Chennai Times

As someone who walks the Chennai main roads and by lanes often and as part of day to day life, I am normally skeptical about any media event for a walk (or the much hyped marathon). But, today's event sounds different as it seems to bring some people who actually want to regain walking spaces for themselves. See the Link Last week, while at the Adayar Poonga I also came across another similar initiative by a high profile political entity for cyclers. When I suggested that there should be some move to bring those who cycle to work as a group that can voice its concerns, this gent said that it was way off for now. Currently he seems to want to promote cycling as a cheaper energy transport. So, while he cycled back from the meeting to his house, his car was driven back home by his driver!! Like the idea ad. says, 'What an idea sirji!?' Afterwards: Looks like there were about 300 people. I couldn't make it thought very much wanted to. The partner did and she reports that ...

Madras University was started like a few other universities in the country by the Britishers to impart education that would shape and reduce Indians to be good slave citizens. Faithful to the rulers of the State is a dictat of all slave institutions and the university is no exception. To celebrate its 150 years, it has decided to give Doctorates to the rulers. So, we have not one but three doctorates being honorarily conferred on the CM, PM and the power behind the PM.  God and everyone else except the University authorities know that none of these three need it. The PM has been conferred a Doctorate by the British Universities themselves, he even told them that if they were 'to come in again (as colonial rulers) they would get a better reception' when he spoke accepting the Doctorate. After exhibiting such loyalty to the British and being conferred something by them, nothing can add value to him further.  Karunanidhi must have been given doctorates by every University in...

' The city of Chennai, erstwhile Madras, is all set to celebrate its 369th birthday on August 22, 2008. For, it was on this day in 1639 that a sliver of land where Fort St George is located, was handed over by the local Nayak rulers to the East India Company.' says a news item.  I get confused, I thought we have become Chennai now, why do we want to celebrate being Madras then? There is some nostalgia attached with the colonial past that it needs to be 'celebrated' at some point in time. we are not at all deprived for celebration in this city.   The traditional festivals from different parts of tamilnadu have all become part of the chennai culture.  every tamil daily sheet calender provides three different date, month and year. the hindu calender (even under this we have further divisions of tamil and telugu calender as telugus are a dominant community in tamilnadu), the muslim calender and the tamil tiruvalluvar calender apart from the Gregorian calender.  we ...

Samanvaya News Room: 23rd Aug 2008: Memorial for Mosanabu Fukuoka : Organic Farmer Mosanabu Fukuoka of Japan is a major inspiration for organic farmers from all over the world. His 'One Straw Revolution' was one of the books on natural farming that has been read and re-read by many who have since then embarked on natural farming themselves. Fukuoka died at the age of 95 on 16th August 2008. A short memorial will be held in his honour at the Samanvaya office on saturday the 23rd evening between 4:30 and 6:00 p.m. Farmers, Friends and Fans of Fukuoka are invited for this gathering.

Documentary Film Festival at the Alliance Francaise this week. 1) film festival is open to all. 2) alliance auditorium is on 2nd floor (no lift). 3) abillioneyes.in/schedule08.html is the webpage. 4) a blurb on the films: JOURNEYS WITH KABIR: 4 films by Shabnam Virmani These films journey into contemporary spaces touched by the music and poetry of the 15th century mystic weaver-poet of north India, Kabir. We meet a diverse array of people - an urban folklorist, a street fruit seller, a social activist, a Dalit folk singer, a Zen Buddhist scholar, a neo-fascist cleric of a Kabir sect, a Muslim qawwal - each encounter offering a moment of insight into the poetry and its contemporary meanings. We glimpse not one but many Kabirs. Sometimes he beckons, sometimes he baffles, but always he pushes you to self-interrogate, to question the boundaries of your identity, nation, ideology, caste and religion- making these journeys unrelentingly inward even as they venture outward. The 4 ...

The share auto in chennai, is like no other vehicle on earth, two of them don't resemble each other either. it is a strange contraption put together in a tinkering shop with steel rods and tin sheets and a diesel motor that can power this entire structure and drag a weight of approximately 8 people including the driver. so, obviously we load about 15 people into it. it travels at about 50 kms amidst the chennai traffic, which is against all known laws and sense. this strange machine operates mostly in the chennai sub-urbs and is a convenient transport at affordable cost for those who cannot afford an auto for themselves, particularly into the small million colonies into which the metro-buses don't venture yet. strangers share seats with each other at very close proximity sharing their breath, sweat and other body odour with strangers without a choice and hang on to their dear life mouthing prayers sure, twice every day as they commute from bus stands and railway stations to th...

the menace of the mountainous medians continue...last month these came up in the small stretch between luz junction and the mylapore tank junction. this short stretch which is a heavy business zone of small business kind and in the heart of the busy residential area has no foot paths on both sides except in the small stretch in front of the railway station and bridge. this stretch has this huge median now which prevent anyone from crossing the road. irony is that there is no zebra crossing in either sides of the median. just yesterday saw that the same is now being perpetuated in monteith road. this road has always been a youth hangout place. the traffic that comes here and all the commerce is dependent on the young people hanging around the place. college students escaping from their tyrant classes turn up in the afternoon with friends to hang out, serious students who frequent the connemara library drop by for a cheap sandwich at mid day and the entire place as far as i can remember ...