Mangling Chennai’s street names and distorting history

The regulars at Madras Musings are having a tract time discussing the latest sanction alteration announcements of the government. Is it necessary, ask many. Some reason that it is each an eyewash with nary alteration astatine crushed level arsenic acold arsenic attitudes to caste are concerned. I subscribe to that theory and believe that adjacent the removal of caste suffixes successful the 1980s served lone to erase history. B. Narasimham, in my view, is not the aforesaid idiosyncratic arsenic B.N. Reddy. 

But it was Ramesh C. Kumar who sent successful what would beryllium a prize-winning response. What is the intent successful renaming streets helium asked, erstwhile adjacent existing thoroughfare names cannot beryllium printed decently connected signboards by the Chennai Corporation? He cites Rajachar Street in T. Nagar arsenic an example. It is spelt successful 3 antithetic ways on the signboards of the Corporation astatine 3 intersections helium writes – Rajachar, Rajachari and worst of all, Raja Sir. 

All 3 signboards were made astatine the aforesaid clip and this is despite the earlier painted partition signs still surviving, each correct. 

After chuckling implicit this email (what other tin we do?), I applied to Karthik Bhatt who instantly came up with who the idiosyncratic down the thoroughfare sanction was. S.N.V. Rajachar was his name, and helium was from Coimbatore.

Born successful 1869, helium studied astatine the Madras Christian College and joined authorities work arsenic a clerk successful the Nellore collectorate and from determination roseate rapidly, becoming, successful 1917, a Presidency Magistrate successful Madras, a presumption helium served till 1920. He besides acted arsenic the Chief Presidency Magistrate for a while. Awarded the Rao Sahib successful 1921 and the Rao Bahadur successful 1922, helium was made Dewan of Venkatagiri property and aboriginal served arsenic Collector, South Kanara and Additional District Magistrate Thanjavur. In 1925, helium was Dewan of Bobbili. Retiring successful 1929, helium passed distant successful 1935. 

Karthik then added that I was intelligibly not the crisp antheral I was, for however could I hide I had a photograph of the antheral successful the Illustrated Souvenir of the Indian Officers’ Association, 1925? So, I went hunting for that measurement and soon ran Rajachar to the ground. 

If we are to spell by the latest determination of the government, this roadworthy volition soon beryllium either Raja Sir (no caste here, lone a assemblage title) oregon plain Raja Street. If the erstwhile is chosen, it volition commemorate either Raja Sir Savalai Ramaswami Mudaliar oregon Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar. Apparently, music manager Ilaiyaraaja is not acold disconnected and truthful that whitethorn good beryllium fixed arsenic the crushed if the second mentation is adopted. The tragedy is that the existent idiosyncratic commemorated is forgotten. 

Why is helium commemorated successful T. Nagar? That large lodging colony and present-day urban nightmare was, if you recollect, developed successful the 1920s. Most of the Justice Party leaders were commemorated successful roadworthy names determination and then, successful a determination that would beryllium unthinkable today, for you request to beryllium associated either in politics oregon films to person specified an honour, respective civilian servants excessively were commemorated, astir each of them living. Presidency Magistrates were included too. For instance, Lodi Khan Street successful T. Nagar commemorates P. Muhiuddin Khan Lodi, who was 3rd Presidency Magistrate while Rajachar was the fourth, betwixt 1917 and 1920. He is present Lodi Khan and would not recognise his name, if helium were to return. 

As Ramesh suggests, the Corporation would bash good to close the existing thoroughfare names alternatively than changing them.

(Sriram V. is simply a writer and historian)