Our Readers Write

Kanimozhi, you are right, but you and your party have to do more, now

This is my weekly column in this week’s Mylapore Times Newspaper – Vincent D’Souza.

I am pleased that Kanimozhi Karunanidhi has spoken on this matter. And at the right time, too.
The DMK member of Parliament sent a clear message to her own party, rather her party men and their leaders – do not become benamis of our newly-elected women representatives; let us organise training workshops that equip them for the work ahead.

Perhaps, we must also speak to our communities and encourage them to get educated on the structure of the urban body system and the functioning of our council, so that they can work hand-in-hand with their respective Ward Councillors.

The first press conference of the young, newly sworn-in woman Mayor was a disaster. Flanked by two senior DMK ministers – one of whom put on a puppet show – the Mayor did not make an impression at all. She would have, had she been well-briefed and left to be herself. Given proper training, education and space, this young woman may well carve a space for herself in this city.

And this is what Kanimozhi is asking; she said this on at least two occasions these past few days. What Kanimozhi and other young turks of our political parties must do, if they respect the young sparks in their ranks, is to begin the skills education and training inside their parties. For, every party does find it hard to choose women candidates who have some fire and experience in them. Women are still second and third-rankers in the parties. And when elected, some become puppets.

Already, the brother of the woman councillor of the city ward where I reside is spreading his wings, he being a more active local-level DMK party man. A man whose image was prominent in all the handbills that his sister circulated in the campaign. Community activists in our area have subtly told the man that he must let the councillor take calls and speak when meetings with local communities come about.

We have observed how many councillors merely warm their seats at zonal meetings where key issues and projects for our neighbourhoods are placed and discussed. We have seen how engineers and officials get their way with newbie councillors. This has happened because representatives are not skilled in urban body governance. They do not study the rules, the books. They respond by the day, by the moment.

On the other hand, citizens too must study urban body governance and how the system works if they are to make real contributions. Mailing complaints on street lights or open drains is not our only responsibility. The citizens of a ward can work wonders if they study key issues, draw up some simple plans and engage well with the Ward Councillor. Do you want a quick-fix to the leaky sewage pipe in your street or a long-term solution to the larger issue that creates that sewage problem?

Let us not keep cribbing at Councillors all the time. Join hands, steer the good things possible.

#vincentsjottings
San Thome, Chennai 600 004

Article by K.R.A. Narasiah

I am a regular reader of Madras Musings right from the day it was published by late Mr. S. Muthiah. While I read all the articles without fail, I always read with great interest articles by K.R.A Narasiah for the main reason that they are always packed with truth encompassed with historical evidences. This being the case, I was very disappointed when I went through his article, “The first woman VC of JNU is from Chennai” (MM February, 16-28, 2022)

With his family friendship with Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, his praising her for being selected as the VC of JNU, one of the renowned and prestigious universities is understandable. But, the efforts made by him to white wash the unpalatable and vile comments made by her in her Twitter handle against the minorities, JNU, students and agitating farmers for years together, is unacceptable. Her Twitter posts, right from condoning the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi to her disparaging remarks against Indian Christians and Muslims as ‘Rice bag converts’ and ‘Radicals and mentally retarded Jihadists’ respectively to referring to farmer leaders like Yogendra Yadav and Rakesh Tikait as ‘parasitic middlemen’ and ‘liars and losers’ to describing student organisations as ‘losers from JNU’ and ‘extremist Naxal groups’ to praising Nathuram Godse who killed the Mahatma in cold blood as one who ‘thought action was important and identified the solution for a united India’ green shots of which are widely circulated in the media evidence her mindset, though she has claimed that her twitter was hacked and the postings are not hers for which there are no takers.

All this must also be well in the knowledge of Mr. Narasiah who is well informed of her and her thinking but he has conveniently brushed aside these facts about her as rumours. While there are many great women scholars, very much better qualified than this right wing-sympathiser, one knows the real reason why she has been selected and planted in this prestigious university by the ruling dispensation. Narasiah could have called a spade a spade and should not have tried to bury evidences about her conduct fathoms deep. Under the circumstances I am only forced to call out in all anguish, ‘Et tu Narasiah? ’

At this juncture I also wish to point out that after the demise of Mr. Muthiah, I find a lot of changes and deviations to the ideologies practiced by Mr. Muthiah in the publication of Madras Musings. Even in the selection of the authors, articles on personalities and importance given to preferred places of heritage, I feel the rightwing smell looming large over everything which is not expected from a fortnightly started with very sacred ideals. As one who also had several opportunities and privilege to meet, discuss with and understand the line of thinking of the great Mr. Muthiah, publication of an article like the one above praising sky high someone with right wing ideologies is a case in point.

I thought of recording this as my personal opinion. Hope you will respect the sentiments of a longtime reader and an ardent supporter of MM, by posting this letter in toto in the next issue of MM and oblige.

Tharcius S. Fernando
10, First Street
A.V.M Nagar, Virugambakkam
Chennai 600092

Editor’s Note: We thank reader Fernando for his feedback. The article was published only because the lady in question is from the city and Madras Musings does not endorse her views.

Safeguard Memorial Stones of Europeans in Little Mount Church, Saidapet, Chennai

We wish to bring to your kind attention that the Little Mount Catholic Church, in Chennai is venerated by the visit of Saint Thomas, the Apostle of India. This historical place is one of the landmarks of Greater Chennai. This site is visited by pilgrims and tourists, from all over the world. The Little Mount Church has many memorial stone slabs, mentioning the persons and events of the past. These are records of the historical past, which mention the visit of Europeans and Armenians and Indians who adored this Holy Place and the Church during the early Centuries. We bring to your kind attention that now, these historical memorial slabs are damaged during the renovation and repair works of the Church. They are in a very neglected state. So we pray you kindly protect these stone memorial slabs in the Catholic Church at Little Mount. It is our duty to protect these Historical Records from destruction. Please kindly do the needful to safeguard and preserve these stone memorials.

Edwin D’Souza
35, San Thome High Road
San Thome, Chennai 600 004

We thank reader D’Souza for this letter but there is nothing we can do about this beyond publishing what he has written. The matter has to be taken up by him or members of that Church with the concerned authority.
– The Editor

Please follow and like us: