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The Madras Quiz 2024

The Madras Quiz 2024 will be organised on Sunday, August 18, 2024 at MMA Auditorium, Pathari Road, off Anna Salai from 2.30 pm onwards by ace quizmaster Dr. Sumanth C. Raman.
Organised by Murugappa Group. Prizes worth Rs. 50,000!

Bring a friend, form a team, and win exciting prizes!

Special prizes for top-performing school, senior citizens and women-only teams.

Teams of two members can participate in this quiz.

This is a free, open quiz. All are welcome.

The Dog Dilemma: To Feed or Not to Feed

In Chennai, it is not unusual to witness packs of dogs, day or night, snarling along the streets. According to the Greater Chennai Corporation’s census, the number of canines increased from 57,366 in 2018 to an estimated 1.2 lakh. And these are the figures obtained by counting only the sterilized ones. Stray dogs whose bark is just as nasty as their bite are taking over the city streets; they also breed out of control. But feeding them is another common practice among the city dwellers, and it also seems to work, as it deters bites. Nevertheless, a lot of them genuinely take pleasure in feeding them.

Most people would agree that the relationship between a human and a dog is special. It’s intriguing to learn about the underlying molecular mechanism, though, which allows two creatures from different orders to create an affinity through the flooding of their blood with oxytocin — the hormone that promotes positive emotions like happiness and trust. Research has shown that dog gazing raises oxytocin levels in owners, which in turn causes the owner to respond filially, which raises the concentration of oxytocin in dogs.

According to the Animal Birth Control program of the Indian government, dogs belong on the streets. Its attempts to restrict rabies by vaccination and manage the dog population through sterilization, though, have been thwarted by unscientific methods and other practical difficulties. Such an approach presupposes that dogs are naturally suited for living on the streets but ignores the fact that dogs have evolved over time to adapt both behaviorally and biologically to the shifting socioeconomic and cultural environments of humans. Dogs on the streets are a sign of irresponsibility, but to excuse their situation is nothing less than cruelty on the part of humans. As a sign of compassion and accountability, Gandhiji supported removing dogs from the streets: ‘It is the indiscriminate and thoughtless charity that has to be resisted,’ he had once stated. In addition to the requirement for canine welfare, there is also a civic duty to consider the welfare of people and the necessity of removing dogs from public spaces in order to provide a healthy living environment for people.

A revolutionary ethical perspective was presented by Mahatma Gandhi a century ago, and there is currently a critical mass of scientific knowledge accessible to bring about this paradigm shift. He promoted a municipal bylaw in 1926 that gave the government the authority to ‘destroy unowned dogs.’ This viewpoint, which was expressed almost a century ago, is more urgent than ever and is still relevant today.

Not only do ‘strays’ pose a risk to human health and biodiversity, but their abandonment also raises ethical questions. Their name – street dogs – already suggests that they have been abandoned. According to an Indian eco-ethology study, stray dogs prefer to give birth closer to human settlements. Dogs’ behavior demonstrates their history of domestication. The dog is a household animal that has been neglected nevertheless. In today’s urban environments, dogs that wander freely and without owners are an annoyance and serve no ecological value. Perhaps it is necessary to emphasize the necessity for responsible pet ownership and efficient population management techniques in order to remove dogs from the streets, rather than advocating for the peaceful coexistence of ownerless dogs in contemporary human cultures.

Can dogs be used in a productive way? Dogs are capable of performing a variety of tasks, such as serving as support dogs, drug detection and bomb detection dogs, and so on, thanks to their highly developed cognitive and social communication abilities. Furthermore, dogs’ significance as pets increases due to their capacity to create strong emotional relationships with people. Gainfully placing dogs in any of these roles, however, needs to be viewed programmatically; this calls for new laws governing pet ownership and the reorientation of social norms to foster accountability for all canines. The problem of stray dogs is complicated, posing practical, ethical, and legal difficulties, and so a significant shift in perspective is needed.

— Shobha Sriram

A lament for Kuralagam

Let me first appreciate the great work done by your team in gathering all the facts about Madras of yesteryears and publishing it so that we can work for its betterment.

Born and brought up in Chennai, I really enjoy all the articles of OLD MADRAS. The issue of July 1-15, 2024 carried an article about Kuralagam and it really struck me hard to see the plight of the stately building – an abode of handmade toys, articles, furniture and several handloom weaves. Aavin booth sans Kuralagam stands nullified.

The umpteen visits during my childhood gush back to my inward eye, thanks to you. Like what is said in the article the new building would definitely be an eyesore.

Arasi S.
Associate Professor & H.O.D.
PG & Research Department of English, Pachaiyappa’s College, Chennai 600 030

Concern about high rise horrors

I am writing to share my concerns about the problems with high-rise buildings in our city. Overcrowding, safety issues, and poor infrastructure are some of the major problems. Many high-rise buildings are too crowded, and there are not enough resources like water and electricity. Safety measures are often lacking, which is dangerous during emergencies like fire and earthquake. Implementing rescue operations during these times might be complex. Living in such high raise buildings may tend people to isolate themselves due to lack of communal spaces available.To add, the mental health of the residents tend to get affected due to the very limited outdoor spaces and absence of physical activities by them. The surrounding infrastructure is also not good enough to support the increased population, leading to traffic jams and other issues. The authorities need to improve planning, enforce safety rules, and upgrade infrastructure to make high-rise living safe and comfortable.

Thank you for highlighting this issue.

Neha
No.41, Victory Avenue
Thirumullaivoyal, Chennai 600 062

About ‘The stuffed calf’

I have just finished reading your lovely article ‘The stuffed calf’. It sent me down memory lane and for a few minutes I was behaving differently. My wife seeing my joyful face told me that I looked twenty years younger. I am seventy two now. I profusely thank you for sharing such a delightful experience. It reminded me of my grandma and her cow and the milkman who disturbed our sleep even before daybreak.

Raja Purushothaman
rajbusybee@gmail.com

Caught in the airport during the Microsoft outage

A handwritten pass, a personal touch
A manual board, where journeys clutch
A checklist marked, with careful eye
The old-time charm, of a bygone sky

The scribble of a name, a flight to claim
A paper ticket, with a manual fame
No digital screens, to guide the way
Just a human hand, to start the day

The airport’s pulse, a slower beat
Where travel’s thrill, is a more gentle treat
The rustle of paper, the creak of a gate
A nostalgic charm, that’s simply great

The smell of ink, the touch of paper thin
A tangible ticket, where memories begin
A keepsake to treasure, long after the flight
A handwritten pass, a nostalgic delight

But, oh wait…
A travel day, meant to bring delight
Turned into chaos, a stressful sight
Delays and lines, a frustrating test
The manual boards, a slow reveal

A handwritten pass, a tedious feel
The checklist marked, with anxious eye
A sense of dread, as time went by
Why now, of all days, must this occur?

A travel day, turned into a blur
A sense of panic, a feeling of woe
A journey’s start, marred by stress
ut still we persevere, through trials and strife

And find a way, to make it through life
For even in chaos, there’s a glimmer of light
A chance to learn, and make it through the night

But then ? How many of you traveled with a manual boarding pass?
Adding it to my memory box!

– Thirupurasundari Sevvel