Hawkers in Chennai

Hawking in Chennai – A many sided problem

 

In the middle of June, Chennai Corporation announced that by the end of the month, the hawkers in and around Luz Corner would be made to move to the road next to the MRTS Station. 30^th June came and went and the hawkers have continued to remain where they were.  On Wednesday, 23^rd July, the Corporation performed what has become a routine exercise- the eviction of makeshift stalls along NSC Bose Road. The place was clear for a couple of days and then the stalls returned and continued with their business. In T Nagar, with the inauguration of the Usman Road flyover scheduled for the 15^th of August, the future is uncertain for the 200 or so hawkers who have been selling their wares for many years. The Corporation has been trying to evict them. In what it thought was a brainwave; the Corporation also conceived the idea of trying to relocate the hawkers in the side-streets around Panagal Park. This was strongly opposed by the residents of those streets who, on 25^th July, filed a writ plea in the Madras High Court seeking direction to the authorities in removing the encroachments on them. They have represented that the streets were 20ft in width and any attempt to bring in the hawkers would only result in increasing the congestion. The Court has asked the Corporation to file an affidavit on whether the hawkers could be accommodated under the proposed flyover.

 

All these happenings are symptomatic of the pressure on urban space in Chennai. The sidewalks and road spaces are increasingly rare to find and given the increasing number of vehicles, the Corporation is hard pressed to find alternative solutions to the hawkers issue. The only solution is relocation, but this needs to be done sensitively, allowing for hawkers to remain close to where their markets are. But given that areas such as Luz, T Nagar and NSC Bose Road are some of the most congested spots in the city, finding alternative space for hawkers in these areas is a tall order.

 

The hawkers issue is not new to the city. Several committees have been appointed to study the problem, time and again on the instructions of the High Court. The Justice Kanagaraj Committee of 2003, had, after a survey of 10 Corporation Zones had given recommendations for 35 streets in all. It had asked for licenses to be issued to hawkers and those without them had to be evicted. It had suggested building of commercial complexes for hawkers and partial settlement of some hawkers on the streets where they were selling earlier. This was a modification of the recommendations of the Hadi Committee of 2001 which had recommended the banning of hawking on 49 roads and the allotting of 20 sq.ft of space to licensed hawkers in roads where hawking can be allowed.

 

The first suggestion of the Kanagaraj Committee was partially implemented but the Corporation failed to regulate the new hawkers. The second suggestion, of commercial complexes has been a non starter thanks to non-availability of space. The Corporation is now taking the stance that in the absence of a policy on the transfer of development rights (a suggestion in the new Master Plan), it will not be possible to create new spaces for building such complexes within the city. There is some logic in this, for the only eviction and relocation that has been reasonably successful so far has been on Poonamallee High Road near the Central Station. The availability of the Lily Pond Complex helped and many hawkers have shifted there.

 

In the meantime, hawking being a countrywide problem, the Ministry for Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation had circulated a draft National Policy on Street Vendors. This had recommended the setting up of Town Vending Committees (TVCs) and a survey of hawking zones in every ward of cities by professional institutions. As per the policy, it was to be left to the TVCs to identify hawking zones and to take action against errant hawkers. Chennai is yet to implement any of these.

 

In many ways, the TVC may be the answer. Problems as faced in T Nagar could have been solved locally had there been participation in a TVC. Residents and hawkers, together with Corporation representatives could have hammered out a solution. In the absence of such public participation, these matters become confrontational and often land up in court.

 

It is however quite clear that the city does not have a comprehensive solution as yet for the hawkers. It cannot be denied that they perform a vital role in the city’s economy and provide goods at prices that are affordable. A wholesale ban on hawking would only have a detrimental effect on the character of the city and will also affect several families who depend on hawking as a means of livelihood.

 

What is needed is public participation in working out solutions. These need to be done, street by street, with discussions among all those affected by the issue. High profile eviction drives alone will not solve the problem.

 

 

 

 

Madras Week 2008 – A birds eye view

August is the birthday month of Madras for it was on 22^nd August 1639 that the city was founded on a piece of no man’s sand. And the celebrations during Madras Week, which will be observed from 17^th to 24^th August this year, promise to be spectacular.

 

This year, a larger number of institutions and associations have joined the celebrations. While the hotel industry has as usual laid out the red carpet with the Taj Coromandel, the Taj Connemara, Park Sheraton, The Park, Chamiers and Green Park joining in as they did in previous years, their band has been joined by The Rain Tree run by Ceebros Ecotel.

 

The Heritage Clubs in schools are busying themselves with projects, exhibitions and area studies. The Asan Memorial School appears to have taken the lead with a five day celebration (18^th to 22^nd). Vanilla, a play school in Mylapore for young children will be holding story telling sessions with Madras as a theme.

 

For the first time, the celebrations are fanning out from South Madras to other parts of the city. The Jaigopal Garodia Vivekananda Vidyalaya Matriculation HS School, Anna Nagar will be the venue for talks on 20^th and 23^rd August. Greenpark Hotel is planning an afternoon of programmes in Vadapalani on the 23^rd. What is most gratifying for us at Madras Musings is the eager participation of the Avvai Kalai Kazhagam of Royapuram, thereby bringing in North Madras into the celebrations. This institution which houses the Srinivasa Ramanujan museum will host a series of talks in collaboration with Madras Musings between the 17^th and 23^rd of August. These talks will be in Tamil. In addition, Madras Musings will host talks in English at various locations in South Madras between the 18^th and 24^th.

 

There are at least six heritage walks to be conducted at various locations in the city and this list promises to grow as the date approaches. Art galleries Sri Parvati and Focus have planned art exhibitions with Chennai based themes. A band of philatelists and numismatists have planned a thematic exhibition at Rajaji Hall, the highlight of which promises to be a series of photographs taken all along the Buckingham Canal by Hemchandra Rao. The late AL Lakshmanan’s autograph collection comprising the signatures of several historical personalities will be on display at the Taj Coromandel even as the Vintage Vignettes photographs of old Madras will be exhibited at Taj Connemara. The Taj Coromandel will also host a food festival dedicated to the cuisine of Madras Presidency with recipes taken from Chandra Padmanabhan’s forthcoming book- Dakshin. The Roja Muthiah Research Library is working on an exhibition titled Madras and the Freedom Movement which will be inaugurated on August 15^th.

 

At least three books related to Madras will be released during Madras Week. On the 17^th, Sriram V’s Historic Residences of Chennai, a bilingual book will be released at the Taj Connemara under the auspices of the Madras Book Club. S Muthiah’s book on the Taj Connemara will be released on the 19^th at the same hotel. On the 24^th, the long awaited Madras Gazetteer, sponsored by the Association of British Scholars will be released.

 

Rotary Clubs, the International Women’s Association, the Overseas Women’s Association, the Inner Wheel Club of India and many other social organisations are talking about joining the celebration. In short it promises to be a week (or may be a fortnight or a month) of joy. We hope it grows in stature for this is the least we can do for this city, our home.

 

We have provided a pull-out of the events with their location along with this issue. We request organisations that are interested to contact us at editor@madrasmusings.com for further information and ideas.

 

 

Madras Week 2008 – Event Schedule

Madras Week is here again. The list of events scheduled is given below. There are Exhibitions, Walks, Talks and Quiz Contests. Read on.

 

Exhibitions

August 9-20: Colonial India in the photographs of Wiele & Klein. Among the Western photographers who settled in Madras in the late 19th Century, the Germans E.U.F. Wiele and Theodor Klein were remarkably successful. The Baedeker guide book on India (and other South Asian regions) published in 1914, refers to “Wiehle & Klein, the most famous late 19th and early 20th Century photographic studio in the South of India.” Wiele and Klein purchased a photographic studio in Mount Road, and soon became the official photographers of the British Governor of Madras. Their work was much appreciated by the Indian noble families and the upper class and soon they established branches in Ooctamund and in Bangalore. Other Indian customers invited them to places all over the country and they took pictures all over India. For details: http://www.goethe.de/ins/in/che/ver/en3439339v.htm. (at Taj Connemara).

August 15-29: Madras: Impressions from 18th to 20th Century. A drawing and painting exhibition by national award winning art director P. Krishnamoorthy. (At Gallery Sri Parvati, Eldam’s Road.)

 August 17-22: Exhibition on Madras and the Independence Movement. (At the Roja Muthiah Research Library, Taramani, 10.00 a.m. to 7 p.m.). There will be lectures on most evenings during the exhibition. For details contact: 22542551

August 17-24: Mylapore – A special photo exhibition by the Chennai Photowalkers. These are photos taken on the first eight photowalks in Madras. (At Vanilla Place, Mylapore.)

August 18-22: A Peep into Chennai that was Madras. Inauguration on August 18th, 10.00 am by Randor Guy. (At Asan Memorial School, Anderson Road, Egmore.)

August 19 – 23: An exhibition of Early Portraits of Madras – Etchings, Engravings and Aquatints from the private collection of V. Narayan Swami (at The Art Gallery, C.P. Art Centre, Eldams Road, 10.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m.)

August 22-25: The Buckingham Canal, yesterday and today, an exhibition by D. Hemachandra Rao (at Rajaji Hall). Will be supplemented by a philatelic and coin exhibition.

Heritage Talks

August 17: Chennai Heritage-Madras Musings Lecture Series. An audio visual presentation – Early Music Recordings of Madras by V.A.K. Ranga Rao and Sriram V. (At The Park. 6.30 p.m.) Talk sponsored by the Association of British Scholars. 

August 17: Chennai Heritage with Avvai Kalai Kazhagam (15/9, Somu Chetty 4th Lane, Royapuram, Chennai 600 013), – Madras Musings Lecture Series (Tamil) – K.R.A. Narasiah on Chennai Turaimugam (The Madras Port). 6.30 p.m.

August 18: 6.30 pm: Chennai Heritage-Madras Musings Lecture Series. Some lesser known temples of Madras – a power point presentation and talk by Chitra Madhavan. (At Chamiers (Anokhee), Chamiers Road. 6.30 p.m.)

August 18: Chennai Heritage with Avvai Kalai Kazhagam – Madras Musings Lecture Series (Tamil) – Annaalaya Chennai Kolaigal (Murders in Madras) – by Randor Guy. 6.30 p.m.

August 19: The Greening of Chennai by Shobha Menon. (At the Rotary Club of Madras South, 6.30 p.m.). Hotel Savera.For Rotarians and their guests only.

August 19: Chennai Heritage-Madras Musings Lecture. Walking with a Camera in Madras – a powerpoint presentation and talk by G Chandrachoodan. (At Goethe Institute, Max Mueller Bhawan, 4, Rutland Gate, 5th Street, Chennai 600006. 6.30 p.m.)

August 19: Chennai Heritage with Avvai Kalai Kazhagam – Madras Musings Lecture Series (Tamil) Tamizh Navalgalil Chennai (Madras as seen in Tamil novels) – talk and readings by Sujatha Vijayaraghavan, Charukesi and team. 6.30 p.m.

August 20: Chennai Heritage-Madras Musings Lecture Series. Kritis and Symphonies on Madras – music accompanied by commentary – Anil Srinivasan. (At Taj Coromandel, Nungambakkam High Road, 6.30 p.m.)

August 20: Chennai Heritage with Avvai Kalai Kazhagam – Madras Musings Lecture Series (Tamil). M.R. Radha – Nooravadu Andu Anjali (A centenary tribute to M.R. Radha) – Talk with film clips by Mohan Raman. 6.30 p.m.

August 20: IT Revolution and Beyond – Chennai in the 21st Century. A talk by Kiruba Shankar on the effects of new media. (At Jaigopal Garodia Vivekananda Vidyalaya Matriculation HS School, Anna Nagar. 6.30 p.m.)

August 21: Chennai Heritage-Madras Musings Lecture Series. Panel Discussion on Marrying into Madras, the Expat view – Radha Gopalakrishnan, Angelika Mandaikar and Eira Doshi share their experiences with Sushila Natraj. (At Ceebros Ecotel’s The Raintree, St Mary’s Road, Alwarpet. 6.30 p.m.)

August 21: Chennai Heritage with Avvai Kalai Kazhagam – Madras Musings Lecture Series (Tamil). Pattonbadaavadu Nootraandu Chennai Pulavargal (Scholars of 19th century Madras) by A.R. Venkatachalapathy. 6.30 p.m.

August 22: Chennai Heritage-Madras Musings Lecture Series. The Parsis of Madras – power point presentation and talk by Zarin Mistry. (At Chamiers. 6.30 p.m.)

August 22: Chennai Heritage with Avvai Kalai Kazhagam – Madras Musings Lecture Series (Tamil). Chennai Tamizh (Tamil dialects in Chennai) – audio visual presentation and talk by Badri Seshadri. 6.30 p.m.

August 23: Temples of Chennai – a  presentation by Chitra Madhavan. (At Hotel Green Park, Vadapalani. 7 p.m.)

August 23: Two humour talks on Chennai by members of the Humour Club International, Triplicane Chapter. (At the Rotary Club of Madras South, Savera Hotel.) For Rotarians and their guests only.

August 23: Chennai Heritage-Madras Musings Lecture. Chenglish by Indu Balachandran. (At Taj Coromandel, 6.30 p.m.)

August 23: Chennai Heritage with Avvai Kalai Kazhagam –Madras Musings Lecture Series (Tamil). Talk and screening of film Chennai – Exhibition, Museum and Backyard by A. Srivatsan and B.S. Pandian. 6.30 p.m. August 23: Early Imprints of the Madras Region, a presentation by G. Sundar, Director, Roja Muthiah Research Library. (At Jaigopal Garodia Vivekananda Vidyalaya Matriculation HS School, Anna Nagar. 6.30 p.m.)

 

August 24: Chennai Heritage-Madras Musings Lecture. A Star of Madras – a centenary tribute to Madras Rajagopala Naidu Radha (M.R. Radha) by Mohan Raman. (At Welcomgroup Park Sheraton Hotel and Towers, TTK Road. 6.30 p.m.)

August 26: Singara Chennai by Sriram V. (At the Rotary Club of Madras, Taj Connemara.) For rotarians and their guests only.

August 26: Temples of Chennai by Dr Chitra Madhavan. (At the Rotary Club of Madras South, Savera Hotel). For rotarians and their guests only.

***

Other Events

 

August 17: Release of Historic Residences of Chennai; a bilingual book by Sriram V published by Kalamkriya hosted by Madras Book Club (Open to members of the Book Club, their guests and on invitation). (At the Taj Connemara. 10.30 a.m.)  The book will be released by B. Vijayaraghavan, IAS (Rtd.), ,

August 19: Madras Heritage – Live presentation contest for city schools. (At Sastri Hall, Luz. 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.) organised by Mylapore Times.

August 17-24: Food Festival based on recipes of Madras Presidency from the book Simply South by Chandra Padmanabhan. (At Southern Spice, Taj Coromandel.)

August 18-24:  Special spoken word/poetry reading sessions by Sharanya Manivannan and a few others. Along with an open mike. (At Vanilla Place, Mylapore.)

August 19: Release of Dr. K.V. Raman’s The Early History of the Madras Region (first published in 1959) and now republished by the C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation. The book will be released by S. Muthiah, the chronicler of Madras, at 11 a.m. (At the Art Gallery of the C.P. Art Centre, Eldams Road, Alwarpet).

August 20: Olde Madras – Live demo of food, clothes, lifestyle, dance, music etc at the Asan Memorial School, Anderson Road, Egmore. 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. Valedictory at 2.30 p.m.: Chitra Madhavan speaks.

August August 22: Stories on Madras for children aged between 6-12 presented by Vanilla Children’s Place and Storytrails. 15-20 seats only. 4.00 to 6.00 p.m. For more details, contact 9841050581.

August 23: Wildlife in Chennai. A session on simple puppet-making based on Chennai’s wildlife by R. Bhanumathy, Pavai Centre for Puppetry. (At Hotel Green Park, Vadapalani. 2.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.).  This programme will be conducted to create awareness about wildlife in and around Chennai, its importance as natural heritage of the city and the role of children in protecting and conserving them. Children from 5-12 years can  participate. Children interested in participating can contact 9444486497.

August 23: A Quiz Contest on Chennai. (At the Rotary Club of Madras South.) For Rotarians of the club with families.

August 23: Madras Quiz 2008 in Tamil  – for Tamil medium schools. (At Sastri Hall, Rande Library, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.). Organised by Mylapore Times.

August 23: Documentary Films Festival (At Sastri Hall, Rande Library, 6.30 pm onwards.) Free admission. Organised by Mylapore Times.

August 24: Madras Quiz 2008 – English. (At Gokhale-Shastri Hall (K.N. Shanmugha Sundaram Hall), Karpagambal Nagar, Luz. 2 p.m.) Open to all. No prior registration required. Organised by Mylapore Times.

August 24: Docu Film Fest. (Sastri Hall, Rande Library, 6.30 pm onwards). Organised by Mylapore Times.

 

Heritage Walks

August 17: Walking tour of Fort St. George. In English. 90 mins. Please report at parking lot opposite Fort (eastern gate). Free. (Option: Fort Museum opens at 10 a.m. so you can check it out on your own. Admission by ticket). 8 a.m.

August 17: Photowalks by Chandrachoodan Gopalakrishnan. From Karneeswarar temple in Saidapet to Marmalong bridge and Little Mount. 7.30 a.m. (at Karneeswarar Temple. To join, just come to the starting point for each walk on the date and time mentioned. The number to call, when in doubt – 9884467463

August 18: Morning: Walking Tour of Fort St. George. For city schools. 90 mins. Start point – parking lot opposite Fort (east gate). Five groups of 30 students each can be taken around. Free. For details contact: 98410 49155.

August 22: Photowalks by Chandrachoodan Gopalakrishnan. Begins at Anna Nagar Tower park. 5.30 p.m. . To join, just come to the starting point for each walk on the date and time mentioned. The number to call, when in doubt – 9884467463

August 23: Photowalks by Chandrachoodan Gopalakrishnan. Starts from Tiruvallikeni Parthsarathy temple to Madras University Senate building. 7.00 a.m. at Parthasarathy Temple. . To join, just come to the starting point for each walk on the date and time mentioned. The number to call, when in doubt – 9884467463

August 23: Men and Women of the Marina. A walk along the buildings of the beach conducted by Sriram V. Walk ends with breakfast and is partly by van. 6.00 a.m. Prior booking needed. Fee: Rs 150 per head. Contact: 98400 24200. Organised by Madras Musings.

August 24: Chintadripet and Beyond. A walk conducted by Sriram V. Walk ends with breakfast and is partly by van. Prior booking needed. 6.00 a.m. Fee: Rs 150 per head. Contact: 98400 24200. Organised by Madras Musings

August 24: Walking Tour of Mount Road (in English, 90 mins.). Starts from bus stop at The Hindu office and ends at MGR statue. 7.30 a.m. Contact: 9841049155

August 24: Walking tour of Fort St. George (in Tamil. 90mins.). Report at parking lot opposite Fort (Eastern Gate). 8 a.m. Free.  Contact 9841049155

 

A birthday to remember

An article occassioned by Semmangudi’s centenary

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/07/25/stories/2008072551160100.htm

The Spiritual Heritage of Tyagaraja- Story of the book

“The Spiritual Heritage of Tyagaraja” is a landmark publication in the world of Carnatic music. It is the first work with English meanings for the songs of Tyagaraja and 2008 marks fifty years of the first publication of this book which has seen several reprints.

 

The book was the brainchild of C Ramanujachariar (1875-1956), a man of many parts. Born in Kolattur, he graduated from the Madras Presidency College and joined as a clerk in the Madras Secretariat from which post he rose to become the Under Secretary, Department of Law and Education. He was passionate about the fine arts and he used them to good effect to channel resources for another passion of his – the Ramakrishna Mission Students Home, Mylapore. This institution, which completed 100 years in 2005 was conceived by C Ramaswami Iyengar, Ramanujachariar’s cousin and when he was struck by paralysis in 1926, the latter took on the burden of running the institution and putting it on firm ground. The story of how he convinced Musiri Subramania Iyer to travel to Malaysia on a concert series to collect funds for the Home is well known. He also ran an amateur drama troupe called the Madras Secretariat Party later renamed as the Ramakrishna Kripa Amateurs, which staged plays regularly and collected money for the Home. Besides these activities, Ramanujachariar was the prime mover in getting music recognised as a subject by the Madras University and it was largely thanks to him that the Music Department of the Madras University came up in 1932. He did the same for the Annamalai University as well.

 

Ramanujachariar was for many years in charge of organising bhajana ghostis that went around the Kapaliswarar Temple during the month of Margazhi. In this connection, he came into close contact in the early years of the 20^th century with the Umayalpuram Brothers, Krishna and Sundara Bhagavatars who were direct disciples of Tyagaraja. From them and from their disciples, he learnt several songs of Tyagaraja. In the later years of his life, it became his ambition to present these songs to a greater public which was not familiar with Telugu and Carnatic music. He collected the songs of Tyagaraja translated the lyrics into English. In this he was helped by V Krishna Rao, retired Telugu Translator to the Government and his nephew TK Narasimha Rao. Sangita Kalanidhi TV Subba Rao also advised them.

 

In 1946, the death centenary of Tyagaraja was observed by the Music Academy, Madras. Ramanujachariar approached Dr V Raghavan, the great Sanskrit scholar and Professor of Madras University who was then Secretary of the Music Academy and requested him to go through the English meanings he had prepared. He also desired that Dr Raghavan analyse and classify the songs on the basis of their content into various clusters. Dr Raghavan was drawn into the project and the small band of people spent months in analysis and discussions. In the hands of Dr Raghavan, the classification developed into a complete introductory thesis to the book. The help of eminent Telugu scholar Prof Vissa Appa Rao was sought and his suggestions were also incorporated. In all 565 songs of Tyagaraja were compiled, translated and published. It was subsequently decided that Ramanujachariar’s translations in English, along with the text of the songs in Devanagari, together with Dr Raghavan’s thesis be published as a book. During the annual conference of the Academy in 1946, Ramanujachariar made public his plans for the book.

 

Ramanujachariar organised Navaratri concerts at the Ramakrishna Mission, a tradition that has survived till date. During the 1947 Navaratri he got Dr Raghavan to present his study of Tyagaraja kritis in nine lectures which were subsequently published in the Vedanta Kesari, the magazine of the Ramakrishna Math.

 

While the book was being prepared for publication, Ramanujachariar passed away on 4^th November 1956, mourned by many and chiefly by the students of the Home that he had contributed so much to. The book came out in 1958, along with a foreword written by Dr S Radhakrishnan. On Ramanujachariar, Dr Raghavan wrote thus – “He was primarily a sadhaka, who strove on the spiritual path not only through his tireless karma-yoga in the cause of the Ramakrishna Movement and the education and upbringing of the young, but through the path of bhakti and bhajana, he was a bhagavata in every sense of the term and it is this fact which gave meaning to the dedicated life that he led to the last minute of his existence”. It is also thanks to Dr Raghavan that the story of what went into the making of the book is available to us today.

 

The book remains in every way a fitting memorial to Ramanujachariar and his high ideals.

 

Sriram Venkatkrishnan

 

The article appeared in The Hindu dated 18th July 2008. http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/07/18/stories/2008071851580600.htm

Nageswara Rao Park and its environs

Nageswara Rao Park is a landmark in Luz, Mylapore. A sylvan enclosure with broad walks, bowers and flowerbeds, it is a sight for sore eyes. In the mornings and in the evenings it is full of the fitness conscious jogging, walking and exercising. During weekends, budding Carnatic musicians perform concerts here in the mornings and many flock to listen. In the whispering hour of twilight, many couples can be seen cosily ensconced in the bowers and an eight-o-clock bell is religiously rung to warn them all to get up leave as it is closing time!

 

The Park was once a lake called Aratha Kuttai. The area surrounding this owes much of its development to two friends, both of whom came to Madras in the late 19^th century to seek a livelihood. Both qualified in law and both made it big. And when one died suddenly, it was only a question of time before the other followed suit. They were V Krishnaswami Iyer (1862-1911) and PR Sundara Iyer (1863-1913).

 

They built palatial houses on both sides of Luz Church Road. Krishnaswami Iyer’s was called Ashrama and does not exist any longer. Krishnaswami Avenue came up on its grounds. But Sundara Iyer’s Sri Bagh still survives, a vast bungalow, now a mere empty shell. After Sundara Iyer’s death, his sons sold the house to ‘Desoddharaka’ Kasinathuni Nageswara Rao Pantulu, freedom fighter, writer and creator of the Amrutanjan balm which is popular even today. He was also the first to start a Telugu newspaper, the Andhra Patrika which is still being published. Nageswara Rao built the Amrutanjan offices on the Sri Bagh grounds. In his time the house was a venue for nationalist meetings and it was here that the famous Sri Bagh Agreement was signed which eventually saw the formation of a separate Andhra state.

 

Next to Sri Bagh came up two major Mylapore landmarks – One is the Ranade Hall, named after Mahadev Govinda Ranade (1842-1901), Judge and reformer. The foundation stone for this building, which was part of the South Indian National Association founded by Krishnaswami Iyer and Sundara Iyer, was laid by Gopalakrishna Gokhale, the social reformer and freedom fighter in 1905. It boasts of a library of antiquarian books which few use. But its reading room is still patronised by many. On the first floor, many years later, came up Srinivasa Sastry Hall, named after the Rt. Hon. VS Srinivasa Sastry. This has been a popular venue for Carnatic music performances since long. Next to Ranade Hall is the Mylapore Club, founded in 1904 as the Proprietors Club by V Krishnaswami Iyer. Today, after a century it is still going strong.

 

This part of Mylapore still retains an extended tree cover with many old buildings and is a charming place to walk by.

 

(On a very personal note and this will not appear in the Times of India- this was a park I loved and still love. I have spent many happy hours here as a kid. It has a sad association for me also. When I was five, one evening I insisted that someone take me there. My grandfather, who really doted on me was not too well and yet he took me over. But within a few minutes of being there he said we should return. We did, only to have him collapse as soon as we reached home. He was bed-ridden for two years after that and passed away on May 24th 1973. )

Tamil Nadu tops in Manufacturing, but mostly Chennai centric

There is good news on the manufacturing front in Tamil Nadu. While the state may not rank on par with Maharashtra or Gujarat in attracting direct investment, it has registered the highest in terms of setting up on units in the manufacturing sector. There are 33.39 lakh manufacturing units in the state. In addition it has also ranked highest in the number of manufacturing jobs added – 5.79 lakhs between 1998 and 2005. These figures come from the Fifth Economic Census released by the Government of India last month.

 

However what is not being looked at is the concentration of most of the industrial development around Chennai city. Just to give one instance, the city alone accounts for 35% of the automotive manufacturing sector in the country. The city and its environs can expect a total of USD 15-20 billion in this sector by 2015 says the 11^th five year plan. Added to this, we have the IT Sector which is growing rapidly and so are other businesses in the city.

 

The question is, can the city take in so much of industrialisation in one go? And is it necessary to concentrate all the development in and around the city? The Human Development Index (HDI) for the state has shown glaring disparities. This data, released as part of the 11^th five year plan for the state (2007-2012) shows that there has been skewed development towards Chennai at the cost of all other districts. Four indicators – life expectancy at birth (LEB), literacy rate, gross enrolment ratio (GER) and the real per capita gross state domestic product (GSDP) at purchase power parity in terms of $ – were used to calculate the HDI. A large difference in HDI separates the first and second districts with Chennai at 0.842 compared to Tuticorin at 0.791.

 

In terms of Gender Development Index (GDI) too, Chennai tops the list. GDI is defined as one which adjusts or discounts gender inequality and shows the level of attainment in human development when there is no gender disparity.

 

While it is a matter of pride that the city has scored on such counts in the state, the Government has in its own document noted that such disparities are a matter of concern. What has not been listed is that the city’s infrastructure is also close to breaking down in terms of roads, water supply and other counts. In addition, quality of life has also been poor. The Mercer study on Worldwide Quality of Living gave Chennai a very low score, though it fared marginally better than Mumbai and Delhi.

 

What does all this mean for Chennai and those in charge of its fate? It is high time industrial development is looked at in districts that are further south, most of which have qualified poorly on the HDI and GDI. In addition, it will also be good if the state looks at dismantling some of its administrative institutions in the city and moving them to other towns in the state. In this connection, the setting up of a separate administrative capital for the state should also be looked at as it can do much for decongesting the city and deflecting development to areas that need them.

More on Adyar Creek and Park

Adyar Creek  water gets

 murkier

With lack of transparency

over development plans

 

The Government has announced that the first phase of the Adyar Poonga restoration will be completed by December 2010. This will comprise 58 acres of the total 358 acres designated as the Adyar Creek. The work is being carried out by the Pitchandikulam Forest Consultants, Auroville, an organisation involved in eco-restoration projects. The Government has also declared that this will be an “environment education” centre. The planned park has come in for a lot of praise in sections of the media recently, but Madras Musings learns that all’s not as smooth as it is being made out to be. In fact, there are serious concerns.

 

The High Court, based on whose decision the Park project was announced, had stipulated the setting up of a Monitoring Committee which included, apart from Government officials, representatives of the Consumer Action Group also, which organisation had first brought to the notice of the Court and the public the continued neglect of the area. The Court had also directed that periodic review meetings of the Committee be held to monitor the progress and quality of the work being carried out in the proposed Park. However it transpires that the Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited (TNUIFSL), which is the nodal agency for the development of the Park, has not called for Monitoring Committee meetings for over six months now. Consequently, non-governmental representatives on the Committee are in the dark over what is happening at the Creek.

 

The CAG had also asked the TNUIFSL for details of what kind of flora are being planted in the Park. The selection of proper vegetation is crucial for the survival and regeneration of the wetlands. However, this information has also not been forthcoming. This has naturally made environment activists concerned over what is the work in progress. A casual visit to the site at this point of time merely reveals a lot of composting work going on.

 

There are other concerns as well. The fate of the remaining 300 acres of the Creek is still a question mark. The Government had put out for tender the task of developing a master plan for this area and the contract has been awarded to IL&FS Eco Smart, an organisation which, according to its website, focuses on environment management solutions. The site does not mention any of the projects the company has worked on.  

 

Environmentalists have always expressed concern over the divided development of the 58 and the remaining 300 acres as they have felt that sustainability of the Park will always depend on access to the waters of the Creek. Much will therefore hinge on how the second phase of the development, namely that of the 300 acres, takes place. At present there is no information on this. What is the mandate given to this organisation? What kind of development is planned in this area? There is no information on this.

 

Another area of concern is the multiplicity of agencies that claim to be working on Adyar Creek and its environs. The proposed Creek restoration may be affected by the plans for the Circular Corridor which, if reports are anything to go by, will impinge directly on both banks of the river. There is also talk of a riverside park coming up by the side of the river. Work on building up the embankment towards this end was begun, then given up suddenly,and restarted again. The studied silence of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority over the multiple plans is most puzzling.

 

What emerges from all this is that the Adyar Creek Project, like many such plans, is being conducted in a hush-hush fashion with no scope for a public debate on what exactly is planned for the area. It is high time the Government made its plans public and let everyone know where the Creek and its environs are headed.

 

 

 

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Short and Snappy July 16th 2008

The Man from Madras Musings is at it again:

 

Short and Snappy July 16^th 2008

 

The Mambalam Maze

 

Residents of Mambalam may be up in arms on reading this, but the Man from Madras Musings is not far off the mark when he describes that area as a place that the city planners took over and then forgot. Over the years it has developed into a perfect picture crafted by complete administrative apathy. And standing as a proud representative of this area is its railway station.

 

MMM recently went to receive some guests who were getting off the train at Mambalam. It was early morning and MMM was looking forward to driving into Ranganathan Street, parking his car there and waiting for the visitors. MMM can see eyebrows being raised on the point of driving into that shoppers’ mecca, but at 5.00 am it is really devoid of people, difficult though it is to imagine such a scenario. Be that as it may, MMM drove up to Panagal Park, with a song on his lips, his hand at the wheel and his foot on the accelerator when having turned left he realised that a huge flyover was where Usman Road used to once be. True, MMM had read all about the flyover, but it had completely slipped his mind and he realised that there was no way that he could access Ranganathan Street. He was sorely tempted to park under one of the pillars and walk across, but one of his guests was elderly and getting that person to walk all the way from the station was impossible. Having searched in vain for some signboard with alternate routes to the station, MMM asked a few auto-rickshaw drivers who initially having pretended to have heard of Mambalam railway station for the first time in their lives, proceeded to explain that it was not all that simple to access any longer. You go down Doraiswami Bridge explained one, and then having come out, make a sharp turn to the right or left, duck down a couple of side streets like a fugitive escaping justice and land up near the station.

 

MMM did so, only instead of turning right (or was it left), he turned left (or the other way round), went down a narrow alley with a whole host of autos coming from the opposite direction and then realised that he was well and truly lost and on the wrong side of a one way road. This also gave MMM the opportunity of learning of what appeared to be well published news about his own parentage, financial position, looks and sanity from the auto-rickshaw drivers he nearly collided with. Finally he had to request one of the less menacing auto drivers for directions once again. This involved going up to Doraiswami Bridge once again and turning left (or was it right) and then negotiating a couple of side streets before landing up at a temple. Here, a kindly flower-seller showed MMM the way to the station. “But you cannot park your car on this side” added the kindly soul. “For that you need to coming from the opposite direction.” MMM, having drawn a deep breath then asked as to where was the opposite side and if it was the Usman Road entrance that she had in mind. No, she did not. She gave a fresh and more roundabout route which MMM managed to successfully negotiate only to find that the entire parking lot had been cordoned off by the railways who had also put up signboard giving details of the kinds of the punishments they had in their power to dole out if they caught MMM in the act. This had everything short of hell-fire in it. But to MMM, that was nothing compared to going back to Doraiswami Bridge and so he decided to violate the law for once. Surveying his surroundings he found no reason as to why the area was not fit for parking. The only reason that MMM could think of was an attempt by the railways to protect the modesty of those who were using the place for their morning ablutions with complete equanimity.

 

The train with MMM’s guests was running late and so this story ended on a happy note. But the plight of those who wish to reach Mambalam station in a hurry can only be imagined. Perhaps it is safer to get on and get off at Egmore. Why those in charge of our fates on the roads cannot put up prominent signboards with directions beats MMM.

 

Welcoming the Chief

 

The Chief is away, having scooted off for three weeks, a luxury he rarely gives the Man from Madras Musings, Ranjitha Ashok and the rest of the chain gang over whom he lords. He has asked MMM to keep an eye on the paper while he is away. He may not have noticed it, but MMM could discern a doubtful shake of the head even as he said it. And since then MMM has not slept a wink, ever worrying about the paper. Has it been put to bed? Has it been printed? What if the postal department does not deliver it to one and all? MMM’s favourite nightmare is one where he is seated on a throne and the printer and his staff approach in solemn procession to hand him a copy of the latest issue. And when MMM graciously rises to accept it, he finds that is a blank sheet with just the mast-head. MMM wakes up screaming at this point and he wonders as to how the Chief goes through this kind of thing fortnight after fortnight. The Chief must have been a child of blood and iron and of course now he possesses an eye like Mars with which he threatens and commands and that makes all the difference. Now MMM being short-sighted cannot boast of such ocular facilities.

 

Anyway, as the return of the Chief draws nigh, MMM wonders if he ought not to be given the kind of welcome that most leaders receive when they disembark at Chennai airport. Firstly, MMM would like to have posters pasted on the pillars of the flyover under construction near the airport, Kathipara junction and also on all buildings along the way. These will show the Chief in various postures, writing, releasing books, speaking and generally being the life and soul of heritage. Below these pictures will be slogans that would go like this – “Chennai’s Chief returns”, “Welcome home, O human face of heritage”, “Madras salutes its coming Man”, “Saviour of Senate House, we salute thee” etc. Besides these, MMM also plans to have digital signboards (vinyl sheets for the uninitiated), all along the way, carrying similar messages. . After all, the police has said such signboards would be permitted for three days before and after any event.

 

A couple of cut-outs will be placed along the way, preferably blocking off a traffic signal or two. On the appointed day, a huge group of supporters, rounded up from Madras Musings’ mailing list, will throng the airport. The main objective of this group would be to shout slogans, block the carriageway and ensure high levels of nuisance to the other passengers at the airport. And when the Chief clears immigration and steps out, crackers of high decibels will be burst, garlands and shawls will be presented to the Chief and he will wave to his supporters. By then, people around would have automatically realised that the Chief is a powerful personality and will clear the way of all traffic. Many more people will also join the cheerleaders and presto, we will have more numbers for the heritage movement. From here, to fighting an election on the heritage plank is but a step and from there a Heritage Act is a mere bagatelle.

 

But something tells MMM that the Chief will scotch this idea.

 

Madras Week Ahead

 

It is that time of the year again. A little bird informs the Man from Madras Musings that this year’s celebration promises to be bigger, better and more event packed than in the previous years. More and more people are joining the small group of volunteers who began the celebrations a few years ago with nothing beyond enthusiasm and hope. MMM prays for the success of Madras Week, this year, next year and all years to come.