? he December festival these days does not begin from Decem Tber 15th and end on January 1st as it did a couple of decades ago. It now spans the period mid-November to the middle of January, signing off with the end of the Pongal festivities. And then there’s the Tourist Fair. With the weather being tolerable at this time of the year in our city, it has become a season for tourists and NRIs as well. All this makes it an ideal festival package to market and it is heartening to see that the Chief Minister, during her inaugural speech at the Music Academy’s festival, has called on the organisation to come up with plans to make this a world-class festival and promised all help from the Government’s side. Are things moving again Such a proposal is not new. An earlier attempt discussed by the Confederation of Indian Industry’s local tourism committee did not go beyond a few tea sessions largely because there was no at- in the Poonga? tempt at getting the event a broader base and wider public and he high profile Adyar tures on the site. There was also ing 300 acres. They have also trade participation. The idea was once again revived in 2005 with T Poonga project which, af- considerable opposition to asked for the construction of ter the completion of its first planting alien species of trees. A toilets on the premises. Metro- phase, seemed to have gone further worry was the Govern- water has committed to cons- G by The Editor into limbo, has suddenly been ment’s commitment then to tructing additional stormwater revived, with a meeting recently work on only 58 acres, which drains to ensure that water is held among the various were separated from the water diverted to the park. This, it is Government departments and by the remaining 300 acres. It expected, will restore tidal flow the Music Academy being called to work out plans. Once again agencies involved. It is under- was feared that such isolated into the protected area. A sew- matters ended there. The Chennai Sangamam was thought to be stood that it was agreed that preservation would cut off the age treatment plant is also on an alternative but with changed political scenario, that appears to work on the second phase of the water from the park. But work the anvil. Once this is done, it have gone into hibernation. What is needed is a Government project, involving 300 acres as went ahead nevertheless and is expected that the Govern- policy to promote the season no matter who is in power. And as to opposed to the first phase’s 58 the first phase of the work was ment will allow the general pub- the actual nitty-gritty, Madras Musings is of the view that this is acres, will begin soon. This is a declared complete in 2010. lic ingress into the park. still a do-able scheme. We had written on how to go about it in welcome development. What happened after that While all this is to the good, February 2002 and quote below what we had said: The Adyar Poonga was the has never been fully explained. it is absolutely necessary that ● An art, heritage and theatre festival on Pantheon Road. The outcome of the Consumer Ac- the Government speeds up its Museum Complex, with the Art Gallery and the Museum The- tion Group’s, (CAG’s) spirited G by A Special execution. Four years have fight against the continued deg- gone by with very little to show atre, will be a perfect venue for this. Shopping and eating out Correspondent will be added attractions here. radation of the Adyar Creek, for it. In the meanwhile the once a sylvan natural habitat environment is getting increas- ● Cathedral Road-Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai-Edward Elliot’s Road that sadly became a dumping For some reason, the park was ingly degraded. The site is a is a stretch for a food and music festival. The stretch has some ground for garbage and, worse, declared out of bounds for any- convenient spot of the illegal of the best and most frequented hotels, restaurants and food unplanned construction activ- one other than groups of school dumping of construction debris, stores in town. The Music Academy can serve as the venue for ity. Following a High Court or- children. There were rumours which is detrimental for natural music concerts and visitors can move about the long stretch to der in 2008, the Government that the landscape architect in- growth and vegetation. If this is savour the food of their choice. entrusted the project to the volved was never paid his dues. not curtailed in a hurry, lots Tamil Nadu Urban Infra- And with a change in Govern- more money will need to be ● A beach festival on Kamarajar Salai with the Marina as the structure Financial Services ment it appeared that priorities spent in removing the debris backdrop. Limited. Following the direc- had shifted to other projects. and also restoring the soil. Sec- Madras Musings also stressed that it should be looked at as a tives of the Court, a monitoring Happily that would appear ondly, given the way our gov- shopping and food festival with discounts by stores and restaurants committee was set up, which not to be so. At the recently ernments work, the land can al- as well as by hotels for longer stays. had on it, among others, repre- held meeting, it is learnt, offi- ways be hijacked for some other sentatives of CAG. cials in charge of the Adyar project. So the sooner the en- All these suggestions hold good even today and what is more The progress of the work was Poonga have urged the Cor- tire 358 acres are transformed as they can be implemented fairly easily if only some thought is given not smooth. The CAG conti- poration to take steps to stop a natural preserve, the better for to the methodology. nuously opposed any attempt at the dumping of waste and con- everyone including, of course, (Continued on page 2) constructing permanent struc- struction debris on the remain- the citizens of Chennai. CMYK 2 MADRAS MUSINGS January 1-15, 2013 A Festival Enjoying the Season ach Music Season, The And so MMM did. As he EMan from Madras Mus- prepared to leave, the tough of Chennai? ings and his good lady add on informed MMM that he had quite a bit of avoirdupois and (of Food) been repeatedly requesting (Continued from page 1) spend the rest of the year try- of the gravy was prepared for the local municipal office to ing to slough it off. That is the evening feed. come and correct the sign- because the Music Season is All this did not appear to board and they were yet to The Government on its part will have to facilitate the conduct also the season of food, what deter anyone (MMM inclu- comply. of the cultural season by providing infrastructure and that would with several canteens oper- ded). Feasting at all hours Back in office, MMM mean some of the following things: ated by some of Chennai’s was the motto and some- checked the camera to only best caterers coming up at where up above there must find that something was ● A common inauguration of the festival on the beach: Today the sabhas. MMM agrees be a God who likes people wrong with its innards and it is quite common to see sabha after sabha holding an inaugu- with Swami Vivekananda who like their food. For, Kandasamy Lean was lost to ration with the same tired dignitaries making the same speeches who once famously said that there has never been a single posterity. He rushed back to and handing out awards all of which sound and look alike. Why philosophy cannot be prea- instance of a canteen that the site only to find a man ched to an audience with an can’t the cultural season have a common inauguration at a makes people fall ill. Whe- with paint and brush, busy as empty stomach. The same a bee. The tough was no- venue such as Senate House or, if larger crowds are expected, at ther there are any lingering applies to music as well. And after-effects, manifesting where to be seen. So MMM the beachfront? This would not only avoid repetition, but also MMM usually attends con- only after a certain number sidled up to the painter and bring about a focus to the festival. certs on an overfull stomach. of Seasons, MMM is unable asked him what he was up to. Like Napoleon’s armies, To which he received the re- ● Better transport arrangements: Let’s face it. Today, the idea to say. He is no doctor, but MMM marches from sabha he can assure you that if ply that news had come of everyone driving up to popular cultural events is a thing of to sabha on his stomach.