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

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 07, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Reporter's Diary

Ground reality

Airports Authority of India Chairman K. Ramalingam had a taste of the poor maintenance of transit accommodation at the link building of the Chennai airport on Sunday. He was trapped inside the toilet of Room No. 8 (a VIP room) for nearly an hour as the lock did not work. There was no phone inside and he had to shout for help. After a long time, his relative heard the commotion and summoned the AAI staff, who broke open the door.

An agitated Mr. Ramalingam directed AAI officials to remove the lock and install a latch.

Violations galore

It is, perhaps, easier to install signals at junctions than make drivers observe traffic rules. Venkatnarayana Road is a busy stretch, thanks to movement of college buses, private bus operators and school vans. A signal recently installed at the Pinjala Subramaniam Street-Dandapani Street junction should have eased congestion as three streets are one-way zones at the junction. But the rules are observed rarely. Though signals are on as early as 6 a.m., drivers jump these and enter the streets from the wrong end, showing little regard for pedestrians or slow-moving vehicles such as bicycles.

Needed: language skills

Reading invitations to cultural events at engineering colleges is fun. The organisers take pains to come up with whacky, original names for the familiar dumb charades, antakshari and quiz. They like to get eloquent. The success of an annual event was attributed to the "revere" of a rather well known institution "in both academic and industrial levels." A lesser known one announced the overall prize thus: "One person will be galumphing with one really wanted-by-all electronic gadget at the end of the event." Our esteemed institutes of technical education might need to consider giving some attention to language skills too.

Of Cholas and Pandyas

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M. Karunanidhi is known for his quick witticism and punning of words. After the seat-sharing talks for the Assembly elections with Mr. Karunanidhi on Monday, State president of the Communist Party of India D. Pandian told waiting reporters that the talks were progressing well. Mr. Karunanidhi came out after Mr. Pandian left. Asked the same question, he responded saying that "Cholan" endorses the statement of "Pandyan."

(Pandyas and Cholas were kings who ruled from Madurai and Thanjavur. Mr. Karunanidhi, born in Thanjavur district, is referred to as Chola king by admirers, partymen.)

(Contributions by T.S. Shankar, R. Sujatha, J. Malarvizhi, and S. Vydhianathan)

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