Articles by Shobana Radhakrishnan

Settling into a cosy corner at home with a mug of hot tea during the rains is the idea of a picture-perfect monsoon for many. However, when we relax indoors enjoying the drizzle, there is often someone out and about ensuring the roads are not inundated, that power lines stay intact, the drains are not clogged, and garbage is not strewn on the streets after a heavy downpour. Chennai's many frontline workers deal with these unenviable tasks even as they are unable to attend to their own needs or that of their families during these situations. With the impact of…

L Kumar, a resident of Vadapalani, was on his way to T Nagar on his bike. It was one of those rare days when the weather in Chennai was pleasant and the road was free of traffic. All was well until Kumar encountered a herd of stray cattle which barged into the middle of the road abruptly. In an attempt to avoid colliding with the herd, he hit the brakes hard. He slipped from his bike and hit the ground. The accident left Kumar with a dislocated shoulder, a fractured elbow and injuries to both his legs. The bike was…

For nearly a decade, Kamatchi* harboured dreams of becoming a District Collector. She was regular at school and did not miss any classes. She was certain that once she achieved her dreams she would be able to allocate new houses for the residents of Kannappar Thidal, where she lived with her family. But the increasing instances of child marriages in Chennai, especially in its resettlement colonies, have shattered the dreams of many like Kamatchi. "We have been here all our lives near the Ripon Building where many IAS officers work. I wanted to enter that building only as an IAS…

The construction of an elevated rail line on a 5-kilometre stretch between Velachery and St Thomas Mount began in 2000, as part of the Mass Rapid Transit System’s (MRTS) extension project in Chennai. While the MRTS lines between Beach to Mylapore and Mylapore to Velachery have been operational for many years, the line between Velachery and St Thomas Mount that passes through Puzhudhivakkam and Adambakkam has been delayed forever. The primary reason for the delay was litigation related to the land acquisition of a 500-metre stretch between Jeeva Nagar and St Thomas Mount. With the litigation ending nearly a year…

A 51-year-old conservancy worker, S Sekar from Perumbakkam in Chennai, died of electrocution in July this year. The incident happened in Venkateshwara Nagar in Velachery when the worker came in contact with a high-tension underground cable while clearing garbage. The cable, which is supposed to be buried deep underneath the ground, was found to be much closer to the surface, leading to his unfortunate demise. And this is just one of many tragedies that the city has seen, arising from exposed electricity cables. According to a news report, as many as 97 people have died of electrocution between January and…

Translated by Sandhya Raju “எனக்கு ஒரு வீடு வேண்டும்,” என்கிறார் ஒன்பதாம் வகுப்பு படிக்கும் தனஸ்ரீ. “கதவு வைத்த கழிப்பறை, கால் நீட்டி தூங்கக்கூடிய அளவிலான ஒரு அறை மற்றும் ஒரு சமையலறை,” என மேலும் அவரது விருப்பத்தை கூறுகிறார். இது அவர் கனவு மட்டும் இல்லை, கண்ணப்பர் திடலில் உள்ள நூற்றுக்கணக்கான குடும்பங்களின் விருப்பமும் ஆகும். இவர்கள் இருபது ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன் ரிப்பன் மாளிகை அருகில் உள்ள தெருக்களிலிருந்து வெளியேற்றப்பட்டவர்கள். ஆக்கிரமிப்பு, நீதிமன்ற ஆணை, வளர்ச்சி திட்டங்கள் என பல்வேறு காரணங்களை சுட்டிக்காட்டி, சென்னையில் ஆக்கிரமிப்பு அகற்றல் அமல்படுத்தப்படுகிறது. பல வருடங்களாக வசித்த இருப்பிடங்களை விட்டு சென்னையின் புறநகர் பகுதிகளில் இவர்கள் வசிக்கின்றனர். இந்த வெளியேற்றம் இவர்கள் வாழ்க்கையில் பல இன்னல்களை உருவாக்குகிறது, ஆனால் இதைப் பற்றி அதிகாரிகள் அதிகம் அக்கறை கொள்வதில்லை. Read more: Life beyond the murals in Chennai’s Kannagi Nagar நிறைவேற்றப்படாத…

Kalyani, a fruit vendor in Anna Nagar, had often seen the rows of cycles stationed by the side of the road, which people would come, unlock and ride away on. She had heard that this was a public bike sharing facility available to citizens and was eager to try it out. It really would help her in her commute. But sadly, she had little help in figuring out how the whole system worked. "I was interested in trying it out," she says, "but there were no instructions in Tamil at the spots (docking stations) on how to access these bikes.…

Are you a Chennaite who has been to Marina beach since your childhood? Does the sight of the sea hold many happy memories for you? But how many of us know that Marina beach also has a fraught past, which counts as part of its history a police gun firing against fisherfolk who protested against beach beautification? For many youngsters of this generation, the Jallikattu protests were the first time they saw a very different image of the beach - one as a site of protest. But that's not the only point of contention that has seen protests. Over the…

"I want a home,” says Dhanashree, a student of Class IX. “It should have a toilet with a door, at least one room spacious enough to stretch my legs and sleep and a kitchen of our own,” she adds. This is not just her dream but also that of hundreds of families in Kannappar Thidal who were evicted from the streets near Ripon Building two decades ago. Evictions in Chennai have become a common affair now with removal of encroachments, eminent domain claims, court orders and developmental projects being cited as reasons by various government bodies to carry out the…

Translated by Sandhya Raju “தங்கள் வாழ்கை நிலை உயரவும் தன் குழந்தைகளுக்கு நல்ல கல்வி பெறவும், தமிழகத்தின் பல இடங்களிலிருந்து சென்னைக்கு பிழைப்பு தேடி வரும் மக்கள் வருகின்றனர். இவ்வாறு வரும் மக்கள், பெரும்பாலும் நதிக்கரை ஒரமாக தங்கள் இருப்பிடத்தை அமைத்துக் கொள்கின்றனர். திடீர் திடீரென இவர்கள் குடிசைகள் தீப்பற்றி எரிவதால், இந்த இடம் “திடீர் நகர்” என அழைக்கப் பெற்றது.” சைதாபேட்டை திடீர் நகரில் வசிக்கும் 60 வயது எஸ் கதிர்வேலன்.  ஆனால், ராஜா அண்ணாமலை புரத்தில் வசிக்கும் எல். விஜயா வேறொரு காரணத்தை முன் வைக்கிறார். “இங்குள்ள பெண்களின் அணிகலங்கள் திடீர் திடீரென காணாமல் போவதாலும், அடிக்கடி குடித்துவிட்டு இங்குள்ள மக்கள் தகராறில் ஈடுபடுவதாலும், இந்த பெயர் காரணம் இருக்கலாம் என கூறுகிறார்.” பெயர் காரணம் எதுவாக இருப்பினும் அங்கு நடக்கும் திடீர் சம்பவங்கள் இவர்கள் வாழ்க்கையை தீர்மானிப்பதாக உள்ளது. திடீர் நகர் சென்னையில் பல பகுதிகளில் இருந்தாலும்,…