Registered with the Reg. No. TN/CH(C)/374/15-17 Registrar of Newspapers Licenced to post without prepayment for India under R.N.I. 53640/91 Licence No. TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-506/15-17 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 • Swathi – and after • Remembering a Raja – II • Naduvakkarai to Anna Nagar • A poem for today • Madras Week Programmes Vol. XXVI No. 8 MUSINGS August 1-15, 2016 Will UNESCO rescue our temples? (By A Special Correspondent) ow often have we seen the most wilful damage being inflicted Hon some of our most ancient temples in the name of restora- tion and consecration? Towers of doubtful merit being built over Chola gateways, Nayak period paintings being whitewashed, polished granite and vitrified tiles being pasted over age-old stones bearing inscriptions, and grilles being riveted on stone pillars are some of the common instances of vandalism that happen in the name of restoration of the shrines. The culprits in most of these cases are the HR & CE department officials who are invariably ignorant of what amounts to sensitive restoration and, more often than not, do not wish to know better. Of late, rich devotees with a mistaken zeal to put up giant statues and tall towers have Fort St. George’s sewage filled moat. (Photo: Vijay Sriram.) See page 12 for what it once was. worked in tandem with these officials. All these may be mat- ters of the past if the High Court (HC) of Madras has its way. A promise to clean the Fort’s moat Early in July, the Hon’ble HC ruled that the Tamil Nadu Government needs to involve ast week saw a glimmer of in October 2014. Nothing came However, a new problem ever, silent on how it proposes experts from the United Na- Lhope as far as the conserva- of it. It is to be hoped that this soon developed. Untreated to prevent any further accumu- tions Educational, Scientific tion of Fort St George is con- year’s resolution will result in sewage from the Fort began to lation of sewage which the Fort and Cultural Organisation cerned. Two of its many part some concrete action. be let into the rear portions of will continue to generate. What (UNESCO) in all temple resto- owners, the Archaeological The moat is one of the many the moat and this has since is envisaged is that the entire ration efforts from now on. It Survey of India (ASI) and the historic components of Fort St stagnated. The water is mostly moat will be maintained in a dry has asked the Government to Army, have agreed that it is George that is rapidly going to moss green and smells foul. It condition in its entirety, as the ensure that UNESCO officials high time that the moat sur- seed. Originally a dry ditch, it has also become a convenient front parts have been for long. are present on August 23rd at rounding the fort is cleared of later became a full-fledged moat receptacle for all kinds of rub- In a city that is perennially wa- the court to take up matters fur- stagnant water (read untreated in the 18th Century, with water bish from the Fort. And yet in ter-starved it would perhaps be ther. In the interim, the State drainage from within). But be- from the Cooum River being let spite of such neglect what is deemed an unwarranted luxury Government has been barred fore there is cheering all around if the moat were to be other- let us hasten to add that the wise. However this may be the (Continued on page 11) same announcement was made G by The Editor best time for the Government to rope in the Cooum River Restoration project into the in to fill it. This was kept up till truly amazing is that the area activity and consider whether More sewage needing cleaning Independence when it was also surrounding the moat is full of after the clean up of that water common practice for the soldiers lush vegetation and teems with body there could be the possi- B. Wilson of garrisoned in the Fort to fish in a variety of bird life. The fact bility of the moat being filled Hyderabad was re- the waters. In later years, with that this part of the Fort hardly with water. It must be pointed cently given the hardly any water in the river, the sees any human footfall could out here that most of the moats Magsaysay Award supply was cut off and the parts also be a contributory factor. in India are now dry. for his work in of the moat fronting the fort But it cannot be denied that the Whatever be the eventual Hyderabad, saving went dry. An added factor was sewage has begun to post a condition of the moat – wet thousands of work- or dry, we at ers from the indig- that with seawater entering the threat to the ramparts. Madras Musings nity of cleaning city river and the Buckingham Canal Recently, the ASI, the Army hope that it will be clean. We sewers. But in it was feared that brine would and the PWD agreed that it was have written repeatedly on the Chennai such clean- surround the fort and cause its high time that the moat was moat’s sorry state and are now ing goes on with no historic structures to crumble. cleared of all its accumulated happy that some action is one batting an eyelid The two sluice gates that regu- sewage. Work on sludge re- being contemplated. We also (See Page 3) lated water to the moat, one near moval will soon begin and is hope that the cleaning up of the War Memorial and the other most likely to be completed the moat will trigger off other near Napier’s Bridge, were before the onset of the monsoon restoration work within the therefore closed permanently. in October. The plan is, how- Fort. CMYK Burying Caesar, musically 2 MADRAS MUSINGS August 1-15, 2016 Some thoughts Burying Caesar, musically on Swathi – have come to bury Cae- my name. He then told me I with a ‘Why don’t you…’, “I sar, not praise him,” said was the only one who could thereby suggesting that they Mark Antony if you recall one prove equal to the demanding should implement at least one & the aftermath of those rare straightforward performer.” of those ideas themselves. This passages from The Bard. The While this rather long- normally brings the conversa- wathy, the young and sprightly IT-professional of Chennai, al Man from Madras Musings re- winded panegyric to the self tion to an abrupt end. Then Slegedly slain by an infatuated neighbour a few weeks ago, has calls those lines vividly, having was in progress, others on stage there are the expansive think- touched the raw nerve of this hallowed city. Coming so soon after had to write them down 100 were becoming restless. They ers who dream big – a shutting a series of murders, Swathy’s confirms that the city is no longer a times by way of an imposition had after all prepared identical down of Mount Road for a haven of peace and safety. In a manner of speaking, it has hurt my when he, MMM, was a CCC – speeches with what little infor- procession, a declaration of a ego more than any other event of the recent past. I am extremely Cherubic Child of Calcutta – mation there was on the re- public holiday, a mass feeding proud of my native city. But this is not the city that I grew up in and had incurred the displea- membered artiste from the or a flypast. All very noble, no sure of an English tutor in Internet. The longer the first doubt, except for the budget and used to adore. Also, this certainly was not a ‘one swallow does school. speaker spoke, the less they and its financing. These call- not make a summer’ case. Many violent crimes against innocent Those lines came swim- would have to say. That gave a ers usually assume that the citizens have marred its reputation. ming back to MMM’s mind glimmer of hope to MMM and Chief and Madras Musings are Without sounding alarmist, I now regretfully look upon when he, at considerable risk others in the audience about sitting on moneys that the Re- Chennai as a dangerous place to live in, not merely for the reckless to posterior, sat in a Sabha seat the concert beginning on time. serve Bank of India may want and couldn’t-care-less modern female professional, who considers watching a meeting in progress But that was to be short-lived. and so the sky is the limit. it her divine right to roam about in pursuit of evening entertain- wherein a group of musicians All speakers took their time to There is a third variety that ment. The sedate and usually conservative inhabitant will also had been assembled on stage to speak, particularly as they were assumes it has to seek the ap- have to take more than usual care while moving about or visiting pay homage to a colleague talking about their favourite proval of an imagined commit- public places. It is irrelevant that Swathi was murdered in broad whose anniversary of passing subject – themselves. tee in charge of Madras Week. into eternity was being ob- To cap it all, there was a MMM has heard the Chief daylight on a busy railway platform.