Articles by S Raghavan

Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and three other states are scheduled for 2026. Close on the heels of the Bihar elections, where the Election Commission of India (ECI) conducted a Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the ECI has now announced that all poll-bound states and union territories will undergo a similar revision exercise. Form distribution has already begun in the Chennai district, and according to the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), as of now, more than 40% residents have been covered in this exercise.  This makes it essential for every eligible voter in Tamil Nadu to verify their inclusion in the…

Key roads in Ashok Nagar have been subject to floods in recent years whenever there have been severe cyclonic storms in the city. An outdated stormwater drain (SWD) network was one of the key reasons for the flooding and the misery that the residents faced. Having seen the impact of the urban floods, the residents of the area organised themselves into a Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA) that has successfully managed to work with the civic body in creating infrastructure that will prevent future floods.  Read more: Perambur SWD construction: Sewage, exposed cables and other horrors Key roads in Ashok Nagar…

George Town in Chennai encompasses NSC Bose Road and many bylanes that bustle with activity at all times. It is a wholesale market where businesses and individuals buy goods in bulk for cheap. The narrow lanes and many shops make navigation of these roads very difficult. While much has changed about the area over the years, the tricycle carts used by cart pullers to transport goods have remained constant. In the din, from dawn to dusk, one can spot men on their tricycles, moving goods to and from the market. They work close to 12-14 hours a day. The cart…

Translated by Sandhya Raju அரசு தலைமை மாற்றம் பல மாற்றங்களையுயும் அதனுடன் கொண்டு வருகிறது. 90-ம் ஆண்டு மத்தியில் ஐடி புரட்சி பெருமளவில் நிகழ்ந்தாலும், மெட்ராஸ் என்று அப்போது அழைக்கப்பட்ட தமிழகத்தின் தலைநகரமான சென்னை, அதற்குறிய பொலிவை பெற்றிருக்கவில்லை. இந்தியாவின் பிற தலைநகரங்கள் மற்றும் மெட்ரோ நகரங்களை ஒப்பிடுகையில் சென்னை பின் தங்கியிருந்தது. மே 1990 நடைபெற்ற தேர்தலில் வெற்றி பெற்ற பின்னர், அப்போதைய முதல்வர் எம் கருணாநிதி, நகரத்திற்கு சென்னை என பெயர் மாற்றி, "சிங்கார சென்னை" என்ற பெயரில் பல திட்டங்களை அறிவித்தார். சிங்காரம் என்ற சொல்லுக்கு தமிழில் அழகான / அலங்கார / அழகுபடுத்தப்பட்ட என்று பொருள். நகரத்தை அழகுபடுத்துவதோடு, சாலைகளில் குவிந்த குப்பைகளை அகற்றுவது, போக்குரவத்தையும் சீராக்கும் திட்டத்தை அடக்கி இந்த திட்டம் உருவாக்கப்பட்டது. நகரத்தை வாழக்கூடியதாகவும் பயண நட்பாகவும் மாற்ற, இது தான் முதல் படி. முந்தைய மெகா திட்டங்கள் 1990-ம் ஆண்டு…

Sweeping changes at the helm of affairs in government brings with it sweeping changes in ground realities as well. In the mid-nineties, even though the IT revolution was already well underway, Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, then called Madras, did not sport a presentable or attractive enough look for a capital city. In fact, it was way behind other state capitals and metro cities in terms of the first impression it made. Soon after their victory in the May 1996 elections, then CM M Karunanidhi renamed the city as Chennai and initiated a host of projects under the umbrella…

ஆடி அழைக்கும், தை விரட்டும் is an adage in Tamil. The essence of the saying is that every year, starting mid-July and for the next six months, it is a festive season, culminating in Pongal that comes in mid-January. This is the time when a range of festivals bring people together in celebration. Festivals revive and reinforce cultural traits. Togetherness with friends and relatives instills a sense of camaraderie, strengthens personal bonds and helps us build a support system for life. The ambience during festivals and the rituals or practices of each vary from one festival to another and adds variety,…

Nobel laureate Albert Einstein, who demonstrated extreme patience in his pioneering research, when questioned on his unconventional methodology had once replied, “What is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right.” The reply came at a time when he was repeatedly failing in his attempt to establish convincingly the Theory of Relativity. Undeterred, he pursued and his discovery has been the trend setter for many other discoveries in classical physics. When the coronavirus pandemic first surfaced on 30th January, few expected it to really hit India. February remained subdued but in March, as the cases…