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

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 17, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Reporter's Diary

Hi-tech rath

The Jagannath rath yatra in city surprised quite a few for the technical expertise that had gone into it.

The hydraulically operated chariot had signalling gadgets — green and red — to guide devotees pulling the rope.

Telephone wires and power cables on the road did not pose problems, in general, though some festoons across Mada street did come in the way.

The parasol atop the chariot was lowered (courtesy, the hydraulic system) almost immediately after the procession began.

Right perspective

A government official had encouraging words for the physically challenged at an inaugural session of a sensitisation programme.

Their prospects of employment in multi-national corporations were bright, since they did not "dabble in politics," he said.

A corporate head at a recent job fair for the disabled was heard saying that they were more loyal than the "normal."

However, it was left to A.K. Mittal, regional director of the National Institute of the Visually Handicapped, to put things in the right perspective. It was high time that employment for the disabled was seen as their right, not as charity given by the magnanimous, he said.

No bandobast

Does police bandobast mean anything? Not much, if one goes by the attitude of over-enthusiastic Pongal revellers and absence of police personnel at places where they are required.

The other day, several youngsters were creating a nuisance of themselves at the monuments in Mahabalipuram. There were no policemen around.

Though the sculptures have been declared protected monuments, there was no worthwhile protection for some of them. There was no regulation of the crowd, either.

Contributions by R. Sujatha, J. Malarvizhi and K.T. Sangameswaran

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