The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Reporter's Dairy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 13, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Reporter's Dairy

Blocking the traffic

Motorists and two-wheeler riders were put to hardship on Monday around noon after an MTC bus (ADG 549) broke down on Santhome High Road just in front of a school. The road narrows down at this point. Neither police nor MTC authorities took any effort to remove the bus from the spot, leading to a traffic hold up that extended to Foreshore Estate on southern side and up to the All India Radio office on northern side.

Around the same time a senior police officer passed through the stretch. However, even that did not translate to action.

When contacted, a senior police officer said probably due to poor communication, the bus was not removed from the place.

Winning their hearts

Kathak exponent Birju Maharaj, who was recently in Chennai to receive an award from a cultural academy, gave the audience a glimpse of what makes him a maestro. His performance included a telephone conversation in the musical rhythm used in Kathak. While the audience lapped up the first piece he rendered a second piece where a thief tries to escape a cop but fails. But the final piece on heartbeat was thought-provoking. The steady beat is a slow rhythm, the beat of an excited heart corresponds to the accelerated rhythm of a dancer.

Book on the legend

A biography on M.S. Subbulakshmi, `Engum Niraindhaaye,' was released on Sunday at a function in the city. The book, priced at Rs. 160, is a collection of anecdotes by the author Vamanan who had interacted with the legend as a journalist and as an admirer.

Commissioner of Police R. Nataraj released the book and vocalist M. Balamuralikrishna received the first copy. He said M.S. brought pride to classical music. She was an exemplary person whose music received praise and not criticism. The chief general manager of State Bank of Mysore, R. Gopalan, described her as a "jewel among women."

Right job

While collecting information for an article on software testing, this reporter had to politely disagree with a human resource executive. He had expressed his belief that the field in question would be ideal for women, since it was `monotonous and did not offer much challenge'. He clarified that he meant people who wanted `a quiet life' could opt for it. Women might fall under the category, he added. Ultimately, he was forced to apologise but this incident was just a pointer to the fact that Information Technology apparently is not always capable of vanquishing gender stereotypes.

(Contributed by P. Oppili, R. Sujatha and J. Malarvizhi.)

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