Is Chennai going to the dogs?
Well, most bloggers think so. And point to the recent incident at the Park hotel as an example. But, I for one, don’t. I still love my city, and am not glad at all I moved out. I miss being in Chennai, miss the excitement, the size and the very fact that Chennai happens to be Chennai.
I agree, the recent incident is pathetic, crazy, stupid, a gross violation of all kinds of rights and limits (on the part of that sleaze mag) and plain unnecessary. But these don’t happen every year, do they? I know friends in Bangalore and Bombay, female friends, who were assaulted in broad daylight.
The case isn’t specific to Chennai alone. Every city in India is facing some kind of moral policing or the other, and to varying degrees. Chennai just happens to be the latest victim. If tomorrow Hyderabad bans woman from wearing jeans or demand they wear the burqah, we would all forget the Park incident and rant about Islamic fundamentalism and moral policing in Hyderabad.
So, I ask you, spare Madras the rod and give it to those who deserve it. The damn ass who took offense, that cheap newspaper which invaded privacy. The police who seem to believe every man who comes in from the road.
Right to Freedom, anyone?
Let’s assume you are at home, after a hard day’s work. Your shoes are off, legs up on the table, a hot cup of coffee by you and your favourite tracks playing on the music system, says Senthazham Poovil. You like the song so much you pump the volume up a bit.
Out of nowhere, your neighbour comes across, slaps you in the face for he didn’t like the song playing. He didn’t like it that you were relaxing while he wasn’t.
Hard to imagine? Well, that in essence what has happened in Madras. The police have arrested two employees of the Park Hotel for alleged violation of Licence Laws.
Cases were filed against them for offences under Section 37 of the Tamil Nadu City Police Act (violation of licence condition), 294 of Indian Penal Code (obscene acts and songs to the annoyance of others in any public place) and under Section 24 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition License Act.
All this, because some yellow Tamil newspaper (most tamil dailies are sensationalist in nature) had gate crashed into a private party in the Park, photographed people without their permission, invading their privacy, and then publishing these unauthorised pictures in the newspaper the next day. With degrading titles.
Now, if that weren’t enough, some self-appointed cultural guardian takes offense and registers a case, based on which our progressive state and its able assistants, the Police filed the above mentioned cases.
If this isn’t a gross violation of our basic rights, I don’t know what is. What is really pathetic about this case is the generous doses of hypocrisy.
As Sudish Kamath points out
Tamil dailies that use a staple of sleaze from films today are talking about women and morality. Talk about hypocrisy.
The question is what do we do about it. Well, we can make enough noise, as Chenthil says, about the issue. Make sure that the hypocrisy and double standards are recognised for what they are. And help spread the word.
Chennai Bloggers Nilu, Chenthil have already weighed in with this issue. You too can.
Random question that means nothing
I am curious. What would feminist think of the women in Ayn Rand’s books? Especially the way Dagny Taggart is portrayed
Really BAD PJ coming up
If Tom Hanks were to act in a movie as a lecturer, what would you title it?
Ans:
The Road to Erudition
Exotica
If we didn’t ask to come here, if we had no choice in that matter, why do we still choose to live here? – From a super movie called Exotica
Google Juice to give away
Indulging in my own greatness a bit. Anybody out there who’s linked to me, but I haven’t yet, leave a comment. Anybody out there who wants me to link to them, but haven’t linked to me first, leave a comment stating reasons.
Rest all, just leave a comment saying hi. 
On another note, Idea Mani along with Ammani and others is hosting a Blog raffle for Charity. Head over there to see what you can do. Meanwhile, there’s that Short story competition still open
Tamil Nadu
Villages that are sentences in verdant green, punctuated by brown full stops of huts. Painted white puffs of clouds, hanging over clear blue skies, unsure, hesitant. Like young boys in the company of adults.
Big city blending gracefully with small villages, choosing not to assert its size.
About
Chandrachoodan Gopalakrishnan is a copywriter, photographer and goofball from Chennai. He is also an archaeologist, historian and a city lover. He is currently a documentary film-maker and desk-monkey for a film production house.
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