Politicisation of Heritage
The politicisation of our heritage… as pointed by the Editor (MM, February 1st) was, definitely beyond any doubt, an unnecessary evil at any time. It is a sort of polished parochialism rooted firmly in provincialism by the shrewd politicians aiming at creating an enlarged vote bank. Earlier, on another occasion, a singular political leader at the helm of the State Government claimed that TN is the pioneer in improving the status of women forgetting conveniently that Kerala has long since attained greater heights in that aspect. As for the heritage matter, the recent discoveries dating back to the Iron Age shows India should be proud of TN’s contribution to that era instead of making it a subject matter for exhibiting and igniting parochial sentiments .
K. Rajendran
Menaka Flats, P /10, Annanagar
Chennai 600 040
Senior Citizens and Children at the mercy of stray dogs now?
When a passer by is challenged by a stray dog on the street, the option for the person is to throw a stone at the stray dog to keep it away or run away from the scene. This strategy is not possible for senior citizens and children and therefore, they have become vulnerable to any possible attack from stray dogs.
According to media reports, around 11,704 people in Chennai city and around 48,583 persons in Tamil Nadu have been bitten by the stray dogs over the past year alone. Let not anyone view that such incidents of dog bites are very miniscule considering the population.
It is further reported that as per the census carried out in the year 2018, there were 59000 stray dogs in Chennai city. According to a media report from 2024, the number of stray dogs in Chennai city have gone up by nearly three times to around 1.8 lakh.
As each female gives birth to four to six puppies at a time, (which depend on the breed of the dog), the number of stray dogs in Chennai city would multiply to around at least 5 lakhs by the year 2030. It is said that stray dogs are being sterilised but this is taking place in a painfully slow rate which will have no impact on the growing number in the city. I am unable to visualise the scenario when 5 lakh stray dogs would be loitering on the streets in Chennai city alone.
I am a senior citizen living in Fourth Cross Street in Besant Nagar for over forty years now. This is not a lengthy street and has just around 5 blocks with each block having four flats in one row only.
Around 18 months back, there were no stray dogs in the street. Then, two or three dogs were spotted and now the number has multiplied to ten with dogs loitering around all the time. They are so used to the place now and they sit on the middle of the road and enter the houses when the gates are open and sometime big dogs jump over the wall and enter the house. They rarely move when vehicles pass by and pedestrians and vehicles have to navigate to avoid the dogs. So far, these dogs have not bitten anyone but I am not sure about the future.
With number of senior citizens living in the street, in the evening hours, when the street lights do not cover the entire area, there have been occasions when they have stepped on the dog unknowingly and on one occasion one person fell down on the road and hurt himself. Of course, the barking of the dogs, particularly during the night hours, disturb the sleep, particularly of senior citizens
In the entire Besant Nagar area, there appears to be very few streets where there are no stray dogs. In the Elliots beach in Besant Nagar, I have counted 61 stray dogs sharing space with the visitors on the sand and platform.
It appears that all these dogs are well-fed as the dog lovers, not only local residents, but also outsiders regularly feed the dogs. Such dog lovers come mostly at stipulated time in car, two-wheeler or by walk and the dogs seem to be waiting for them. One noteworthy fact is that when these dogs are provided biscuits and other items by throwing them on the street by the dog lovers, a number of crows also gather around. But, the dogs never allow the crows to have their share. The dog lovers also do not seem to care about the crows which remain disappointed.
One of the stray dog lovers who feed the dogs regularly argued that such feeding is necessary, so that the stray dogs would remain calm and not bite the people!
As the problem is almost similar all over the city now, this issue cannot anymore be ignored by Chennai Corporation, which gives an impression that it is helpless and clueless.
In this scenario, there is recent news item that Chennai Corporation has earmarked around Rs.12 crores to build cow sheds in a few locations to tackle stray cattle. This is a proactive step. Why not similar plans to tackle stray dogs also?
Certainly, it should be possible to identify a few locations in the outskirts of the city to create dog parks, where the dogs can be left. They can be taken care of partly by Chennai Corporation and partly by dog-lovers; and certainly, the hundreds of dog-lovers in the city who run behind stray dogs to feed them would be happy to feed such dogs in the dog parks. The dog-lovers can also form an association for themselves, collect food items for the dogs on a day-to-day basis and send it to the dog parks. Then, these dogs will not be termed as stray dogs and this will make dog-lovers supremely happy.
N.S. Venkataraman
Trustee
Nandini Voice For The Deprived
M 60/1, 4th Cross Street
Besant Nagar, Chennai 600 090
Thirukkural: A celebration of music, art and inspiration
by Muhilan Murugan
The Madras Literary Society recently hosted a unique and enchanting event, titled Thirukkural: A Celebration of Music, Art, and Inspiration. It brought together music, art, and literature in a mesmerising display of creativity and inclusivity. Held on February 15, the event featured a range of performances and activities that celebrated the timeless wisdom contained in the Thirukkural. The audience was also treated to a fascinating talk by Adhavan Sundaramurthy, who shared the story behind his Thirukkural-inspired podcasts.
There were musical renditions of Thirukkural verses by Jyothikalai, who sang from memory and took requests from the audience. Jyothikalai’s soulful singing brought the audience to their feet, and her ability to recall and sing Thirukkural verses from memory was truly impressive. T. Jaisakthivel presented postal souvenirs based on Tamil art and literature, and Soumya (The Iyal Collective) showcased stunning paintings inspired by the Thirukkural, and shared her creative journey with the audience.
One of the highlights of the event was its inclusive nature. Sign language interpretation was provided by Nithya. There was also a demonstration about how sign language works for poetry. The organisers also put together a tactile postcard activity, which allowed everyone to participate and experience the joy of creativity. As a special gesture, Jaisakthivel gifted each attendee with a unique cancellation postcard, making the event even more memorable.
Notably, the event was curated by the MLS team as part of their fundraiser initiative. As a member of MLS, it is great to be part of a community that brings people together through heritage, art and literature. This particular event was a truly unforgettable experience and I am grateful to have been a part of it. If you’s like to support MLS too, you can contact them at madrasliterarysociety@gmail.com.
Charnockite from St. Thomas Mount
Apropos Faisal Abass’s Preserving Tamil Nadu’s geological legacy (Madras Musings, February 1st, 2025) , I felt like alerting readers of MM about charnockite, originally quarried from St. Thomas’s Mount.
The story as below: Thomas Henry Holland (1868–1947, Director of Geological Survey of India, Calcutta, 1903–1910) named the dark, quartz-feldspar rock as charnockite in 1893, since Holland found it a newer kind of granite (see extracts of relevant details of and from Holland’s article published in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1893, attached figure). Thomas Holland studied Job Charnock’s memorial plaque in the mausoleum erected by Charles Eyre (Charnock’s son-in-law) in St. John’s Church yard, Calcutta. The rock material studied by Holland was quarried from St Thomas’s Mount–Pallavaram region, Madras and transported to Calcutta by land. Geologist Holland found the quartz-feldspar rock to be different the previously known granite and named it Charnockite, since his material source was Charnock’s mausoleum.
Anantanarayanan Raman
anant@raman.id.au
