It's Chennai's turn now

THERE IS a joke doing the rounds in Mumbai. It goes as follows: One Tamilian is a fugitive sandalwood smuggler,

Two Tamilians are a suicide bomb squad,

Three Tamilians are a classical music concert,

Four Tamilians are a film star fan club!

Lest anyone jumps to the hasty conclusion that Tamilians are being singled out for such treatment, let me add that the joke is about several other communities also. However, as a Tamilian settled for a couple of decades in faraway lands, at or above the Vindhyas, I am privileged to be both an observer as well the observed.

It has always struck me as interesting that Tamil Nadu in general, and Chennai, in particular, make it to the headlines in Mumbai for all the wrong reasons. I cannot but notice that we Tamilians are usually taken to be often prudish, generally conservative. And almost always, bizarre.

The Veerappan episode was one of the series of events that focussed attention on the more unsavoury aspects of life in Chennai, or Tamil Nadu for that matter.

When Bill Clinton visited India, every State tried its best to put pressure on the Centre to get him to visit the State capital. There was Chandrababu Naidu, whose image of being a CEO has now become the stuff of legend. The joke doing the rounds then was even Laloo Yadav put pressure on the MEA to get Clinton to visit Patna but the IT savvy State of Tamil Nadu did not evince much interest in hosting the visitor. In an article titled 'Why T.N does not need Clinton', which appeared in a national daily, it was stated that the State's I.T. sector was entirely spurred by local talent and capital and was therefore, rather cool to the Clinton visit - truly a case of remarkable self-confidence.

Talking of making it to the news for bizarre reasons, one cannot but be abashed at the sight of the police forces of two of the better managed States finding it impossible to lay their hands on a brigand like Veerappan.

The expat Tamilian is hard put to explain the so-called film craze that is witnessed in Chennai. I am afraid most Tamilians in Mumbai are not too well informed of the film scene even in Bollywood - or else they would have had no difficulty in explaining the phenomenon.

There was also a time when Mumbaiites found it unbelievable that a literate people like the Tamilians should vote film actors into political office. I had then prophesied that what Tamil Nadu does today, Mumbai ridicules tomorrow and imitates the day after. I am happy to say that my astrological skills have been validated. There are any number of Bollywood personalities who have made a place for themselves in politics. When reminded of this, the Mumbaiite has only a wry grin to offer.

Having said all this, there is scope for the Chennaiite to be more aggressive about his achievements. I have always found it entertaining to tell my friends when they boast of the shopping malls in Mumbai, that they would do well to visit the malls in Chennai. I have rarely found a Mumbaiite who has not been impressed by the Spencers, the Lifestyles et al.

Perhaps nothing signifies the rising status of Chennai and the declining status of Mumbai than the survey of the best educational institutions in the country, done by a Delhi-based English language weekly. This survey has consistently found it fit to place three Chennai colleges in the top ten slot and has not found the courage to sqeeze even one Mumbai college in most categories. A sure sign that Chennai's time has come.

K. R. RAVI

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