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 • Vanishing Churches • Rambling in West Mambalam – 5 • The West End of Madras • Travails of garment workers Vol. XXVI No. 22 MUSINGS March 1-15, 2017 The work ahead Drought & water shortage must be priority of new government (By The Editor) nd so we have a new government in our State. An EPS AGovernment. And it has its work cut for it. For its predeces- sor, Amma’s Government, had promised much for the next four years. And those promises next to be kept, if the EPS Government is to return to power at that times. But this will not At the moment, credibility in public perception of the EPS Government is of concern, even if stability is assured for the present happen again to gain credibility, it needs to reach out to its supporters at the ground level, passionately in interior villages and hamlets. G Christopher Penn writes that “when I For this, the Chief Minister and his government need to work was recently in Madras and Ooty, drought and water shortage were frequent topics committedly to tackle a heavy agenda awaiting action. There is of conversation. But famines were trag- much to do apart from the settlement of the Cauvery issue and the edies of the past, what was the Presidency. question of enacting legislation that will enable the State to have These two pictures tell something of one its own examination for medical (an, in time, engineering) seats. of them. The Duke of Buckingham, as The first priority is overcoming the current drought conditions in Governor of Madras during the 1877/78 most parts of the State and water shortage in urban areas while famine, initiated several efforts to relieve tackling the present crisis it needs to look at long term solutions to the distress. Work was put in hand on prevent much water draining into the sea when there is good rain. roads, canals – the Buckingham Canal It also needs to look at its finances. The priority is the Report on dates from this time – and other infra- Tamil Nadu for 2014-15 by the Comptroller and Auditor General structure to provide employment, and famine relief kitchens were set up to feed of India reveals that revenue from public debt in year 2010-11 was the starving population. Rs. 13,000 crore burgeoning to Rs. 31,000 crores in 2014-15. Ratio of capital expenditure to total expenditure has been eroding from “William Digby, who was editor of The 15.46 in 2011-12 to 11.79 in 2014-15. These are indicative of a Madras Times during the famine, provided shift from building infrastructure and social assets to over-gener- a comprehensive summary of the relief ous vote-winning freebies. A correction is essential to wean people work in his book The famine campaign in Southern India – Madras and Bombay away from a lust for one-off kinds of goodies that have no lasting Presidencies and the Province of Mysore economic benefit. Pro-active collaboration with the Centre, tran- 1876-78 published in 1878. He scending political rivalries, could add substantial value to the noted that merchants had fore- State’s own efforts. seen the coming shortage of rice Basic permanent type of insulation against periodic storms and Restoration – long before the Government floods are another priority. For a burgeoning population in our was ready to take action and cities, civic amenities like better drainage systems, conservancy had shipped large quantities of rice into Madras. Subsequently (Continued on page 7) police style when the Government grasped the severity of the situation, ‘ac- t a time when there is no plenty of zeal, but it would be tivity in the roadstead and on When this black coast became blue Aorganised effort of any much better if there was also shore was unexampled in the Printers’ devils were kind to protect the heritage some knowledge on how to go history of Madras.’ Digby illus- at work both at our structures in the city, we must about conservation. trates the point with a litho- processors and print- be thankful that the police in The restoration of the DGP graph based on Hooper’s ers, with the result Tamil Nadu has proved to be Building on the Marina is well memorable photograph of the that “the black coast” more sensitive and has made a known and does not need rep- Madras beach covered with became BLUE last determined effort to preserve etition here. But it did see the sacks of rice and grain during fortnight. We hope whatever heritage buildings it police beginning to look at their the famine (top). “My other picture shows the the reproduction of controls. But it is also quite evi- heritage in a new light. Thus, the same picture here sad state of those worst affected sets the record dent that its restoration activi- care was taken to preserve the by the famine. Happily, famines straight. ties are not being guided by ex- Police Commissioner’s Office are no longer in the memory of – The Editor pertise of any kind. There is (Continued on page 2) Indians.” CMYK 2 MADRAS MUSINGS March 1-15, 2017 Restoration, The week that was Police style t the outset Chief, please ing the Advocate-General just an ordinance. Joy was uncon- A accept the apologies of as the President selects the fined. Or it was till all hell (Continued from page 1) The Man from Madras Prime Minister after consulting broke loose on the last day and Musings. He does know that the Attorney-General. people spent several hours try- you, Chief, are averse to any Mention of the PM reminds ing to get home and thereafter political overtones appearing MMM of that great man’s wasted several days talking in this column. MMM’s rejoin- devotees on social media. One about it. der to that being such is the of these fanatics posted that The revolutionaries went standard of MMM’s column Tamil Nadu did not deserve home, having fought for their that no politician worth his/her any sympathy as its people right. And then we had salt is likely to ever understand never voted for Mr DeMo. the present crisis, this palace even a word. However, you MMM was rather surprised at intrigue with all the correct Chief did not agree. And it was this. Is it necessary, Chief, to ingredients – cloak and dagger, left to MMM to take an oath adore this De-Noted Man like wholesale abduction, swearing (thankfully not accompanied the way MMM was asked to of fealty, loyalty and what by three whacks on a granite like pussycats when he was not. Media screamed itself surface) that he would forsake learning his rhymes? In fact, on hoarse, one day condemning politics. those lines, why is it not the Governor and the next But last week was different expected that all of us should day extolling him and then Chief, and you have to chant every day, “I love my going on to focus on deadly make exceptions. Imagine, PM/His beard is so warm/And swearing at and deathly silent Chief, had this been the if I criticise him/His devotees swearing in. But what puzzled defeat and subsequent send- will do me harm?” MMM was the complete ing off of Napoleon to Elba MMM too was asked for his absence of the revolutionaries. (see, Chief, MMM did not views by a TV channel or two. Those people who wore black allude to St Helena mainly He refused, but could not resist T- shirts and went hurtling because the present scenario when someone asked him around streets on two- does have possibilities of a about the history of the house wheelers tooting their horns, Royapettah police station. (Picture courtesy: Sriram V.) triumphant return) and had that could become a memorial. those who repeatedly came on MMM been reporting on that, MMM in all seriousness said electronic media and stated (Continued from page 1) would be modernised even as would you have objected? that initially it was a plot of that their cultural liberty was the old part of it would be re- Surely not. empty land on which a house at stake, and those who trolled (on Adithanar Salai), even as a tained for posterity. All this was And, so when it came to last came to be built. The inter- on social media anyone who high-rise was constructed be- to the good. The police moved week, MMM remained glued viewer disconnected at this dared have a contrary view, side it, to accommodate the de- out to a location close by and to the TV and social media and point. Truth has no value these where were they? Was their partments. Not so lucky is the the old building was emptied. got very little other work done. days, Chief. real liberty not at stake now? first office of the Commissioner, The annexe was demolished a Chisholm-designed building thereafter, bringing to light the that now rots away on Police rear of the older structure – it Commissioner’s Office Road. had tall doors leading to an SHORT ’N’ SNAPPY In the past few years, the old open backyard. These had been police stations in Chennai have shut in when the annexe was been undergoing moderni- constructed and now with their And what he saw distressed Or was it that this was not as sation.