Chennai Corner

The Dance Of Power

Home Minister P, Chidambaram better watch out because Finance Minister Pranab Kumar Mukerjee, is getting “bhaav” in this state where a lot of reverence and mileage is reserved for him. It appears that their political rivalry has taken on cultural overtones because Chidambaram’s daughter-in-law Srinidhi is an accomplished Bharat Natyam dancer whose father-in-law is an indulgent and proud member of the audience when she performs in Chennai. But this year, Pranabda’s masterstroke is getting his daughter, Sharmistha Mukherjee, an accomplished Kathak dancer, to perform in Chennai this week.

With the Margazhi season just ended and the Indian Dance Festival at Mamallapuram still on, it’s not that this city is not used to Kathak performances, but it’s different when it happens to be the daughter of Pranabda.

The police was out in full force at Narada Gana Sabha because TN governor K. Rosaiah (he was the chief guest), many Congress leaders including TNCC president B.S. Gnanadesikan, top officials of income tax, customs and excise, Annamalai University pro-chancellor M.A.M. Ramaswamy, actor Kamal Haasan and Bharatanatyam dancer Padma Subramanyam were there.

Even Sharmistha, in her late thirties, who has been dancing for many years and certainly all of it in the four decades that her father has been a politician was surprised when flexi boards came up all over the city announcing her performance. She had Periyakulam Congress MP J.A. Haroon to thank for the buzz around her performance and the often badly-timed applause from the audience even when she had not finished her piece during her 90-minute Kathak Nrutya.

In the past, she has said, “I have tried to keep myself away from all this. I have never accepted a grant because I don’t want to get into a controversy. I know that people are likely to say that she’s so and so’s daughter, so it comes easy.” But she was thrilled with the publicity. “Honestly, I have never witnessed such large-scale publicity for my performance. There would be a few posters but nothing like this. This show has been organized very well.”

But her real pleasure came from performing in front of Padma Subramaniam. She said, “My mother had once watched Padmaji perform and it was then she decided her daughter has to be a dancer. She would be happy to know Padmaji liked my performance.”

So will one see Srinidhi Chidamabram put up a show so that her father-in-law will not feel left out on his own turf? Significantly, the Congressmen who attended Sharmistha’s performance are supporters of union minister G.K. Vasan, not of the Chidambaram group.

Close to the Don

Some days ago, M. Natarajan, the husband of Sasikala Natarajan, (the former first friend of CM Jayalalitha), paraded one Krishna Mohanji at his annual Pongal festival in Thanjavur as an example of how much clouts he wields and therefore can make TN “rumble”. He claimed Krishna Mohanji was Pranabda’s brother-in-law. The police rubbished his claim.

But apparently even the police was unaware that Krishna Mohan’s real name is Subrata Ghosh. And indeed he is Pranab’s brother-in-law because he is the younger brother of the finance minister’s wife, Suvra. Krishna Mohan is a music composer and admitted he had known Natarajan for many years and was thrilled to receive a gold medal from him at the Thanjavur festival. But it’s a safe bet that he was unaware of being hailed as a prize catch surrounded as he was by Tamil speakers.

Interestingly, Natarajan who is widely perceived as the Don Corleone of the Mannargudi Mafia, apparently is using his alleged reach with the Congress to rattle Jayalalitha. But firstly, she being a gutsy lady continues with the purge of Sasikala’s men and demonstrated so in her latest reshuffle of bureaucrats. And secondly, with Chidambaram being former CM Karunanidhi’s friend, he has for many years been at daggers drawn with Jayalalitha. Does it mean his rivalry with Pranabda will neutralize Natarajan’s alleged clout with the finance minister’s family and therefore benefit the CM? Wheels within wheels, that is politics.

Cat & Mouse

Incidentally, the police’s hunt for Sasikala’s brother, V.K. Diwakaran, has intensified now that the Madras high court has postponed to January 31 his anticipatory bail hearing. In her complaint to the police, Kasthuri, wife of Balasubramanian of Rishiyur in Tiruvarur district, had said that her house was demolished on November 28 by seven persons with the help of officials at the behest of Diwakaran. Diwakaran’s counsel has argued that the alleged place of demolition belonged to Arulmigu Kailasanathar Temple and that Kasthuri occupied it illegally and constructed a house. He claims that the temple authorities demolished the building under the supervision of the assistant commissioner of the HR&CE (Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments) board. He said he was being targeted because of “political vendetta”.

While he waits for the court to give its order, the police have been busy hunting for him. The police searched the houses of Sasikala’s nephew T.V. Mahadevan, her husband M. Natarajan’s brother M. Palanivelu, and Diwakaran’s close associates Azhagarasan and Sekaran, as well as Amudha, the college principal of Sengamalathayar. his college in Thanjavur. Six of his associates have been picked up for questioning. It’s a cat and mouse game.

Better Days

A retired IAS officer says that Tamil Nadu being one of the highest performing states is a “myth”. “They just fudge figures to please those in power,” he says cynically. And when I look around Chennai, I think it being one of the best metros is also a myth. A colony like Anna Nagar, which was considered well laid-out with good roads is no longer so. Ever since the building of the metro-rail began, and with the traffic diversions it necessitated, one of the better roads in this middle class locality has become a mess. It’s full of potholes that neither the corporation nor the MLA whether it is currently from the ruling AIADMK (or prior to May by the DMK) has looked at. Apparently nor are the people bothered – Anna Nagar is a good example of the “Not in my backyard” syndrome – because they walk on potholed roads and overflowing garbage without complaining as long as their yards are swept and clean. In contrast there’s more of a citizen’s movement in places like Adyar and Besant Nagar.

The Mayor of Chennai, Saidai Duraiswamy, has claimed that the “previous corporation council is responsible for the mounting garbage in the city.” True, but he also has been in office for three months and all he’s saying is this platitude: “We have been looking for a permanent remedy to the issue of garbage clearance.” Chennai generates 5,000 tonnes of garbage every day which is dumped at Kodungaiyur and Pallikaranai marsh.

Last week, residents of North Chennai living near the Kodungaiyur dump, protested against non-segregated waste(2,000 tonnes is dumped there every day) saying it was a huge health hazard for them. They have given petitions galore before and despite their protest now, more garbage is thrown there from other areas. They now plan a human chain to demand the shifting out of the dump.

But the good news is that in 3 zones in the city (Teynampet, Kodambakkam and Adyar), a new broom is sweeping clean because Hyderbased-based Ramky Environ Engineers, has taken over as the conservancy agency as of this month. The agency even has mechanical sweepers to clean roads. Their arsenal to battle filth in these areas is impressive – 3,500 to 4,000 conservancy workers, 71 compactors, 9 trucks, 1,719 tricycles and 3,000 bins. But will they deliver on the mayor’s promise that “both arterial and interior roads will be well maintained”?

Are Traffic Cops Your Nanban?

Other agencies in Chennai might be slow but traffic cops are on the ball. Of course on the ground whether it’s a vegetable vendor or a college kid he/she thinks only about himself or herself when they go in the wrong direction on a one-way arterial road. So what if they hug the side, it’s still a hazard for someone walking gingerly on the side because there’s no pavement to walk on and they have to negotiate garbage bins, standing water and potholes. It’s not even because these vehicle users are trying to save money because petrol prices have climbed, it’s just that the attitude is “I’ll do what I want”.

But traffic cops are at least trying in a way to grab attention. With the Tamil version of 3 Idiots called Nanban being popular, Chennai City Traffic Police (CCTP) is leveraging it to declare, “Traffic Police are your Nanban (friend) – All is well”. This advertisement is getting attention unlike the one that was plastered on all traffic booths for 10 years saying “Tamil Nadu Police are Your Friend” which was ridiculed in many Tamil films.

The Nanban campaign has won applause among CCTP’s Facebook community just as it did when it leveraged the Kolavari Di ditty last month to target road rage. ACP (traffic) Sanjay Arora is pretty chuffed that popular songs are the way to reach road users. He says, “We’ll use anything to save a life.” But the last word comes from a traffic cop in light of the latest campaign, “I hope that when I stop someone for speeding, he does not tell me “Nanban da” (I am a friend) to get off the hook!”