Articles by Mary Murphy

Just a month ago, Madras University’s School of Sociology released a statement asking all of their postgraduate students to sign a form where they will agree to not participate in any political activities.  This request was in response to student's participation in various protests this summer, mostly to do with violence in Manipur, a BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and attacks on students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Once this statement was released, students refused to sign and agree to these conditions but felt limited in their options of speaking out against this action taken by the University. …

Mayilsamy, a street vendor in Purasaiwalkam who sells toys and trinkets, remembers when the news of the single-use plastic ban broke.  “I tried to tell my customers to bring their own bags,” says Mayilsamy. “But very few people brought them.” In January of 2019, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) imposed a ban against the use of almost all single-use plastic (SUP) products in the state. The ban is one of many measures brought about to reduce the presence of harmful plastic products. Since the ban, the Pollution Control Board, along with other agencies such as the Greater Chennai…

Just a few months before I was due to leave for Chennai, my aunt from India gave me a heartfelt pep talk, if you can even call it that. I think maybe a slap in the face and a “wake the hell up” talk would be more appropriate.  I got the usual spiel: Don’t eat street food. Don’t drink just any water. Mosquitoes? Malaria? You will be covered in a pool of sweat the moment you step outside. Absolutely no walking alone at night, and how the hell are you going to cross the street?  Towards the end of our…

In July of 2022, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) introduced the ‘Shoreline Renourishment and Revitalization Project,’ a large-scale version of many beach beautification projects introduced in past. The overall project will cover just over 50 km of Chennai’s coastline with various sections being developed along various themes. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) has been constituted to carry out the project with the body comprising officials from various departments. Chennai citizens have consistently brought forth concerns surrounding beach beautification projects in past years, mainly as it had to do with fisherfolk and the environment.  Will the planning for the extensive…

In June of 2021, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin introduced ‘Singara Chennai 2.0,’ an ode to past projects not finished under Singara Chennai 1.0. These initiatives have been centred around giving various parts of the city a facelift. As part of these efforts, beach beautification has been one of the areas of focus. Under Singara Chennai 2.0, the plan to revamp the city’s beaches has been dubbed ‘Project Blue.’  Agencies such as the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) have since begun chalking out plans for the city’s various beaches. But these ideas come with some concerns for…

The Annual Madras Day festivities have begun with a collection of heritage walks, heritage talks, contests, and various other community-organised events in the city.  While the entire month of August is usually set aside to organise events to commemorate the historical founding of the city on August 22, 1639, most of the events occur over the actual week in the run-up to Madras Day. Started by a group of community journalists and historians in 2004 – notable among them Vincent D’Souza, Sashi Nair and S. Muthiah – the celebration of Madras Day aims to bring people and communities together to…

Amy*, a 31-year-old Chennai local, who has received three abortions in her life, remembers using a condom as protection each time she found out she was pregnant.  Now, her gynaecologist, scared that her body can not handle another termination, is requiring her to come in for shots every few months as an added form of birth control.  Amy recalls that she really had no formal education on other forms of birth control, and while she knew they existed, she just really wasn’t considering it.  Talking about sex is still considered taboo and many Chennai schools currently have no formalized sex…

Aarti Krishnakumar, a Chennai local, entered the dating world after her mother’s efforts to arrange a marriage for her did not work out. Unsure of it all, Aarti went on a few dates and found herself in a panic after not getting her period.  When Aarti went looking for emergency contraceptive pills in Chennai, she took many avenues.  First, she visited three generic pharmacies, none of which carried the emergency contraceptive pill. At another pharmacy, Aarti recalls the pharmacist looking at her “as if I had just asked for an alien chip.” Feeling more desperate, Aarti then visited a reputed hospital…